For those of you who aren't sure what I'm talking about, let me explain. Grocery stores have express tills where you can go if you have ten items or less (I know it should be "fewer", but the signs usually say less). Sometimes it is twelve or some other number. Some people get in line with more than ten. Sure, maybe if you've got a couple over you just weren't sure until you laid them out on the till, but if you're way over then you're damn well cheating. Most grocery stores are reluctant to call their customers on this. I say, we start booing them.
Speaking of grocery stores, at my local store they have one of those crab tanks. I like looking at the crabs. Sometimes one crab will be making a darn good effort to escape the tank. His claw will be hanging on to the upper edge of the tank wall and it seems he just might be able to pull himself up and over. I often stand waiting to see if it can be done. I haven't seen it yet, but some day... Some day a crab will launch itself out and on to the freedom of the fish department floor!
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Stores really have to start policing that, otherwise what's the point of having an express lane? The cashier should tell the person, after they've waited in line, that they can't serve them because they've gone over. If they wish to reduce their items to the number on the sign, they can stay. They'd only have to do it a couple of times and then people would learn to avoid the public embarrassment. Anonymous cashier lady, where are you? Speak!
ReplyDeleteYou really have no idea how often it happens that people come up to your till with too many items. It is quite annoying to the cashiers too. The express lane is the only till that I have been working lately, because at our store it is also the customer service desk. It is not only annoying because it takes longer to ring through the order, but at our store, those tills just aren't designed for more than 9 items (that's our limit). I do try to tell people that are way over and just don't get it to go to another till. When people are only a couple items over, it's not the worst thing in the world. It's just tedious to deal with a huge basketful. The people behind do tend to give strange looks and eye rolls to the one with all the food. I tend to work closing shifts on Saturday and Sunday nights, and sometimes it's the only till open. When there is nobody else in the store.. sure it works to maybe have a few too many items, but seriously, during rush hours those with too many items really need to stick to the other tills.
ReplyDelete"Try to tell"? There should just be a store rule that if you're over, you move. And the cashiers have to lay down the law. If you said it was a store rule, and maybe there were signs posted, you could pass off any personal responsibility and say you're just following orders. Most people abide by the rules and it frustrates them no end. The store could end up losing customers. There's no reason to allow those people through. Make it start with you, Anonymous Cashier. By the way, which store do you work at?
ReplyDeleteWell.. There is a rather large sign posted saying "9 items OR LESS". (yes the or less is in bold).. And people still don't seem to get it. There is one cashier at my store that gets quite mad at people if they have even one item over, so you don't get too many people trying crazy shenanigans. I was trying to put it kindly when I said " I try to tell people". I have actually told people to move tills when there was barely any lineup at my till, and go to one where there were quite a few angry people waiting for a trainee to ring through their order slowly. I didn't mean to be mean... but they were just breaking the rules. Oh yeah, I work at your friendly neighborhood Fairway Markets. :)
ReplyDeleteI think they need to have an automatic system hooked up to the scanner. When the tenth item is scanned a siren goes off followed by a flashing blue light. The cashier can then say to the customer "Sorry about that... the rules for this till are automated. It's out of my hands (cheater!!). I'd shop there just to watch the action!!
ReplyDeleteI think Mr. McLellan is on to something here. There must be other applications for such technology. Let me see...
ReplyDeleteHelp me out here people. What other cheater type situations are there?
Why don't they have one great long grocery line-up line, like they do in banks? That way you wouldn't have to guess which teller is quicker or which line-up is faster. Keep the "express" for real express orders of 5 items or fewer. Smokers, by the way, if you go to the express checkout and order smokes, your order is no longer express since the teller has to hike to get those smokes for you.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the long line-up method would work in grocery stores that well... because:
ReplyDeletea) human nature, there's always budgers out there.
b) it would take up wayy more space in the grocery store.
c) you know how the second or third person in the line-up is already loading their food onto the conveyer belt.. If you had a long line-up you would be stuck waiting holding your heavy groceries..
d) you would get people like Guy.. who commented on the last blog about grocery stores saying he prefers the pretty and young cashiers.. trying to cheat their way into those lineups. :P
I like the idea about the siren.. but I think it should happen before the cashier has put in the effort with those nine items. The wienees could have to return to the lineup again with the rest of their items though.. :)