Supermarket Request

[Stellaris22]

I'm hoping not to get shouted at for this, but .....

As someone who works in a local version of a larger supermarket, we are still maintaining social distancing through limited customers, especially important when we have deliveries.

Please don't shout at us for doing this, please don't come in groups or pairs (unless absolutely necessary). Please don't take forever browsing as it causes queues to form (not nice in cold weather).

We are trying our best as staff, but being on an empty checkout watching customers dawdle and a queue getting bigger outside is no fun for anyone.

@Stellaris22 sorry the impertinent abuse you’re getting here is likely mirroring the abuse you may receive at work. I think posters’ reactions speak volumes as to how lowly people regard supermarket staff and other essential workers. Really selfish. I hope your managers can find a way to make the environment safer for you and your coworkers

Could not agree more.

And taking 10 mins to buy 1-2 items is too long

Can you point me to where this rule is from?

I feel really bad for the OP that she feels abused.

My experience from the start of the pandemic is that everyone has been extremely patient and polite. The first couple of weeks were difficult because of empty shelves and long queues to get in. But for several months now, it has been fairly normal. I was shocked a couple of weeks ago when I had to queue outside, but it seemed to be a one off.

I use the Sainsbury’s app on my phone so even a complicated shop for me takes 10 - 15 minutes.

I’ve been shopping daily for the last 5 years +, and have enjoyed not having much food waste. There is no way I could get my mind around a weekly or monthly shop. I am hoping that my 10 minutes in store with face coverings and tracker app means that I am fairly low risk.

The luxury of handling items and putting them back is anathema in these times.

How is the OP posting one of those silly "to the lady in Boots today" posts going to solve her problem?
If this is her attitude to her customers she may find they vote with their feet.
(Ex Manchester Arndale till girl here)

The OP gives an insight into what it's like to work in a local supermarket and asks people to be considerate and she's being unreasonable?

Some people need a better hobby than giving out shite to random people on the internet.

As someone who works in a local version of a larger supermarket, we are still maintaining social distancing

Yours must be the only one then.

@PleasantVille
Maybe it could be tackled by some polite signage reminding customers to be as quick as they reasonably can.

Yes, where I am (not in the UK) lots of supermarkets have similar signs. It’s a good reminder to people not to dawdle and that there are others in the world besides them who also need consideration.

@Stellaris22 you’re welcome. :) Would your managers be open to a signage suggestion like one made above by the PP? They could also have a sign about not abusing staff as well.

I have respect for supermarket workers, and I absolutely don’t think you should be getting any abuse. But the thought that if I decide to go into a smaller convenience store I need to just wildly grab the first few things I see, and then fuck off quickly is ridiculous. Everything is stressful enough at the moment without needing to feel like 10 minutes in a shop is outrageously unreasonable

@amusedtodeath1

The OP gives an insight into what it's like to work in a local supermarket and asks people to be considerate and she's being unreasonable?

Some people need a better hobby than giving out shite to random people on the internet.

Exactly. Those posts are very revealing. People automatically jumping to defensiveness when the OP was only trying to help. They must feel she’s directly accusing them of something. This famous phrase comes to mind: “If it doesn’t apply, let it fly.”

Thanks for posting OP, it helps to be reminded of the bigger picture.

I really feel for supermarket staff at the moment, one told me recently that the abuse she has had brought her close to resigning. Utterly unacceptable.

Well said OP, the queues are long for checkouts atm so while I’m waiting I get my debit card/any loyalty cards out ready and I get my bags ready once I’ve loaded my shopping. The amount of time I see people faffing doing these things while the checkout operator is sat patiently waiting is infuriating.

At my local coop we still have to queue. There is a lot of elderly people who do a weeks shop there and that does hold things up but if the can’t drive what are the meant to do?

The biggest hold up is there are no staff on the tills, if the self service till needs authorising you have to wait ages for the staff to appear. You can have a queue 3 deep before anyone bothers to get on the till.

I'm with you on this one @Stellaris22
We have all had to learn to be patient over the past year. We need to learn not to fanny about too. There's a big difference between your 85yo grandma taking a while to get round the store and someone just stood in the aisle having a natter with someone they've bumped into by the teabags. Have your natter outside!

Also the amount of people who seem to be treating going to the supermarket as a family outing at the moment is ridiculous 🙄🙄🙄🙄

Did people actually read the OP? It's a local shop part of a big supermarket so a Tesco Express/Sainsbury Local type of shop. Who actually does their weekly shop in one of those? Nobody in their right mind. It's to pick up bits you may have forgotten so 15 mins is more than enough.
You are not being unreasonable and women popping into local shops with restricted numbers of shoppers allowed with their whole brood in tow also drives me mad.

In Scotland the 2M limits in shops and one way systems are back, as are the queues.

There is a huge queue at a local big Sainsburys. They implemented a one way system two weeks back and that resulted in the queue.

I bet it's Sainsburys. Theyre the only one in my town where the queues are still massive every time I go. I can't remember the last time I queued to get in any of the others, and we have them all where I live, but Sainsburys does happen to be one of the nearest to me.

Snap BlusteryShowers

[quote JingsMahBucket]@PleasantVille
Maybe it could be tackled by some polite signage reminding customers to be as quick as they reasonably can.

Yes, where I am (not in the UK) lots of supermarkets have similar signs. It’s a good reminder to people not to dawdle and that there are others in the world besides them who also need consideration.

@Stellaris22 you’re welcome. :) Would your managers be open to a signage suggestion like one made above by the PP? They could also have a sign about not abusing staff as well.[/quote]
I have to disagree with this. One of my main bugbears with this whole thing is all the signage everywhere you look, with fucking hazard tape and arrows. It's like being in a post apocalyptic theme park some times.

Please no more signage. Or if you must put one up, find another to take down.

The people you’re complaining about taking too long in the shop took their turn in the queue outside so they know it’s there and aren’t doing anything wrong by taking the time they need. Maybe they want to warm up a bit before going back outside, maybe it’s their only trip out of the house in a couple of days and they don’t want to rush it, maybe they need time to think or check labels or whatever. There are lots of valid reasons why someone doesn’t rush their shopping, it’s not up to you to judge how much time they need.

Most of us have frustrations in our jobs at the moment because of the restrictions and yours is understandable. It’s shit, but we all just have to put up with it.

Ironically it was small convenience stores that were suggesting that they would be more convenient for customers during lockdown, and the OP is now suggesting the opposite. I have to check for allergens, I have to shop at peak times, as I work full time, and I often have to take my children with me, as DH works longer hours than me. So clearly I wouldn't be welcome in the OP's workplace.

There can't be many people that spend 10 - 15 minutes in a shop to pick up a couple of items, surely you wouldn't queue outside just for that.
Would imagine that the issue, if you are a local shop, is elderly people picking up their weekly shop and taking longer, which can't really be helped.
Agree that the focus should be on the people being abusive, not the shoppers that have also queued like everyone else to get in.

Why are people saying to focus on the abusive idiots in shops? As if the OP is going to do a post saying "Can the people who abuse us, please stop" and mnetters say "oh, ok then, I was going to go and swear at the staff in my local Tesco but wont now"

There is more chance that lots of us need reminding to hurry a bit up than not to abuse the staff.

Fair point OP

@Devlesko

As someone who works in a local version of a larger supermarket, we are still maintaining social distancing

Yours must be the only one then.

You say that like it's a negative when it definitely isn't.