Same old, same old: People who can't count to 12

[nomorecarts]

Am I the only one who couldn't look at a selection of items ranging from a pack of gum to a loaf of bread, and know if it's 20 items or 30 items?

start counting and you'll be able to make a good guess soon, or at least by the time you count everything or get to 20

It's definitely an acquired skill to just look and know(at one time I was able to see a line of 18 carts and say "that's either 17 or 18 carts"), but it's not hard to count to 10,12, or 20, and counting is how you learn to make more accurate guesses

Ree-the way I read it the SC was bitching about the OP checking out the person who was over the limit

[Ree]

So, did I read that correctly? A customer complained about another customer having too many items in the express lane, and then, when you spoke up about it, they complained that you had been rude?

No pleasing some people, I guess.

[One-Fang]

Am I the only one who couldn't look at a selection of items ranging from a pack of gum to a loaf of bread, and know if it's 20 items or 30 items?

[nomorecarts]

at my store the express lanes are 20 items, but we aren't allowed to tell people to go elsewhere. most people actually follow the rule though, and I've never had an issue. I've had people come through with maybe 30 really early in the morning when I didn't have a line, but that's not an issue since there was no line.

[Dips]

You made the best decision you could and got chewed out for it. Sometimes there just aren't any good choices. I think choosing speed over "the principle" in the express lane is the best decision for the people who have to wait.

Now, if it were MY store, I'd split her order up. OK, I know what you're thinking. How is that fair or fast?

Easy. I would ring through the first twelve items, then I'd grab the other four and set them behind my counter. Next I'd tell the lady I'd ring those items through when it was her turn again and send her to the back of the line to wait for her turn to come up again.

Of course this isn't going to work in reality, just my head.

It's the kindergarten slide line rule. You get ONE turn, then you get in line again. No twosies.

[clod75]

Thats why I wrote "gasp" >insert eye roll<cause it usually isn't a biggie for me, until I saw who it was and had that one customer breathing down my neck about it.

Repeat offenders cheese me off LOL

[Gerrinson]

16 items in the 12 or less line? Meh. As a cashier, that usually made little difference to me (maybe 2 - 3 seconds extra on the scanning and possibly 5 seconds on bagging, unless they were big or unusually shaped items).

The whole "they're all the same thing so they count as 1" bit would get her sent to a different lane though. Personally, I wouldn't even comment on it unless they were 5 or more items over the limit. It's not worth my time for the hassle.

[Shangri-laschild]

UGH. All I could do for her was check out her little order, apologize and tell her that if the customer was playing dumb, then we would have had to wait even longer for my super to show up, and that I was sorry, I just wanted to keep the line moving.

I was sorry, I know I let her down and next time I hope to have more Ice Blood running through my veins.



But after that... smooth sailing, lol.

Dont' worry too much. People go to the express line because they want it to be fast. If you had to stand there trying to talk to someone who wouldn't listen, you're right that it would have slown things down. She shouldn't have chewed you out really.

[clod75]

OK, I ended up getting an earful from another customer, who doesn't know how sleep deprived I am because of my sick toddler, or that I myself have sinus issues and just didn't want a stupid altercation with an even more stupid customer, BUT anyways...

I'm on Express, and it was BUSY. I finished with one order, when I hear from the line up, "HEY cashier! These people have WAY more than 12 items, and they were told they can't be here! Now what are you gonna do about it?"

I look up.. and sure enough there is *gasp* about 16 items on my counter.

Ok, here is where I groaned to myself, because one of my pet peeves is people who can't count. But I look up , and lo and behold, I recognize the customer, and she is winking at me

I said to her "You know, this is the second time you have come here with more than 12, I told you last time that we can't accommodate your orders if its over 12."

She's winking at me, and trying to smile at me....

OH FOR GODS SAKE!

"Look. It's not fair for the other customers who have to wait behind you, you have to line up in the other lanes! It's 12 items, OK?"

The first time this customer pulled this stunt, she has about 12 items MULTIPLIED, so 8 dish soaps, 10 milks, 25 chocolate bars, etc. I had refused to serve her, but she just stood there like she didn't understand... My manager was near (doing a cash pick up) and told me to put her through quickly, while lecturing the lady that next time she had to go to a big lane.
(so I used the quantity button- and yeah it went fast but it was the principal of of it all, kwim?)
"Oh sure, sure, no problem." says the lady.

So this time I said to her nodding face, "I remember you," and here is where I made my mini fuck up, which I regret, lol, "And I'm gonna do this fast, but the next time you have to put it back in your buggy and go somewhere else."

I got it done, and tried to move her out as fast as I could. I was tired, in pain, and did I really want to wait for my boss to come over, when it was so busy and it took her at least 5 minutes to show up for a freaking over ride- never mind coming to deal with witless customers? Not really, I had half an hour to go and I was gonna get out of there, dammit!

So of course, the lady that gave me the heads up on this stupid mathematically challenged customer chewed me out BIG BIG.

UGH. All I could do for her was check out her little order, apologize and tell her that if the customer was playing dumb, then we would have had to wait even longer for my super to show up, and that I was sorry, I just wanted to keep the line moving.

I was sorry, I know I let her down and next time I hope to have more Ice Blood running through my veins.



But after that... smooth sailing, lol.