Did you ever hear of a little praise??

Why is it that you walk into work to do your job, for MINIMUM wage, and you're in a great mood and someone thinks they have to pick on you?

In the past 10 days I have been 'talked' to about something that merely requires common sense, THREE times.

I get very, very upset by thievery. I would probably beat the crap out of someone that tried to rip me off. I am disgustingly honest and really take it personally when someone steals from our store. I can see the point in wanting the cashiers to physically walk around the end of the register to put the 'last bag' in the buggy. But the reality is that it is, for the most part, the younger, newer girls that are missing items under the buggy.

I find that a lot of my customers that know me will take the bags and put them in the buggy themselves. Even when they don't know me, they do it. The men, especially, don't want me to do it because its"not polite". They don't want me to hurt myself.

So am I then supposed to grab the bag from them and INSIST that I put it in the cart? NO. You can't do that. You don't want to make the customer uncomfortable. So, in that situation, I will walk around the end and look at the bottom of the buggy. I can look over the counter to see that there is nothing in the buggy. I also can see in the reflective plate as they enter the register, and can look over the counter as they pass by. So, three separate times I check the buggy.

Anyway, I had a situation where I put the bag over the end WITH THE CUSTOMERS ASSISTANCE, fully planning to walk around the end to check the bottom of the buggy. I heard my name called and tried to explain that I was going to look anyway. The next thing I know the big boss comes out to talk to me and explain how to do this YET AGAIN. I did let him know that I didn't need to hear it again. So, he asked that I please read the paper anyway and then I could throw it out. I was going to do that, and then decided to write my responses on it and keep it in my apron pocket instead. When the situation comes up again I'll be ready.

I also now tell my customers the reason why I have to check the bottom of their buggy. There are two reasons why I do this.

ONE is that I want them to know why I am doing it and that I trust them but HAVE to do it because head office says so. The SECOND reason is that I hope that maybe, just maybe, someone who was thinking of being dishonest will hear me and realize that its not a good idea to try to steal from us.

I also think that they are putting a lot on the cashiers, which is understandable, as we ARE the last person they see before they leave the store. But, how about putting a rail up that forces people to go through the register area rather than being able to leave the store from SO many places. It can't be that hard to do. I mean we have this totally useless gate that is supposedly there to keep people out from behind the service desk. Except that it is almost ALWAYS left 'open' and in the way. PLUS, if you are on express, which is supposed to be fast, the gate makes it harder to get out and around to put the last bag in.

I was also told that I am not 'fast enough' scanning items through. THAT I find hard to believe. I was told I am only marginally better that Slower Than Molasses Girl. (I stood beside her one evening and put through three customers ( including one with an order of over $185.00) in the time it took her to do one person.) It has been bugging me ever since as to how I could be SO SLOW.

And today it came to me. I have a lot of the older customers that come through my register. They have told me I make their day brighter. :-) Also, they like the way I bag for them and show consideration to them. I also will take the time to help them go through their wallets to get the change out. Older people like to give the correct change and the pennies. Plus they are just sometimes slower than others. Big deal.

You are supposed to lock off the register when you go on break, or between customers, or anytime you leave the register. I suppose I should start logging it off every time I am not scanning.

Maybe I don't understand the numbers but wouldn't the proof of workmanship be in the amount of money you run through your register as opposed to how many items you scan in so much time?????

*****

One last thing: Just once it would be nice to hear from one of the higher ups that you do a good job. I know for a fact that at least three of my customers have filled out a comment card, and handed it in. And yet I have never heard anything from our store or the owners or anyone.