After leaving the gym this morning, I stopped by a nearby Kroger to pick up a few essentials. It was around 7 a.m., and at this hour, only the self-checkout lanes were open.

I was the first customer in the self-checkout lane and opted for the register at the very back. As I started scanning my items, two men approached and began separate transactions at kiosks near the front, across the aisle from each other.

At that time, the attendant on duty was engaged in a lively conversation with someone just a few feet away from where I stood. When I finished scanning my items, I selected the option to enter a coupon, which triggered an alert for the attendant to assist me. Shortly after, the other two registers also triggered alerts.

All three of us turned to get the attendant’s attention. His surprised expression was telling as he exclaimed, “Oh! Everyone needs help!” I could see him quickly assessing who to assist first. As a recap, my register had triggered the alert first, and he would have to walk past me to assist the other two gentlemen.

He decided to help the gentlemen first, then backtracked to assist me.

Questions of Perception

This interaction left me reflecting on the possible reasons for his decision:

• Could it have been because he was an older white gentleman and the other two were also white?
• Was it because they were men and I was a woman?
• Could it have been due to proximity, as they were closer to the front while I was at the back?
• Did he think he might face pushback from the gentlemen if he helped me first?
• Was it my gym attire that gave the impression I had no pressing commitments?

I patiently waited for him to assist the other two customers, completed my transaction, and went about my day.

A Moment to Reflect

Had I been the attendant, I would have prioritized helping customers in the order the alerts were triggered. A simple, clear communication like, “I’ll assist everyone in the order the alerts came through, thank you for your patience,” could have resolved any ambiguity or frustration.

Such situations are opportunities to reflect on how our actions might be perceived. Whether his decision was influenced by bias, proximity, or other factors, moments like these remind us of the importance of fairness, awareness, and communication in customer interactions.

What are your thoughts on how to handle such moments effectively?