To pay for that extra person's salary, more patients have to be seen - but the care is more rushed. It's a vicious cycle. We need to change what's going on. I could go on, but the list is endless. Perhaps placing the money on the countertop seems the same as putting it in your palm.
Many shops have a small tray for placing money.
However, it is still normal to have change counted back to you in your hand. As for the small talk and chatting, some people may be trying to be nice, i.e. not ignore you as if you were a machine. Perhaps they can't think of anything mutually relevant other than the customer who just left. I used to work on checkouts and was bugged by rude people, too. You always have the option of not buying products or services from companies that pay their employees low wages, but this might mean you pay more in the end.