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Just wondering this....but do the grocery stores in the Northeast typically not employ baggers?
I ask this because I work in one down here, and I had a customer from up north that was surprised to find that our store had baggers, AND that we'd take her groceries out for her.
Are these practices simply more common in my region? I thought it odd that the lady was so surprised...I thought almost all grocery stores would at least bag your groceries for you
The cashiers bag the groceries in most supermarkets. You only see a separate person bagging during busy hours in small supermarkets with only five or so registers. They probably call stock people up from the basement if the place is suddenly poppin'. I ring occasionally at my job... you open a bag, and throw each item in the bag as soon as you ring it, and when it's full, you pop open a new bag. Not that difficult, why would you need two people in the first place? Working quickly, speed-walking, making change faster than a vending machine, etc are all skills that employers expect out of their retail workers up here. My heart rate increases when I ring during busy or understaffed hours, no joke. The rent is too high to schedule people to just bag, so NYers are expected to do the jobs of two people. On the other hand, we're used to it, so you guys just seem slow and unneccessarily curteous. We expect our services just as promptly when we're the customer.
By "small supermarket" I mean the whole supermarket is smaller than a typical suburban Rite Aid. The Key Food and C-Town category.
Larger supermarkets with parking lots and at least a dozen registers never have baggers. The Waldbaums and Pathmark category. At most a bored employee on a slow night will stick your crap in a bag if he has nothing better to do.
No one takes anything out for you unless you're injured, old, hopelessly feminine, or your item is huge. Like furniture.
Last edited by Andysocks; 10-15-2008 at 10:16 PM..
Wow! No wonder the cashiers Ive talked to from there seem cranky. Thats alot of work, especially when there are large orders involved.Ours is a large store ( 7 registers, 5 typically used, the other 2 for busy hours). Maybe thats why she was surprised?
We usually have baggers for each register, and its part of our jobs to take the customer's groceries out.
Smaller than a Rite-Aid? WOW. That is tiny. We dont have any full grocery stores that small here. Most pharmacies like Wal-greens have food, but arent considered full grocery.
Compared to your large ones, ours are rather mid-sized with the amount of registers I mentioned earlier. Never heard of a Waldbaums...or a Pathmark...?
be forewarned that baggers, if any, are affiliated with the cashier here in NYC and are not independent entities who bag one's groceries and take them outside for you. Anyone else is an impostor and you can easily find yourself out of several hundred dollars of groceries to a fictitious bagger pretending to offer this courtesy up north who heads to the exits with your bags and then sprints ahead into the crowds.
be forewarned that baggers, if any, are affiliated with the cashier here in NYC and are not independent entities who bag one's groceries and take them outside for you. Anyone else is an impostor and you can easily find yourself out of several hundred dollars of groceries to a fictitious bagger pretending to offer this courtesy up north who heads to the exits with your bags and then sprints ahead into the crowds.
Thanks for the tip. But, just me, if Im in a strange place ( and NYC would be very, very strange to me) I am unlikely to allow anyone to take my things out, as it would show them the location of my vehicle. Im not a very trusting person..even less so if Im not at home.
Wouldnt the store make the bagger wear a uniform and tag that ID'd them as an employee of the store?
Wouldnt the store make the bagger wear a uniform and tag that ID'd them as an employee of the store?
Nope. Most of the baggers I've seen appear to be older guys, who may or may not have a regular job -- and they always have a little tip cup where I guess you're supposed to deposit your extra change.
Nope. Most of the baggers I've seen appear to be older guys, who may or may not have a regular job -- and they always have a little tip cup where I guess you're supposed to deposit your extra change.
But no grocery-bag-carrier-outters .....
Oh goody. So if I end up going to NYC, don't let them take my groceries out. It sounds like Im going to have to chain myself to the cart....
Another difference...this is just my store, I think, but if we are caught taking a tip, we are fired.
Another difference...this is just my store, I think, but if we are caught taking a tip, we are fired.
Actually, I have seen this as a stated policy at other stores, where they post that they have a no tipping policy. It all depends upon the store and the location.
And, generally, at the few remaining stores that still deliver groceries, tips are usually part and parcel with the service.
Ha! ha! You had me in stitches about chaining the grocery cart to you. You could always carry your own collapsible shopping cart and load up your groceries prior to leaving the store, but don't block the check out aisle while doing so or it could get ugly.
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