Express Lane Tomfoolery

[chops]

My gf and I were at the supermarket getting one item to complete my ingredient list for pumpkin pie tonight. Behind us in the express lane comes this stereotypical "hyuk, hyuk, I'm a funny customer!" SC. He has a basket with about fifteen items in it.

SC: This tray [yes, he said "tray" for "basket"] is express, right?

Cashier: That's okay...but you'd be surprised at how much people can put in those things.

SC: Oh, okay! hyuk hyuk That's okay, because this...

[pulls out three containers of Cool Whip-like substance...wait for it...]

...is one item! hyuk hyuk


I nearly groaned out loud.

[GolfCart34]

Like I said as we were walking to the parking lot (and so everybody else can read what I said), "It's people like that who are the reason why I can't work in a store anymore. Seriously, if he came to my line I'd be seriously tempted to jump over the counter and strangle him."

[smileyeagle1021]

when first looking at the title I though you were talking about the carpool lanes on the freeway (and the idiots that will destroy anything between their entrance and that lane... i damn near got killed on the freeway today because of that).

[Becks]

If I had been there for that, I would've said something like, "If you're so funny how come you're not on Comedy Central?"

[Bagga]

How about this as a response? If the change contains more than 1 dollar, just give him one dollar change.

"Well, sir, it works both ways, surely? If three items can equal 1 item, then 1 dollar can equal three."

[HALFHUMANHALFZOMBIE]

How about this as a response? If the change contains more than 1 dollar, just give him one dollar change.

"Well, sir, it works both ways, surely? If three items can equal 1 item, then 1 dollar can equal three."

I just had to comment on this! I love this response! That dude is pretty funny alright!

[Gabrielle Proctor]

I don't get it. 3 like items suddenly equal just one item...I just don't get it at all.

[donruss]

I will give the benefit of the doubt and say maybe they think that even though he has 3 of the same item, it only needs to be scanned once and the cashier can hit the button 2 more times and hit a button that tells the number of the particular item when it scans. I but my cat canned food and they do it that way all the time for multiple cans of the same brand. One time I went through the store to purchase 2-liter soda for the pizza place as we were short for that night. I bought about 20 of them and the lady only scanned one bottle. I did check to see if it was OK for me to go through the express lane 1st however.

[chops]

I will give the benefit of the doubt and say maybe they think that even though he has 3 of the same item, it only needs to be scanned once and the cashier can hit the button 2 more times and hit a button that tells the number of the particular item when it scans.

Yeah, but you wouldn't believe how many times I've seen cashiers insist on scanning them one by one. Now, I understand that there is a plus side to doing it that way (better accuracy for inventory), but for customers to assume that a cashier is going to input a quantity and scan once is a mistake.

[CanadaGirl]

I will give the benefit of the doubt and say maybe they think that even though he has 3 of the same item, it only needs to be scanned once and the cashier can hit the button 2 more times and hit a button that tells the number of the particular item when it scans. I but my cat canned food and they do it that way all the time for multiple cans of the same brand. One time I went through the store to purchase 2-liter soda for the pizza place as we were short for that night. I bought about 20 of them and the lady only scanned one bottle. I did check to see if it was OK for me to go through the express lane 1st however.

Some grocery stores will tell their cashiers each item needs to be scanned individually, such as for canned pet food, so the system can figure out which flavors sell more. I had to do that when i was working at a grocery store. ... well, sometimes I did.

[Sedorna]

Yeah, but you wouldn't believe how many times I've seen cashiers insist on scanning them one by one. Now, I understand that there is a plus side to doing it that way (better accuracy for inventory), but for customers to assume that a cashier is going to input a quantity and scan once is a mistake.

Well, basically I have to scan each item. The machine won't let me quantity it. Only certain things, like produce can I quantity. It's kind of annoying, and I'll often use the gun in that case, because it's easier to pull the trigger 20 times, then swipe a can 20 times.

[Jack7957]

I don't get it. 3 like items suddenly equal just one item...I just don't get it at all.

In the olden days, when I worked at Ames we did not have barcode scanners. So we would punch in the SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) which would pull up the price. Every item had a price tag with the SKU on it. So with multiples of the same item, we could punch in the quantity also, and avoid having to punch in the SKU from every item.

[chops]

In the olden days, when I worked at Ames we did not have barcode scanners. So we would punch in the SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) which would pull up the price. Every item had a price tag with the SKU on it. So with multiples of the same item, we could punch in the quantity also, and avoid having to punch in the SKU from every item.

OMG, I remember those old registers at Ames. Big ol' rickety registers. I think they even dated back to when some of those Ames stores were once Zayres.

[Jack7957]

I think they even dated back to when some of those Ames stores were once Zayres.

Our store was always an Ames, it was the only department store within 20-30 miles. It was built sometime in the early 80's, and went through two expansions. It was there till the end, and now it's a Wise Buys store, and from what I heard, the store manager when it was Ames is still there with the new company.

[marasbaras]

I was standing in line at the express counter at Wally World. There's a lady in front of me with a basket that looks pretty close to the limit. I wasn't going to get upset about one or two items over .. no biggie, people miscount. I know I have.

So, just before she reaches the front, some other woman walks over and hands her ANOTHER full basket. She is way, way over the count now.

The cashier says NOTHING and just rings this woman up.

I asked the cashier why she did that. She said it was store policy. Being the smart shopper that I am, I know that really means "ask a manager".

So, I did.

The manager said that they don't like to inconvenience their customers. I said "but, your policy inconvenienced me and everyone else in line by allowing the woman to use the express line like a normal checkout."

All I got was the normal "Sorry you were inconvenienced, sir."

I _hate_ spineless management.