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A couple of weeks ago when I was working at the express lane at the major grocery store chain I work for as a cashier, I had a customer who did not want a ton of bags. The setup for the bags is like a carousel. I scan what is on the belt, and I bag the items the best I can.
The customer kept on saying that I was using too many bags while I was scanning her groceries and bagging them. She even said that I used 50 bags, which was not even close.
I can understand not wanting too many bags, but when you are working at the express lane, the purpose is to get the customers through the line as quickly as possible.
I would have had to go back and forth among the bags to bag the way she wanted me to.
How do you approach situations like this while working at the express lane?
If you are working the express lane you shouldn't have that many items to bag. Our express registers had carousels with only three bags and the belt registers have six. I've had three bags with one item in each because they shouldn't be bagged together. I won't, for instance, put a bunch of bananas, a fluffy sweater and a big bottle of dish soap all in one bag. Nobody gripes about that, really, and if someone says it's okay to put them all in bag? They can do it themselves because I won't and if the dish soap gets on the sweater? I'm not to blame.
It's not much different if I'm on a belt. Just more bags and trying to be as organized as I can to make sure I make good use of each one and bag so the customer can deal with it all easily. I'm not sure I'd ever use 50 bags, even for a $500 order. That's a lot of bags and I'm sure you didn't.
Whenever they complain about the quality of the bags (which is,
admittedly, poor) or any other aspect of plastic bag usage, I remind
them about re-usable bags.
In response to that solution, there's usually the excuse, that if
they had them, they'd just forget to bring them, etc. However, if
they are that conscientious about plastic bag usage, to the point
where they're micro-managing the process at the register, then it stands
to reason that they won't forget to bring their reusables, were they
to have them. Their strong feelings about plastic bags -- assuming that
those feelings are genuine and they're not just complaining for the sake
of complaining -- will be enough to remind them.
Conversely, I've also had customers who plan to use the plastic bags
for other things once they get the groceries home, so I'll be asked
to double-bag that which would never, by any stretch of the
imagination, need double-bagging.
I talk to people every day about reusable bags. Mostly for my own sake though because I'm just sick of dealing with those plastic ones. They are hard to open, they come off half a dozen at a time because they are so stuck together and by the end of the day I hate them...again. lol So I strongly suggest people bring their own or I'll whip them with a wet noodle till they do! They laugh and say "They are out in the car" or "at home". So much easier to use. Well, most of them are anyway. THEN they'd need to be educated how to keep them clean! I've seen some pretty icky ones.
I have customers who use the bags for other things and I do too. I use my own bags but I always pick up a few plastic that I've wrapped meats and produce in. I get the plastic and keep my bags clean! I've had people ask me to double bag items that didn't need to be. And I'll never understand why some insist on bagging a gallon of milk. I wouldn't trust those plastic bag handles as much as the one connected to the jug. One guy told me it was "in case it fell over and milk ran out". Like a plastic bag is going to keep it in?
I've had three bags with one item in each because they shouldn't be bagged together. I won't, for instance, put a bunch of bananas, a fluffy sweater and a big bottle of dish soap all in one bag. Nobody gripes about that, really, and if someone says it's okay to put them all in bag? They can do it themselves because I won't and if the dish soap gets on the sweater? I'm not to blame.
I hate when cashiers do that. If I have three items, and ask for everything all in one bag, then the cashier should respect my wishes. I’ve had many cashiers look at me, laugh, and then continue bagging the way they want to after making such a request. All it does is hold up the line as I have to then rebag everything the way I originally requested.
I bring my own reusable bags, and determine how many to bring based on how many items I’m getting. If I’m only getting a few things, I’ll bring in one bag. If I have one resuable bag, than I want everything in that one bag. I don’t want the bananas in the reusable bag, and then dish soap and a sweater in two plastic bags. This is one of the many reasons why I use self checkout whenever possible.
I hate when cashiers do that. If I have three items, and ask for everything all in one bag, then the cashier should respect my wishes. I’ve had many cashiers look at me, laugh, and then continue bagging the way they want to after making such a request. All it does is hold up the line as I have to then rebag everything the way I originally requested.
I bring my own reusable bags, and determine how many to bring based on how many items I’m getting. If I’m only getting a few things, I’ll bring in one bag. If I have one resuable bag, than I want everything in that one bag. I don’t want the bananas in the reusable bag, and then dish soap and a sweater in two plastic bags. This is one of the many reasons why I use self checkout whenever possible.
Sure, they'll respect your wishes. As long nothing happens on the way home and they get the blame. I admit, there ARE times I'll throw a non food in with food but I ASK first if it's okay and it's never anything chemical. I've seen people put rat poison in with their food at self checkout and it gives me the heebie jeebies! Granted, the bag holds cans or something else that won't open in the bag, but still...! I just can't do it...sorry. One day I put a very small pet food in with a guys food and he had a FIT! I told him that nothing in that container could hurt a human being and he said, "Well, we'll see what your MANAGER has to say about that!". He reported me but I never heard a word about it. People have their own ideas of what's right or wrong and I'm not a mind reader so I just do it my way and I'll change it if they don't like it. Except for chemicals with food. I will say that I get a LOT of compliments on how I bag items so I know that most people are good with it and appreciate it.
Good for you bringing your own bags. I love it when they bring too many because they are usually so big it's way to easy to overload them.
I talk to people every day about reusable bags. Mostly for my own sake though because I'm just sick of dealing with those plastic ones. They are hard to open, they come off half a dozen at a time because they are so stuck together and by the end of the day I hate them...again. lol So I strongly suggest people bring their own or I'll whip them with a wet noodle till they do! They laugh and say "They are out in the car" or "at home". So much easier to use. Well, most of them are anyway. THEN they'd need to be educated how to keep them clean! I've seen some pretty icky ones.
I have customers who use the bags for other things and I do too. I use my own bags but I always pick up a few plastic that I've wrapped meats and produce in. I get the plastic and keep my bags clean! I've had people ask me to double bag items that didn't need to be. And I'll never understand why some insist on bagging a gallon of milk. I wouldn't trust those plastic bag handles as much as the one connected to the jug. One guy told me it was "in case it fell over and milk ran out". Like a plastic bag is going to keep it in?
I actually take them for work. They help with soiled clothes.
Sure, they'll respect your wishes. As long nothing happens on the way home and they get the blame. I admit, there ARE times I'll throw a non food in with food but I ASK first if it's okay and it's never anything chemical. I've seen people put rat poison in with their food at self checkout and it gives me the heebie jeebies! Granted, the bag holds cans or something else that won't open in the bag, but still...! I just can't do it...sorry. One day I put a very small pet food in with a guys food and he had a FIT! I told him that nothing in that container could hurt a human being and he said, "Well, we'll see what your MANAGER has to say about that!". He reported me but I never heard a word about it. People have their own ideas of what's right or wrong and I'm not a mind reader so I just do it my way and I'll change it if they don't like it. Except for chemicals with food. I will say that I get a LOT of compliments on how I bag items so I know that most people are good with it and appreciate it.
Good for you bringing your own bags. I love it when they bring too many because they are usually so big it's way to easy to overload them.
I think people should bag their own groceries unless they are disabled and can't use their hands. I prefer bagging my own stuff and really don't like it when an employee runs over and steps in. Are we sooo lazy we can't put things in bags anymore?
I think people should bag their own groceries unless they are disabled and can't use their hands. I prefer bagging my own stuff and really don't like it when an employee runs over and steps in. Are we sooo lazy we can't put things in bags anymore?
If everyone bagged their own groceries, it would put a lot of people out of jobs.
Having a bagger is more efficient because the items get bagged while the shopper is watching them get rung up and then paying, so that by the time the order is completed, the items are bagged and back in the shopping cart and ready to go. Otherwise, the next customer has to wait for that first customer to finish bagging and paying.
Having a bagger is more efficient because the items get bagged while the shopper is watching them get rung up and then paying, so that by the time the order is completed, the items are bagged and back in the shopping cart and ready to go. Otherwise, the next customer has to wait for that first customer to finish bagging and paying.
I'd much rather have the line move more quickly!!
Yeah...
That would be great, except at the *major grocery store chain* I work at as a cashier, there is not a dedicated bagger for the open registers that are not express lanes despite the fact that customers have complained about having to bag their own groceries.
The baggers at the location I work at do more than just bag.
They have to get the carts from the parking lot since the Front End Coordinator, who is over an area of locations including the one I work at, does not want too many carts in the parking lot.
They have to take back perishable items that our customers do not want.
And other duties as well depending on what needs to be done any given day.
There was a walk through by several Senior level employees last week, and the next day one of the Front end supervisors requested over the store intercom for 4 baggers to go out to the store parking lot to get carts.
So the front end was minus 4 baggers who could have been bagging groceries.
Most of the times the front end work schedules are created to have one bagger for every two cashiers. Therefore, the baggers are scarce.
Last edited by snugglegirl05; 02-06-2018 at 04:29 PM..
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