Can you scan 800 barcodes an hour? Can you smile and say 'thanks' 500 times a day? Do you never need to go to the toilet? Then working at a supermarket checkout could be just the job for you. Anna Sam spent 8 years as a checkout girl. Checkout - A Life on the Tills is a witty look at what it's really like to work in a supermarket: the relentless grind and less-than-perfect working conditions, along with people-watching and encounters with every kind of customer from the bizarre to the downright rude. Sam's story has won her fans all over Europe, turning Checkout - A Life on the Tills into a huge international bestseller, published in 10 languages.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Often hilarious and definitely thought provoking,
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This review is from: Checkout (Paperback)
"Checkout" could easily be likened to the movie "Clerks" as it delves into the highs and lows of working in the service industry, in this particular case working as a cashier in a grocery store. First-time novelist and former cashier Anna Sam recounts the highs and lows of working as a cashier in a manner that is often hilarious as it satirizes her customers. In most cases her customers invite the sarcasm willingly with their rude boorish behavior and many represent easy targets for her wrath. It's easy to side with Sam as many of us would detest having her job, and the way she depicts her work environment makes it even less palatable. But Sam isn't asking readers to pity her or her co-workers and instead came to find a quiet dignity in doing the work she did. As she recounts the many customers encountered while working as a cashier she not only satirizes those who warranted her scorn but comes to empathize with many of her customers. She never comes to truly know them beyond her thumbnail portraits and they reveal themselves to her in unanticipated ways that help to shape and change her perception of them. If anything "Checkout" also is a tribute to those many customers who caused Sam to re-evaluate how she views not only her customers but herself and society as a whole.
Translated from the original French title "Les tribulations d'une caissière, the book loses nothing in the translation and if anything proves the universality of emotions felt by service workers. They work in the most demanding and least rewarding positions, can seldom complain, and are typically ignored or invisible. "Les tribulations d'une caissière" proved to be a surprise best-seller in France and it's easy to see why as it is well written, funny, topical, and more importantly relatable. "Checkout" is likely to change the way you view the multitude of service workers you encounter each day, and perhaps to make you think about the way you interact with them.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Checkout,
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This review is from: Checkout (Paperback)
Being a checker myself at a grocery store, I could relate to the author. In her book though, she sounds mostly sarcastic. Also, since this is set in England there were little differences that here in America we don't understand. Such as "Luu roll" which is toilet paper or "trolley" shopping cart, I had to research that. But on the other hand, it was a funny and good book!
3.0 out of 5 stars
Gives a great perspective on working in retail as a cashier,
By Lex (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Checkout (Paperback)
Book is compelling and I finished it quickly.
Author lives in France so some of her observations aren't as relevant to me in the US. But overall, it's a great reminder that the cashier is a person and to use good manners when shopping. Some of her observations about how people cheat the grocery line are entertaining but unfortunately, it's a mostly sad tale of a frustrating job. I was very happy for the author that she made enough money on her book when it was published in France to quit her job.
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