to feel frustrated at the supermarket check-out!

[lill72]

I know this may seem silly, but it gets on my nerves every time I go to the supermarket. I cannot bear the way the people at the check-out sit and do nothing whilst someone is packing their bags? Could they not help you pack your bags to speed up the process?

It also frustrated me the other day that the lady waited until I had unpacked everything to start putting things through??? Why could she not start and then help me pack at the end?

In Australia, it works so differently and much more efficiently, I believe. The check-out staff are all standing up and they are trained in how to pack bags properly (yes there is an art ha ha!) and they will put everything through very quickly and have it all packed for you. They are never standing around twiddling their thumbs if a customer is there.

I guess as this is what I have seen growing up, I find the British approach of sitting down, let's slowly put things through the till and then wait and do nothing whilst watching the customer flail about trying to pack and pay and juggle children etc very ineffficent!

I sometimes ask them to help me pack when I have my baby with me, as it is tricky trying to do all these things whilst looking after a demanding baby!

So I guess there is no reason why they can't pack - or am I missing something!??

Is anyone with me??!!

I wish all I had to fucking worry about was having to pack my own shopping away!

If there was a thread started by sales assistants about some of the miserable slapped-arse-faced customers we have to put up with each day, it would go on 'til Xmas.

Thank God for the nice smiley pleasant ones :)

If i go to a basket till i always ask if i can just put the basket on the conveyor thingy.
I think its totally pointless unloading a basket when it can just be scanned direct from the basket. They always say yes but i'd say half of those asked looked a bit affronted.
I have to admit I have a system for packing though. its so much easier to unload when I get home if all the fridge stuff is in one bag.

Homeby, I can drive to Aldi, get all my shopping, drive home and unpack quicker than the faff if doing an online shop, arranging a suitable delivery slot, sorting out all the substitutions etcetera

Also miles cheaper.

I work in a supermarket, although not on tills and honestly all you need to do is ask. Chuck your bags down the end and say "could you give me a hand packing" and they'll start scanning and packing. Or say "can you wait until I've unloaded everything?" And they'll wait.
The biggest issue in customer service is customers forgetting we can't read their minds!

I usually order online but when I go to the supermarket in person I'm always asked if I'd like help with my packing.

I usually decline - prefer to do it myself generally, unless it's a gigantic shop that won't all fit on the belt in one go. Much prefer it if they wait until it's all unloaded too.

You could always ask for help OP.

It's difficult as some people don't want help and snap at you if you ask.
Others don't as they have their own system.

I don't start scanning through as some people find it makes them feel like they are being rushed. It's like I don't start scanning the next persons shopping until the previous person has finished at the till. Especially the older generation as I'd rather they had their purses and wallets away and bags closed before they walked off.

yabu
they should all adopt the aldi way and chuck the shoping back in the trolley. pack at the packing table or the car boot.

GreenishMe You are so right, working in a small shop is great, we have lots of lovely regular customers but don't get me started on customers and mobile phones. Think Phone In Hand Manners Out The Window.

You would get shouted at by customers if you starting scanning before they were ready to pack!!

Also if you started scanning before the last customer had cleared the checkout!

I worked at Tesco, it was a thing that you had bag packers. I notice it's not a thing anymore --- also they don't ask if you have a club card anymore!??

You would have to press a button for the bag packer- who never came and then the whole system was mucked up - you would always get one knob who said yes to back being packed just for the fun of it.

The rate of scan per item is true.

I unload onto the belt in the order I want to pack the goods.
All the heavy bottles, cartons, jars and cleaning products first, then the veggies/ fruit, then the chilled stuff and finally the easily squished things like bread.
It makes it much easier when packing to have like with like.
I refuse all offers of help.

I hate people packing for me , particularly now the bags for life are enormous . Every time the assistant starts packing if I've got a big shop , they pack them full to bursting and then I can barely lift the damn things . Not to mention it all goes in random bags , so makes it twice as long to unpack the other end . Thanks , but no thanks , really .

Unimaginative that's not how it is at Tesco anymore. If people ask you to, you pack for them. Still supposed to ask for clubcard. And employees aren't told about their scanning rate being measured.

What do you mean employees aren't told about their scanning rate being measured?

It might work differently in bigger stores too, we had people on roller skates called runners. Not sure if that still happens too!

We weren't told the rate we scan items gets checked and we get in trouble if we take too long - apologies I thought that's what you were getting at when you said "the rate of scan per item is true".

Ours is an Extra superstore - not seen anyone on rollerskates yet but I want that job

This thread makes me glad I don't work in retail any more.
Customers complain if you start scanning before they've finished unpacking, and they complain if you sit and wait for them. They complain if you help them pack and they complain if you don't.
They have a right old go at you if you're attempting to scan reasonably expeditiously as there's a big queue and then the next customer stands and bitches at you for going too slowly.
Just ask the assistant if you want help - except by your attitude shop assistants should just "know" shouldn't they? So many people I had to serve had the opinion that I was some sort of telepathic subhuman.

"If i go to a basket till i always ask if i can just put the basket on the conveyor thingy. I think its totally pointless unloading a basket when it can just be scanned direct from the basket. They always say yes but i'd say half of those asked looked a bit affronted."
I'd say the half that look affronted are those that have done it before !

When you're sitting at the checkout, lifting an item over the side of the basket puts your shoulder under a bit of a strain, in a way that an item at belt height wouldn't. Or if you're standing. But sitting, you have to raise the arm to shoulder height, and your core muscles are often not engaged as much in sitting as they are in standing. It's actually quite easy to hurt your back in that position if you have to lift something quite heavy over the side of a basket, e.g. a 4-pint carton of milk or a 2 litre bottle of cola.

And then, where does the assistant put the empty basket? There isn't anywhere on their side of the checkout to put it. I had to stand up, say excuse me to the customer at the checkout behind me, and place the basket on the stack at the end of that checkout. Total faff and kept the next customer waiting.

So, your 'pointless' unloading risks my back and keeps the customer behind you waiting. Just empty the damned basket onto the belt .

We used to have a review you were told how many items you scan per minute and if it needed improving inline with company guidelines. I don't see how they cannot tell you.

Well what do you do whilst they are packing your stuff? Just stand there and watch?

At one of the stores I frequent (in Canada) , they take an item, scan it, then put it directly into a bag, so in that case, yes I stand and watch. The checkout is designed so the customer can't pack for her/himself. The other place has a very poor design. A lot of checkout counters, but very little room. Also, I rarely buy more than two bags worth as I carry it all. So, my items are often scanned and waiting for me. What I hate is when I pay by debit and have to pack for myself. They stand there watching me while I stop packing, pay on the debit machine, then finish packing. It takes longer that way.

Sainsburys employee here - I offer to help with packing for the elderly or those who look like they might struggle. Otherwise I only pack when asked by the customer

When there isn't many other people waiting I will normally offer to wait until the customer has loaded all of there items onto the belt before starting to scan

Some people do choose to stand rather than sit whilst working but when shifts can be up to 9 hours at a time (10 with an hours break) it really isn't practical

Sorry your frustrated op

When I first worked in a supermarket, they had enough staff to have designated bag packers who would spend the whole shift packing bags at the ends of the tills. I LOVED doing this and, if someone was elderly, disabled or pregnant, I'd offer to put their bags into their car too (and spend a good few minutes outside in the sunshine!). I also used to sometimes spend a whole shift standing at the door of the shop, saying hello to people and passing them a basket.

I can only assume these things have gone through cutbacks.

Asda today, I was offered help, I declined (hate others packing my shopping). Also, I hate it when they start scanning it through before I'm done unloading the trolley as it piles up at the other end. It's all subjective really.

Me too. We are all different, poor store staff can't win!

That said, they should not start scanning before the person before you has gone, even if they are taking a long time to depart.