Customers who get two to three cart orders and don't help you pack

[SteverinoNY]

One of my major pet peeves at the grocery store I work at is the blatant refusal of the customer with the huge (three cart or more order) to help the cashier pack up the groceries. Now I know you are going to say that its my job to pack up the groceries for the customer because I am getting paid to do such a thing, but the bagging area on our registers isnt all that large and quickly fills up with bags. I wouldn't mind if the customer didn't help pack, but at least load the bags into your cart so I don't need to come around the register and load your cart for you. We never have this problem during the day because there is always a bagger for every register, but usually after 9 when all the baggers go home and there are two large registers plus the self checkouts open, the customers with large orders stand there with a look and don't even put the bags into the cart. Staff is limited at the late hours...at least help us out and load up your cart so that the guy buying the box of condoms with his girlfriend waiting in the car can go get himself laid before she isn't in the mood anymore.

This may be a touchy subject, so feel free to share opinions (within moderation) and such.

[LadyM]

Personally this sounds whiney. Even as a fellow cashier type person. Why is it the customers fault when management cuts back on staff? Customers don't know the inner workings of any store. Most customers unload their cart on to the belt, load items into car and haul items into their home. To expect cashiers and baggers to do their job, bag items and return to cart, is not entitlement. It is part of the job. As a customer I don't care what the person behind me needs to buy. It is not my problem. I will quietly wait my turn in line, no matter how large the cart is in front of me. Why would I worry about some guy getting laid?

Honestly this sounds like "why can't the customer do my job and make it easier for me" That is not going to happen nor should it. If I as a customer quietly wait in line, use all please and thank you's and overall is a pleasant customer, why should they worry about what management has done?

If a guest has a certain level of service at 3 pm and on a off day shop at 9pm why is it wrong to expect the same level of service?

This is just my thoughts of reading the OP. Sucky customers .....well really suck. But normal customers exepcting normal service are not being sucky. To want them to do your job is being sucky.

[SteverinoNY]

Personally this sounds whiney. Even as a fellow cashier type person. Why is it the customers fault when management cuts back on staff? Customers don't know the inner workings of any store.

It's not a cutting back on staff. After 9 pm, we don't do enough business to make it worth having a bagger around. But a lot of people choose to do their shopping at that time because they are either getting off shift from working at the local hospital or fire house or police station or just some people choose to do it then because there are less people present in the store and stock is fresher (which is true because the floor crew are putting out new merchandise and the overnight bakers are making new baked goods. Its not that I mind packing up the groceries (which I don't). What I do mind is when the customer stands there looking confused while the bags pile up in our far too small bagging area. Its a royal pain to carry the bags to the cart because it involves walking all the way around the register and placing them in the cart. For a person otherwise incapacitated, I will gladly load their cart, but for someone perfectly capable of doing so, a little help doing so is expected and appreciated with a smile and a thank you.

So therefore, I am not whining and I take offense to that.

[pbmods]

Th...*three*-cart orders??

I barely fill ONE... but *three*?!?!? How do customers even manage to keep three carts with them in the store??

[SteverinoNY]

How do customers even manage to keep three carts with them in the store??

Late at night like that, we'll allow people to fill a cart (as long as theres no perishables in it) bring it to the front and put it by an empty register while they go back and fill another one. We'll watch however many carts they need until its time to check out.

[Posture Moll]

Staff is limited at the late hours...at least help us out and load up your cart so that the guy buying the box of condoms with his girlfriend waiting in the car can go get himself laid before she isn't in the mood anymore.

I'm sorry, but that makes me laugh!

Hard-up Guy: Hurry up and bag, man! Don't you know I only have a scant 5 minute window of time before she changes her mind?! God! Time's a tickin' away here!

Because, you know, us womenfolk completely hate sex. Really. We can only be tricked into it or bribed with jewelery. If anyone else tells you otherwise, they're lying.

[Drakstern]

The 'standing like you have two broken arms and staring at me' thing only annoys me if the customer is actively complaining about how long it's taking. At that point, it's a 'duh' moment.

3 carts was usually around 400+ dollars worth of groceries IIRC. That much stuff takes *time*. If you want out of here faster, you can help bag your massive order. Otherwise, it will get done as fast as I can get it done. Deal w/it.

[powerboy]

Personally this sounds whiney. Even as a fellow cashier type person. Why is it the customers fault when management cuts back on staff? Customers don't know the inner workings of any store. Most customers unload their cart on to the belt, load items into car and haul items into their home. To expect cashiers and baggers to do their job, bag items and return to cart, is not entitlement. It is part of the job. As a customer I don't care what the person behind me needs to buy. It is not my problem. I will quietly wait my turn in line, no matter how large the cart is in front of me. Why would I worry about some guy getting laid?

Honestly this sounds like "why can't the customer do my job and make it easier for me" That is not going to happen nor should it. If I as a customer quietly wait in line, use all please and thank you's and overall is a pleasant customer, why should they worry about what management has done?

If a guest has a certain level of service at 3 pm and on a off day shop at 9pm why is it wrong to expect the same level of service?

This is just my thoughts of reading the OP. Sucky customers .....well really suck. But normal customers exepcting normal service are not being sucky. To want them to do your job is being sucky.

I agree with you. It does sound like that, that the OP is wanting the customers help with making his job easier. I always load the cart, if I am able too. The only time I don't, is if I am using the restroom.

[purplecat41877]

Where I work, if I'm in a register and I get an order that big, I request a bagger to help out with the order and I do some of the bagging myself. I let the customer decide if they want to bag or not.

[SteverinoNY]

My point is being missed I think. Its after all the baggers have gone home and there is only one other cashier in the store plus a supervisor doing the closing tasks. I do not expect the customer to help pack because I am more than capable of doing it on my own. I just don't see why the customer is incapable of loading their cart while I am packing, especially when its a large 2-3 cart order.

I guess I was mistaken in making this thread because apparently I am wrong and lazy for expecting some sort of help when there is no bagger and I busy and the other cashier is also busy.

[purplecat41877]

How about suggesting to the person that makes the schedule to have a bagger scheduled until closing? That would help you out when customers have large orders around that time of night.

[SteverinoNY]

We have central scheduling meaning the corporate scheduler makes the schedule for each store in the chain by zone. No such "Gratuitous waste of payroll" (in the words of the DM) would be allowed. So therefore we are forced to make due with what we have. I guess its all about common courtesy, and us being supermarket checkers, don't deserve any I suppose.

[Retail Associate]

I guess I was mistaken in making this thread because apparently I am wrong and lazy for expecting some sort of help when there is no bagger and I busy and the other cashier is also busy.

I don't think you're lazy or whiney at all. I'll tell ya why. At my store we have no baggers, ever. All baggers were fired about 4 years ago and new registers were installed with bag carousels (sp) and it is EXPECTED that the customer put their own bagged items back in their carts.

When I was cashiering 99% of the people did their own loading. The only exceptions were the handicapped or the young, "ain't I just so special, women" who not only pissed me off, but everyone waiting in line behind them.

I would have to walk around the front of the carousel in order to reach the cart and it would take twice as long for me to scan, bag, then load all their groceires while they just stand there. Not to mention the fact that it greatly lowered my IPH score. No one minds if it's an elderly or handicapped person. But everyone would get so angry with these women.

[sarahj]

Not sure if this is how it works in other areas, but where I shop, it's the customers who load their carts.

Before item-scanning begins, I unload my cart and hand over my reusable bags. My groceries are put into these bags for me, then placed further down on the register. I put the bags into the cart.

Where I live, we have no baggers! There are no baggers in Melbourne. Ever. Seriously. Next thing you know, there'll be people who unload your cart for you onto the conveyor belt (or whatever it's called). And who load your groceries into your car (is that a "carry out"?).

Sorry if I offended. But us Aussies are clearly roughing it, service-wise.

[iradney]

wow, seems we South Africans are roughing it just the same as Aussies! if there's no baggers, i see no problem in bagging my own stuff, and i also have no issue with putting my stuff in my cart (or trolley as we calll em). I've yet to see someone have a sucky-fit because they were expected to load their own trolley...