distracted cashier, would you have said something?

[soccerdad72]

Why? Customers don't bag their own groceries in my area. The cashier does it or the carry out kid working the cash registers. Heck around here, one of the main grocery stores pushes your cart out to your car and loads your groceries for you.

It's a regional thing

 

[disney1990]

It could have been so many things. No, I would not have said anything.

I know, years ago, when I was a grocery store cashier, we often stopped and run up something for another cashier. They are only on break for 15 minutes and didn't want them to spend most of that break time standing in line to get something to eat.

 

[ceemys]

my cashier scans then bags, scans then bags each item. So at the end of the transaction and I am paying, the bagging is completed. However, if they interrupted my transaction to scan a friends candy...I would probably have said something.

 

[Lorelei Lee]

Did you keep the bag from the previous customer?

No, I handed it back to the cashier.

 

[Adipoo]

Why? Customers don't bag their own groceries in my area. The cashier does it or the carry out kid working the cash registers. Heck around here, one of the main grocery stores pushes your cart out to your car and loads your groceries for you.

Yes, I did kind of say that in my post. Not all stores (a regional thing, in my experience ) are set up that way. And when there is no bagger, it seems a colossal waste of time for me to stand there without putting my stuff in bags. I used to feel so lazy at our Florida home having it all done for me.

 

[Lorelei Lee]

I would have started bagging my stuff right away.

Was he the only cashier available? That makes a difference if I would be miffed with him ringing up the coworkers stuff.

If he was the only one available, I would be understanding since I had a large order.

I had $250 worth of groceries, she had one item -- candy. And the express lane (12 items or less) was open, but she would have had to wait her turn.

There was a short backup at the register next to me, the guy sent his daughter out to the car to get his wallet. But right after she left he realized he had cash in his other pocket.

 

[Lorelei Lee]

I would not have said anything to a manager about either, since neither would have been a blip on my radar.

I'm surprised that you're laying all of the blame on the forgotten items on the cashier. It was just as likely to have been the previous customer's fault, yet you jump right to the conclusion that it was the teen.

As for the candy, no, I wouldn't mind him taking a minute to ring up someone who was probably on a pretty short break as it was. Anyway, I always help bag my own things, and I'm usually just about done by the time they print the receipt.

It was the location of the bag that did it for me. He has a rack that holds the plastic bags. It's actually three set of racks on a revolving pedestal. He's supposed to open a bag while it's on the rack, fill it, place itvon the counter, then rotate the pedestal to get to the next bag. This bag was stilk hanging from the rack, and was likely out of the custimer's sight.

 

[KristaTX]

Did he or someone else go to the parking lot to try to find the person who had left their one bag? I would hope so. Around here they'll come find you (or try to) if you left something.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I can see an oversight with the one bag, if this is an inexperienced employee...

But, it is the whole 'turn away from and ignore a paying customer to take care of personal business' (or a co-worker's personal business) that would get me.

Something tells me that there is a problem with management and training etc.... here at this store.

I mistake I can understand.
But, how the whole thing went down, seems to be a bigger issue.

 

[Wishing on a star]

It could have been so many things. No, I would not have said anything.

I know, years ago, when I was a grocery store cashier, we often stopped and run up something for another cashier. They are only on break for 15 minutes and didn't want them to spend most of that break time standing in line to get something to eat.

NOT OKAY....
They should be prepared for break....
They shouldn't be jumping in, and holding up paying customers....
A worker taking time off their job, while a paying customer is standing there waiting for their business to be completed, talking about or doing personal businesswith a coworker, instead of their job... Just not okay.

At the very least... the OP's order should have been completed.
No question.

 

[ckay87]

I don't feel like it's necessary to tattle on kids. I can't remember the last time I spoke with a manager about anything.

 

[Dr.Girlfriend]

In the supermarket tonight, the cashier was a young kid, probably new to the job.


Two things happened while he was handling my order.


He rang up my purchase and began bagging -- I bought a lot of groceries.


When he first starting bagging, he handed me a bag containing Powerade and peanuts -- two items I did not buy. Clearly he forgot to hand those items to a previous customer.



And he stopped bagging my things when his co worker cane up to his register. She asked him to ring uo her purchase, a single bag of candy. He stopped bagging my groceries to ring up her purchase. After she paid for her candy he finished baging my purchases.


I thought about saying something to the store manager. I didn't want to get the poor kid in trouble, though, just thought someone should tell him to better focus on the job . . .so I didn't say a word.

I do not feel it is the cashier's responsibility to hand off purchased items to the customer. It's the customer's responsibility to make sure that they have all of the items they purchased in hand when they are leaving. Why on earth would you say something to a manager about that (or really, about the purchase for the coworker - she may have had a 15 minute break only and he quickly rang her through)?

The only thing I see that was "wrong" was that the cashier should had said, "I need to pause quickly to ring up my coworker, is that okay?"

 

[krcit]

I don't feel like it's necessary to tattle on kids. I can't remember the last time I spoke with a manager about anything.

I agree. I am constantly amazed at the stuff people get bothered by and the need to tattletale.

 

[anniemae]

It just shows how different we all are. Some people would take the time to flag down a manager and complain while others, like me, couldn't be bothered and would have forgotten the whole thing before reaching the parking lot!

No right or wrong just what bothers you or not. I'm sure there are things that would get under my skin that wouldn't be a blip on someone else's radar.

 

[RadioNate]

I don't feel like it's necessary to tattle on kids. I can't remember the last time I spoke with a manager about anything.

Totally agree. In fact I don't think I have EVER asked to speak to a manager to tattle on anyone trying to do their job.

I have raised questions w/a server or whoever on occasion and they've sent a manager over but for the most part I don't have that kind of time on my hands to stop to 'discuss' things with a manager or even to remotely bothered by something like this.

 

[minnie mum]

I'm not sure why this would still be bothering you enough to post this even after you returned home, but it didn't bother you enough to make a complaint at the time.

In the first instance I simply would have told the cashier that the items weren't mine. In the second instance, I would have been too busy helping him bag the groceries to have paid much notice at all for something that would have taken less than a minute to complete.

 

[Lorelei Lee]

I'm not sure why this would still be bothering you enough to post this even after you returned home, but it didn't bother you enough to make a complaint at the time.

In the first instance I simply would have told the cashier that the items weren't mine. In the second instance, I would have been too busy helping him bag the groceries to have paid much notice at all for something that would have taken less than a minute to complete.

It's not bothering me. More of an idle curiosity kind of thing.

 

[hereyago]

It's interesting that people assume all stores bagging area are the same. The couple stores I go to unless it is self checkout, people can't bag their stuff due to how that area is designed.



I have only twice gone to a higher up person for an issue, other then that I say something to the employee.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I would have said something to him about the other customer's items and suggest that he double check his bagging area before the customer leaves. I'd put it like it was a tip for him to know for next time.

I probably would have said something to the candy girl. Although she should have waited, it wouldn't be worth my time to complain to a manager but she needs to know customers should be taken care of first.

If there isn't a bagger, I normally bag my own groceries rather than having the cashier do it. I do a much better job of bagging than the supposedly trained baggers do.

 

[aprilgail2]

I agree. I am constantly amazed at the stuff people get bothered by and the need to tattletale.

I don't think anything can surprise me anymore after seeing what some people on here feel the need to tattle on!