Part-time work: serving customers as staff

The set phrases for greeting customers and asking them to wait — the kind you should have memorized before your part-time job interview.

1. いらっしゃいませ。

   Welcome!

   The first phrase you'll say on the job. It's a greeting, not a question—customers don't need to respond, and the intonation doesn't rise either.

2. お弁当べんとう、温あたためますか。

   Would you like your bento heated up?

   A very common confirmation question at the convenience store checkout; for how to answer from the customer's side, see the "Convenience store" page (the same scene from the other perspective).

3. 袋ふくろにお入いれしますか。

   Shall I put it in a bag for you?

   「お＋ます形＋します」is a humble pattern meaning “(I’ll) ... for you”; now that plastic bags cost money, you’ll also often hear 「袋はご利用ですか」.

4. ポイントカードはお持もちですか。

   Do you have a point card?

   「お持ちですか」 is the honorific equivalent of 「持っていますか」; 「お＋ます形＋ですか」 is a pattern you'll hear constantly in customer service.

5. 少々しょうしょうお待まちください。

   One moment, please.

   The customer-service version of 「ちょっと待ってください」, used as a pair with the next sentence.

6. お待またせしました。

   Sorry for the wait.

   You must say this after making a customer wait, even if only for a few seconds; not saying it actually comes across as rude.

A complete checkout transaction, starting with taking the customer's items and ending with seeing them off.

1. customer

   これ、お願ねがいします。あと、肉にくまんを一ひとつ。

   These, please. And one meat bun, too.
2. Clerk

   かしこまりました。お弁当べんとう、温あたためますか。

   Certainly. Would you like your bento heated up?

   「かしこまりました」 is the customer-service version of 「分かりました」, a must-know for part-time work; don't use it with coworkers.
3. customer

   はい、お願ねがいします。

   Yes, please.
4. Clerk

   お待またせしました。お会計かいけいは七百三十円ななひゃくさんじゅうえんです。

   Sorry for the wait. Your total comes to 730 yen.

   The sentence pattern for quoting prices is 「お会計は〜円です」; quoting numbers is the first listening-and-speaking test you face behind the counter.
5. customer

   カードでお願ねがいします。

   Card, please.
6. Clerk

   かしこまりました。こちらにタッチをお願ねがいします。

   Certainly. Please tap here.

   A set phrase for guiding cashless payment; 「タッチ」 is a general term for tapping a card or a phone.
7. Clerk

   ありがとうございました。またお越こしくださいませ。

   Thank you very much. Please come again.

   A fixed phrase for seeing customers off; 「お越しください」 uses honorific language for the other person's “coming,” making it one notch more formal than 「また来てください」.