Shampoo, Bananas, and Rearranging Groceries

[MelindaJoy77]

I've been at a loss as to what kind of story to post; usually I get lucky and don't get the really bad SC's but only the minor annoyances that happen several times a day. I thought I'd just post about this interesting thing that happens often. As a cashier(and a person with common sense) we are not supposed to put chemicals in the same bag with food. Simple, right? Well there are SO many people around here who seem not to care because they've got all their soap and cleaners and rat poison mixed in with all their food on the belt. So I'm standing there sort of cherry-picking so I can get the same stuff in the same bag, and then the customer starts noticing it so they start rearranging their groceries in some way that apparently makes sense to them but does not help me at all.

I've also noticed that some people like to smash their own bread, bust their own eggs, and they also like building giant unstable mountains of food so it can fall all over me or the floor when it gets to the end of the belt.

[Food Lady]

My customers do this too! Most of them apologize for making it hard for me once they realize what they just did, and I tell them it's ok, and that I'm cherry-picking, so it will get sorted out. I do make fun of them for their towers--just a gentle teasing that makes them laugh because it is funny to see a lone banana perched on top of a tower of clothes, books, and frozen foods.

[PastryGal]

I usually hit up the self check out when I'm shopping but when I'm at a store that doesn't have them I put frozen, then refrigerated, the room temp stuff, then h&b/smelly stuff/cleaning. And each group is still grouped in like products. I try and make it as easy as possible.

[Dreamstalker]

What's even more fun is when a customer piles everything together and insists on bagging their own. Don't want to listen to advice about bagging eggs? Fine. You are not getting a freebie when you get outside and find you now have scrambled eggs with extra calcium, I have four witnesses who watched you bag it with two jars of pasta sauce.

I tend to prefer customers who group items together on the belt, it's certainly better than hearing "NO NO NO you're not LISTENING to me you stupid person!!1111" either to me or my bagger when everything in a massive order is all scattered on the belt and we're just trying to clear the decks to make room for more.

[EricKei]

I am definitely one of the "group stuff together" customers, albeit a quiet one. What worries me is when the bagger fails to catch the hint and puts raw meat in with chems, eggs and bananas in with 2-liters of soft drinks, etc, anyway >_< My preferred passive-aggressive way of dealing with it is to rebag it right in front of them

[Rock Lobster]

I like my stuff put together by rooms in my apartment. I hate when other people bag my stuff. And yes I am aware that chemicals and food don't mix and that glass and eggs do break!

[PepperElf]

we always arrange ours the same way... like items with like, cold products first, then heavy to light, eggs and bread last.

although if I only have a couple of items I will put the food with the chemicals cos I don't see the point in using 2 bags when I only have enough to fill one. but if it breaks and my food gets contaminated that's my problem, and not the cashier's fault.

[MoonCat]

I just try to make sure not to mash the eggs and bread

When my brother worked at a supermarket, he told me about this one old lady who insisted that the bags be packed in the order in which she stored the items in her cupboards. She wanted to be able to take things out of the bags when she got home and put them away according to her system. So she'd stand there and bark orders at the bagger about how to pack the bags.

[EricKei]

MC -- then she needs to place the items on the belt in that precise order while she's at it >_> Or, just bag things her own damn self

[Dreamstalker]

MoonCat--I swear I've dealt with a woman like that. The way I see it, if a customer absolutely insists on bagging their own stuff, then let them (we have a few customers who flip out if anyone other than them touches their groceries, and a few regulars who actually know how to bag and prefer to do it themselves to speed things up). If anything happens when they get to the parking lot, there are at least a dozen people on the front end who saw them tell the bagger to back off.

[MelindaJoy77]

I also enjoy watching when the customer's husband or kid is putting the bagged groceries back in the cart all topsy-turvy and then does something such as plopping a watermelon on top of the chips

[Food Lady]

I am definitely one of the "group stuff together" customers, albeit a quiet one. What worries me is when the bagger fails to catch the hint and puts raw meat in with chems, eggs and bananas in with 2-liters of soft drinks, etc, anyway >_<

I would never do that to you, Eric.

[TimmyHate]

Our local supermarket has a simple policy - you bag your own. 10c to buy a plastic bag, boxes free. Everything gets loaded back into a trolley and there is a counter at the front where you can stop and bag.

People wanna poison themselves, its their own damn choice.

[bhskittykatt]

I was always taught to group like items on the belt and put the heavy stuff on first to make it easier on bagging. Hubs was never taught this. So at checkout it's Hubs throwing whatever on the belt and me standing there rearranging it. Though I think Hubs has gotten better lately.

[MelindaJoy77]

Our local supermarket has a simple policy - you bag your own. 10c to buy a plastic bag, boxes free. Everything gets loaded back into a trolley and there is a counter at the front where you can stop and bag.

People wanna poison themselves, its their own damn choice.

THIS is an awesome idea. I wouldn't mind bagging my own.