I am Open

[Redhead17]

Once I get to work I turn my light on to let everyone know that I am OPEN. At this point in time I will gladly take any customer, no matter how many items they have or even how terrible a person they might be. Sometimes a person will come up with a large cart full of items and ask me, "Do you really want me?". Of course I will not say "No". And as they put there items on my counter and as I scan them they ask me, "Are you sure you still want me?". Okay I got that you had alot of items and the first time it was a joke (that I have heard a few too many times), but the second time it gets a little annoying.

Anyway about the light. Yes it means I am open, and yes I will take you. Why do they ask if I'm open if my light is on and I'm just standing there waiting for someone to check out. These people ask if I am open when my light is on, but the moment I turn it off people will come to my register like bugs go to a light. Are you serious, no one has the manners to ask if I'm open when my light is OFF, but when its ON they dont want to bug me.

Also I'll just put this little thing in this post as well. If there is no one at my register are you seriously gonna ask where the line starts. Only one other register is open and they dont have anyone either. "Where does the line start?" There is no line. Then the people get excited. "No, line! Its my lucky day"

[Grendus]

I'm convinced that many customers can't see the light. Instead, they look for lines. The fact that these people are capable of asking is a good thing, it means they're still capable of rational thought instead of herd mentality. When the light is off, there's still a line, and now no painful glaring thing that hurts their eyes while they wait.

[Pagan]

Then you get certain grocery stores that have done away with the lights so you can't tell which registers are open! Yeah, since they've done that, I send an e-mail about once a month to corporate bitching about it. The checkers aren't happy about it either.

[Flood]

A local grocery store decided to be festive for the holidays and put wrapping paper on all the register numbers so you can't see if the lights are on or not.

Unsurprisingly, the wrapping paper was all gone on the 26th. It look like they were in such a hurry there were still scraps taped to the lights.

[barainga]

Odd, they wont go to your line when your light is on but I bet you cant get them away when your light is off.

[Food Lady]

^ Happens to me every day. It's a simple concept, really, which has been in existence for at least 40 years, and yet they don't get it. Also, they don't understand that in between customers we may need to step away for 5 seconds. Duh--we do have stuff to do. *sigh*

[roguesqd]

I do look for lights, but I also always ask if they are open, if there is not a line, just common courtesy, they may be leaving for a break, forgot to turn off light, or be auditing a register, just what I have always done

[Draco]

I'm convinced that many customers can't see the light. Instead, they look for lines. The fact that these people are capable of asking is a good thing, it means they're still capable of rational thought instead of herd mentality. When the light is off, there's still a line, and now no painful glaring thing that hurts their eyes while they wait.

Honestly? Yes. This.

I've seen it many times. For example, let's say registers 14, 15, and 16 all have their lights on. There are customers in 15's lane, but no one in 14 and 16. 14 and 16's cashiers are standing there, waiting. Customers continue to line up in register 15's lane, ignoring the two empty registers on either side.

It's great when they're newer cashiers too. You can just see the look of "WTF are these people stupid?!" on their faces.

[scruff]

When I was a kid, our local supermarket till lights flicked on and off if the cashier had requested a manager, so we quickly twigged to avoid the flashing lanes due to the likely delay.

But I never realised the light on/off signal related to lanes open/closed until I visited this site (I'm catering/building industry, I'm either armed with a dishcloth or a tapemeasure, never a signal light.)

So, once the penny dropped, I made a point of looking for the lights at the supermarket, only to get very confused when the nearest cashier (who happened to have the light off) told me to come over to her till. She explained their lights mostly didn't work, so to please ignore them. Years later, I still mostly shop at the same (BIG brand) supermarket, and yes, most of their lights, on open lanes, are usually off.

So some of us customers ain't thick, we're just really confused. ;-)

[lordlundar]

I remember when I was running cashier in retail during Christmas <shudder>. Layout is one shared line for all tills. Shift started and I go over to my till, get prepped, turn light on.

No one came over.

I yell out "I can help next person in line!"

No one came over.

I flail my arms around repeating my yell.

No one came over.

I step out of my register, make eye contact with the next person in line and yell "I can help you out over here!"

No one came over.

I'm just about ready to do over to the line, find the next person and physically drag them over when someone FINALLY noticed the light and came over. First words out of their mouth?

"Are you open?"



(And that's when I shot him your honor and in my defense, I would like to add that nothing of value was lost.)