Sunday, February 19, 2006

Extra Extra Read All About It

I am here today to ask a favor of all you, my dear friends in Jland.

You see I am a newly cashier person and I have noticed a few things since starting my job that I never knew before.

Being a cashier is hard work...oh I know what you are thinking...how hard could it be standing in one place and scanning groceries across a belt...well believe it or not there is so much more to it.

First of all you must be friendly to every person who comes through your line.  You must be fast and efficient.  You must know the prices of a million things in the store and you must be able to take your feelings and put them aside.

I would like to ask you to do me a huge favor.

The next time you go to get groceries if you will follow some of my suggestions it will go so much more smoothly when you get to the register.

First of all, please put all your fruits and vegetables at the start of your order.  That way we can keep them all together for you and it will be easier when you get home to put them away.

Also we have to type in codes for all of this produce which means memorizing numbers and codes for each one. 

Don't mix different kinds of vegetables/fruits in the same little bag, it will only take longer because we must put each kind in separately and weigh them according to price.

If you decide you don't want something, take it back to shelve where you got it instead of waiting until you get to the register and handing it to the cashier saying Oh I changed my mind.

 

Know how much money you have and what you are spending. Others behind you will appreciate the fact that they don't have to wait for you to "find" your money. 

Before you get in line, look through your coupons and make sure you have everything you wanted from your list.  It takes time to send the bagger to go and get what you forgot, plus your groceries will go un bagged until he/she gets back.

These are just a few things.

Now the most important one....

When the cashier smiles at you and asks how your are please please do not be rude and grunt or worse not answer.  I know you are tired after a long time of shopping, use this time to relax a bit and if you don't feel like smiling back at least don't be rude by not speaking.  

Most of my customers are very very nice.  But when I am having a bad day and trying so hard to be nice, it is so demeaning to have someone come through my line who is mean or demanding.

Please don't keep the line waiting while you ignore the cashier and talk on your cell phone when it is your turn! 

If you want something different like paper bags or ice or anything extra it is okay to ask.  We are there to help you.

Please do not think badly of me for mentioning these suggestions, it is just a few things that really get to me.

To sum up:

1. Put producefirst

2. Have payment ready and enough know around how much your order is going to be.

3. Be nice free banner maker

4. Be considerate

5.  Have what you need before you get in line.

6. Be patient

Now I am going to tell you something that happened to me yesterday that will blow your mind!

I had 30 dollars in my pocket when I went outside for a break.  When I pulled my keys out the money came with it.

When I got back from my break I noticed the money was gone.

I was trying not to break down and cry, but to me that is a lot of money to lose. 

I mentioned it to my first customer.  I was very distressed about it.

Yesterday was freezing here with a cold cold wind.  She went outside and looked around where I was and...

Found my money and brought it back to me.

Thank you Lord for making her such a great person.  She could have kept the money and she didn't she gave it back to me.

useless link

Barbara 

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Barbara, I'm glad that you gave these tips; I'm heading to the store right now and will definitely remember them and also to remember to treat the cashiers with kindness. So neat that lady found your money for you!

betty

Anonymous said...

wow first of all let me get to the last part first, that was awesome of the customer to find it and give it back.  Yeah. Thank you for your suggestions.  Most of your pictures are red x's. Being a cashier can be a very hard job, first of all no matter what kind of mood you are in  you have to smile.  I am a cashier at the High School, but I also help prepare and do all the filling in between lines.  But for the first 15 min. my lines are very long. There are 3 cashiers and in the short time we have, we smile and are nice.  Most of the kids are very nice but you do get  you jerky ones.  Have a great day and thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

That was very nice of the customer.  I think you need to be like the cashier nazi.  You post your list that you just did.  If they don't follow your yell out, "No check out for you" and make them go to the back of the line to try again.  ~ Mike

Anonymous said...

Congratulations in your new job.Ok while your words to explain things in the supermarket are diff to ours they have the same meanings.As far as i know our cashiers dont need to know the price of the goods as the scanner automatically rings the prices in to the till if it finds something without a price the cashier rings a bell and someone comes along and is able to tell them the price.They dont bother in what order youve got your shopping on the conveyor belt as long as your items of fruit and veg are in their own little bags and not say a bannana in with an orange lol.Packing your items in to your bag as fast as the cashier is handing em to you is easier said than done lol.sometimes as with the elderly there are peeps who will help pack the bags.what i find annoying is you are in a queue and someone is at the front signing a cheque or paying with credit card.slows things down some wot

Anonymous said...

I always put my groceries on the belt in catagories... all canned items together, frozen stuff together, then meats, milk and juices, boxed items together, I put the bread and soft stuff like that last.  I have taught Gabby the same routine...she will be a good shopper one day too.

Anonymous said...

Girl, I give you all the respect for being a cashier. I was one at Kmart a few years ago and actually was a up front supervisor. Yes that was a hard job! Keep it up!

~NICOLE~

Anonymous said...

That was awsome that she found your money and gave it back:) Here in Colorado I have my favorite checkers the ones who like you are nice and take the time to get to know you (we have been shopping at albertsons for 20yrs) The ones i won't go to are rude and expect me to bag my groceries. I always put fruits and veggies together then frozen then canned and soft stuff last so they won't get crushed i hate smashed bread lol thanks for posting the list it is a good reminder

Deb

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad you got your money back! I think most people are generally good and even honest. At least that's what I'd like to believe. I've never been a cashier but my daughter is, she has said similar things. She also told me to never try to sneak into the of a line when the cashier is closing! Martha :-)

Anonymous said...

That was so great of her to bring the money back!!
See there are still nice people out there.
The suggestions you made were great I used to cashier
way back when and I wish people would have followed those same rules
Have a great Sunday Love, Marina

Anonymous said...

Hi Barbara, I also have been a cashier and the work is unbelievable.  No matter how I felt I smiled and laughed and talked to the customer.  On the holidays my arms and hands would ache from flopping turkeys and hams , etc across my registar.  I always got a onery person but I just kept on checking and ignored their  piercing stare..  I liked being a cashier.  Most of the people are so friendly and helpful.   From one cashier to another...hang in there
                                       MoodyMyke

Anonymous said...

With 25yrs of retail experience I follow all these rules. :)
And what a great lady to find your money for you and bring it back... And even more surprising is that it was still there.
This morning I got off on a grumpy start with my two older boys and then had to go to work and smile at strangers like everything was fine... I know the feeling.
Have a great Monday!
Linda :)

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the tips.  I always want to learn from those in the know.  I am by nature a "friendly" person so those tips were already in practice.  Love the cow graphic but some of the pics or graphics whichever they are didn't show up.

Anonymous said...

How lucky are you to get your money back! What a great woman to give it back to you!
shadie

Anonymous said...

That was really great and just what I would have done. It restores your faith in man kind when you run across people like that. So glad you got your money back. $30.00 might not seem like a lot to some peope, but, that can also seem like a million $$$$ to someone who is trying hard to make ends meet. This is my first response in your journal, I really love it. Cyndy

Anonymous said...

Sorry, not true, lol.This is my second time I've written a response. Silly me. Cyndy

Anonymous said...

That was great that your money was found and returned.   It would have made my day and I know it made yours.     I will keep your suggestion in mind.    mark