20 items or less? Doesn't apply to ME!

[ThirdGenRetail]

I saw this gem of a couple this past Sunday, when we had to run out to the Wal-Mart near us for some basic necessities. All told, we had 6 items in our cart, so we chose to go through the Express Lane. 20 items or less. There were two carts ahead of us... From the same couple. The woman had one cart, I don't know how many items, but her husband's cart... I stood there counting, I think I counted 41 or 42 items Mother and I were pretty cheesed at them, because apparently they were either incapable of reading '20 items OR LESS' on the sign, or didn't think it applied to them. When we got up to the poor cashier, we expressed sympathies to him and asked why he didn't turn them away... He said they were already in line. I mentioned the wish that the express lane registers would automatically stop ringing at EXACTLY 20 items, but alas, people would probably complain that they can't ring up their 40+ items in the 20 items or less lane..

Really, though... If it says 20 or less, it doesn't mean bring up two carts with 40+ items...

[Whiskey]

They would just ring them up as separate transactions or have a manager override the limit (you know a manager would have the ability to override it, come on)

although, I would make a stink in the walmart customer email thingy they have on their site. Dont specify when, or which cashier, just that you had 6 items and there was someone with two carts going through express. Make it an epic saga of woe and tragedy too.

It might backfire onto the employees though. How they should "enforce policy!!" while being undermined by every manager.

Shit, can we win ever?

[jjc927]

I had a woman once last summer that was irritated about having to go on the bag your own line because the other register open was "busy" (I glaned at it and the line had 2 customers, 1 currently being checked out) and asked us why we have such a thing anyway since no other store does (there's one supermarket in the area in which ALL the registers besides the U-Scan are in the bag your own style, and another in which there are I believe 4). She said that is what the self checkout is for, and I tell her that the self checkout is an express line. Her response? "Not necessarily. I see people on it with more than 12 items." Yes, that is when people who don't bother to read the limit use it and then complain about it, or when the registers are busy and we allow people to use it with more than 12 things.

[Whiskey]

I would love self bag. I feel so.. weird when people bag my order. The store closest to my house is known for being a LUXURY brand. I shop there because its the only one in walking distance and they literally WILL NOT LET YOU bag your shit. I assume its some kind of policy but its.. weird.

I can bag my chicken, its okay. Go stock the beer, I just took the last case. Im gonna need new beer in like 3 days.


(and by 3 days I mean tomorrow)

[Crossbow]

I actually saw a cashier at my local Wally World tell someone that it was an express lane for 12 items or less only and she would have to go to a different line. I was stunned. There wasn't a line behind her (nor was there one at the non-express lane next to her), but it's the first time I've seen a cashier tell somebody to change lanes...

How many items did this shopper have?




15.

[Whiskey]

I actually saw a cashier at my local Wally World tell someone that it was an express lane for 12 items or less only

How many items did this shopper have?

15.

15 sounds like more than 12.

[ThirdGenRetail]

Wow, our express cashiers are okay about being SLIGHTLY over the limit... We've squeaked through with 23 items before. Though not more than double the limit... Though a kudos to that cashier for upholding policy regardless, Crossbow!

[trunks2k]

15 sounds like more than 12.

Yeah, but most cashiers have no problem if you're a few items over the limit. When I was a cashier, the general rule was "If I have to count to see if you are over the limit, that's close enough". We'd turn people with full carts away all the time. As long as you were under 20 items (for 10 items or less), we didn't have a problem with it. Especially if there was no line in express.

[Crossbow]

15 sounds like more than 12.

I agree, and I wasn't saying I had a problem with it. I was quite happy she did it. But considering the nummber of times I've seen full carts (or two carts per person ) in the express line, to see someone actually say something over a close amount surprised me. In a good way.

[sweetj82]

we were always told we can tell the customers that its 20 items or less but we cant make them leave.

[Whiskey]

I agree, and I wasn't saying I had a problem with it. I was quite happy she did it. But considering the nummber of times I've seen full carts (or two carts per person ) in the express line, to see someone actually say something over a close amount surprised me. In a good way.

This is my point. It starts at 15. Then its 20. Then 25. up and up and up.

You cant even be nice anymore because once someone sees someone with 13 items in the 12 item lane they bring there seven carts full of food into your lane and bitch that you already broke the rules for the other person so why not them

[bainsidhe]

Complain to corporate, that's the only way policy will change. When I worked at Hellmart, we were not allowed to tell a customer they were over the limit or refuse them service. It didn't matter if I had 15 other customers in line with perfectly small transactions, I still had to check out the impatient jerk that didn't want to wait in a regular line with their 50+ items. Why? Because impatient jerks complain to management, that's why. The regular nice customers will just stew there without saying anything, which is why companies have backwards policies.

If you were in the ballpark of 20 items, it didn't matter to me if you were a couple over, especially if it was small stuff. I had a very small counter and only 3 bags on the carousel, so space filled up fast. If you won't respect the 20 items or less sign, then don't get upset when I have to start putting your stuff on the floor due to lack of space. Your lack of planning.....you know.

[jjc927]

When I do Uscan, I will tell people with full carts that they should go to a regular register since it will be easier (the Uscan gets wonky when people have a lot of stuff and the customers blame it on us and not because they had so much stuff) and I've only I think once or twice pointed out the 12 items or less thing.

[sweetj82]

what i dont like is when a cashier on a speedy wont check out someone way over the limit and than the customer calls them lazy.

last foodstamp day we had a lady who went to our speedy check out mind you she was the the only speedy opened and demanded to be checked out. We has 2 cashiers on belts who were red lining. when the cashier pointed that out the customer went off on how lazy she was and that she shouldnt have to walk that far.

[Whiskey]

the customer went off on how lazy she was and that she shouldnt have to walk that far.

pot.. meet kettle..