History Main / ApatheticClerk

Related to TheSlacker and ApatheticCitizens. This is often a first job for a BrattyTeenageDaughter. May result from working a SoulSuckingRetailJob. Overlaps with BurgerFool. In cases where the cashier is apathetic to nightmarish working conditions, this will become ConditionedToAcceptHorror. Compare to the SuperStoicShopkeeper, who doesn't react to extreme events, but generally still does their job. Contrast with CreepyGasStationAttendant, where a character working a menial job is PlayedForHorror as opposed to comedy. Also contrast HaughtyHelp, where people the people providing service are disdainful rather than apathetic.

* ''Series/CornerGas'': Wanda, the BrilliantButLazy employee of the titular establishment, prefers doing crosswords to actual work. Brent himself also has shades of this. On the one hand, he is the owner, and thus is a little more invested in running a successful business. On the other hand, as the only gas station in town, he knows he can get away with subpar service (for the most part).

[[caption-width-right:350:''Hang in there, Squidward. It’s all part of the job.'']]

[[caption-width-right:350:''Another day, another migraine.'']]

* In ''VideoGame/YandereSimulator'', one of the many shopkeepers seen in the shops in Buraza Town is a teenage girl who greets Ayano just like any usual clerk would, but you can tell by her inner thoughts and her bored expression that she wants her to leave her alone as soon as possible.

* ''Manga/LuckyStar'': Upon hearing that CosplayOtakuGirl Konata has gotten a part-time job to pay for her trip to a convention, Kagami and Tsukasa discuss what kind of job would even suit her. They imagine a bookstore cashier, where she ignores customers in favor of her manga and gets prizes from the merchandise, a convenience store cashier, where she speaks quickly and slurs her words to get things over with, a fast food cashier and family restaurant waitress, where her deadpan expression would cause problems. When Konata tells them she's a waitress at a cosplay cafe, they agree it suits her perfectly.

** Squidward is the cashier at the Krusty Krab, and he hates every minute of it. Along with having [=SpongeBob=] annoying him from the kitchen, he has to deal with indecisive customers and watch them gorge on unhealthy, lowbrow food. He treats everyone with contempt and speaks in a deadpan monotone while at work, never smiling; the one time he smiled at work was when the Krusty Krab was briefly rebranded as the Krabby O'Mondays and [[HappinessIsMandatory he was forced to smile]], lest he be sent to Human Resources (a big scary thug). In “Ditchin'”, it was implied by Patrick that he calls in sick just so he can get out of work.

-->--'''Enid''', ''WesternAnimation/OKKOLetsBeHeroes''

* ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'': Slater works the night shift at a convenience store and therefore thinks nothing of promoting his GarageBand on the clock or of [[FriendInTheBlackMarket selling you weapons on the side]] -- in fact, you can't buy his nominal employer's products from him.

** Squidward is the cashier at the Krusty Krab, and he hates every minute of it. Along with having [=SpongeBob=] annoying him from the kitchen, he has to deal with indecisive customers and watch them gorge on unhealthy, lowbrow food. He treats everyone with contempt and speaks in a deadpan monotone while at work, never smiling; the one time he smiled at work was when the Krusty Krab was briefly rebranded as the Krabby O'Mondays and [[HappinessIsMandatory he was forced to smile]], lest he be sent to Human Resources (a big scary thug).

->''Thanks for shopping at Gar's, have a... day.''

* ''Film/FearandLoathinginLasVegas'': The waitress at the diner but she gets shaken out of that rut very fast

* ''Series/SchittsCreek'': Stevie and with some trademark {{DeadpanSnarker}} moves.

* ''Series/TheGuestBook'': The Indians at the call center because they mistakenly believe that a guest is so angry and irritable just because he wants to get on his social media (it's actually because he needs to deliver a eulogy for his grandmother's funeral

* Roxanne, [[BrainsAndBondange Re]][[HyperCompetentSidekick nee]]'s younger sister in ''Webcomic/EnnuiGo'' was an intern at [[AmoralAttorney Venus]]' DA office and clearly showed complete disinterest in her work, even if the job involved ''killing'' somebody. Indeed, a running gag throughout her appearances is her constantly asking her boss whether or not she could go home.

Sometimes in fiction, cashiers and clerks will be portrayed as apathetic. Often bored with their job, they might not be aware of what's going on around them. Will likely get annoyed when asked to do work. Expect them to turn a blind eye to suspicious purchases, if they notice them at all. Won't stop children from buying age restricted items, (i.e. cigarettes and alcohol). Their personality will run the gamut from friendly and perky, but just doesn't like to do their job, to outright bitter and even [[{{Jerkass}} hostile to the customers]].

-->''Maybe then, next time I go in, I won't have to deal with some understandably pissed nineteen year old who's thinking, "Can anyone explain to me why I shouldn't be selling drugs?"''

* ''ComicBook/{{Viz}}'': One issue had a comic strip titled ''Lazy Disinterested 16 Year Old Shoe Shop Girl'', featuring a 16 year old cashier who showed more interest in her mobile phone and blowing bubbles with her bubble gum than she did in serving customers.

* ''WesternAnimation/SausageParty'': Darren isn't just apathetic, he's downright rude, commenting loudly that he "Fuggin' hates this job" and calling Camille a "MILF" not only to her face, but over the intercom.

* "Konbini" by Brief & Trunks is about a teen who who goes to a convenience store late at night. The song makes it clear that the clerk is a bored part-timer with a stoic expression.

* ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' has Burgerpants, who [[StepfordSmiler keeps up a paper-thin smiling facade]] until you buy something from him... then drops it for a DeadpanSnarker attitude and a complete apathy towards his job.

** Phyllis, who works at either Town Hall or the Post Office depending on the game, is a complete jerk who is crass, rude, and loudly complains about having to do her job when you come in. It's less that she's rude by nature (she's very protective of her sister, Pelly) and more that she's stressed out since she works the graveyard shift. She's a bit softer when you meet her during her off hours at the Roost.

** After being being exposed to Joker's laughing gas and thrown into a vat of chemicals, news anchor Jack Ryder is transformed into ''ComicBook/TheCreeper''. One of his first acts is to go to a clothing store in order to make his superhero costume. He manages to scare everyone out of the store, except for a store clerk who watches him as he finds his costume and asks how he'll pay in a monotone voice. Despite her total screen time being less than a minute, fans have named her [[MemeticBystander Thrifty]]. Given she works in [[WretchedHive Gotham City]], [[FridgeBrilliance she probably has a high tolerance for weirdness]].
** Similarly is the bartender of the [[BadGuyBar Stacked Deck]], who is ''completely'' desensitized to violence and costumed weirdos since his place is frequented by mobsters, henchmen, and even super criminals. When a riot and gunfight breaks out, he simply slumps on the counter to watch the show and [[PassThePopcorn slides a bowl of peanuts toward himself]].

* ''WesternAnimation/OKKOLetsBeHeroes'': Enid puts as little effort into her job at Gar's Bodega as possible. She prefers to lounge around rather than help customers with anything. On her first day, she was the complete opposite: nervous to the point of sweating profusely to please even the most [[UnsatisfiableCustomer unsatifiable of customers]]. Mr. Gar taught her to learn how to assert herself and stand up to them after a particularly bad run-in, [[ALessonLearnedTooWell and she's never helped another customer since]].

** When [=SpongeBob=] was shopping at a store, he starts talking to an cashier who isn't happy to see him. During this exchange, [=SpongeBob=] pulls out a picture of how the cashier looked on his first day, happy and cheerful, in contrast to his current behavior.

** Phyllis, who works at either Town Hall or the Post Office depending on the game, is a ''complete'' jerk who is crass, rude, and loudly complains about having to do her job when you come in.
** Played with at the Able Sisters tailor shop with Sable, who is quite rude and quiet to you when you first come in. If you keep coming in to use their shop and keep talking to her however she'll slowly warm up to you, begin sharing intimate details about her life, and eventually become more friendly than her sister, revealing that she's just [[ShrinkingViolet incredibly shy]] rather than apathetic.

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!! Examples

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* Mentioned by Creator/DavidCross, when talking about the over-saturation of advertising from [=McDonald's=], and he suggests they not advertise for one day a month.
-->''Maybe then, next time I go in, I won't have to deal with some understandably pissed nineteen year old who's thinking, "Can anyone explain to me why I shouldn't be selling drugs?"''

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** Squidward is the cashier at the Krusty Krab, and he hates every minute of it. Along with having [=SpongeBob=] annoying him from the kitchen, he has to deal with indecisive customers and watch them gorge on unhealthy, lowbrow food. He treats everyone with contempt and speaks in a deadpan monotone while at work, never smiling; the one time he smiled at work was when the Krusty Krab was briefly rebranded as the Krabby O'Mondays and [[HappinessIsMandatory he was forced to smile]], lest he be sent to the Complaints Department (a big scary thug).

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'': This is basically the [[PlanetOfHats hat]] of the sloths. They are so insanely slow at doing their jobs and seemingly lazy that it makes it impossible for them to be a help to the investigation, especially as it turns out in the end that [[spoiler:they apparently are capable of moving much faster, just when they choose to.]]

** Squidward is the cashier at the Krusty Krab, and he hates every minute of it. Along with having [=SpongeBob=] annoying him from the kitchen, he has to deal with indecisive customers and watch them gorge on unhealthy, lowbrow food. He treats everyone with contempt and speaks in a deadpan monotone while at work, never smiling; the one time he smiled at work was when the Krusty Krab was briefly rebranded as the Krabby O'Mondays and he was forced to smile, lest he be sent to the Complaints Department (a big scary thug).