Written By: Danielle Silva Heckenkamp
This past weekend was Strawberry Fest in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. So after a morning of picking strawberries we headed over to downtown Cedarburg for a bit of shopping and an ice cream cone. It was a lovely day and even though it was warm and humid everyone was so nice and sweet. Unfortunately, I witnessed one major etiquette no-no...
We stopped at one of the small shops to browse and just as we were about to leave, I noticed the cashier who was a young high school student eating an incredibly large piece of pizza at the checkout counter while a customer was making a purchase. It saddened me to watch this young girl find nothing wrong with eating in front of anyone. When I was in college, I worked in several retail environments but under no circumstances were we allowed to eat in front of customers! Not only is it rude, but don't you feel awkward chomping down on food in a professional work setting?
How has our society become so immune to these common courtesies? We were always taught as children that if you plan on eating in front of everyone else, you better have enough to share with everyone! I found it even a little more disturbing because these girls were wrapping beautiful merchandise while also eating a greasy slice of pizza. I want to give the girl a little benefit of the doubt since she was a little hesitant as she attempted to take small dainty bites, but unfortunately that doesn't make the action any better! Just remember, politeness is the greatest form of respect and this should be followed in every area of our lives.
Word to the Wise ~ There is never, under any circumstances, a reason to be eating food in front of your customers! Either take a break, or if it's too busy you just suck it up and wait until your shift is over. Self-control, please!
