Are YOU open???

[mosspack1]

Hubby and I went to the grocery store. We were the only people in line. Then SC walks up to the cashier beside us.

Cashier: I'm sorry sir, I'm closed
SC: I don't see no sign!
Cashier: My light is off sir
SC: You don't look closed! (she was bagging the last of the previous customers groceries)

Then he angrily snatches his two items up and stomps over to our lane as we were getting our receipt.

SC: Are YOU open?!? The light is on so I guess that means YOU are open! Are YOU going to turn your light off now?!?

I loudly told hubby that I thought everybody knew no light on means closed. Always has in this area. You would think at his age (looked to be mid-forties) he would know that. He didn't hear me cause he never shut up!

I felt bad for the poor cashier that had to listen to his ranting. She literally scanned his two items as we were heading toward the exit because there was no one in line behind us. Grocery stores in our area are known for hiring high school kids for evening shift and he just went off on two high school girls. Hope he feels good about that. Jerk.

[Food Lady]

This all the time at my store. How long have stores had lights? Since like the 1960s? That's over 50 years now. How do people not get the concept??

[Pagan]

This all the time at my store. How long have stores had lights? Since like the 1960s? That's over 50 years now. How do people not get the concept??

Except for the grocery store near me. They decided to get rid of lights on the lanes. If it's not busy and the clerk (and/or you) is short, you get to play "guess who's open". Why corporate decided this was the way to go, I don't know.

[mhkohne]

Except for the grocery store near me. They decided to get rid of lights on the lanes. If it's not busy and the clerk (and/or you) is short, you get to play "guess who's open". Why corporate decided this was the way to go, I don't know.

Lead in the espresso maker at HQ.

[rvdammit]

In the UK supermarkets they've got signs to put on the conveyer to say the lane's closing. At least in the ones near me.

[notalwaysright]

In the UK supermarkets they've got signs to put on the conveyer to say the lane's closing. At least in the ones near me.

I honestly don't always notice the light being on or off, because stores generally have both lights and signs. I look for a cashier who isn't in the middle of something, like pulling a till, or dealing with something on the phone. The lights aren't super reliable, since they often get left on or off. Though, if I look up and actually see a light turn off, that would be enough. But if I'm walking the row of a 15 registers, I'm looking at people, not lights. However, if someone tells me they're closed I wouldn't argue with them, like the SC in the sighting.

[Lace Neil Singer]

In the UK supermarkets they've got signs to put on the conveyer to say the lane's closing. At least in the ones near me.

Same. Cept that SCs ignore them. Once back when I worked on checkouts, I had my sign up, the tape drawn across the lane, and was just locking my till, when this woman walked up, left her trolley by my till and walked off to get something else. I just walked off and let her work it out for herself that I was closed. After getting my stuff, I walked out the door and she was still there.

[Lovecats]

Where I worked (think Red and Khaki) we didn't have signs. We just turned our lights off when we were close. I did have someone tell me one time that I should've put my closed sign up and I just told her we didn't have them. I always look at the lights mainly because I worked there and knew this. I suppose it does get confusing because other stores do have signs.

[drjonah]

Signs and lights don't apply to SC's, they see a cashier or customer standing at that register and just assume it's open and then get all butthurt when they find out it's closed. At my store we have 2 registers, no lights but a BIG sign for the register that's closed. People will stand RIGHT in front of the sign, plop their stuff down on the counter and then get mad because the cashier isn't ringing them up but instead, ringing up the people at the OPEN register.

[Dreamstalker]

Sometimes when I'm sorting tags, etc on a closed lane I'll have people stroll up, remove the chain, and start piling their stuff on the belt. If it's the end of my overnight shift and I'm not in any sort of uniform I will get as snarky as they do.

We don't always have closed signs either; they get borrowed, lost and someone came up with the idea to ziptie a sign to each of the chains that go across the register lanes in case the chain wasn't enough of a hint. For some people it still isn't.

Some leads will put a cashier's light on before they've actually signed into (or even gotten to!) the register. I hate this because SCs pile up and when you finally do sign on--which sometimes takes longer because registers have issues and some SCs will start throwing their crap across the scanner as soon as they see someone--you get grumped at.

Generally though (as all the lights actually work): light on=ready for customers, light off=closed (or dealing with something complicated and will be ready when it's finished)

[Sulhythal]

I used to work at the Red and Khaki too, and I have actually experienced a closely related phenomenon.

Once, I was backing up the lanes, as we are all required to do now and then, and I flipped off my light to close my register in order to go back to my department.

Almost immediately, three people crowded into MY lane...while the lane on the opposite side, had 0 people, none. With the light ON. No walls or shelves or anything in the way, as we were on the "express" lanes.

People actually are drawn to the lights that are off. Reverse Moth sheeple?

[Seanette]

I sometimes think they think "light off"="super special elite express lane".

[Food Lady]

Tonight working in food I had people try to buy stuff 30 minutes after I closed, with my dining and kitchen lights off. One guy asked if I was closed and I wanted to say "No, I just like working in the dark. ??"

[Kogarashi]

On the rare occasion I've actually been at a register that had closed signs and not just the lights, I had plenty of people ignore the signs. Even ignore the chains across the aisle, assuming I had few enough customers when I turned my light off that I could even put the chain across (there's a reason those were taken out pretty quickly). Some people would just throw a fit because they walk up when your light is off (because you're heading to lunch or home or something) but you have two or three people to finish cashing out, because obviously you're just discriminating against that one person, right?

I had one lady who seemed to think I had it in for her. A manager told me to turn my light off so I could go on break. I had three people still in line, so I told the last of them that they were the end of the line, and to please let anyone who came up after them (because I couldn't tell people at that distance). This lady came up and started unloading her things without looking at my light. When the other customers and I told her I was closed, she groused about it and went to the next line over that was still open.

Two more people walked up as I was cashing out the last customer, and I suddenly hear grousy woman's voice from the neighboring lane whine, "Oh, NOW she's open!" before I could even send the newcomers away. They didn't complain when I told them I was closed, just apologized for not noticing the light was off. But no, the other woman was convinced that I just didn't want to cash her out.

[Dreamstalker]

I sometimes think they think "light off"="super special elite express lane".

I've run unofficial experiments where I've shut my light off when still signed in and idle (when safe to do so; i.e. not uber-busy).

Light on: very few people
Light off: instant mass of people even with other open registers

Sometimes at night if it's really slow, the one open cashier will turn their light off to mess with people. It's kinda funny watching SCs: four registers (SCO) have lights on but zomg no person, one lane has a person but no light. Eventually most figure it out, the ones that pitch a fit get told off.