General Pet Peeves
Update to previous post: Apparently the lady was an ex-employee who didn't quit so much as stop showing up until the managers called her up and flat out asked her was she still working there. Also, she's made those outrageous complaints and insinuations before, with nothing to come of them, getting to the point where corporate immediately "File 13" them as soon as they get it.
I've been at the chain general store for a year and a half and I've noticed certain habits that have me grinding my teeth to keep quiet about.
1) When you load the counter up (my particular store isn't special enough to get conveyor belts so we get this tiny ass 6in by 6in space that's also shared with counter impulse buys) and I'm having to hold things next to me after scanning them because all 4 of my bag holders are full, the correct thing to do is NOT stare at me like I'm nuts, nor is it to try and push more stuff onto the counter. Get another cart if you have to. I understand buying almost everything here and it isn't your fault we don't have big counters, but doing either of those two things will not help, I guarantee it.
2) Giving me each individual coupon and item, while telling me the price at the beginning of the order. Telling me the price doesn't do any good. I know the general vicinity of prices (so the pasta sauce doesn't ring up $30 for example) but if it says $2.50 vs you telling me $2, I really do need to call my manager to a) double check the price, and b) for the price change to happen on my side. That is not something the average cashier can do at my company.
I understand keeping the coupon with the item so in case it doesn't work, but that works best for our 1980's machines if you do that at the END. So we don't have to spend 20 years scrolling up because you're buying $150 worth of items. Not to mention that when it's Coupon Saturday ($5 off $25 or more, coupon's at the bottom of any receipt from the previous Saturday through the night before) I absolutely, without a doubt, CANNOT use ANY coupons before that one and it MUST be used at the end of the order. Because in order for the $5 to come off, it has to take a little bit off each item. Your coupon for "Buy 2 of X and get the 3rd one free" being used first would mess that process up. Literally.
3) There are usually only 2 people in my whole store. My manager and myself. If you see me walking up to you as you wait at the register, and someone stops to ask me where the light bulbs are, I have to explain to them that they're all the way down there, right at the greeting cards, last aisle on the left. Then I can finish making my way up to the register to ring you up. I can't ignore them just because you're there. It doesn't work that way. You can't just demand that I send them to ask my manager when in all reality, I don't know what part of the store they're in. Yes, we have a phone system to contact them, but it'd take less time for the customer asking, and for me to get to you and give you my full attention, if I direct them before I finish walking up to the register and ring you up. (We can't be standing at the register when there's no one to wait on and sometimes the tasks we're assigned take us to the back of the store. Still in sight of the register, just a few seconds walk away though.) Getting huffy that I'm helping them before I practically run up to scan your purchases is probably not the best way to go about it. I agree, we should have more than 2 people, but corporate seems to not share our sentiments.
4) Giving demands what change you want when you hand me a $100 bill...no. Just no. I will gladly try to accommodate you as best as I can, even going so far as call the manager up to see if I can swap it with smaller bills from the safe; but if we can't make that work, then I'm sorry. There really is nothing I can do. Glaring and haughtily telling me that you'll take singles if you have to won't happen. Usually 5's and singles are like gold, especially on a Saturday evening because the bank is closed and we have to hold onto what we have for a day and a half. Occasionally, yes, I'll have had an influx of people paying in 5's and singles and maybe I can squeeze the exchange out of my drawer; but your better bets would be to try another store. Telling me that I'd done it for you before isn't going to change anything, nor is saying that you'll complain to corporate. They'll say that each store needs to have money in each denomination and that if both the cashier and manager cannot feasibly break a bill, then there is nothing they can do.
Sub 4) I can't open my drawer to give change unless you buy something. That's it. End all, be all. I'm sorry. I try to suggest the cheapest things to buy because I know it sucks, but that's company policy and I'm not sacrificing my job because you want to break a $20.
5) PUT YOUR CARTS BACK IF YOU DON'T NEED THEM. You push the cart off to the side and walk out the door... RIGHT BY THE CART RACK 5 FEET FROM WHERE YOU PUSHED THE CART. Same thing with the damn baskets. My register is literally 3 feet from the basket caddy. You know it's there because that's where you got the damn thing from when you started. So acting all confused about where to put it, finally setting it on the floor (or worse yet in a cubby hole with cold food in it) and walking off with your filled bags is NOT the way to get in your cashier's good graces. I've begun asking if I can take the baskets when they start looking for places to set it. Maybe if they see me put it away enough, they'll get the picture. Maybe.
6) Instead of staring off into space as I ring up your items, could you maybe be digging out your form of payment? That line behind you is getting long and will continue to get longer because 9 times out of 10, I'm the only register open. My manager only opens theirs after I have 4 or more customers waiting in line for longer than a minute. Paying with a check? Okay, start filling the check out, have your license out, things like that. The date isn't going to change based on the amount, nor is the store you're at. If you're that unsure of buying anything until you see the final total, I understand that, but it doesn't stop you from having the pen, check, and license out. 99% of the time the line builds up because you wait until I'm done scanning before you start rooting around your purse or coat pockets for everything you need.
7) If I don't put something sorta biggish and bulky in a bag, there's probably a reason for it. Those 6 packs of toilet paper don't really fit in our bags very well. The bags tear and split 7 ways to Sunday, pretty much rendering them useless. Yes, we have BIG bags, but those are to be used sparingly. We get them in twice a year, if that. So no, I will not be using a big, giant bag for your 6 pack of toilet paper unless I see it's warranted because I'd like to still HAVE big, giant bags to use when I get someone who is warranted using one.
I've still got more irks, but I figure this wall of text is enough for now.
I've been at the chain general store for a year and a half and I've noticed certain habits that have me grinding my teeth to keep quiet about.
1) When you load the counter up (my particular store isn't special enough to get conveyor belts so we get this tiny ass 6in by 6in space that's also shared with counter impulse buys) and I'm having to hold things next to me after scanning them because all 4 of my bag holders are full, the correct thing to do is NOT stare at me like I'm nuts, nor is it to try and push more stuff onto the counter. Get another cart if you have to. I understand buying almost everything here and it isn't your fault we don't have big counters, but doing either of those two things will not help, I guarantee it.
2) Giving me each individual coupon and item, while telling me the price at the beginning of the order. Telling me the price doesn't do any good. I know the general vicinity of prices (so the pasta sauce doesn't ring up $30 for example) but if it says $2.50 vs you telling me $2, I really do need to call my manager to a) double check the price, and b) for the price change to happen on my side. That is not something the average cashier can do at my company.
I understand keeping the coupon with the item so in case it doesn't work, but that works best for our 1980's machines if you do that at the END. So we don't have to spend 20 years scrolling up because you're buying $150 worth of items. Not to mention that when it's Coupon Saturday ($5 off $25 or more, coupon's at the bottom of any receipt from the previous Saturday through the night before) I absolutely, without a doubt, CANNOT use ANY coupons before that one and it MUST be used at the end of the order. Because in order for the $5 to come off, it has to take a little bit off each item. Your coupon for "Buy 2 of X and get the 3rd one free" being used first would mess that process up. Literally.
3) There are usually only 2 people in my whole store. My manager and myself. If you see me walking up to you as you wait at the register, and someone stops to ask me where the light bulbs are, I have to explain to them that they're all the way down there, right at the greeting cards, last aisle on the left. Then I can finish making my way up to the register to ring you up. I can't ignore them just because you're there. It doesn't work that way. You can't just demand that I send them to ask my manager when in all reality, I don't know what part of the store they're in. Yes, we have a phone system to contact them, but it'd take less time for the customer asking, and for me to get to you and give you my full attention, if I direct them before I finish walking up to the register and ring you up. (We can't be standing at the register when there's no one to wait on and sometimes the tasks we're assigned take us to the back of the store. Still in sight of the register, just a few seconds walk away though.) Getting huffy that I'm helping them before I practically run up to scan your purchases is probably not the best way to go about it. I agree, we should have more than 2 people, but corporate seems to not share our sentiments.
4) Giving demands what change you want when you hand me a $100 bill...no. Just no. I will gladly try to accommodate you as best as I can, even going so far as call the manager up to see if I can swap it with smaller bills from the safe; but if we can't make that work, then I'm sorry. There really is nothing I can do. Glaring and haughtily telling me that you'll take singles if you have to won't happen. Usually 5's and singles are like gold, especially on a Saturday evening because the bank is closed and we have to hold onto what we have for a day and a half. Occasionally, yes, I'll have had an influx of people paying in 5's and singles and maybe I can squeeze the exchange out of my drawer; but your better bets would be to try another store. Telling me that I'd done it for you before isn't going to change anything, nor is saying that you'll complain to corporate. They'll say that each store needs to have money in each denomination and that if both the cashier and manager cannot feasibly break a bill, then there is nothing they can do.
Sub 4) I can't open my drawer to give change unless you buy something. That's it. End all, be all. I'm sorry. I try to suggest the cheapest things to buy because I know it sucks, but that's company policy and I'm not sacrificing my job because you want to break a $20.
5) PUT YOUR CARTS BACK IF YOU DON'T NEED THEM. You push the cart off to the side and walk out the door... RIGHT BY THE CART RACK 5 FEET FROM WHERE YOU PUSHED THE CART. Same thing with the damn baskets. My register is literally 3 feet from the basket caddy. You know it's there because that's where you got the damn thing from when you started. So acting all confused about where to put it, finally setting it on the floor (or worse yet in a cubby hole with cold food in it) and walking off with your filled bags is NOT the way to get in your cashier's good graces. I've begun asking if I can take the baskets when they start looking for places to set it. Maybe if they see me put it away enough, they'll get the picture. Maybe.
6) Instead of staring off into space as I ring up your items, could you maybe be digging out your form of payment? That line behind you is getting long and will continue to get longer because 9 times out of 10, I'm the only register open. My manager only opens theirs after I have 4 or more customers waiting in line for longer than a minute. Paying with a check? Okay, start filling the check out, have your license out, things like that. The date isn't going to change based on the amount, nor is the store you're at. If you're that unsure of buying anything until you see the final total, I understand that, but it doesn't stop you from having the pen, check, and license out. 99% of the time the line builds up because you wait until I'm done scanning before you start rooting around your purse or coat pockets for everything you need.
7) If I don't put something sorta biggish and bulky in a bag, there's probably a reason for it. Those 6 packs of toilet paper don't really fit in our bags very well. The bags tear and split 7 ways to Sunday, pretty much rendering them useless. Yes, we have BIG bags, but those are to be used sparingly. We get them in twice a year, if that. So no, I will not be using a big, giant bag for your 6 pack of toilet paper unless I see it's warranted because I'd like to still HAVE big, giant bags to use when I get someone who is warranted using one.
I've still got more irks, but I figure this wall of text is enough for now.