Why You Might Want To Be Nicer To Trader Joe's Cashiers

Cashiers, servers, and anyone else who works for the public seem to mostly remember customers who fall into one of two categories. On one side of the spectrum, there are the infamous Karens who make everyone's lives harder with outrageous demands and expectations. And on the other side, there are the heroes who will leave incredibly steep tips (like one North Carolina man who ABC News reported gave $1,000 to the person serving him at a Waffle House) that everyone hopes will sit at the table they're assigned to in a restaurant. 

However, the majority of people tend to fall somewhere in between these two groups. But while there is nothing wrong with being a decidedly neutral force in the service industry, going out of your way to be nice can earn you more than just good karma points at Trader Joe's. The grocery store chain's cashiers may be as well known for their hospitable approach to customer service as they are for their Hawaiian shirts, but it turns out they can give away more than just a good conversation.

In a post on the subreddit r/traderjoes, a user named anabeeverhousen revealed a Trader Joe's cashier gifted them a reusable cooler bag, which can cost around $40 if you buy one online, completely free of charge. The reason? The cashier gave it to them for being "pleasant," the Redditor explained. Anabeeverhousen noted in the comments that the cashier had previously dealt with an unruly customer before them and that after smiling and getting into a conversation with the Trader Joe's associate, they were given the bag.

An article from Mental Floss confirms that it's fairly common for Trader Joe's cashiers to give away items to customers. One Trader Joe's associate explained to the publication that she was "given the complete freedom to dazzle [customers] how I saw fit," which usually looked like offering free chocolate, ice cream, or food to people "having an 'off' day." But clearly, TJ's employees also give away bigger items to customers who are particularly nice to them. So the next time you're in Trader Joe's, you might want to make an effort to be kind when talking to the cashiers. Aside from making another human being feel good, you may just get a free reusable bag or some of the grocery chain's most sought-after flowers out of the deal.