Kroger wants cashiers to scan 30 items per minute

[mjr]

mjr -- It's my understanding that "Clown Burger's" prefered time was half of that -- 90 seconds! O_O

I feel ya. I have a cousin who works at a Good Taco, and he faces a similar thing. Their times are also 90 seconds. Sometimes it takes a person 30 or 45 seconds just to figure out what they want.

I will admit I still use drive-thru (back problems as much as anything else), buuuut I'm the sort of customer that they love. I don't pull into the DT lane until I know precisely what I want and how to phrase it.

Oh, I've gone back to it, but like you, I try to know what I want before I get there.

[telecom_goddess]

Some companies are actually working toward "cashier-less" technologies. I'm not talking about "self checkout" scanners, either. I'm talking about using mobile apps and other technologies where you either "scan as you go", or fill your cart with whatever you are getting, and somehow or another the technology figures out exactly what is in your cart and charges it to your account. So you just fill up your cart, and walk out of the store with it.

Amazon is I think. On the one hand I like the idea from a customer point of view cause that's actually kinda neat. But on the other hand I feel bad for those that lose their jobs because of machines. The only good to come out of it is where one type of job goes away, another new type comes in hopefully.

But at the same time with everything being cloud based and digital there's no warmth anymore, no style, no way to have fun.

[EricKei]

there's no warmth anymore, no style, no way to have fun.

Here's Corporate's response to that assertion :

"No warmth? that's why we have heat lamps!"

"No style? Of course we got style! It's our competitors who ain't got it!"

"No fun? That's what the playground and toys in the kids' meals are for!"

[MadMike]

I'd like to ask these empty suits, "Do you want it done fast, or do you want it done right?" But I'm sure that would go right over their empty heads.

As a customer who's received his share of messed up food orders, I'd rather have it take a little bit longer and come out right than have it rushed and come out wrong.

[mjr]

I'd like to ask these empty suits, "Do you want it done fast, or do you want it done right?" But I'm sure that would go right over their empty heads.

As a customer who's received his share of messed up food orders, I'd rather have it take a little bit longer and come out right than have it rushed and come out wrong.

They'd tell you "Both".

[tollbaby]

I fought something similar when I worked in food service way back when.

I worked at a King of Burgers that was franchised. They wanted our drive-thru times to be under 3 minutes. There was even a big timer on the wall that started ticking the second a car pulled up. Not when they started ordering -- but immediately when the car pulled up.

The KFCs near where I live, they'll take your order on the drive-thru, but they don't punch it in until you get to the window (thereby not starting the clock until they've already got all the food started). It STILL takes a good 5 minutes or so to get your order, but I guess they figure they're fooling the owners (our KFCs are franchised up here, not corporate). Both locations are owned by the same people, and both have the same process for order-taking LOL It takes forever no matter when they punch it in, so I don't give one single crap about it as a customer (and I don't give a crap about how long it takes either, because since this family took over these two locations, the food is REALLY GOOD. It was practically inedible before.)

[snugglegirl05]

With proper manipulation of the system and a bit of effort in learning 2 handed scanning, it can be done. If your employer doesn't have a pause on the timer, though, then you're pretty much sunk as soon as you get a slow/chatty customer or one who wants to argue about the price of every other item.
'.

So exactly how do you do 2 handed scanning?

[Racket_Man]

They'd tell you "Both".

with a Joker like creepy smile on their face

[Kit-Ginevra]

So exactly how do you do 2 handed scanning?

with a Joker like creepy smile on their face

Reading down this column with those two coming up one after the other makes for a very different picture at the till....

[MadMike]

They'd tell you "Both".

Sadly, you're probably right. And to that, I'd tell them, "If you're so smart, show me how it's done!" Chances are they can't do it.

[TheWolfEmperor]

Sadly, you're probably right. And to that, I'd tell them, "If you're so smart, show me how it's done!" Chances are they can't do it.

And if my own experience is any indicator, they'll just respond with something like, "You'll figure it out. Don't worry."

[Mr Hero]

Some companies are actually working toward "cashier-less" technologies. I'm not talking about "self checkout" scanners, either. I'm talking about using mobile apps and other technologies where you either "scan as you go", or fill your cart with whatever you are getting, and somehow or another the technology figures out exactly what is in your cart and charges it to your account. So you just fill up your cart, and walk out of the store with it.

If something doesn't scan, then it really is free

[Mytical]

I can not remember how I did it when I was a cashier.. but I was a '5-star' cashier at Wally world... part of which means you have to have over 600 iph. While I was a scanner at the job before, I was mostly a stocker.. so I really didn't scan that often. Still when I was a trainee.. even experienced cashiers would stop and gawk when I was scanning. Partly because I was the fastest male cashier, and partly because of how a novice could scan faster then a lot of the experienced cashiers. I remember some tricks.

Two hands, know where the barcodes are, sub total will 'pause', know bagging tricks (how to build a good base, how not to over bag, etc), practice the 10 key calculator tricks for plu, engage the customer without stopping the scanning..

edit : Just on the record I was getting 65 ipm, so I was well over the 600 iph they required.

[Mytical]

So exactly how do you do 2 handed scanning?

Grab one item with one hand, another item by the other, and run them over the scanner quickly after each other, as your first hand has bagged the first item, it is already reaching for the next. Takes either great barcode knowledge, or quick hand eye coordination. or both.. some items this can not be done with. Like watermelons.

[Kit-Ginevra]

If something doesn't scan, then it really is free

Bad customer!

some items this can not be done with. Like watermelons.

Oh believe me given a nice pair of watermelons, I can grab one in one hand and one in the other and give them a good scanning....