I stopped at a local food mart the other day to pick up a few things.    As I was standing in the check-out line I spotted a bag of chips that I thought would complement my homemade sub sandwiches nicely.  It was a unique brand of chips and looked yummy.  As always, I looked for the ‘sell-by’ date.  I couldn’t spot it on the bag.  As I proceeded to the check-out, I asked the cashier if she knew where the ‘sell-by’ date was on the bag of chips.   She said “No” and continued the check-out process.  Really?   I expected that she would take a look at the bag and help me find the date but she didn’t.  In her view, her job was to check-out groceries and that’s what she did.  Somehow we have failed to help employees understand that if they interact with a customer in any way, then their job is more than the task they perform.  It is about serving customers and providing them What’s needed, On time, With Value.   As for the cashier at the local food mart, when it comes to customer service she has definitely ‘checked-out’.