She Knew She Was Wrong

[JustShootMe]

On our Express Lane we have a sign that says 10 Items Or Less. Lady came through with more than twice that. While I'm not allowed to enforce the 10 item thing, I can be bitched out by other customers for not enforcing it. (Nice, huh?)
So I ring the lady up & send her on her way. As she's leaving the customer behind her says, loudly that it was supposed to be 10 items or less. I apologize to customer #2 & finish up with her. A while later I get sent to see the ACSM. (I'm thinking, oh joy) Turns out that the lady with the extra shit called & complained about ME. Said I was "silently counting her items."
BITCH, PLEASE!!
I've been on the new job for a week & a half. Already have a complaint. Shit. Kill me now.

[Lovecats]

If you were silently counting her items, how did she know?
We also have 10 or less at express. We also are told we can't say anything. BUT I have been know to say to customers who for some reason get into express with FULL carts, "Are you aware that this is 10 or less?" Usually, they will apologize and move. Note, I did say usually.

[Estil]

If the store won't enforce it why do they even bother?

[Caractacus_Potts]

If the store won't enforce it why do they even bother?

Probably because not enough customers complain.

Years ago I had about three items and a woman got to the express lane just before me. I told her flat out she was in the wrong lane since she had a full cart. That set off a high volume unending stream of profanity from the woman directed at me and the cashier.

I don't blame the poor cashier for starting to ring her up just to shut her up. I do blame the front end manager who was studiously avoiding making eye contact with the woman, the cashier or me while standing only ten feet away. I went up to him and stood right in his face, I held out my items and he instinctively took them (good thing because I was going to drop them) and then told him I would be going to a store where they don't let crazy people abuse their cashiers and other customers while pretending not to hear anything.

If something like that were to happen today I probably would have just ignored the woman's screams, walked around her and told the cashier to start ringing me up. I'm much calmer now than when I was younger.

[raudf]

I've taken to complaining. Period. If the management fails to keep the express lanes limits, I complain. I hated it as a cashier, because I was or wasn't allowed to enforce the limit, depending on who was CSM and whether we were stupidly staffed that day.. With some CSMs stupidly staffed went hand in hand with whether we could enforce it.

As a customer, I've had managers DIRECT me and my full buggy to express lanes. I glared at them and pointed at the sign. If I'm shopping, I will take my buggy to the proper lane, regardless of how long the line may be. It's their (or the CSM's) fault for either not having enough cashiers OR putting them all on express, leaving one or two belted registers open. I then write an email to either the store manager or corporate, explaining the situation and why I refused to follow their stupidity.

[BearLeeBadenaugh]

The item limit and the fact that nobody obeys it is probably my #1 pet peeve about the express lanes. Pet Peeve #2 is when the only lanes open are self-scan and express. Quite annoying when you're coming through with a cart full.

Selfs don't/can't do quantity items(ever try and scan 100 packets of kool-aid INDIVIDUALLY? AARGH), and if you get sent to an express by a manager you need to grab a second cart so the bagging triangle can be emptied.

[starsinthesky]

BearLee my peeve with self scan is that I usually end up behind the numpties that don't know how to work it. I used to do it all the time, then came the numpties.

[Lace Neil Singer]

BearLee my peeve with self scan is that I usually end up behind the numpties that don't know how to work it. I used to do it all the time, then came the numpties.

I once while shopping was behind a woman who just dumped a full basket on the self scan and just stood there like a lemon. She obviously thought that there was a magic self scan fairy who was going to scan it all for her.

[JustShootMe]

Stars, "numpties" is my new favorite word!
I don't know why they don't enforce the limit. I talked to a couple of others & they all thought the SC was a real twat to call. They were amazed that the ACSM talked to me.
Oh well, I had a cashier in The Big Red K ignore me today & go get another customer when I was next. I just let it go 'cause I'm not a bitch that way.

[Dreamstalker]

Selfs don't/can't do quantity items(ever try and scan 100 packets of kool-aid INDIVIDUALLY? AARGH)

Oh god yes. What's even more fun is when the item won't even scan, so we have to type the code in by hand. For every single one. I've had customers leave their shopping behind because of this. Ours have the ability to do quantity (once the assistant card is scanned) but that's been disabled. I've asked management about this--being sure to mention that a customer abandoned a $XX order because they didn't want to wait--and gotten nowhere.

Lace, I have to deal with that too. I've been told I can ignore those people (unless they're holding up a line, in which case I just scan their items and show them how to pay).

[Lace Neil Singer]

SC: "You mean I actually have to scan the items myself?! How dare you!"

XD This woman didn't seem to understand the concept of self scan. I just walked round her to the next till and left her to work it out for herself, cuz I wasn't working there and it wasn't my problem.

[AccountingDrone]

I adore self scan in the middle of the night when the store is almost empty and I don't have to deal with lots of people mumping along.

Since I shop in a wheelchair, I am pretty limited to what fits in one of the small handbaskets [I bungee cord one into my lap, works better than trying to scrounge a scooter] and am generally only after a few items anyway.

I know how to use one, and it is frequently much faster than going through a regular cashier that might have a SC with 30 items in a 10 or fewer aisle. [not to mention what I tend to buy doesn't normally have coupons - I just got the makings for beef stew - a hunk of chuck roast, a small bag of garlic, 4 large baking potatoes, 2 large onions, bag of baby carrots and a thing of celery hearts. Not a coupon available for the lot. *sigh*] Took me about 5 minutes to go through the self check out, the person that wandered into the cashier line took longer than I did because they had to stop and argue about a coupon.

[Dreamstalker]

XD This woman didn't seem to understand the concept of self scan. I just walked round her to the next till and left her to work it out for herself, cuz I wasn't working there and it wasn't my problem.

I try to let them figure it out if the problem isn't what we consider serious. Like the people who slide their card on the pinpad, but fail to tell the SCO how they're paying...I think the unofficial record tonight was 2.5 minutes (and then another customer clued them in ).

[ThanosIsKing]

The item limit and the fact that nobody obeys it is probably my #1 pet peeve about the express lanes.

YES YES YES! I hate working express because sooo many people are apparently aliterate morons. I've had people come to express with upwards of 40 items and just dump it all on the register. I am "allowed" to enforce the 10 item limit, but only if it's pretty much dead in the store. If it's busy, I'd better be turning into a regular lane and fast! Which to me would pretty much tell the customer that he or she could use that lane as a normal lane any time. Busy or not, why call the lane express if you're not gonna enforce it? Especially when I'm forced to take someone with those 40 items and a bunch of people who actually HAVE 1-5 items come in behind said moron!

[Sapphire Silk]

YES YES YES! I hate working express because sooo many people are apparently aliterate morons. I've had people come to express with upwards of 40 items and just dump it all on the register. I am "allowed" to enforce the 10 item limit, but only if it's pretty much dead in the store. If it's busy, I'd better be turning into a regular lane and fast! Which to me would pretty much tell the customer that he or she could use that lane as a normal lane any time. Busy or not, why call the lane express if you're not gonna enforce it? Especially when I'm forced to take someone with those 40 items and a bunch of people who actually HAVE 1-5 items come in behind said moron!

What's the point in enforcing the limit if the store is dead?? Lord, the idiocy of managers. I don't even work retail, and I can see that.

As a customer, I don't have an issue with another customer who goes a couple of items over, especially when it's packed. We all just want to get in and out of the store. But I would and have said something to the full cart EWs. I wish managers would grow spines and speak up. I will also drop my shopping and leave if a manager can't maintain good customer flow.