Working a customer based job

I work at neighbourhood grocery store and serve over 1000 people per shift, which is on average 8 hrs. We promote the Bring your own Bag program and therefore are trying to cut down on plastic use of bags, which we do not charge for.
When a customer approaches my line and starts unloading, or throwing their groceries on my conveyor belt; we ask if they have bags, which at that time, you are expected to either hand them to me or you can bag your own. Choice is yours.. No bags forthcoming, i start ringing in items in and proceed to put in plastic.

Sounds pretty simple doesnt it? Here is my annoyance.. once i have completely rang in items and bagged them; customers then hand me their cloth bags and expect me to re-bag everything. Taking an extra 5-7 minutes, depending on order of course. These are the same people who stand there watching the whole transaction and have enough nerve to complain about slow service, unhappy grouchy staff!! Maybe next time you go shopping, pay attention to your cashier

Thats when you take said bags and put them into the cloth bag

Welcome to ATS

add: Wait...no welcome to ATS! your almost a year old.

put this in rant! Introductions is for a place where we can pick on n00bs and take their lunch money..make fun of their haircut, etc..

I feel your pain. I worked at some banks in my day and the nicest people can immediately morph into total aholes the moment they cross the threshold at the front door. The only people who catch more grief in any given day than the banker is maybe the nursery school employee or a school teacher. That is because the ONLY thing people MIGHT care about more than their money is their children...and I really emphasize the might. I can't even begin to count the number of times I had to explain to people that no, I did not personally take your money...I work a crappy job for a crappier wage and hate the bank as much or more than you do!!

The old adage, "customers are always right" doesn't mean they're never wrong. That's the tough part when you're working with the public. Always serve with a smile than b!tch about it when you get home.

reply to post by catiscurious


The mgr should post a sign facing the customer as they are approaching the conveyer belt (assuming it has one) that says something like "Please place your own bags in front of any other items of yours."
Of course no one would read it, but it does give you the way out of rebagging it saying mgmt forbids it for wasting time.

Hello fellow Canadian cashier, I feel your pain.

Here are some tips on how to use cloth bags at a grocery store!

1. Do not put the bags at the end of the belt.
2. Do not put the bags in the middle of the belt.
3. Do not throw the bags at me.
4. Do not use bags that are not made for grocery stores. (ie. only hold 2 things, gigantic bags)
5. If you are old and cannot carry a lot of weight, use plastic!
6. If you think you are helping by holding on to the bag, you are not, you are in my way!
7. Do not unfold the bags for me, I can do it faster.
8. Do not reuse plastic bags. (Yuck!)
9. Do not tell me to put raw meat in the bags. (Just plain disgusting.)
10. WASH YOUR BAGS.

Now don't I sound like a wonderful cashier

reply to post by sykickvision


Heres the funny thing.. i think that is great idea, i suggested it myself to a few different supervisors and managers.. Was told on 2 accounts that i would be written up for causing waves?? Go figure.. Many other people; judging by my response, feel similar. but to get written up for bad behaviour for enjoying, taking pride and trying to help, for efficiecy?? AND, personally, am unionized. The reply from union head was to "Tread Carefully". I just dont get it.. I like my job??

reply to post by EmperorZeno


Heres is a really stupid line; OMG, i love your thoughts!! I suggested something similar to my shift supervisor, the manager and store manger ans well as my store union head... Basically i was told to "Not cause waves or problems"??? Am curious as what what my union dues are used for? Let alone the original issue.. rude, arrogant customers that expect perfection in 30 seconds.. HAHA...

Damn soapbox.. Honestly, i wasnt looking for pity or sympathy.. just awareness next time anyone goes grocery shoping. I am surprized by responses i rceived and am personally saying thank you for getting frustrations of customer service positions.. Funny thing is.. I love the job, but..hate the stupidity of people when asked direction question.. grin

reply to post by catiscurious


When I go to the grocery store I bring my knapsack and I have it all organized as to what goes where before getting to the cash.
I also like to pack my bag myself.
I am kinda surprised people don't pack their own bags??

damn i remember working back at taco bell....

It was so annoying some people, who would order a bunch of stuff, you tell them the total, they get there, and then say, oh BTW i have all these cupons. And if you work at stores, i'm sure you know that cupons require a different item, then you have to goback and redo the whole order, then they complain it took so long?

But i think the worse from those days were the vegetarians. Ironically, i was a vegiterian for close to 10 years, and during my time employed in fast food. These people would just give a snooty attitude, "ABSOLUTELY NO MEAT! and all this BS and ranting. I just think, thanks for being a douche asshole, i'm a vegetarian too, and i would never treat someone, taking my order mind you, not making my food, like that. I feel like most of them were fakes, and trying to look cool.

I work at an old time gas station/corner market. What irks me the most is the customer that wants to pay with with change.... $22.43 worth of unrolled change! They come in with a large zip lock bag or a rusted old coffee can and will dump it out on the counter and stand there telling you that they want whatever the amount is in gas and then look blankly at you and expect you to count it all out into pretty piles for them. This is when I get to sneer politely and inform them that I cant take their pennies nickels and dimes unless they are rolled and push them all back across the counter. Im not a rude person by nature but by now I have huge line of people and I really just want to poke said customer in the eye... So off they go to roll their change and then come back with 20 bucks worth of rolled money.. then they will open their wallet pull out a hundred and ask me to add a 12 pack of Coors Light to the total. Honestly I shake my head and wonder at my own sanity

i have hinted or suggested that they pack their own bags, especially if they are picky or regulars that i know are picky.. unfortunately, they end up complaining that i am not doing my job. Nevermind that their bags reek of fish and other things, being allergic to some fish; i have to keep cortesone with me at all times. When i show or ention this to supervisors or managers, am told i am being dramatic.. How much is one person expected to endure for their job.. and yes, i love my job but the red tape/union policy does not protect the employees even thou we pay heavily for it... thoughts anyone??