Woman goes to the grocery store, discovers a ‘new way to pay it forward.’ Then she goes through self-checkout

Working as a cashier means that most of the time, you’ll make more than the federal minimum wage, but still less than what’s considered a living wage across much of the country.

On top of that, the hours are usually long and grueling, and cashiers often have to stand for prolonged periods of time. When the store is slow, managers may also expect cashiers to take on other tasks around the aisles, such as stocking, zoning, and cleaning.

Aware of these facts, customers often do little things to make a cashier’s day easier. Sometimes gestures as small as bagging your own groceries, being patient when the line is long, or just being polite about rules that cashiers have no control over.

One customer on TikTok, however, says she came up with a new way to bring a smile to a cashier’s face.

What Does the Shopper Do To Cheer Up Cashiers?

In a TikTok video with over 3.1 million views, TikTok user Carolyn (@carolyndodson0) shares her creative approach.

“I found a new way to pay it forward,” Carolyn says. “Anytime you check out at the grocery store, offer to buy your checker a candy bar and let them pick out whichever one they want.”

But there’s a twist.

“I do it every time I go through the self check,” she says.

Do Customers Do Special Things For Cashiers?

While Carolyn was clearly making a joke, there are people out there who gift their cashiers or retail workers something special to thank them.

One Reddit user, for example, took to r/askTO looking for gift ideas for “people [they] know through retail,” such as a butcher, a “lovely old lady cashier,” a car mechanic, and a barber.

Commenters suggested things like gift cards, homemade cookies, or giving a positive review to the worker’s boss.

Cashiers have also reported receiving large tips as a gesture of appreciation, though it is not very common.

Commenters Found It Funny

In the comments, viewers loved the payoff.

“Heres a reward for staying to the end yall,” one commenter wrote.

Another said the joke didn’t land for them until the second listen.

“I missed the ‘I do it everytime I go through the self check’ the first time,” they said.

Someone else joked that Carolyn should take the bit even further.

“Memaw I hope you’re giving yourself the employee discount on it!” they wrote.

One cashier seemed to miss the joke at first, but said customers really do buy things for them.

“Thank you! ive got a customer who does that for me!” they wrote.

@carolyndodson0

♬ original sound – CarolynD

The Mary Sue has reached out to Carolyn via TikTok messages for comment.

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