Saturday, October 30, 2010

Words of Wisdom

"Genius without education is like silver in the mine."

Benjamin Franklin

Friday, October 29, 2010

Thursday, October 28, 2010

But I don't like you...

Ahhh...the ying/yang quality of my blog continues. Yesterday was all about some of my favorite customers and today will be the flip side of the coin...the types of customers who drive me crazy


  1. The indecisive ones-I guess the reason that the indecisive customers at the grocery store drive me crazy is grocery shopping is not rocket science or brain surgery, right? Yet there are people who come into the store and act like they have never been shopping in a grocery store before in their whole lives and have no idea what to expect or they agonize over every decision like it will really impact there day in some significant way. Like when a customer comes through the checkout and they have a bulky or heavier item I often ask would you like this in a bag. So, here is a customer (I'll call her Clare) with a five pound bag of potatoes. I ask her, "Would you like your potatoes in a bag?" Now for most people this would be a simple question with either a "yes" or a "no" response. But Clare looks at me as if she has never considered this before. "Oh, Ummm..." Then she stares down at the bag of potatoes. "Well...ummmm." Looks down at the bag of potatoes again. "I guess they don't need to be in a bag, do they?" As if she is mentally running through all the scenarios in her head where it might be better if the potatoes were in a bag. Then, finally, she shakes her head. "No," Clare says decisively, "No, they don't need to be in a bag." Well, what a relief--we can all breath a sigh of relief knowing that the potatoes will make it safely home.  There are starving children, political strife and natural disasters all over the world but at least Clare made a decision about her bag of potatoes.  
  2. Similar to the indecisive customer are the customers who answer yes or no questions with 'maybe' or 'it doesn't matter'. There was a customer and I asked her if she would like paper or plastic. Her answer--"Sure." Now, I had asked her a question with two possible answers--either 1) paper or 2) plastic. 'Sure' was not one of choices. So I stood there for a minute and decided would just use plastic bags because I was too tired to try and decifer her code.  Or when a customer uses a bank debit card and I will ask, "Is that going to be debit or credit?" And it annoys me when their response is, "Oh, it doesn't matter." If it didn't make a difference I wouldn't be asking which one they wanted to use. Here's a quick lesson for you about why it makes a difference. A debit card is a card that is generally issued by your bank and has a credit card logo on it so that any place that accepts the credit card will also accept your bank debit card. And it is true that the funds are withdrawn directly from your account so whether you are using the bank card as a debit or a credit card the money comes from the same account. However, there are a few small differences. For example, transactions that are processed as credit cards sometimes take a day or two extra to process while debit transactions are generally taken out of your account more quickly. Also, (at least at most grocery stores I know of) you can get cash back when you use the card as a debit but can only charge for the exact amount when the transaction is processed as a credit card transaction. Finally, sometimes bank have different fees depending on whether you use the bank card as a debit or credit. That is why it annoys me when I ask a customer if it is a debit or credit and they say that it doesn't matter.
  3. College students--these are some of the most fun customers in the store but they can also be some of the most obnoxious, too. Some of the college students who are annoying come in late at night in a group (generally between 5-7 of them). They are overly loud and obnoxious and generally they are each only buying 3 or 4 things so you have to ring up each person seperately while the rest of the group stands there and watches you check out the rest of his friends.

4. Wasteful customers. I had a customer who came through my line and bought a toothbrush. Just out of habit and sort of as a courtesy I asked her if she would like a bag. She said yes. Now, maybe she had her reasons for wanting a bag but that just drives me CRAZY! There is no need to use a regular size plasic bag for one tiny little tooth brush. Maybe it would be different if we had different sized plasitc bags but we don't. I also have to say that in my opinion almost nothing (and there are exceptions here) with a handle needs to be in a bag, either! The bag is to help you carry something--but if it already has a handle you don't need the bag!  Don't be wasteful!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

We sell that?

We sell that?

These are some of the most unusual items that I have seen customers buy. I have never even heard of some of these things and I certainly didn't have any idea that we sold them at the grocery store where I work...

  1. canned spiced octopus...really?!?
  2. pickled pigs feet...how do you even prepare pickled pigs feet? Do you fry them? Bake them? Do you have them on a sandwich? I really have no idea and to be honest I really don't even want to know...but hey, if it's your thing--go for it.
  3. 25 pound bag of sugar. Now, of course, there's nothing unusual about buying and using sugar but 25 lbs is a lot of sugar! I mean, 25 pounds--that's like a small dog. I couldn't help but wonder what that guy was gonna do with all of that...

Monday, October 25, 2010

Tic Toc, Tic Toc

I wish I had something interesting to report for today but it was a slow (painfully slow) and absolutely uneventful day. What is it that makes the weekend fly by but when you're at work (whether it's in an office or at a grocery store) time stand still in the middle of the day or the middle of a four hour shift? It's like a miracle of physics or something--when I step into the grocery store to go to work 4 fours feels so long it's like 4 days.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Quote of the Week

"Success is getting up just one more time than you fall down." This was a fortune in a fortune cookie. I think it's a nice reminder that persistence pays off.

Have a good week!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

10 most annoying habilts of grocery store cashiers (Part I)

I have talked (repeatedly) about annoying customers and the things they do that drive me crazy... but I don't want this to be one-sided so now here are some of the things cashiers do that drive customers crazy

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Go Ahead make my day

Yesterdays blog was about a customer from hell...well I believe that most people are good, decent, kind people so here is a blog about a customer who made me laugh and made my day better.

This customer came through my line and I was bored and there wasn't anything particularly memorable about him. I might have said, 'Hi. How are you?' but I honestly don't even remember. He put his groceries on the belt and I began (mindlessly) scanning the groceries. I was standing there (mindlessly) scanning boxes of cereal and bags of frozen vegetables when he said I bet you're wondering what to scan first the chicken or the eggs. At first I just smiled politely, not really understanding what on earth he was talking about--then I glanced down at his groceries sitting on the belt and saw that there was a package of chicken right next to a carton of eggs. I started laughing out loud.  Let's be honest--it was a pretty cheesy joke.  It may have seemed like a small thing but it was clever and unexpected and when your job is as monotonous as being a cashier believe me any pleasant conversation is welcome. The fact that it just came out of the blue like that made me laugh.

I guess I chose to write about this customer because he probably walked out of the store and forgot all about me and the comment he made but I was chuckling about that for the rest of my shift. He made my night go by just a little bit faster and I'm sure I was more pleasant to my other customers that night as a result. His joke was a random act of kindness that was noticed and appreciated and hopefully I paid it forward by being a little more pleasant to others.

Monday, October 18, 2010

A Tale of (subtle) revenge

This is a story about one my customers from hell and my subtle revenge. I admit it was not my finest hour. Ok...before I start this story there are a few things I want to say. First, I want to let you know that normally I am a fair, rational, and patient person--so this story is pretty out of character for me(at least I hope it is)--maybe there is just something about being stuck at a cash register for hours on end that makes me irrational and cranky. But if I'm going to write honestly about my experiences as a cashier I have to tell it all--the good, the bad, and the ugly. But please don't judge me too harshly after reading this. Secondly, I want to give you a brief background so that you have a context for what happened. Not that I'm trying to make any excuses--I'm just trying to explain part of the reason why I consider this particular lady the customer from hell. Under normal circumstances she might not have pissed me off so much...but it had been a looonnnggg day. My day started out (like it normally did) with my alarm going off at 5:30 in the morning. I hit the snooze bar like a million times before I finally dragged my ass out of bed. I got ready for work and left the house and ran to catch the train (which I almost missed)--riding an hour into the city to get to work. I had a bad day at the office and then took the train an hour back home. From the train station I went to work at the grocery store. After all that...Finally, it was 11:56 and I only had 4 more minutes left--Yay! Then I glanced up and saw this woman standing across from the registers, staring at a display of potatoe chips. I watched her for a minute. She would pick up a bag of chips, examine the bag very carefully, put it back and pick up another bag of potatoe chips and examine that. She did this for a while. I swear to god it was like this woman had never seen a bag of chips before in her life. So using my cashier's intuition I just knew this woman was going to take her sweet time shopping. Then I watched this woman walk over to the produce aisle and pick through the apples. By this time it was after 12:00. When the woman finally came to the checkout it was 12:10. Like many grocery stores, at our store each lane has a light so that customers generally know when the light is on the lane is open. Since it was after 12:00 I had already turned off the light but I was standing at my register. She stared at me and aid, "Which register do I go to?" I answered, ( I admit, very sarcastically), "Uh, the one where I'm standing." And she said in a nasty, sarcastic tone, "Well all the lights are off so I didn't know which register was open." "Well, all the lights are off because all the registers are supposed to be closed for the night." I told her (again, being rude and sarcastic--I know, but it was after 12:00 and this woman was already on very thin ice with me). So then she sets her hand basket down on the conveyor belt and she doesn't move and neither do I. We have a stare off because I'm waiting for her to unload her basket of groceries. It was like a game of chicken to see which one of us would move first. As I wait for her to unload her basket (she's still just standing there) she finally snaps, "What?" At this point I was so furious all I could do was shake my head at her and laugh. So I removed the groceries from her basket and start to scan them. I send them down the belt and (surprise, surprise) she just stands there staring, not bagging her groceries. At this point a light bulb went off for me--like a cartoon character with a brilliant idea. I was being paid to be there and she wasn't so I was gonna take me sweet time and she was gonna stand there and wait. I thought if I have to be here after the store closes to help this woman I was damn sure going to get my moneys worth. I would scan an item, count to 15 in my head and then scan the next item. I did this for the rest of her order (and let me tell you 15 seconds feels like a long time when you are talking about scanning groceries). She still had not moved, she was not bagging her own groceries, no apology. Then I got to the produce. I dug my nails into her cucumbers and apples. I squeezed the peaches hoping to bruise or damage them somehow. This I admit was a low point. Then I threw her groceries into a bag, as slowly as I could.

Now to be fair some grocery stores are open 24 hours and maybe this woman thought our store was open 24 hours too--but she saw all the registers were closed and she watched me getting ready to close down my register before she walked over to produce. If she wasn't sure about the store hours all she had to do was ask someone or check the hours posted on the doors at the front of the store. So what's the moral of the story here? I think it's that you get back what you give. Would things have been different if I had been nicer to her? Would she have been nicer to me if I had been nicer to her? Possibly. Would I have been nicer to her if I hadn't been up since 5:30 in the morning? Probably, but I will never know for sure. What I do know is that I wouldn't have been nearly as hostile if she had apologized at the start or if she hadn't been rude right from the start. When I perceived that she was rude and nasty from the start I was rude and nasty back. And maybe she's normally a very sweet, kind person who was just having a bad day. I'll never know. Again not my finest hour and maybe I overreacted. I do feel bad that I was so nasty to her but that is my story of the customer from hell.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

a little poem...

Spell Checker...

I halve a spelling checker,
It came with my pea sea.
It plainly marks four my revue
Mistakes I dew knot sea.

Friday, October 15, 2010

The Cost of Convenience

What is the extra price customers pay for convenience?  I got to thinking about this because a customer came through my line a little while ago and bought a bag of pre-sliced apples. I couldn't help thinking that it would probably be cheaper (and would probably taste better) just to buy a whole apple and slice it whenever you were ready to eat it. I was curious so I decided to check it out and here's what I found out:
  • Our produce department has pre-cut fruit for kids that comes in a container shaped like Disney characters. They are really cute and I think it might be a good way to get kids to eat fruit. These snack packs contain sliced apples, raisins and peanut butter or apples, cheese, and pretzels. These are $3.49 for 5 ozs and that works out to $11.17 per pound! I just think that's a lot money for a few pieces of fruit and few raisins.  Presliced apple wedges are $3.59 and come in a 12 oz. bag.  It just seems to me that I would rather just buy the apple--especially when you consider that you could buy a 3 lb. bag of apples for around $3.99 or loose apples for around $1.99 a lb.
  • Pre-sliced celery or presliced red onions in an 8 oz container is $2.99. That doesn't sound like a lot but it works out to $5.98 a lb--which is pretty expensive. So then take a walk over the package of celery and a whole package of celery is $1.50. Red onions are $1.89 per pound. That's an easy way to save some money if you have the time to cut your own vegetables. 
  • A bag of lettuce is normally ranges around $3.25 (for a bag of iceberg lettuce) for 8 oz. to $5.90 (for romaine lettuce) for 10 ozs.  Compare that to getting a head of iceberg lettuce that is $1.70 or romaine or greenleaf lettuce that is $1.99.  So, if you're on a budget, looking for an easy way to save a few bucks skipped the prebagged lettuce and just grab a whole head of lettuce.
And hey--I'm not making judgments here. For some people it may be worth it to pay a little bit more for a package of fruit that they could throw in their kids lunch or it may be worth it to buy onions or celery that is already cut. A bagged salad might be a bit more expensive but maybe it makes things a lot easier...but I just think fresh lettuce tastes better, is cheaper, and lasts longer.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

5 signs your cashier hates you. . .

ok...maybe hate is a strong word but there are definite signals that you have annoyed your cashier.

1. You can tell your cashier hates you if they shake up your soda as they send it down the conveyor belt. When I roll a bottle of soda down the conveyor belt like I would roll a bowling ball down a bowling alley it is generally because I don't like you. I am imaging the customer I don't like opening the bottle when they get home and having soda all over the place--now I know the shaken up soda has probably settled back down by the time the customer gets around to opening it but shaking up the bottle makes me feel better. And of course I don't (always) literally mean that I shake up their bottle of soda--what I'm really talking about is the way the cashier handles your groceries in general. I think as a general rule the nicer the customer is the more care I take with the groceries. When I don't like a customer as much all the groceries tend to go down the conveyor belt as I scan them and if I happen to scan a soft load of bread and then a 5 lb. bag of potatoes comes down the belt right after that and squishes the bread--well, that's just bad luck for you, isn't it?  if I like a customer I take the extra time to set their loaf of bread or carton of eggs to the side and out of the way of the heavier groceries coming down the belt.

2. Don't underestimate the importance of body language...This one is pretty simple. Is your cashier smiling? Is your cashier looking at you? Is your cashier talking to you? If the answer to any of these questions is no they might not like you that much or you have done something to piss them off. Sometimes, you can tell your cashier doesn't like you if they don't talk to you. If a customer is friendly and pleasant I will generally make pleasant small talk. If I don't like a customer I am totally silent and don't make eye contact. I am silent because I am biting my tongue to stop my self from saying something rude. I just scan there groceries fast because I want to get them out of there. If they ask questions I give one word answers. Now there are some cashiers who just don't smile or talk to any of the customers. There are some cashiers who are very nice to a customer and then will bitch about the customer the second they leave so take this with a grain of salt.

3.

Now, of course these are just general guidelines...sometimes a cashier may just be in a bad mood and it has absolutely nothing to do with the customer so the next time you're at the store and you ask your cashier a question don't think they hate you just because they give you a one word answer.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

5 (more) signs your cashier likes you...


Ok...here it is.  5 more signs that you have made friends with your cashier at the grocery store...

6. How often have you been in a store looking all over for something and you just can't find it--it can drive you crazy, right?  Then after walking around for what feels like forever you ask someone who works there where it is.  This is where being friendly to the employee can make difference because ultimately they decide how helpful they want to be.  Sometimes it has nothing to do with if they like you or not--it just depends on how much time they have or what it is your looking for.  Sometimes a customer has asked me where something is and I really have no idea where it is.  If I want to be helpful then I will go ask someone else to see if they know where it might be.  Sometimes, if you can't find an item in the store the cashier will actually walk with you to show you where the item is.  I have had customers come up to me and ask me where something is in the store.  If I know where it is I am always happy to tell them.  And most of the time I say oh cereal is aisle 4 and that is sufficient.  They say thank you and walk off toward aisle 4.  Sometimes they are looking for a specific brand or item or they say I have looked and I can't find it.  Of course, good customer service is always to walk with the customer and help them find whatever it is they are looking for.  But really at this point the cashier has a few options.  If I like the customer I will walk over with them and help them find it.  If I don't like the customer at all I will simply repeat myself.  "It's in aisle 4." and sometimes I add for good measure, "if it's not there I don't know where else it would be." and then I sort of walk away.  Sometimes it's not a matter of if I like a customer or not.  Sometimes it's just logistics--if I'm just busy or in the middle of doing something else I might not be able to walk the customer over to the item but I might try to give them more specific directions--like oh it's about halfway down aisle 4 on the right hand side..." 

Monday, October 11, 2010

5 signs that your cashier likes you. . .

How many times a week do you go to the grocery store? I'm sure for the most part you go in, pick up your groceries, go through the checkout line, pay for the groceries and don't give your cashier a second thought. Don't feel bad--most people do that. But the truth is if your cashier likes you there are (admittedly, small) things they can do to make your shopping trip easier or more pleasant. And if they don't like you it is possible you might go home with squashed bread or shaken up soda (that the cashier is hoping with explode when you open it...although chances are it won't). So here are 10 ways you can tell if your cashier likes you (part I)...

1. You can tell your cashier likes you if you buy something that's on sale and they point out to you ways to save extra money.  Often our store has buy one get one free sales and if a customer has bought only one I will mention that it's BOGO and ask them if they would like to go grab another one.  It shows that I like the customer because I am being conscientious, paying attention to their order and trying to find ways to save them money or get the best deal possible.

2. You can tell your cashier likes you if when they are loading your shopping cart they tell you where the bag with the eggs and the bread is (the flip side of the coin is that if they don't like you, your bag of bread will probably end up somewhere toward the bottom of the cart with heavy groceries on top of the bread. . .but we'll get to the signs that your cashier hates you later this week)

3. You can tell your cashier likes you if the cashier points out if any of the items you have bought is damaged (a tear in a bag, an open box, if something wasn't sealed properly, if the milk is leaking--you get the idea) and asks if you would like to get another one. This means your cashier likes you because it shows that the cashier is conscientious and paying attention to your grocery order.  I have to admit that there have been times when a customer has been nasty to me and I have sent them home with a bag of frozen vegetables that I noticed had a hole in it.

4. You can tell your cashier likes you if they make a mistake...and then they 'fess up to it and do everything they can to try to help you fix it. Here's a quick example--I hate to admit it but when a customer hands me coupons I set them aside and sometimes I forget to scan the coupons at the end of the order. But 99% of the time as I am handing the customer their change and their receipt I will see the coupons that I forgot sitting there on the counter. If I like the customer I will tell them I forgot to scan the coupon, apologize, and make sure they get their money. It may be a slight inconvenience to the customer but it's generally pretty quick and easy to take care of while they are still at the register. And some of the customers just say, "oh, no problem. I'll just use it next time I'm in the store." If a customer has been mean or nasty to me I will most often let them walk out the door and "forget" all about their coupons--so ha!  Take that you nasty customer. See sometimes, it pays to be a little nice.

5. You can tell your cashier likes you if you buy a candy bar or gum or and the cashier asks you if you would like to hold onto it or if you would like it in a bag. It shows I like you because generally these are items that people will be using pretty soon after they buy them so I am trying to save you the time of having to dig around in all of the grocery bags for the candy bar, gum, soda, or whatever it is later on.

You may have noticed a common theme here--I know these are all really small things but if you cashier likes you they will often go out of there way to help you or do what they can to help to make your shopping trip just a little more pleasant.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

It's Sunday. . .why are you reading this?

It's Sunday. . . why are you reading this? Don't you remember what happened when you looked for a new blog entry last Sunday? There wasn't anything new because I'm taking Sundays off! Now enjoy the rest of your weekend and go out and do something fun! Just stay away from the grocery store. Actually, wait--I take that back. Don't stay away from the grocery store or I won't have a job anymore.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Just for laughs. . .

Little Johnny attended a horse auction with his father. He watched as his father moved from horse to horse, running his hands up and down the horse's legs, rump, and chest. After a few minutes, Johnny asked, "Daddy, why are you doing that?" His father replied, "Well, because when I'm buying horses I want to make sure they are healthy and in good shape before I buy." Johnny, looking worried said, "Dad, I think the UPS man wants to buy mom!"

Hee hee! Have a good weekend everyone!

Friday, October 8, 2010

Tip of the Week

This weeks tip of the week is . . .

The tip of the week this week is actually more of a public service announcement. As you guys may already know October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Each year Yoplait Yogurt runs its Save Lids to Save Lives campaign. For every pink yogurt lid you send into Yoplait by December 31, 2010, Yoplait will donate 10 cents to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, up to $1.6 million dollars with a guaranteed minimum donation of $500,000. It's easy! Just save, rinse, and mail in the lids! So please, mail your pink lids to:

Save Lids to Save Lives
P.O. Box 420704
El Paso, TX 88542-0704

This is especially easy if you buy yogurt anyway! Other companies are making similar contributions. For example, the Gillette Corporation has a Venus Embrace Razor in pink and for every pink razor sold they will donate 50 cents to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. The special edition pink razor also includes a "breast awareness booklet". So, next time you're at the store check it out and see if some of the products you buy are making contributions. . .most often these products come in pink packaging. You can also check online to see what companies are making donations during Breast Cancer Awareness Month or any breast cancer awareness events that may be happening in your area.

Early Detection Saves Lives! So take care and be healthy!

Thursday, October 7, 2010

The Holiday Rush



It is October and the Halloween candy has been out since the last week in August. . .really.  Then I went into work today and a customer asked for stamps.  The stamps had Santa Clause riding a sleigh.  And around the corner right next to the Halloween candy were Christmas decorations.  Seriously.  There was tons of Christmas stuff--holiday wrapping paper and ribbons, Christmas tree ornaments, Santa hats.  And it was only October!

I just think it's crazy how every year the stores seem to put out holiday stuff just a little earlier.  Before you know it we'll be stuffing turkey, then people will be putting up Christmas light, watching it snow outside and bundling up in hats and scarves.  Then we'll be celebrating a brand new year, waking up on January 1 slightly hung over.

But for now, for the next few weeks, I'm just looking forward to the fall leaves changing colors, Halloween, maybe carving a jack-o-lantern and cups of warm apple cider.

Happy fall everyone!   I hope everyone has a chance to stop and take a minute to enjoy fall and Halloween before the craziness of the holiday season gets into full swing!

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

5 Types of Customers

Working in customer service every customer is different (of course) but I noticed that there seems to be five "types" of customers who come in to the store.  If you work in customer service do any of these types of people sound familiar to you?

1. the over sharer. . ."My husband left me 10 years ago and he ran off with a younger woman and now I have to take care of his dog." This may sound like the title of a bad country song, but it is not. This is what a customer (I'll call her Nina) told me once when I asked how she was. Now please don't misunderstand me. Nina seemed very nice and I am sorry for everything that she was going through because divorce is never easy (whether it happened a month ago or 10 years ago). And I told her I was sorry for all that had happened. But, overall. . . ummm, awkward. I am just a cashier checking out your groceries. . .I'm not a therapist or even a bartender. I guess overall, if it made Nina feel better to talk about her problems for a few minutes then I'm glad I was there to listen.

2. The strong, silent type. . . I don't know if it's true but I perceive these people to be nasty and I generally don't like them very much. The cashier says, "Hi. How are you?" and the strong, silent type doesn't answer. The cashier says, "Do you have any coupons" and the strong, silent type just hands the coupons to you without saying a word or if they don't have any coupons they just stare blankly into space without answering. They never look at you. They never talk or smile.

3. The talker. . .I generally like these customers. They smile at you. They are pleasant. They make nice conversation--talking about sports or the weather, or their kids activities at school.

4. The Professional. . .The professional shopper comes in with a stack of coupons and almost every item they have bought is on sale. They are polite, efficient, and almost always rush to bag their own groceries (using the reusable bags they have brought from home, of course). If there is a mistake on their receipt they notice it--and generally notice it before they even leave the store. I like the professional shopper because they are smart and aware.

5. The Regular... I have to give credit where credit is due. My sister suggested that I write about the regulars. I had actually considered this earlier but didn't know what I would say about them other then they came into the grocery store enough that I recognized them, but then I thought about it for a while and here is what I came up with. Presumably everyone knows what a "regular" is (and no, it's not what happens what you eat enough fiber...ha ha). Generally I like regulars because it's nice to see familiar faces while your a cashier. The regulars (in my opinion) tend to "get away with" a lot more, too. Here's what I mean--I have a customer (I'll call him Harry). Harry is the strong, silent type and he always throws his money on the conveyor belt. Now for those of you who have been reading my blog for the past few weeks you know these are things that normally drive me CRAZY and the combination of both of these things together would normally cause my head to explode! But I always smile and talk to Harry (even though he doesn't talk back) because he is a regular. There's another customer (Alice) who breaks my number one rule because three times a week she comes into the grocery store 1 minute before we close! She actually came through the checkout at 11:55 once with a huge stack of coupons. I smiled, said hello and rang up her order. Then I gave her the total and she said to me, "Oh my god, I forgot my debit card at home. I just live around the corner, can I run home and get it?" Again...normally this would have caused World War III. But because Alice is a regular I smiled and said, "No problem." and she ran home and got her debit card. So that is why I think being a regular tends to benefit customers, too. The cashier gets to know the regulars and how they like their groceries bagged. There are some people who like their groceries bagged in plastic and not heavy. There are some people who like paper bags in plastic bags. If you become a regular the cashier gets to know your preferences. That being said I have a small piece of advice. . . find a grocery store that you like and stick with it. Going even a small step further I would recommend that you try to go to the store at about the same time every week--now, of course, I know this might not be possible for everyone. For example, if you like grocery shopping at night there are generally a handful cashiers who are always on the evening shift...so by going at the same time you will have a few cashiers who get to know you and recognize you. If the cashier gets to recognize you and gets you know they will be more friendly (and generally more helpful).

Are you any of these types?

Well, that's it for today. . .take care and happy shopping!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

5 things I hate about being a cashier

1. The money. . .I know they always say money can't buy happiness but it could buy a better car while I drive around looking for happiness. And being happy is something that's really important but realistically you can't pay the bills with happiness. Anyway, the money sucks and by the time they take out taxes it sucks even worse. Let me just give one quick example. . . when I go to the gas station to fill up my car it costs between $35.00-$40.00. . .well my paycheck from the grocery store for the week is normally around $86.00. That means about half of my paycheck goes to filling up the car with gas. Some days it feels like its not even worth driving to work. . .but then I give myself a little pep talk and I remind myself that every little bit helps and I drag my sorry ass into work.
Also let me tell you a little story, I'll call it "A Tale of Two Paychecks." One paycheck is from a job where my take home pay is approximately $550.00-$600.00 a week as a paralegal, the other is the paycheck I earn working at the grocery store where I earn approximately $86.00 a week. Now many of you may say that this is an unfair comparison because one is a full time job and the other is working a few nights a week making minimum wage. And I agree with you--it's like comparing apples to oranges, but it's still discouraging. Imagine trying to pay bills and earn a decent living on minimum wage. . .it's tough. Think about some of your monthly expenses--Rent or a mortgage, bills, student loans, groceries, utilities, maybe a car payment is in there. It's more then tough it's pretty close to impossible to live on minimum wage.
2. It's BORING, BORING, BORING! This job requires absolutely no skill, no talent, no creativity, no imagination. It's mundane, mindless oh, and did I mention boring? You do the same thing for hours on end, you ask every customer the same question for hours on end. Like, "Do you have any coupons?" "Would you like paper or plastic?" Blah, blah, blah. It's like standing around watching grass grow...it's worse then watching grass grow and if you're not in great mood to start with having to stand around and cashier can be torture!
3. The uniform and that awful name tag! The uncomfortable, itchy button-up polyester shirt is gross. Definitely not cute!
4. That 2%. . . I said 98% of the customers are really nice and I definitely mean that. But then there is that 2%. . .the other customers. The other 2% can be bitter and nasty. Some of them yell. Some of them call you names. I had a customer call me a bitch once, all because I had the nerve to tell her that her coupon was expired. Overreact much lady and do you kiss your mother with mouth? Also when I was working at the bank, I once had a customer tell me I was really bad at my job. Ouch! Although, to be fair (and totally honest) I was a really, really bad bank teller. But I do realize that the customers (even the mean ones) are the reason cashiers have a job and the reason we get a paycheck every week. So yeah, customers are the best and worst part of working in customer service.
5. The money. Oh wait, I already said that. Number 5 is the awful uniform. No, I said that already too. Ok here is the number 5 thing I hate about being a cashier. . .about once a month our store raises money for charity (local children's hospital, the United Way, there was a campaign to end hunger). All of these are great causes and I really like that the store contributes to the community and does fundraisers for charity but I absolutely hate the way they do it! Cashiers are forced (practically with a gun to their head) to ask every customer that comes through their line if they would like to donate money. There are a few reasons I am so opposed to this. First of all--times are tough and money is tight (I know this--especially working two jobs just to pay the bills). So I hate asking people who have just spent $150.00 on groceries with 2 kids sitting in the shopping cart to cough up money they may not have (even when it is for a good cause). It sort of feels like entrapment at the checkout stand. Now I know that the person is always welcome to say no and not make a donation but I know how I feel when I go to a store and cashier asks me to donate to a good cause and I have to say no. I feel guilty and bad when I say I can't make a donation. Secondly, I really have no idea where this money is going or what portion of the money that is donated actually makes it way to the designated charity or how it is being used. . .so how can I in good conscience ask people to donate when I don't even know where the money is going or what is actually going to be done with the money that is donated? Also, there are some causes they seek donations for that I don't support so I don't like to ask for money.

Monday, October 4, 2010

5 Things I like about being a cashier

I had a terrible day at work on Saturday. I just kept thinking, 'I hate my job. I hate being here.' I am basically a prostitute, pimping myself out for $7.50 an hour--which makes me a very cheap prostitute, which is even worse. It's not even like I'm not even a high price call girl. But, I'm an optimist...glass half full kind of girl so I decided that today's blog would focus on the positive. Here it is. 5 things I like about being a cashier. . .

  1. Flexible hours-this is pretty self explanatory. It's nice to be able to tell my manager when I can work and when I can't. If I need to request off or if I am going out of town for a week, no problem (well, besides not getting paid). Compare this to working at a typical 9:00-5:00 office job where vacation time has to be planned out as far in advance as possible. Imagine that you are out of the office for a week on vacation. You will most likely come back to the office to find a stack of phone messages on your desk and tons of paperwork to catch up on. At a typical office job there are deadlines and e-mails and paperwork. At the grocery store when your shift is over, you punch out and your done. You don't take paperwork home with you. And at the grocery store if I am scheduled and something comes up at the last minute and it turns out I can't work there is generally someone looking to pick up some extra hours, so I just make a few phone calls and I can find someone to cover my shift. I have to say the hours have really allowed me to have a well-rounded schedule. Being at this job has given me time to write, do volunteer work, take care of things around the house and do the other things that need to get done.
  2. The people--I really enjoy working with people and being around people. Everyone I work with is really nice (well almost everyone) and it's a relaxed place to work. In my opinion there are very few places where you could work with a kid from high school for a few hours (and talk about how he just got his drivers' license) and then a few hours later you are working with a woman talking about taking her grand kids to the park and then talking to a college student about midterms. The employees at grocery stores are of all backgrounds, ages, and educational levels so it's a really interesting mix of people. The customers who come into the grocery store are young, old, rich and poor and the cashier gets to interact with all of them. And 98% of the customers are really nice, too.
  3. Reading magazines (for FREE!) at the checkout. I am addicted to entertainment magazines but they can be pretty expensive. Working nights things generally slow down at around 10:30 or 11:00 at night so I have the chance to read all the magazines at the checkout stand (which I am really not supposed to do, but I do it anyway). This is how I stay caught up on all my celebrity gossip. Now this may not seem like a big deal (and yes, I know you can go to any local library and flip through magazines there for free, too) but hey, it's something. . .
  4. I am writing about 5 things I like about being a cashier and I have to admit I got stuck at 4. But I thought about it for a while and the number 4 thing I like about being a cashier is the food. I love food so working at a grocery store is the next best thing to working in a restaurant, getting to be around people cooking and preparing the food. At the store I get to see what new products we have coming in. . .like did you know that they have pickles that come in snack-sized containers now? Yum! There's a new snack in the snack aisle called granola bites that I had never seen before that looked sooo good. I also found root beer flavored ice cream topping next to the peanut butter and jelly and for just a minute I felt like Christopher Columbus stumbling across the new world. I never would have known there are apple cider doughnuts for fall if a customer hadn't come through the checkout line with them. There are new oatmeal cookies with butterscotch chips that sounds soooo good. These are all products that I may never have seen if I wasn't in the store working. Also, I get to know what the good sales are.
  5. I like that being a cashier helps me keep things in perspective and put myself in someone else's shoes. It can be easy to get frustrated when you are a customer--I think working at a grocery store has taught me to take a deep breath and try to be a more patient, understanding customer (not that this always works). I think about when I'm working how a nice customer can make my day much more pleasant and that makes me try to be nicer when I am a customer. I think being here has taught me in some small way to be thankful for what I have.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

But it's my day off. . .

What are you doing reading this? It's Sunday. I'm taking the day off! Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone!

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Quote of the week

Hi faithful readers or those of you reading this for the first time... it's Saturday! Happy weekend! Every Saturday I will try to post a quote, a joke, or catchy little saying that I think is funny, inspiring, thought-provoking or just generally enjoyable. I know this doesn't really have anything to with cashiers or grocery stores but hopefully these little sayings will help get your upcoming week off to a good start! So here is the quote of the week:

"If at first you don't succeed. . .skydiving is not for you."
Hee hee. This one makes me laugh every time. Tune in again next week. Until then take care and happy shopping!

Friday, October 1, 2010

Tip of the Week

This weeks tip is simple...The tip is that it never hurts to ask (especially when it comes to questions about saving money). So speak up! Ask questions! Don't go home, look at your receipt and think, "Oh, I wish I had asked about that while I was still at the store." A customer came through my checkout line last week with a few dented cans and asked if there was any sort of discount taken off for dented cans. I wasn't sure but I told him I could ask. It pays to ask these types of questions. . .primarily, because (as many of us know) economic times are tough so if you don't mind a few dented cans in your cupboard it may just be an easy way to save money. And, of course, this tip doesn't just apply to dented cans at the grocery store. I mentioned before that I used to work at a book store. The book store where I used to work had a standard 10% discount for customers buying damaged merchandise. They didn't advertise this it was just store policy. I learned this one day when a customer came up to pay for a book she wanted to purchase. She handed me the book and pointed out that it was damaged. She showed me the damage and asked if there were any other copies of the book in the store. It turned out that was the only copy of the book we had in the store so she asked if she could have a discount. I asked the store manager and he came up and hit a key on the register that took 10% off the book. Voila! This customer would have paid full price if she hadn't asked for the discount. So don't be afraid to ask. . . the worst someone can say is "no" and then you are no worse off then when you started and if they say yes it was a fairly easy way to save yourself some green. I also went to another local grocery store and asked if they offered discount on dented cans. The cashier at the counter told me their grocery store generally doesn't offer a discount for dented cans and they would rather just send any damaged products (like dented cans) back because they receive store credit for them. But he told me that this grocery store does have a section of the store where they have discontinued merchandise and he told me those items are always discounted. Your grocery store may have something similar. And, of course, this tip doesn't just apply to questions about dented cans or damaged merchandise--don't hesitate to ask questions like if the store will accept competitor's coupons or the store's policy on taking expired coupons (for example, Bed, Bath & Beyond takes expired store coupons that they send out in mail). Well, I think you get the idea. And my dear, frugal, thrifty shopper, of course, I am not advocating buying damaged products that may be contaminated or could cause you to become ill (any product with a broken safety seal, for example) just for the sake of saving a few cents. . . that just wouldn't be worth it, would it? And of course each store has its own policies and procedures so I have just mentioned some of my own personal experiences here.

So, to sum it up. . . there are lots of ways to save money that the store may not advertise so think outside the box and ask lots of questions (if you have time--or just send your questions to me and I'll to come up with an answer for you). Remember and educated consumer is a better shopper.

Take care and happy shopping!