Two Actual Customers and a Compilation

I had these two actual customers on Friday and forgot to mention them. The first one was this very elderly gentleman who came into the store for the first time last week. I don't mind helping BUT he expects us to load the groceries into his little bundle buggy ! He showed up again yesterday and it was clear that I was to get the buggy and again arrange everything in there so it would all fit.

In most ways not a big deal. BUT it would be so much nicer to be asked to do it than it be an expected service. It is further made difficult because the buggy is very low to the ground and my back just can't take being bent over like that.

* * * * *

The second customer is this woman yapping away on her cell phone who never said hello or even acknowledged me. She starts putting stuff up and I start to ring it in. I am waiting for her to say something to me about bags or whatever, and finally figured I should ask if she has bags. I didn't raise my voice, in fact I lowered it (my way of dealing with someone rude enough to be talking on the cell phone). She said she didn't need a bag so I finish putting stuff up on the end for her. She finally asks the person on the phone if she can call her back, "she's sort of busy".

Really?? What are you doing, besides being rude to me - the lowly wench ringing your groceries through.

She finally puts a bag at the end on top of everything and just leaves it there. I now have three more customers in line. I noticed she didn't seem to be doing anything so I asked if she needed me to bag for her, not expecting the answer I got.

"Yes."

The woman had no freaking manners! ! ! ! No consideration for any one else. She didn't care that she was holding other people up. And she never even tried to help. Just figured that is was her right to be waited on.

The other customers were shocked by what she did.

Just rude.

* * * * *

The third type of customer is again very inconsiderate. Or has no common sense, or something.

You ask if they want bags, they say "no." You ask would you like me to bag for you. "No, I'll do it myself."

Or they say they'll put it in their backpack or something.

Anyway, you put the items at the end and I arrange them by hot, cold, fragile, produce or whatever applies. I basically make a bagging 'kit' in that if you use common sense I have laid the groceries out in a way that makes bagging easier.

Here's where it gets good. One of three things happens:

1) they take their sweet ass time about getting the items in the bag, backpack, whatever and hold up your processing of the next customer.

2) they stand there, playing with a cell phone while everything is left sitting until they remember what they were doing. Again, leaving me no where to put the next customer's items.

OR

3) they stand there, trying to find the keys or money or bags or common sense, FINALLY load their stuff and then struggling to carry everything will walk around the buggy and just leave it there to block other people.

YOU ARE GOING THAT WAY. PUT THE GROCERY BAGS IN THE BUGGY, PUSH IT TO WHERE YOU GOT IT FROM, THEN TAKE YOUR BAGS OUT AND LEAVE THE STORE.

Simple.

More about buggy woes another day.

Woo Hoo ! ! ! !

You know what was nice about today? I worked with three other people that know how to work. They got their jobs done, they didn't disappear on me, they were helpful and they were dependable. They actually only took 15 minute breaks too! ! ! !

What a PLEASURE! ! ! ! Thanks ladies! ! !

* * * * *

Guess what??!!!


I made it through a whole week without getting in trouble or doing something wrong. Correct that: being TOLD I did something wrong.

At one point I thought I was in for it. I was paged to pick up the white phone and I thought this is it. But turned out they wanted to know if I'd take a shift tomorrow (Saturday). I said no but afterward thought I should have said yes and given away a shift next week. I only have one day off next week. :-(

* * * * *

So yesterday, I'm working next to Molasses Girl, and talking to one of my customers about how we have to keep them moving through and the fact that I'm slow etc. Getting a chuckle out of it and some genuine surprise from the customer about the fact that I am SO SLOW !

Anyway, after the customer leaves MG turns and says "that's 'our' problem. We're too nice." NICE???? What in the hell has that got to do with how fast you do your job? I watched yesterday because I was behind her and saw that I do indeed scan at a much higher speed. Where I am losing speed, according to the way they time it, is that while I am waiting for customers to get their change or card or whatever, the timer on the keyboard is still running. So I am working hard at remembering to log out every time I am waiting more than two seconds for anything.
A N Y T H I N G! ! ! ! !

Lets see if that satisfies them.

There must be some other way you can judge how well the cashier is working.

Amount of money?
Number of customers?

I don't know.

The Latest Stuff

Tuesday's drawer was over by 2 cents. Customer left a nickel in change and I used three pennies for customers who didn't have one.

I ended up taking yesterday (Wednesday) off. By Tuesday evening my knee was so sore I couldn't bend it to walk. Its rather hard to move around when your leg is straight. Anyway, I knew that if I was in on Wednesday morning, being second cashier in would have me in the position of having to put away the go-backs from the night before. (Those are items that people change their mind about and are left at the register.)

Rather than hurt my knee more I was able to find a young girl willing to take the shift for me. So, I gave it away. I don't like to do that. I prefer the early shifts as I am a morning person, but I just couldn't do it.

Plus the second shift in is not as pleasant as it used to be. Too much tension and watching to see if you'll make a mistake.

* * * * *

Its sad how something can be said between one employee and another, and then have that conversation overheard, partially, by a third person. The third person tells a fourth person and when you hear about it again the story is changed into you having tried to get something done wrong. And YOU did it to be snotty???!!!!

A Quickie

Just a quick post as I am off to work in an hour.

Yesterday several of my regular customers came through and I proceeded to tell them that I have been told I'm too slow and too chatty. Were they EVER surprised by those comments!!

I will continue to tell my customers what happens to me.

I am trying to get the hang of logging out the terminal every time I stop for even a second. You then have to log back in which effectively takes time away from the customer and I'm sure by the end of the day/week/month/year those NANO seconds will all add up.

I worked with Slower then Molasses Girl and had two and a half orders through in the time she took to get one. And no it wasn't like my customers had two items and hers had a million. That must be why it takes her 20minutes to do a fifteen minute break. And why she is ALWAYS late for work.

I also had three different customers say how impressed they were with the fact that I got all their groceries into the bags they brought and did it so well.

* * * * *

Well, off to work now and we'll see how today's customers react. By the way, my cash drawer was over by three cents yesterday. The same three cents I found on the floor and did NOT put in my pocket.

NOW what ? ? ? ?

So I got told, at the end of my shift, that the boss wanted to see me. I'm thinking WTF have I done now?

I knock on the door and am told to enter. I asked if I need a union rep with me. I was told if you needed one I'd be sure to have one here.

Anyway . . . .

Turns out I am too slow. They have this scan per minute crap that we are judged on. That would be how many items you can scan through in an hour. You can log the machine into sleep mode between customers, but apparently doing that in the middle of an order is good too. All well and good, I guess, because I do tend to get the older customers and they do take a little longer to get their cards ready or their change or what have you.

Oh yeah, and I should spend less time talking. Apparently the customer I'm dealing with is okay about it, but the next customer in line is pissed because I am taking so long. Funny, I am pretty good at reading my customers and I don't remember having too many aggravated ones. What I do see are faces eager to be coming through my line and people that seem to be pleased with the personal attention they receive. I also see people very happy to have their groceries packed in a decent manner.

So, I think I'll put a sign up that says "Please have the answers to these questions ready as I don't have time to talk:

Do you want bags?
Do you want me to pack your bags?
Do you have an Air Miles card?
Are you paying with debit?


Then I need to wear a sign that says "No personal conversation allowed. I don't have time."

* * * * *

Why is it that, once again, it is pointed out how bad I am at something but never am I called in to be told how a customer has been pleased about something? I guess I haven't pleased any of them. Hmmm

* * * * *

Yesterday, this woman comes through the line and says "oh, I forgot my purse and don't have a credit card. " I said, "that's a shame" , and then I expected . . . . I don't really know what I expected. I didn't expect her to just walk away and leave everything on the belt and not say another word to me. I think an "I'm sorry" would have been nice, but . . . nothing.

She just left about ten items on the belt and walked off. Three of the items were perishable and had to get back to their appropriate departments immediately. But she just left!

* * * * *

So in the past month, I have been told about my shoes, the $20.00 missing from my tray, my (non-dress) pants, my talking and my slowness. I wonder what's left that I can screw up? ? ? ?

* * * * *

PS. I don't know if I wrote about the $20.00. but about three weeks ago, I came up over (so I was originally told) on my tray. The only thing I could think was that I had forgotten to give someone their cash back. Normally a customer will come back to get their money. I then happened to go into 2 days off. I come back and am about an hour and 15 into a five hour shift when I am called off register and told that the boss wants to see me. (When money goes missing they have to 'counsel' you and tell you to smarten up) I was asked what happened to the $20.00 and I said I think I must have not given some one their cash-back and that was when I found out that I was actually under $20.00.

Then I am asked what happened? What the hell kind of question is that? How the heck do I know? I didn't intentionally give someone too much. And if I mistakenly did that then how would I know? THAT'S why its called a 'mistake'. I can understand the being careful and stuff, but I am usually within 10 cents or so of a perfect tray, so for something like this to happen is strictly a MISTAKE. It wasn't carelessness on my part, evidenced by the fact that I am so close the rest of the time. It was just a mistake. Maybe two bills stuck together. I DON'T KNOW! ! ! ! !

I see where they have their rules and crap, but geeeeees!!!

Why can't "Undercover Boss" (TV reality show) come to my store?

I've seen two of these programs and it has been very interesting. The first one was the boss for Waste Management in the US, and the second one I saw was for White Castle.

It is really great when the boss comes in and no one knows who he is. They find out what it is like with their 'rules' and 'regulations' and how it can actually negatively affect the employees.


For example: We, as cashiers, have to wear a 3/4 sleeve on a shirt that you can basically see through. So not only do the sleeves bug you but the fact that you are half naked isn't comfortable. I guess you don't mind too much when you are one of the pert young things that get to wear the really cute bras, but what about us old fogies that have to wear an industrial strength one just to keep everything controlled?

And the blouses are very short in the body as well. They can't be tucked in so they are worn outside the pants and as long as you don't move much they stay down. But when you're bagging groceries and leaning over to put stickers on things, and making change or just about anything else besides breathing . . . .you are showing skin. And I DON'T want to do that!!! Thank you very much.


Also, such a big deal is made about uniform, including shoes when the cashier's feet can't even be seen by a customer. We have to stand for as little as four hours a day and sometimes as much as eight and a half hours a day. We have a corrugated mat to stand on and that is all. So, shoes factor into your comfort A LOT!!!!

There is also not really a place to put a foot up comfortably unless you are my height. The shorter girls have it tougher and if you work express there is nothing at all for comfort. You need to put a foot up once in a while to take the stress off the back muscles.

And while I'm at it, what ever happened to ergonomics in the workplace?? Huh?? That's what I want to know. How is it good for you to be crossing your body all day long while checking groceries? There were some things about the 'old days' that were better. You stood sideways to the groceries and passed your arm to the side of your body. You could also lean on one leg or the other to get some relief. But now, you cross everything in front of you and have to twist from side to side. Not good and NOT an improvement over the olden days.

* * * * * *

So, you may have got the idea from my posts that I am vehemently opposed to stealing. I absolutely HATE the notion of anyone stealing and sure as hell would NEVER steal anything myself.

So why am I being watched now because I "picked up a penny and put it in my pocket".

Yup, you got it. I am ripping the store off a penny at a time!!!

I pick up money sure. Then I put it on my register counter to be used when a customer doesn't have a penny or a nickel. I once found a $5.00 bill and turned it in and then got it after a month when no one showed up to claim it.

I AM NOT A THIEF and the thought that anyone where I work thinks I am is not only ludicrous but an insult of the highest kind.

They obviously don't remember the night I shorted myself $20.00 by thinking a customer had dropped the money and then when I realized it came out of my drawer immediately asked for a tray audit and then proceeded to cry uncontrollably because I was so upset.

I wrote about that in here previously.

http://theunknowncashier.blogspot.com/2008/12/to-newspaper.html

The End. For now.