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Those of us who work in retail are probably familiar with self-checkout (SCO) registers. Someone up at corporate gets the bright idea to install these "handy" devices in the stores, thus allowing them to reduce the workforce because people will want to ring themselves out!
Of course, where it all went wahooni-shaped was where these "handy devices" are not always known for being as helpful as advertised, prone to rejecting a scanned item, locking up, or otherwise just being a hassle to use.
This is especially true at the wholesale club. We used to have someone on each shift who was scheduled as the Self-Checkout Attendant. Their job was to monitor the SCO lanes, clear error messages out, use the handheld scanner to scan the big heavy items, check IDs on alcohol purchases, etc. Then corporate decided to keep our payroll tight, so we don't have someone scheduled as SCO Attendant anymore. The customer service desk is supposed to keep an eye on it now. Blargh.
Anyway. There's one particular customer I've seen in the store who makes it a point to complain about "these damn self-checkouts" every time he comes in the store. He hates using them, they need to be programmed better (he literally says "You need to re-program these things" and refuses to believe that we don't have any control over the programming of the SCOs), etc. The first time I encountered him, he even refused to use them properly.
Proper SCO procedure is as follows:
1) Scan your item.
2) Place item on the belt, as flat and stable as possible.
3) Carry greeting cards/gift wrap items to the collection area in lieu of placing them on belt.
4) Repeat until finished.
Mr. I-Hate-SCO refused to do that the first time I met him. He scanned a DVD, then hurled it down the belt to the collection area. I saw him do this, and walked over to pick up the DVD and tried to put it on the belt (while the SCO binged "Please place your item on the belt." *dingdingding* "Please place your item on the belt."), while he huffed and snarled that it wasn't letting him scan his next item. I squeezed in and put the DVD on the belt so it would go through, but it had already locked up and needed my SCO Authorization Card to clear it.
Mr. IHSCO decided to rant at that point about SCOs and how he hated using them, how he should be allowed to scan his items as he liked-- such as scanning his item and then putting it back in the cart, which is not how SCO Procedure works (see above)-- they need to be re-programmed, rabble rabble rabble.
At which point, I kept my mouth shut and stayed nearby to clear up any further troubles, and otherwise said and did nothing. Clearly Mr. IHSCO had made up his mind about how things were supposed to work, and no amount of calm rationale was going to work.
Well, Mr. IHSCO came back yesterday. He wasn't as huff-puff-snarl-rabble-rabble as before, but he still complained about SCOs in general, albeit with less volume and snarling. As he left, I turned to one of my CWs (who had had to deal with him previously) and said, "Well, no one's forcing you to use self-checkout. We do have other registers open."
Mr. IHSCO had another complaint yesterday, that we haven't had 2-liter bottles of Diet Coke in a few weeks, and asked me when we'll get any in.
J2K: "We can only stock what they send us."
IHSCO: "Well, can't you ask them to send you 2-liter bottles of Diet Coke? I'm asking you because I come here to buy it, but you haven't had any the last two times I've come in, and my membership's expiring soon."
J2K: "You can talk to one of the managers about it."
I turned and saw MS, our MOD and a Sikh, and pointed him out.
J2K: "That gentleman over there is a manager."
IHSCO: *look of disgust* "That man is incompetent."
J2K: *poker-face* "He's the manager on duty."
IHSCO: *rolls eyes* "God help us all."
Now, I don't know if Mr. IHSCO had tried to talk to MS before and had a bad experience (possible, if unlikely, as MS is a very friendly person), or MS had declined on an unreasonable request, or what, but as soon as he said MS was incompetent, my desire to be more helpful to Mr. IHSCO went out the window.
MS is very good at his job, he does whatever he can (within reason) to help our customers, and he's efficient. He is also aware that we, his employees, want to go home as soon as possible on our closing shifts, so he does what he can to streamline our closing process (getting cleaning done sooner, sending trash and damaged goods to the back early, etc.) so we can clock out quickly. MS has also helped me out with my schedule when I ask for a weekend off, or an availability change, so I stand by him.
Mr. IHSCO's insulting him flipped my "helpful" switch to the neutral position. I was only going to do the bare minimum to help him from there on out.
Of course, where it all went wahooni-shaped was where these "handy devices" are not always known for being as helpful as advertised, prone to rejecting a scanned item, locking up, or otherwise just being a hassle to use.
This is especially true at the wholesale club. We used to have someone on each shift who was scheduled as the Self-Checkout Attendant. Their job was to monitor the SCO lanes, clear error messages out, use the handheld scanner to scan the big heavy items, check IDs on alcohol purchases, etc. Then corporate decided to keep our payroll tight, so we don't have someone scheduled as SCO Attendant anymore. The customer service desk is supposed to keep an eye on it now. Blargh.
Anyway. There's one particular customer I've seen in the store who makes it a point to complain about "these damn self-checkouts" every time he comes in the store. He hates using them, they need to be programmed better (he literally says "You need to re-program these things" and refuses to believe that we don't have any control over the programming of the SCOs), etc. The first time I encountered him, he even refused to use them properly.
Proper SCO procedure is as follows:
1) Scan your item.
2) Place item on the belt, as flat and stable as possible.
3) Carry greeting cards/gift wrap items to the collection area in lieu of placing them on belt.
4) Repeat until finished.
Mr. I-Hate-SCO refused to do that the first time I met him. He scanned a DVD, then hurled it down the belt to the collection area. I saw him do this, and walked over to pick up the DVD and tried to put it on the belt (while the SCO binged "Please place your item on the belt." *dingdingding* "Please place your item on the belt."), while he huffed and snarled that it wasn't letting him scan his next item. I squeezed in and put the DVD on the belt so it would go through, but it had already locked up and needed my SCO Authorization Card to clear it.
Mr. IHSCO decided to rant at that point about SCOs and how he hated using them, how he should be allowed to scan his items as he liked-- such as scanning his item and then putting it back in the cart, which is not how SCO Procedure works (see above)-- they need to be re-programmed, rabble rabble rabble.
At which point, I kept my mouth shut and stayed nearby to clear up any further troubles, and otherwise said and did nothing. Clearly Mr. IHSCO had made up his mind about how things were supposed to work, and no amount of calm rationale was going to work.
Well, Mr. IHSCO came back yesterday. He wasn't as huff-puff-snarl-rabble-rabble as before, but he still complained about SCOs in general, albeit with less volume and snarling. As he left, I turned to one of my CWs (who had had to deal with him previously) and said, "Well, no one's forcing you to use self-checkout. We do have other registers open."
Mr. IHSCO had another complaint yesterday, that we haven't had 2-liter bottles of Diet Coke in a few weeks, and asked me when we'll get any in.
J2K: "We can only stock what they send us."
IHSCO: "Well, can't you ask them to send you 2-liter bottles of Diet Coke? I'm asking you because I come here to buy it, but you haven't had any the last two times I've come in, and my membership's expiring soon."
J2K: "You can talk to one of the managers about it."
I turned and saw MS, our MOD and a Sikh, and pointed him out.
J2K: "That gentleman over there is a manager."
IHSCO: *look of disgust* "That man is incompetent."
J2K: *poker-face* "He's the manager on duty."
IHSCO: *rolls eyes* "God help us all."
Now, I don't know if Mr. IHSCO had tried to talk to MS before and had a bad experience (possible, if unlikely, as MS is a very friendly person), or MS had declined on an unreasonable request, or what, but as soon as he said MS was incompetent, my desire to be more helpful to Mr. IHSCO went out the window.
MS is very good at his job, he does whatever he can (within reason) to help our customers, and he's efficient. He is also aware that we, his employees, want to go home as soon as possible on our closing shifts, so he does what he can to streamline our closing process (getting cleaning done sooner, sending trash and damaged goods to the back early, etc.) so we can clock out quickly. MS has also helped me out with my schedule when I ask for a weekend off, or an availability change, so I stand by him.
Mr. IHSCO's insulting him flipped my "helpful" switch to the neutral position. I was only going to do the bare minimum to help him from there on out.
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