So, people actually DO listen ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Today was like old home week for me. I had a customer that when I asked if he wanted me to bag his stuff he started to say no. He then looked at me and said "I know you. You're the Tetris lady!!!!

I said oh, you mean the way I bag. He said yes, you can get so much in there. He said he was glad to have me pack his groceries for him.

Then I had a young lady that started to smile when I was getting ready to finish her order off. She started out by saying, "When I first moved to Hamilton, in 2008, I came into this store for the first time and I came through your register. I asked for some directions and you were so helpful to me. I've never forgotten that. Thank you." She thinks of that every time she comes in the store.

* * * * *

I had a young lady whose credit card wasn't working for some reason. Behind her was a man with two pies, each about $7.99. After the second time, I told her it wasn't working. She asked if she could try again. I said you can but its been declined twice. It was a card from China and I've had them work before but for some reason her's wouldn't. Anyway, she said to me, "so I can't get this?" I hated to tell her no, but what else could I do? Then the man behind her, with the pies, said "I'll pay for it. Put it on my order."

I said "are you sure?" And he said "yes, I believe in Karma". She was flabbergasted (there is no other word to describe it) and you could tell she just didn't know what to say. She was so touched.

As a matter of fact, so was I. I actually got the warm fuzzies because of what he did. I felt my face flush with pride for him. What a wonderful thing to do!

* * * * *

We had some major flooding in the store couple of days ago. What a M E S S !!! It was just gushing in at the top of the front window. They had a WetVac, some mops, paper towels and finally they found some (lots) buckets. Of course I heard a rumour that the school next to us could really put our real estate to good use. I would HATE to see something happen to our store.

I have written to the people at their head office in Montreal to ask about opening a brand new store in Burlington. There is such a definite need for one there and I want to see my store in there before some other schmuk gets the space. It is a perfect place for a store. Nothing near it but a ton of apartments, so where can the customers go?

It has a good age range of people.
There is not another grocery store for miles around there.
It has a school behind it.
There are retirement living buildings.

* * * * *

Anyway, its late. I'm off to bed.

What do YOU think?

Do you think it is important for customers, some not all, to have a sort of relationship with their cashiers?

I do.

I'll tell you why from a customer point of view first.

I like to go into a store and see a familiar face and know that my products will be bagged properly, or that I will be served in a polite and timely manner or that some one will be, if nothing else, civil to me. I like to see a familiar face in case I have to come back for some reason.


And now from a cashier point of view.

I have several elderly customers that can't carry heavy bags. They really appreciate having the weight split up between two bags if that is what they are getting. Or among several bags if they have to carry them up stairs. They also like having their cold items together, their produce together, their meat in plastic bags. Those are all things I was taught when trained to be a cashier back in 1968. One customer I have ALWAYS wants double bags and not much in them. Another wants very few items in each of several bags. They seem to be very pleased that I remember that.


An awful lot of my customers seem to wait in my line to see me. Whether its the service, the personality or the never knowing what I will say next I don't know. I think at the end of the day they like to see a happy face and someone that recognizes them in the line up. I couldn't tell you how many people I have had that have told me I made their day better.

* * * * *

I know I haven't got all the story straight but I will get it and amend this. 


The other day we had a wack job customer. Luckily I didn't get her. She was two registers down from me. Apparently she was buying some food items for a funeral so wasn't in the best of minds at the time. But that is still no reason to be rude to the cashier.

She bought a bunch of tuna and said it was on sale. Turns out she had picked out the sodium reduced or something and that one was NOT on sale. The regular was. Cashier offers to get the other kind and the customer was not impressed with having to wait. She was also PO'd that we didn't have the flour she needed. The quote was "and of course you don't have the flour I need."

Then she starts in on how we charge 3% for using debit, (????) and we don't give that back. (again, ?????). Its something to do with credit cards charging some amount somewhere for the pleasure of using their cards.

She also started to tell the cashier how she wasn't very smart and should know these things, etc. The cashier even had a second customer come through and even though she was finished with 'crabby pants', she hung around, still haranguing her. Finally I called over and asked if she had a key, to give her a chance to get away.

She was relieved and told me she was about to go down this woman's throat.


I know I haven't got all the story straight but I will get it and amend this. 

* * * * *

I am on my way in this afternoon for 4 hours. I hope I am on express but I don't think so. I'm starting a 1/2 hour too soon. That mean's I will be working a  regular register, so I hope I am working with people that know how to work.

Something else I'll tell you.

I really want to talk to our manager about whether we can work on manners and packing a little bit with some of our employees. It seems to have been forgotten that with competition what it is, the difference comes down to service and perception.