Grocery store Check-out pet peeves...

[maxiesmom]

I guess I don't understand why some of you cashiers get angry if a customer doesn't "empty out" their little basket. I mean, the cashier has to pick up each item to scan so what difference does it make if it's IN the little basket, or if it's ON the counter??? I've left my few items in the basket many times and I've never had a cashier look upset about it. I guess I just don't see what the big deal is about that...

I can give you 2 reasons. One, I do not know what you have in that little basket. Sometimes things get knotted together, and you will end up pulling out more than one item. Also you know what is in the basket. I don't. People do put breakable stuff in them. What happens if I am pulling out a towel and a glass figurine gets caught? Now you are yelling at me for breaking it. Second, if you have a cart you unload it yourself. Why is the little basket different? I always thought it was the customers job to unload their stuff. Can you imagine the lines if we had to empty the carts too?



Also, I only can dream that my company will see fit to add associates. But it is only a dream. Every year we run on less and less people so the profit margin can stay high. If you want more associates, you will pay a higher price. And time and time again people have proven the price matters more than service.

 

[Marseeya]

I can give you 2 reasons. One, I do not know what you have in that little basket. Sometimes things get knotted together, and you will end up pulling out more than one item. Also you know what is in the basket. I don't. People do put breakable stuff in them. What happens if I am pulling out a towel and a glass figurine gets caught? Now you are yelling at me for breaking it. Second, if you have a cart you unload it yourself. Why is the little basket different? I always thought it was the customers job to unload their stuff. Can you imagine the lines if we had to empty the carts too?



Also, I only can dream that my company will see fit to add associates. But it is only a dream. Every year we run on less and less people so the profit margin can stay high. If you want more associates, you will pay a higher price. And time and time again people have proven the price matters more than service.

Again and again I see this kind of justification for poor customer service.

Maybe the Walmart where I shop is unique, but the customer service there is fantastic, but the prices are lower than any other store around.

How do you explain that?

 

[Nancy]

I guess I don't understand why some of you cashiers get angry if a customer doesn't "empty out" their little basket. I mean, the cashier has to pick up each item to scan so what difference does it make if it's IN the little basket, or if it's ON the counter??? I've left my few items in the basket many times and I've never had a cashier look upset about it. I guess I just don't see what the big deal is about that...

QUOTE]

Because for me to empty your basket I have to stretch to reach over the scanner....so that means I am straining my lower back a bit. PLUS, everything we do pon register is being timed. It may not seem like much for the customer, but for the cashier, each extra second we take getting things out of your basket slows down our timing. To me emptying the blue basket is the same as emptying the big cart. Common courtesy for the cashier...make our job easier and empty the baskets...what'sthe big deal for the customer to take their few items out?I guess I don't get why the customers feel that is our job? And the cashier will not look upset, if we did that would cause customer complaints.

 

[Nancy]

Again and again I see this kind of justification for poor customer service.

Maybe the Walmart where I shop is unique, but the customer service there is fantastic, but the prices are lower than any other store around.

How do you explain that?

I don't believe in poor customer service no matter what kind of store you go into too. We don't force customers to bag their groceries, the cashiers scan and bag and if we get all 27 registers open and still have lines we get baggers going on each register. I have bagged next to our assisitant store manager and our grocery manager.

Walmart keeps it's prices low because they bully their suppliers into giving them outrageously low prices that they can pass on to consumers. A company as large as Walmart basically dictates what they want to pay for their merchandise..if you don't like what the offer they will find someone else who will....so suppliers cave and give them what they want. Smaller grocery stores can not compete with them. My company joined a consortium of supermarkets so that we have some of the bargaining power that Walmart has. It has paid off in lower prices throughout the store.

There are many things to complain about at the store, I am also a customer and see things from both sides, but courtesy and being nice works both ways. If you are a customer you should have some respect for your cashier, standing at a register for hours, scanning and bagging is not the easiest job. It is tough on the back and tough on the legs. We have no choice but to follow what we the rules and policies that are put in place by corporate and management; no matter how stupid we think those policies are. Add to that the customers that feel that cashiers are second class citizens and feel they can belittle us and scream at us about things we have no control over and I am surprised that there isn't more of a turnover from our cashiers. I have seen some of our younger cashiers reduced to tears by customers. They usually end up quitting because of the customers, not because of the job.

I love my job most days, I train now and only cash occasionally. I also get to be in a management position and have to deal with complaints. I have been doing this for 15 years. My favorite customer was the young college student who told me I needed to go back to school and get a "real" job because he didn't have ID and we wouldn't sell him his 6 pack of beer.

 

[Marseeya]

I guess I don't understand why some of you cashiers get angry if a customer doesn't "empty out" their little basket. I mean, the cashier has to pick up each item to scan so what difference does it make if it's IN the little basket, or if it's ON the counter??? I've left my few items in the basket many times and I've never had a cashier look upset about it. I guess I just don't see what the big deal is about that...

QUOTE]

Because for me to empty your basket I have to stretch to reach over the scanner....so that means I am straining my lower back a bit. PLUS, everything we do pon register is being timed. It may not seem like much for the customer, but for the cashier, each extra second we take getting things out of your basket slows down our timing. To me emptying the blue basket is the same as emptying the big cart. Common courtesy for the cashier...make our job easier and empty the baskets...what'sthe big deal for the customer to take their few items out?I guess I don't get why the customers feel that is our job? And the cashier will not look upset, if we did that would cause customer complaints.

How can it NOT be your job?

I seriously don't get this attitude these days. It would have never occurred to me that taking items out of a basket wouldn't be in a cashier's job description. I think I'm going into the wrong line of work, because running a register seems a whole lot easier than when I did it for a living! We actually unloaded baskets and helped the customers with their carts if they needed it.

You said that a cashier won't look upset, but you yourself admitted a few posts back to dumping a customer's merchandise because he expected you to do what you're being paid to do.

ETA: I'm really not trying to be argumentative, but I'm really trying to figure out this difference in opinions here.

 

[Annette_VA]

My #1 pet peeve, from years as a cashier and as a shopper, is people who wait until their order is completely rung up before starting to write their check. And, then taking forever to write the check, write everything in their check register, etc.

Either get your checkbook out earlier or get a check card, people!

 

[Nancy]

How can it NOT be your job?

I seriously don't get this attitude these days. It would have never occurred to me that taking items out of a basket wouldn't be in a cashier's job description. I think I'm going into the wrong line of work, because running a register seems a whole lot easier than when I did it for a living! We actually unloaded baskets and helped the customers with their carts if they needed it.

You said that a cashier won't look upset, but you yourself admitted a few posts back to dumping a customer's merchandise because he expected you to do what you're being paid to do.

I am not paid to unload a persons groceries. I am paid to scan and bag them. I dumped his because it was overflowing and he was being a rude condensending idot. And while I did that I was not making faces but I was trying not to laugh at the comments being made by the other customers in line about what a jerk he was. He made some very nasty remarks to me when I asked him very nicely to please unload his basket. I'm short and for me to reach over the scanner and get his items out I would leterally have to stand on tip toe and stretch...try doing that for two to three hours and see how your back feels.
And nope..emptying YOUR groceries onto the belt is NOT in our job descriptions. That would slow down each register lane even more if we had to unload everyones carts or baskets. Again it is common courtesy for the cashiers. Why make us work harder than we already do. When you do big shopping do you expect the cashier to unload your big cart? What is the difference between the big cart and the small basket?

All that said..if you are a little old lady or man and you need help unloading things I will bend over backwards for you. I will unload your entire cart, I will do whatever I can to make your day...what is the difference...they are usually the sweetest people and they are always grateful for what I do...they don't expect it or demand it.

 

[Poohbear123]

DITTO Nancy!! I lay on my heating Pad every night! Also, what is it with people who wait till the WHOLE order is rung up before they get thier Money out?? Especially in the "10 items or less" line. And count out EVERY Penny?

 

[Chattyaholic]

I can give you 2 reasons. One, I do not know what you have in that little basket. Sometimes things get knotted together, and you will end up pulling out more than one item. Also you know what is in the basket. I don't. People do put breakable stuff in them. What happens if I am pulling out a towel and a glass figurine gets caught? Now you are yelling at me for breaking it. Second, if you have a cart you unload it yourself. Why is the little basket different? I always thought it was the customers job to unload their stuff. Can you imagine the lines if we had to empty the carts too?

I'm talking about a regular grocery store, not Wal-Mart. When I shop at Wal-Mart I use a cart and no, I don't expect the cashier to unload THAT.
But at a regular grocery store I'm not buying towels nor glass figurines, I'm buying plain ol' groceries and the basket is webbed so you can see what's inside. And if I have a basket then I only have a few items so I go through the express line and if the cashier is waiting for me to take things out and then scan them, wouldn't it just be easier for HER to take them out while I write out the CHECK so SHE doesn't have to wait for THAT?

 

[froglady]

DITTO Nancy!! I lay on my heating Pad every night! Also, what is it with people who wait till the WHOLE order is rung up before they get thier Money out?? Especially in the "10 items or less" line. And count out EVERY Penny?

I'm so busy unloading my basket unto the conveyer/counter, and sometimes bagging, that the cashier has finished ringing it up before I can get my wallet out.

 

[ckay87]

Ok, sounds like now is a good time to have my burning question answered. I love to bag my own groceries. I really, really prefer it. It's not that I'm picky - I just like to bag the same way I put things away, if that makes sense.

But now the belts/counters are set up so that the bags are right in front of the cashier (rather than the old ramp all the way to the end of the counter) It seems like it would be easier just for the cashier to drop each item right into a bag than to pick it up, turn around and set each one behind him/her. Does that make sense? So I'm going along here, not bagging because I actually thought that would make the cashier's job more difficult. Am I wrong? With that setup, is it still easier on the cashier to have me bag...because I prefer it that way.

I've been on the other side of the counter, too. In the days before scanners, even. In the days where we had to read the price tags and determine for ourselves whether it was taxable, produce, meat, whatever. Oh yea and in the days when we had to "check coupons"...identify whether the customer really had the items for which they had coupons. And then engaging in the subsequent arguments about it!

 

[diznygirl]

RE: the little basket.

When I was buying baby food, I would fill the little basket with jars of baby food, and then put that in my cart, and then fill the cart with the rest of my groceries. When I got to the register I would unload everything. I'm the type of customer that puts all the like items together, even with the baby food, so the cashier can just do 6@ and scan.

Sometimes, the cashier would catch up to me before I could unload the little basket, so I would just put it up and she unloaded it. I worked as a cashier, and I wouldn't break stride to do things like this. Only once did I have a cashier refuse to empty it.

Really, I wish the baby food companies would sell the food in cases so this wouldn't be such a problem. I was buying 30-40 jars at a time!

 

[Todd&Copper]

Where I come from that's a Ding Dong. (oooh that sounded vaguely dirty )

I remember them as King Dongs (that sounds even more dirty).

 

[rgf207]

I donate to charity but on my own terms. I dont donate to retail stores just so they can take all the money and donate it themselves and get a huge tax writeoff. That's not how it works for me

 

[Nancy]

Ok, sounds like now is a good time to have my burning question answered. I love to bag my own groceries. I really, really prefer it. It's not that I'm picky - I just like to bag the same way I put things away, if that makes sense.

But now the belts/counters are set up so that the bags are right in front of the cashier (rather than the old ramp all the way to the end of the counter) It seems like it would be easier just for the cashier to drop each item right into a bag than to pick it up, turn around and set each one behind him/her. Does that make sense? So I'm going along here, not bagging because I actually thought that would make the cashier's job more difficult. Am I wrong? With that setup, is it still easier on the cashier to have me bag...because I prefer it that way.

I've been on the other side of the counter, too. In the days before scanners, even. In the days where we had to read the price tags and determine for ourselves whether it was taxable, produce, meat, whatever. Oh yea and in the days when we had to "check coupons"...identify whether the customer really had the items for which they had coupons. And then engaging in the subsequent arguments about it!

It is easier for the cashier to scan and bag, but if a customer wants to bag their own gorceries there are easy ways for the cashier to do that too. I just stand sideways and scan the item, move it to my other hand and place on the back...kind of like an assembly line type thing with only one person.
I remember those days of having to figure everything out. The registers today are so much more user friendly. Coupons can still be a pain though.

 

[yeartolate]

One of my biggest grocery store pet peeves is the folks who drag their shoppingcarts instead of pushing it. The aisles fit one shopping cart in each dirrection, so when they are pulling it around one aisle is taken up byt the cart, the other by the human being. I don't understand it anyway, it seems innefficient to shop like this.

Now if the stores had wider aisles, it wouldn't be a problem.

 

[Poohbear123]

One of my biggest grocery store pet peeves is the folks who drag their shoppingcarts instead of pushing it. The aisles fit one shopping cart in each dirrection, so when they are pulling it around one aisle is taken up byt the cart, the other by the human being. I don't understand it anyway, it seems innefficient to shop like this.

Now if the stores had wider aisles, it wouldn't be a problem.

Our new Publix stores have wider aisle's now. As far as bagging, I don't mind that, but I am not putting the bags in the cart for you, unless you are elderly or disabled in some way. Flame away with that one folks!

 

[debloco]

Don't know if anyone else has mentioned this, but one of our grocery store chains (my favorite) has installed little TV's at each checkout and at several places around the store that blare ads, recipes, shopping suggestions...

I find it annoying as all get out.

 

[Piglet843]

Ok - so I have a pet peeve about the self checkouts at my local smalltown grocery store... the Wal-mart ones are fine - but this one wasn't very thought out I don't think.

So follow me here.... I'm scanning my stuff...

"Please Place Item in Bag" ok....
A few scans later the bag gets full so I pick up my bag and put it in my shopping cart.


"Please return item to bag" uh.. ok....
So I put my bag back on the counter....


"Please remove unscanned items from bag" huh?....
So I pick up the bag and put it back in my cart...


"Please return item to bag"


"Please remove unscanned items from bag"


"Please return item to bag"


At this point I'm about to start jabbin my keys into my eyes - when the clerk comes over and tells me that on their self check outs - everything has to remain on the weight counter until the end of the transaction - you can't put stuff in your buggy until its all paid for.

So I guess I confused the little bugger. But the clerk helped me regain my sanity and fixed it for me.

So at that store - I just take my chances with an actual cashier....

 

[BeNJeNWaFFLe]

One pet peeve is the rude cashiers. You know what, you don't even have to say "Hi" to me. Just tell me my total. I've had cashiers who wouldn't speak a word to me. They just sit there and look at their nails. I guess I'm just supposed to know the total when they are done. And no, it isn't always visible to the customer.

My biggest pet peeve are the people who are picky when it comes to free gifts. The store I worked at usually had free gifts, especially around holidays. I remember my first Christmas there the store was giving out a free 3piece candlestick set with a fragrance purchase. In 2 weeks every store in the US was out of them and there were none in the warehouse. Corporate nicely sent travel hairdryers and $5 gift certificates to compensate for the free gift. 90% of the customers were just as happy. This one elderly lady screamed at me because we had no candlesticks. She told me she deserved them and I had "better find her some."

It is interesting to hear the differences around the country about cashiers in grocery stores. Here on LI the cashiers do not bag for you unless it is the express lane. There usually aren't baggers either. I have never seen anyone put their basket on the belt for the cashier to unload. If it did happen I bet the cashier wouldn't unload it. It is just the way things are done around here.
I know when I worked as a cashier my store only had baskets. I would actually rather unload the baskets myself while ringing the customer up. I would ring up an item then bag it. Usually if the customer did it they would take out one item, look at it for a minute, place it on the counter, take the next...etc. It took forever.