Counting iz HARD.

[Dreamstalker]

I wish cashiers here were able to enforce the 12-items-or-less policy.

One of the new girls was on an Express register. I'm coming back through the front end just seeing who needs baggers when I spot a lady coming into her lane with...two full cartloads. I recognize her as someone I tried to direct to another lane a minute ago. I know she knows this lane has an item limit. Cashiers can't say anything to the customers who pull this.

So both I and cashier C on the next lane (who is just closing down for break) jump in to help. She did bring bags, but of course they're buried in the first cart so we have no choice but to start bagging in our bags as fast as we can just to clear some space...and then she bitched when we asked her for the first empty cart, and bitched again when discovering that we were forced to put some bags on the floor. Then cue specific instructions (all of this goes in this color bag, etc...then why didn't you sort the items on the belt? I have four bags with one item each and an overfull bag platform)

Cue A complaining about the new girl P having baggers on an express lane. C says that she has a customer with two cartloads and needs the help; I don't think A believed him as she walks around to see the carts. Unfortunately since the transaction is in full tilt A can't do anything either (she can't start in on P because there are witnesses now).

Turned out the 'customer' had exactly 12 reusable bags. Maybe she thought 'items' meant bags Then she wants me to help push the carts out; initially A says no but is overrruled by manager P (not my fault A overscheduled so at any given time four of us have nothing to do).

[emax4]

I remember being a cashier on express and having issues like this, because the people behind them have enough balls to say stuff whereas the cashier isn't allowed. It's too bad you can't raise your hand, and make a "come forward" motion with it to signal the people behind her to be rung up first. If the customer doesn't like it, they can wait their turn or simply move their shit to the right lane.

I know where you're coming from, that you don't want to cause a scene and/or get in trouble; but when it all comes down to it, you have every right to do so. The customer is obviously trying to get away with something they know they shouldn't, and he/she may realize that the cashier can't say or do anything, thus furthering their (customer's) greediness.

Initial reaction: What you simply should do is refuse to ring up their order and enforce the "X items or fewer" sign in the express lane. If management gives you any lip, tell them to ring it up themselves, but that by allowing this, they're pissing off all the customers BEHIND the SC that can read and actually follow the rules, and that may cause them to shop elsewhere. The people behind the SC are following the rules/guidelines set by the store, and yet they're being punished by having the store allow someone NOT following the same rules/guidelines.

Proper reaction: Contact management before ringing anything up, advise them of the customers behind the SC following the rules and that this action may cause a loss of business. See how management reacts to this.

[raudf]

What bites, at the Mall of Wart, we were SUPPOSED to turn away the larger carts from the express lines. That is, until my last asst manager decided that was a stupid store policy and "overrode" the SM. So guess what? Damned if we did, damned if we didn't. Needless to say, with that ass manager, I didn't last long in the Mall of Wart.

[It's me]

Too bad you can just send them to the back of the line once you hit 12 items....

[PepperElf]

I remember being over limit once and getting a O_o look from the cashier. I quickly explained (truthfully) that I'd been directed to her lane and apologized.


actually the last time my bf and i shopped... we were directed into the express too. and my bf pointed out we were over limit. not by much though. the lady said it was OK so in we went.

[emax4]

At least you asked about it. Even if I'm an item or two over I just go to a regular lane. If I were in a hurry, I'd definitely ask, but I know better not to shop whenever I'm in a hurry.

[Merriweather]

I have to admit, I do take the limits as a guideline rather than hard rule - I don't feel guilty going thru "12" line with 13 or 14 items. Anything more than one or two over, though, and I only use express if I'm directed to it, or if I'm still fairly close, there's no one in line, & I say I have a few over, is that ok?

[thatcrazyredhead]

If I was a customer behind that woman, I probably would have said something (to her, not the cashier). That's incredibly rude.

Whenever I think about the express lane, I'm reminded of an old Carol Burnette sketch in which she's in a hurry to leave with her groceries and goes through the express lane. The cashier tells her she has too many items because she has two tomatoes. Carol throws the bag of tomatoes on the ground and stomps on it. "One bag of ketchup, now RING ME UP!"

[Dreamstalker]

Too bad you can just send them to the back of the line once you hit 12 items....

I was pondering an idea where the register is tied into the "12 Items Or Less" light on the pole. When that is lit, the register stops ringing at 12 items and will only be able to accept coupons or total the transaction/go into payment mode.

Then I realized that the SCs would only split their 4483765 items into smaller transactions of 12 items each, and never be able to understand why they need to do that. It also wouldn't be fair to the nice customers who only have 1 or 2 items over (maybe the main lanes all have longer lines, the point of Express is to get customers out quickly).

[Chromatix]

My local supermegahypermarket - which is run by a cooperative society - has a much simpler solution: there are *no* express lanes.

As it turns out, most people who take the trouble to go to a supermegahypermarket aren't in any particular hurry - chances are the one or two things you might want quickly aren't near the front anyway.

Also, people with a basket tend to gravitate towards queues containing other people with baskets, and those lines naturally move quicker than the ones with trolleys. Since a trolley also takes up much more space than a basket, the overall length of the queue is a fairly good guide to wait time anyway. This is especially true since the families doing their entire week's shopping in one go (resulting in a very full trolley) tend to have brought their children along, and so their pushchairs take up even more space.

Then again, I tend to get the impression that Finns are more reasonable customers on average than Walmart's clientele.

[Tiberious]

The local grocery store here actually has two lines marked "About 15 items or less", and one marked "15 items or less".

Although, I too have been guilty of going through those 'express' lines with more like 20 items. In my defense, however, every other line was being taken up by people with their entire month's groceries in their cart(s). Needless to say, I didn't feel too bad about breaking the limit then.

[Dreamstalker]

I'll bend the limit for people who only have a few items over, or if they're in a hurry and the other lines are insane.

An overflowing cartload....no. Doubly infuriating when there are other lanes free.

[mattm04]

I was pondering an idea where the register is tied into the "12 Items Or Less" light on the pole. When that is lit, the register stops ringing at 12 items and will only be able to accept coupons or total the transaction/go into payment mode.

Then I realized that the SCs would only split their 4483765 items into smaller transactions of 12 items each, and never be able to understand why they need to do that. It also wouldn't be fair to the nice customers who only have 1 or 2 items over (maybe the main lanes all have longer lines, the point of Express is to get customers out quickly).

I like that idea. If the sign says 12 items, let the computer scan up to say 15. I would also love to see this applied to registers store have at pharmacy, bakery/coffee, and some in deli/prepared foods. Normally those registers ar run by one of the department employees and not dedicated cashier. All to often I see SC wander over with bread, milk, chips, etc. to the pharmacy, deli, etc, and get rung up.

[Dreamstalker]

I admit that I'll go to the pharmacy register with a small number of other purchases, but only if I'm actually picking up a prescription (or if an employee/manager says "Pharmacy register is open" to get lines down).

A cashier could override the 12-15 item lock at their discretion, and for registers that have a monitor to let customers see the transaction (dumbest idea ever IMO, it only encourages the nitpickers) there could be a hidden button that would throw up a suitably arcane error message when it locks up.

[Pharm Girl]

At the large chain where I work as a cashier in the pharmacy and up front we are not allowed to turn anyone away at the 20 or less registers no matter how much they have. I do love it when people in line give the offending sc hell though. now at pharmacy we can turn people with more than 10 items away, especially if there is a line. Also if they have any thing to be weighed we can't do it, aww darn.