What to say at the cash register in the convenience store


I just came back from Japan, it is my first time, so I found myself in the
situations, that I wasn't prepared for.

At the convenience store I noticed natives tend not to say much to the staff
at all, but I just want to confirm that I understand it right.

First when I come in everyone shouts いらっしゃいませ - I know I'm not supposed to
answer, but I still throw some こんにちは, since I just feel strange not to answer.

I walk around and workers occasionally say いらっしゃいませ again and bow, so I say
こんにちは and bow too, but native buyers seem to ignore いらっしゃいませ + bow combo. Is
this fine and polite?

Then I bring products to the cash register and say こんにちは again and I really
want to say something more, but can't find words and keep silent. I get some
polite phrases thrown at me and presented with a number to pay. I say
ちょっと待っててね and look for coins. So my coins are lying on the plate and I want to
say "that's it", "I'm done", "please take my money" or something, but I really
can't find the words and I just make some gestures waving the wallet and
hands...

I can go on, but in short I really felt I'm not following some predefined
step-by-step actions and not using common phrases, I say too much hellos and
bow all the time. When I leave any form of "Goodbye" seem not appropriate,
looks like past-tense "Thank you" is what natives say or not saying anything
and just silently walking out is good. In your answer I would like to see an
example of a common dialog, tips when to bow and when to say nothing.
よろしくお願いします。




It sounds like much of what you are facing is a cultural more than syntactic
problem. A コンビニ is not a bodega; there's no chummy socialization that happens
there.

All of the language I use in the convenience store is _transactional_ :

If you need to ask them to check out:

> お[会計]{かいけい}お[願]{ねが}いします。

To indicate the method of payment:

> ~~で[払]{はら}います。

**This seems to be the only specific question you asked** but if you need to
ferret about for small change:

1) ちょっと待ってください.

and then when you've put the change you want down

2) それからお願いします

They will ask if you want it heated (for items where that makes some sense --
and some where to me it doesn't [like おにぎり]):

> 店員: 「[温]{あたた}めますか」  
>  私:「はい、お願いします」.

They may ask if you want a bag if you ordered something small:

> テープでよろしいですか。

And if unnecessary, I will answer:

> [袋]{ふくろ}はいらないです。

I don't normally greet them or say good bye (though as a white foreigner I
sometimes do).

And that's all that's expected. No one says anything like "hello" or "goodbye"
to them.




It sounds like much of what you are facing is a cultural more than syntactic
problem. A コンビニ is not a bodega; there's no chummy socialization that happens
there.

All of the language I use in the convenience store is _transactional_ :

If you need to ask them to check out:

> お[会計]{かいけい}お[願]{ねが}いします。

To indicate the method of payment:

> ~~で[払]{はら}います。

**This seems to be the only specific question you asked** but if you need to
ferret about for small change:

1) ちょっと待ってください.

and then when you've put the change you want down

2) それからお願いします

They will ask if you want it heated (for items where that makes some sense --
and some where to me it doesn't [like おにぎり]):

> 店員: 「[温]{あたた}めますか」  
>  私:「はい、お願いします」.

They may ask if you want a bag if you ordered something small:

> テープでよろしいですか。

And if unnecessary, I will answer:

> [袋]{ふくろ}はいらないです。

I don't normally greet them or say good bye (though as a white foreigner I
sometimes do).

And that's all that's expected. No one says anything like "hello" or "goodbye"
to them.

