Can a cashier refuse service?

[Levy]

I witnessed something odd today at a local grocery store. I was on line and at one point the cashier called their manager to take over and left.
Then I overheard the customer who was next in line, asking the manager why the cashier left. The manager mentioned something about a break.

The customer then said that whenever they were on line and were about to complete their purchase with this particular cashier, the cashier would call for someone to replace them and leave. Then the customer asked if they did something wrong to upset the cashier. The manager assured them they did nothing wrong and took care of their purchase.

Now here is where it gets weird.

As soon that customer left. The cashier returned and took over the line. As far as I could tell, there was no interaction with the cashier and that customer. There was no conversation, there were no words or any argument. The cashier simply left and the came back when that particular customer was done with their purchase.

I am aware that in cases where there is a conflict with a customer, the standard procedure is that the cashier leaves, while the manager intervenes. But what happened today does not fit the bill because there was no altercation between the two.

Is it legal for a cashier to consistently refuse service to a particular customer by walking away from their register and having someone else take over that customer's purchase?

 

[adjusterjack]

Is it legal for a cashier to consistently refuse service to a particular customer by walking away from their register and having someone else take over that customer's purchase?

Legal? There's no law against personal animosity between people, which is what I think happened. That it was done quietly might just mean that neither the cashier nor the manager wanted a scene.

Had the cashier's treatment of the customer been racially motivated it likely wouldn't have been tolerated by the manager.

 

[quincy]

I witnessed something odd today at a local grocery store. I was on line and at one point the cashier called their manager to take over and left.
Then I overheard the customer who was next in line, asking the manager why the cashier left. The manager mentioned something about a break.

The customer then said that whenever they were on line and were about to complete their purchase with this particular cashier, the cashier would call for someone to replace them and leave. Then the customer asked if they did something wrong to upset the cashier. The manager assured them they did nothing wrong and took care of their purchase.

Now here is where it gets weird.

As soon that customer left. The cashier returned and took over the line. As far as I could tell, there was no interaction with the cashier and that customer. There was no conversation, there were no words or any argument. The cashier simply left and the came back when that particular customer was done with their purchase.

I am aware that in cases where there is a conflict with a customer, the standard procedure is that the cashier leaves, while the manager intervenes. But what happened today does not fit the bill because there was no altercation between the two.

Is it legal for a cashier to consistently refuse service to a particular customer by walking away from their register and having someone else take over that customer's purchase?

What is the name of your state?

I see no problem with what occurred in the checkout line. The cashier either had a legitimate need to leave (perhaps a bathroom break) or wanted to avoid a possible confrontation with a person in line. Both excuses to leave would be legal.

 

[Levy]

What is the name of your state?

I see no problem with what occurred in the checkout line. The cashier either had a legitimate need to leave (perhaps a bathroom break) or wanted to avoid a possible confrontation with a person in line. Both excuses to leave would be legal.

Legal? There's no law against personal animosity between people, which is what I think happened. That it was done quietly might just mean that neither the cashier nor the manager wanted a scene.

Had the cashier's treatment of the customer been racially motivated it likely wouldn't have been tolerated by the manager.

As far as I can tell there was no evidence of that.

 

[Levy]

What is the name of your state?

I see no problem with what occurred in the checkout line. The cashier either had a legitimate need to leave (perhaps a bathroom break) or wanted to avoid a possible confrontation with a person in line. Both excuses to leave would be legal.

The state is New York.

 

[quincy]

The state is New York.

Thank you for providing your state name.

The manager apparently was not concerned with the cashier leaving temporarily, for whatever reason, so this seems to be a nonissue. No one was denied service.

I guess the “whys” of it all will remain a mystery.

 

[zddoodah]

Your post doesn't raise any legal issues, and the cashier didn't refuse service. He or she just got someone else to help a particular customer.

 

[quincy]

And, even if there was a legal issue (and all indications are that there isn’t), it would not be Levy’s legal concern anyway.