Community Chat

[K9buddy]

In the "old" days the cashier would place each item in the bag after they scanned it. Now, they scan everything at once and let the items pile up before they're bagged, hoping the customer will do it for them. Times sure have changed. 

[software]

I'm retired, 66 yrs old (and look it!)  plus I don't enjoy great health.

I live near many grocery stores.   2 in particular seem to cater to the older crowd, or  just anyone with a physical challenge.   I find myself going there more often.   

They always have pleasant cashiers & several baggers who will also walk to the car.

If I only need a few items, I'll go to WM & use the self checkout to avoid a cashier with a bad attitude.   

[stevieb]

@ciao_bella  I think you were right to follow this up. I don't hold with all the somewhat extreme confrontation posts nor those who would have opted to get in her face 'on the spot', but would have made my feelings known. I might have started the conversation with management by simply asking if store policies had changed and let it evolve from there.

Occasionally, if the cashier is a slow one and I feel like doing it, I will help bag but don't feel obligated to do so. I also make it a point of saying up front if something is on the bottom of the cart because I quite frankly will not lift anything heavy to the counter. If they have a gun, great. If it works, great, If not, they'll have to come around and get the bar code. As far as I'm concerned, grocery stores continue pushing the price envelope but haven't truly been full service in years, so I'm not doing any aspect of their job for them. While I always try to be pleasant toward the cashiers, some of them return the kindness and some of them are just a bit more surly by nature. 

[Tinkrbl44]

@ciao_bella 

When these types of threads post on here, there's inevitably a few people who say they wouldn't complain because "the person might lose their job".   WRONG ... unless this is a repetittive pattern by that employee.  They usually get a warning, since many belong to unions, and bad behavior needs to be documented.

Sometimes the problem is that the employee hasn't had enough training ...  and the supervisor is unaware.   It's up to the supervisor that their training be reviewed and the situation corrected.

If an employee is just plain rude, they should know customers will complain and they won't get away with it.

Store management wants to know when there are problems.  Personally, having been in management, I am polite, but I don't hold back.   That helps no one.

[Mj12]

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@K9buddy wrote:

In the "old" days the cashier would place each item in the bag after they scanned it. Now, they scan everything at once and let the items pile up before they're bagged, hoping the customer will do it for them. Times sure have changed. 

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It depends on the store. A few stores near us (Giant and Harris Teeter) bag each item as it is scanned.  

[Diva on The Q]

@ciao_bella: I absolutely would make a complaint. The cashier's attitude was way out of line. Get well soon!  

[DAD]

All I can say is WOW! Whenever I do a big grocery day my husband takes me. I shop at a small gocery store for smaller things & their incredible meat selection. Everyone is very friendly & they know I have a very bad back. If I do need something big they bring it to my car & load it for me. I'm sorry you had to deal with a rude cashier. We are finding more & more that people are not as friendly as they used to be. So many younger people act like you're a bother to wait on. I very well may have left the cart right there! I would have told another employee why!  Sounds like someone needs a different line of work!

[J Town Girl]

A grocery store chain in our area recently remodeled the store near us and they have a bagger working at each check-out.    The cashier scans the item and the bagger then proceeds to put each item in a bag.   Most of the time they are very careful with each grocery item.    If you have many items in your cart they always ask if you would like help out to your car.  

Like most jobs that involve working with the public there are a few employees that are more friendly and efficient than others.    I've been lucky that I've never been treated with the rudeness that the op had to encounter from the cashier.   It's inexcusable for any employee to act that way to a customer.   

I think the op handled the situation in the best way possible.  

[corita]

          I have a bad back and have to be careful about handling heavy items. My stores still give  store bags, so I tell them not too make the bags too heavy.  I tell the cashiers as soon as they start scanning...I will need help to the car because I can't pickup heavy items.

[ciao_bella]

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@Peaches McPhee wrote:

@ciao_bella , now I am curious.  I have not been in a store where I could even help with the bagging in 30 years; not since they went to scanning.  The scanner is right there next to the bag, so the clerk does both in one swift movement.  (Granted, not a case of water.) What happens at your store? 

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At my store, they seem to scan several items and let them all accumulate at the end of the bagging area.  They they, sometimes, stop scanning and start bagging or continue scanning.  

Now you have me thinking...why wouldn't she just scan and put it in the bag which is right in front of her UNLESS she let's some items accumulate at the end of the checkout area so the customer feels more obligated to bag those items?  Could that be a something she's doing on purpose to lessen the work for herself? Hmmm?