Cashiers/Baggers...A Question

[Aethian]

Okay Mom and I are having a slight disagreement...so I thought to come here and ask all you lovely peoples...

When I go shopping with my re-use bags I will pack the bags the way I like them as I shop and then when I am unloading the cart I put the items that were in that bag behind the empty bag on the belt. Mom says that by doing that I am making the cashier work more. I don't think I am since the bags are out of the way until they are needed and I know the items will fit in the bag without making them too heavy.

Mom will unload all the cart after giving the bags to the cashier and let the cashier decide what goes in what bag when/where. I think that makes it a bit harder since items can get separated and one or more bags could be too heavy for her.

So whose right?

[LibraryLady]

I've never been a bagger or a cashier. I've also never worked at a job where tips were offered. Because of that, I'm not quite sure which way is the best to go.

When my Husband and I go out to shop we bring our own bags. I stand at the register to pay and he stands further down the line packing our purchases into our bags. In these markets there usually isn't a bagger or a tip jar. If there is one, the bagger can help if she wishes and the coins from our transaction will go into the tip jar.

Should we be doing something differently?

[Summerfly413]

Either way works for me.
We don't have baggers at my store, so 95% of the time, I'm bagging(sometimes another cashier who isn't busy will help)
I just don't like when people hand me a folded up bag and I have to fight with it to open it. They obviously don't work the same way as the store bags, so it takes me a minute to get used to them

[Lady Legira]

I work in supermarket but I'm not either. I really dislike people packing my bags for me as I tend to be on foot or public transport and cashiers/baggers tend to pack for people in cars.

[RetailWorkhorse]

You're both right. But it depends on the situation.

Take my register for example. I have next to no room to pile everything on. Still, I'd rather you piled it on or left it in a basket and plopped it onto the counter. That way I can take the empty bag, set it on the bag-rest and load it up as I scan (Candies and foods in one bag, cleaning supplies in another, unless you have a preference and will tell me first, then I'll bag it your way).

That's just me, though. Dunno how the other cashiers do it.

But personally I hand my bag over empty and let the cashier or bagger just bag it all up. It's only going to be in the bag long enough to get home anyhow.

[Aethian]

Okay to explain mine a bit better if it's on a long belt it will be

BAG : Groceries : Bag : Groceries : Bag : ect... Where it's set up so that I know what is with what.

[ShadedWings]

Well.. speaking as person who was cashier and bagger and still is picky about bagging her own groceries most of the time...

Most places will be more than happy to let you bag your own groceries if you like, to bag it exactly the way you want it. As a bagger, as long as the customer was polite about it, I don't mind direction in what or how to bag... but then again I wasn't an uncaring brainless tweeb, as most of the baggers are that I run across lately. :P (No offense to those still bagging these days!) As a cashier, I can see how it would be a bit annoying coming across random empty bags in the middle of scanning. But not too annoying, and my cashiering days had me helping out the bagger as well, so I wouldn't be standing there staring at them while they bagged.

Being picky when I go shopping was something the people I worked with understood, so when I shopped after work they knew to let me alone and not bag my stuff for me. ^_^ I prefer to condense and make sure things are bagged the way I want and how I can carry it in the fewest trips possible. Also, I alone know how much I can carry per bag, so I can load it up as heavy as I like.

Hope that helped and wasn't too rambly.

[SG15Z]

Aethian I'm going with you. I like it. Because when some one just hands me bags I hate the prusser of maybe packing it the way they don't want! But then again I rarely sack these days....

[Becks]

To me, being both a cashier and occasional bagger-type, it doesn't much matter.



Bag first is usually more convenient, though.

[Bella_Vixen]

I prefer bags first, as a cashier/emergency bagger.

Especially when the customers have a fucking cartload of groceries and want their stuff bagged ONLY in their bags.

[xx_wolfie_xx]

I know a lot of chain grocery stores generally have a rule as to how many items are supposed to go into their plastic bags, in 1999/2000 at safeway it was 7 per bag, and at HEB the stickers are saying 8. When i was a bagger for Safeway the reusable bag fad hadn't come in full force yet, but, when haded reusable bags i would still try to keep it to 7 items in each. I definatly preferred getting the bags seperatly from the cashier. My personal opinion is that the items should be left unbagged, that way the cashier doesn't have to unbag your stuff, scan it, then re-bag it.


Now, if they would learn not to put my cleaning supplies in with my raw chicken i would be very happy


that and not put the milk in a bag, it has a handle for a reason

[RetailWorkhorse]

BAG : Groceries : Bag : Groceries : Bag : ect... Where it's set up so that I know what is with what.

That makes a HELLAVA lot of sense! I like that idea!

that and not put the milk in a bag, it has a handle for a reason

....hey.....I just noticed the Cashier at WallyWorld put my GALLON of milk into a bag..... gu-wha'? KASDGJWLUISDGK>LHDGH IT'S GOT A HANDLE!!!

[Primer]

....hey.....I just noticed the Cashier at WallyWorld put my GALLON of milk into a bag..... gu-wha'? IT'S GOT A HANDLE!!!

WM in particular bags everything to indicate it really has been paid for. If there is anything going out the door that is not in a bag, they WILL stop you and check your receipt. Personally, I have no problem with that. Another reason for bagging milk is that sometimes the jugs leak a bit and a bag keeps the milk from getting all over your car upholstery.

[LibraryLady]

When I buy only a few things, I don't mind having a bagger do it, They're fine. When we have a complex order, my husband prefers to do his own bagging and we bring our own bags.

I know it's a No-no to put a loaf of bread below the eggs. We like it that way. The bread we buy won't be spongy and soft. It will have a good crust and will be a good buffer for the eggs if the bag has to be dropped on the sidewalk on the way home. If we're worried about the eggs we'll wrap them in a small plastic bag we bring from home.

We wrap meat and put in the bottom of the bag. Vegetables can go on top. They can be packed in the same bag. We don't worry about contamination when it's only a three block between the Market and our house.

[RetailWorkhorse]

WM in particular bags everything to indicate it really has been paid for. If there is anything going out the door that is not in a bag, they WILL stop you and check your receipt. Personally, I have no problem with that. Another reason for bagging milk is that sometimes the jugs leak a bit and a bag keeps the milk from getting all over your car upholstery.

I got no problem with the Doormen checking my receipt (must be all that time spent in Sam's Club).

And I have leather upholstery in my Jeep so it's easy enough to clean.

I just have enough bags at home, is all.