Might have been a bit sucky at Kroger this morning. :(

[Peppergirl]

So, I worked 3rd shift last night...and I was (am) determined to stay up today, so I went to Kroger when I clocked out this morning at 8am.

I got strong coffee and took my time meandering the aisles and went to check out at around 9am.

The 4 U-scans were open, along with the obligatory sign that it's for small orders, 15 items or less - which I *totally* understand.

I went on by and they had 3 express lanes open, 15 items or less for each one.

I had about 25 items, so I went on.

They had ONE non express, non U-scan lane open. I went toward it and the woman in front of me was, I kid you not, unloading the BIGGEST order I have seen in years. There had to be $300-400 dollars worth of food in this cart.

Oh no. Not just NO, but HELL to the NO.

Now, keep in mind - I had just worked a 12 hour shift, was (am) DEAD tired, and had (have) been up since about 3pm Sunday.

So I eyeballed u-scan. It wasn't very busy and I know I'm a fast scanner, so I went over there.

I felt kinda shitty for doing it, but as I left, I looked over at that lane with the woman with the 'food for an army' and people were *still* dodging the line left and right.

So, Kroger/grocery peeps - do I suck? Granted, I'm quick and I took less time than most people with 10 items, but I felt a little bad. Then again, if they were staffed properly, the woman with the $300.00 order wouldn't have brought the ONE open, non-express line to its knees.


OH! Interesting side note: When I got to the U-scan, there was a woman behind me with 2 bottles of juice. Of course, I let her go in front of me.

Her total was $2.13. She wrote a check. I wish I was kidding. Instant karma.

[C. Cecil Ivanish]

Wouldn't say it was major suckage, mostly because you post here
And because I'm sure (well... you say so and I tend to trust what people write, at least here) that you are a very fast scanner.
I have an issue with "fast queues" in my local supermarket, by the way. They don't go by number of items, but by "hand baskets only". Now, I am a big man and I can easily carry a seriously heavy hand basket and a case of beer under my arm. Some senior citizens will instead need a proper shopping cart for six eggs and a loaf of bread... and they accept card payments, which makes the queues unbelievably slower...

[Chromatix]

I don't think the supermarkets near me have express lanes at all - they certainly dont have self-checkout machines. This does mean that you can be stuck in a queue even if you have only a few things, but all the queues are equal-opportunity and tend to move at about the same speed.

If they did have express lanes, it would be hard to distinguish between baskets and trolleys, because there is also a wheeled basket which holds about twice as much as a hand basket. (I use those because it matches the capacity of my bike panniers.)

The trading laws still require large supermarkets to close early on Sundays, so once or twice I have been stuck in long queues at closing time. Most recently there was an ethnic family buying clothes at the front of my line, which takes ages because they have to detach the security tage and hangers. But then it's just a matter of patience - they simply stop letting people in at closing time, and keep registers open as long as necessary to get everyone out.

[Stormraven]

The Lucky stores out here have a 15 item limit on the Self scan, too. And if I have more than 15 items, I will try to avoid them - but if they're empty, and there's a long line at the cashier - or, as I've seen happen, the only cashier is on a 15 item or less quick check - I'll go anyway.

Of course, I have no trouble reading the signs and screens, I can scan quickly, and I know how to use my card, so I don't hold them up.

[Falor]

They had ONE non express, non U-scan lane open.

So I eyeballed u-scan. It wasn't very busy and I know I'm a fast scanner, so I went over there.

So, Kroger/grocery peeps - do I suck? Granted, I'm quick and I took less time than most people with 10 items, but I felt a little bad. Then again, if they were staffed properly, the woman with the $300.00 order wouldn't have brought the ONE open, non-express line to its knees.

According to SOP for Krogers SW (LA, TX, I think a little in OK) if U-Scan is slow and a line starts to build elsewhere the U-Scan clerk is supposed to grab a customer if there's one with a small enough order. Even if the customer's willingness to do it is based on the cashier operating it for them.

It sounds like you were in one of those 'special' stores like mine. Corporate has looked at our sales data and average items/order info and decided that (in addition to U-Scan) our six registers should be three of each type (express versus regular) with the second regular one not being opened until all three expresses are open.

It works fine until you get two or three people finishing their families' weekly shopping expedition at the same approximate time.

Once that happens the whole front end backs up and people like me get called up to clear the lines (since corporate isn't looking at how much time non-cashiers register numbers are logged on, apparently)

But no, no suckage at all that I see.

[Whiskey]

how do you write a check at a u-scan.

[lupo pazzesco]

how do you write a check at a u-scan.

You put in that you're paying by check on the u-scan, then write it out and the u-scan attendant processes it at their central register station thingy. Fun times.

[Whiskey]

You put in that you're paying by check on the u-scan, then write it out and the u-scan attendant processes it at their central register station thingy. Fun times.

But..thats.. a regular register.. but ten times longer because they're scanning it themselves (if theyre using a check, they're taking longer to scan too).

[blas]

Err I don't think that's sucky at all.

We don't have Krogers here, I do all my grocery shopping at Wal-Mart, and I always use U-Scan no matter how big of an order I have. It helps I used to work at a grocery store and know where all the barcodes are and am very quick, but I refuse to have another bag left behind or have to deal with another cashier telling me about the rock in their shoe or keep talking with another cashier just standing around next to them about their tomato garden.

[lupo pazzesco]

But..thats.. a regular register.. but ten times longer because they're scanning it themselves (if theyre using a check, they're taking longer to scan too).

Never said it was efficient. that's just how I've seen it done, and at a Kroger no less. If it's coming from my checking account, I just swipe the debit card. Since it's a Self-scan, I tend to do it all myself. Because I'm a big girl. with big girl panties and everything.

[Falor]

But..thats.. a regular register.. but ten times longer because they're scanning it themselves (if theyre using a check, they're taking longer to scan too).

I think I see where your confusion lies.

Logic.

Logic is not allowed, we are not paid to think, we are in fact paid merely to do what the corporate ubervolk tell us to do. In this case that means accepting checks at U-Scan.

[Whiskey]

with big girl panties

This is my favorite expression. I use it on guys mostly though.

"Alright boys, time to pull up your big girl panties and get going"

[lupo pazzesco]

I think I see where your confusion lies.

Logic.

Logic is not allowed, we are not paid to think, we are in fact paid merely to do what the corporate ubervolk tell us to do. In this case that means accepting checks at U-Scan.

I'ma go out on a limb and guess you have worked/are working for a Kroger or similar company...? Your bitter cynicism is aged nicely, a ripe vintage.

This is my favorite expression. I use it on guys mostly though.

"Alright boys, time to pull up your big girl panties and get going"

I used to do that, too, until one of my gay male friends shot back with "Do I get to choose which big girl panties? Cuz I like pink plaid ones with the black lace trim"

Scary mental pictures...

[dalesys]

This is my favorite expression. I use it on guys mostly though.

"Alright boys, time to pull up your big girl panties and get going"

I usually pulled them down to get going...

[Mytical]

To the OP, I don't think that was SC behavior, of course I am a third shift person so...

Twenty five is not bad, especially if you are pretty quick at scanning.