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I had to laugh, when I read articles, which said that "Quality Service" including greeting customers, with the same boring line. "How are you today", or something along those lines.
As a Cashier at a Gas Station in the Vancouver Lower Mainland in British Columbia/Canada, I had to restrain myself from urinating, due to excessive laughter.
Alot of you don't quite seem to understand, that, as Dave Nocera pointed out, Quality, doesn't always matter.

And that friendly "How are you today?" is not the sign of an Employee that cares.
It's a line. It's part of the job. Believe it or not, 9 out of every 10 sales that happen in a retail environment follow a strict script, written by the company who employs the "Friendly" employees.
For example, at the Mohawk station I work at:
*Customer Walks In.*
"Hello." or some other friendly sounding greeting. This shows the customer that you noticed they walked in, and puts potential shoplifters uneasy.
Keep a peripheral watch of customers, as they walk through the store. This allows you to note suspicious activity, and also allows you to keep a rough running tally of what they are likely going to bring to the till.
As the customer begins putting things on the counter to be scanned, ensure to keep eye contact for as much as possible, and smile. Small talk also helps keep the transaction flowing smoothly.
After you've rung everything through the till, state the total.
Follow it up with a phase like "Is that all for you today", or recommend a specific item, such as a part of the monthly specials, a car-wash, or perhaps a lotto ticket.
Ask the Customer for a BCAA((Copyright to CAA)) card, before completing the transaction.
Repeat the total to the customer, and process payment.
Ensure customer has correct change, has put their' pin number in, or has signed the Credit Card slip.
Wish them a nice day, or some other pleasant way of ending the transaction.

This is for over 90% of the people who walk through the door at my work. The other ten percent are regular customers, who also happen to be our' friends. These people don't get the same line that every other member of the public does, because they don't want it, and like to be treated differently, because they are different.

So think about that, next time. Quality can be manufactured, but it's still manufactured Quality.
Not the same as a Cashier who cares.
And truth be told, most of us don't. We're being paid 8-10 bucks an hour((Canada, 5-7 in the States)) to manufacture, and keep the facade of quality up. We don't get paid enough to genuinely care. So we pretend to care. It's kind of like Sarcasm. Except we get paid for it.

Learn more about this author, Adam Churchill.
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