Customer Pitfalls

To my Cashier/Bagger peeps....Ok now we've all talked about it and now I've actually attempted to write them down. Here's a list of things that our customers do that aggravate, annoy and just plain piss us off. I've written some comments after each one in italics to indicate at least what I'm saying in my head as each of these occur. So if any of the rest of you reading this are guilty of any of the actions listed here....SHAME ON YOU!

(in no particular order)

1. Talking on your phone while going through the check out. hang up for the 2 minutes it will take to complete your transaction, or don't get all pissy when the cashier ignores you, you freaking hypocrites

2. Having more than 14 items in a clearly marked Express Lane. Do you even know how to count?! How hard is this?!

3. Asking, "What button do I press for Credit?" It says what button to press if you read the freaking screen! It's right in front of you

4. Plunking the hand basket onto the register belt and not bothering to unload it. How lazy are you? Do you see me unloading shopping carts...no? Well why do you think it's my job to unload your groceries?! Lazy Mother F#$%$ (my biggest pet peeve if you couldn't tell)

5. Instead of handing the cash to you the customer just tosses it in your general direction. I'm like a foot and a half away from you, can't you just hand it to me? I'd love to just toss your change to you, but I can't.....damn

6. Having a case of water, or cat litter, or cat/dog food in cart and assuming we'll see it and magically scan it even though it's no where near us or the scanners. I get it...it's heavy and you don't want to put it on the belt, but at least tell us it's there so we can use our scanning gun to get it, but you gotta at least have it near us. Not much I can do when it's 5 feet away....my scanner only reaches so far so help us out here.

7. WIC order where every single item is wrong. Come on! You get the same booklet we do that tells you what is accepted and what isn't. Know what you can and cannot get!

8. You're half way through scanning an order when they hand you the WIC checks. Argh! Are you kidding me?! Unless it's your first time you should know to give us those first. Now we have to go back and void everything and start over. I hate WIC

9. Asking for double paper bags or plastic then paper. Time consuming and plain annoying not to mention not very eco friendly

10. The order is processed and you've been handed money and while you're counting out their change, they suddenly toss you some coins, which do NOT make exact change so now you're scrambling to do math in your head to figure out just what to give back to them. Either tell us you have some change to add to the paper bills or just never mind. This crap messes up our drawers which can get us into trouble when being audited.

11. Customer has reusable bags (on the bottom of their cart) and don't bother to tell you so you've bagged most of their order when they toss them at you. Yeah great, just what I wanted to do was bag your stuff twice. How about some forethought and NOT bury the bags under all your stuff.

12. They leave their receipt at the end of your register. Oh did you not want your receipt? All you had to do was tell us and we'll happily toss it for you, but don't just leave to litter my register....Rude!

13. They stand there holding their money out for you while you're busy bagging their order. Yes I see you but can't you see I'm a little busy. Either give me a hand or put the money down. Don't waggle it in my face I'll get to it.

14. You greet the customer and they completely ignore you. Really?! Mommy and Daddy didn't teach you to be polite and say "hello, I'm fine how are you" when greeted? It's not like we really care how you are but we have to say it. So the least you could do is answer...Rude!

15. Give you rumpled, crumpled, folded or otherwise mashed up money. Really annoying to not only pick up the money you unceremoniously tossed at us, but now I have to flatten it out so it doesn't look like a 5-year old used it as a tissue...great thanks.

16. It's near closing....announcements have been made several times warning all still inside of our imminent closing and yet they still won't LEAVE. Come on! I want to go home! I've worked a very long day and deserve the right to leave on time. I'm sure wherever you work you're out the door at the stroke of 5 and not one minute later. Why do we not deserve that same respect?

17. It's a very large order....you're bagging as best you can as items come flying down the belt at you....you're running out of room to put the bags....if only you had the customer's cart you could free up space and make life easier, but alas the customer is leaning on it chatting with the cashier. I'm drowning in bags down here. Give me the cart!

18. A classic... "I just need one more thing"...............and they are gone for 10 minutes or more. Meanwhile you're partway through scanning their stuff so you can't just move onto the next customer and the other customers in line are giving you the evil eye since you're just standing there waiting. (also rarely a shift leader in sight to save the transaction so you can move on) Again where's the consideration?!

19. They hand you a Price Chopper Advantage card. News flash....you're not in Price Chopper. Note the RED shirts (price chopper is Blue) and all the signs that say Hannaford!!!!!! Wake up people!

20. Asking you what the price is of an item when they are standing right in front of the sign that gives that exact information. Can't you read? Or are you really that lazy?

21. Their total is $3.55 and they hand you a $100 bill. I know you had a $5 bill. I saw it! I'd rather just break the $100 for you than have to count out all this random change!

22. Leaving their carts at the end of your register. Ok so you don't need it to get to your car, but you're going to walk RIGHT PAST where the carts live as you exit....need I say more?

23. Another classic: "Are you open?" Nope I'm just standing here at this register with the light on for no apparent reason.