But why can't you scan yoooour card?

[TheSnakeLady]

I don't usually have much in the way of sightings to post, but I ran into this one tonight at the grocery store.

A little background information: the state I live in has 3 main "standard" grocery stores (as opposed to the all-natural grocers or the mega-stores like Super Target). This particular store was a Safeway.

So here I am, in the checkout line, behind some other lady...

Suck #1
I glance over at the magazine rack while putting my items on the belt, and somebody has left two lunchables sitting unrefrigerated right next to the National Enquirer. I pass these over to the cashier.

Suck #2

The cashier finishes ringing up the lady in front of me, and gives her the total.
The lady doesn't have her store card with her, so gives the cashier her phone number.
It doesn't work.
The lady begins begging the cashier to scan HER card.

L - the lady
C - cashier
M - manager
Me - TheSnakeLady

L - "Can't you just scan your card?"
C - "No ma'am, I can't. I'm not allowed to."
L - "That's ridiculous. I've been to Safeway before and they've always let me use the cashier's card."
C - "That must not have been at Safeway. We don't do that here."
L - "No, I was here before and I was able to use their card."
C - "I think you have us confused with King Soopers."

The lady argues a bit more, then finally seems to remember her phone number.
L - "Well, try xxx-xxx-xxxx."
Lo and behold, it works.

Meanwhile, the manager opens up the register next door and calls me over. I decline, as now that the issue has been averted, it would take me longer to move items than it would for the lady to finish her transaction.

After the lady leaves, the manager pipes up.

M - "I heard you mention King Soopers, better have been something bad."
C - "Oh, no, I was telling her that King Soopers is the store that lets customers scan their discount cards..."
Me - "Yeah, as far as I know, King Soopers and Albertsons are the only ones..."
C - "When you start working at Safeway, you have to sign a form that says you won't... we can get fired if we let a customer use our card..."

The cashier gripes about the perishables left out as she finishes ringing me up, and I leave.

But really, if a store employee says they can't do something, they can't do something. I half expected the lady to start asking to use MY card...

[ArcticChicken]

Man, that policy would never work at my store. At least 75% of phone numbers don't make it into the system.

Although why we have a special card if we can just put in a number for anyone.....

[Becks]

At the ShopRite I worked at, there was a store "dummy" card for just such emergencies.

As an employee, I think for a while we could let others use our cards, but then word went out that if anyone but you (or family) used your card (maybe only while on the clock?) you could get fired.

They enforced it, too.

This was because we'd have deals a few times a year where if you spent $300 with your card, you'd get a "free" frozen turkey/ham (as seasons dictated). Or frozen meat or veggie lasanga. At other times of the year, the more you spent on your card, the more discount you'd get. X amount=10%, etc.

[Gerrinson]

At the ShopRite I worked at, there was a store "dummy" card for just such emergencies.

As an employee, I think for a while we could let others use our cards, but then word went out that if anyone but you (or family) used your card (maybe only while on the clock?) you could get fired.

They enforced it, too.

This was because we'd have deals a few times a year where if you spent $300 with your card, you'd get a "free" frozen turkey/ham (as seasons dictated). Or frozen meat or veggie lasanga. At other times of the year, the more you spent on your card, the more discount you'd get. X amount=10%, etc.

Ye Old Grocery Store had the same sort of deal and didn't put in any enforcement of who uses which card. At first. They did track spending and it came to their attention that a number of cashiers, who were making slightly more than minimum wage, were apparently buying thousands of dollars of groceries per week. Then they pulled the payroll records and found that 99% of those sales happened during their shifts.

Turns out a bunch of cashiers decided that they would use their personal card for every transaction to collect the benefits and savings. Some of them were even cashing payroll checks and other people's personal checks on their employee check cashing card; which was a fireable offense and when hired you had to sign a form saying you would never do that.

So, corporate brought the hammer down, fired a bunch of people, and issued a new policy that employees couldn't use their while on the clock except during your 15 minute breaks.

[Ironclad Alibi]

Something else to keep in mind about letting someone else use your card is that at many stores your card number and name are printed on the receipt. This might allow that person to access information about you on the store's web site.

[Nashida]

Big Yank had discount cards, but cashiers weren't allowed to let customers use theirs or they'd get fired. There was also a store card the manager held on to, but that was "reserved", so to speak, for out-of-state folks or traveller's who probably wouldn't be coming back. So if you forgot your card, tough luck. We could search by phone number, but if you couldn't remember it, then no sale prices for you.

And honestly, from reading the title I did think she was asking you for your card. I wouldn't have been surprised if that had been true.