I guess somebody failed checkout school

[edible_hat]

note: In Australian supermarkets the cashier usually does the bagging.

My fiance and I always bring our own reusable bags when we do the grocery shopping. We have a few insulated bags, and always ask for the meat to be put in plastic inside the insulated bag because it occasionally leaks blood.

There's one supermarket which we're not going to anymore because stuff like this keeps on happening:

-they put the meat in one of our bags then inside a plastic bag (which defeats the purpose of putting the meat in plastic)
-they put everything in plastic then in our bags (which defeats the purpose of bringing our bags)
-they put frozen or cold items in normal bags and dry goods in the insulated bags

And today, the last straw:
-bottles of cleaning products on top of a loaf of bread.

So yeah, we'll go to the other supermarket where, although it will cost us $10-$15 more per week, they know how to bag groceries properly.

[fireheart]

Holy freaking biscuit (apologies to whoever I stole this from). Someone is definitely incompetent. Although then again, it reminds me of a coworker and a customer. This is what transpired:

-customer wanted all her meat in plastic. Normal. Then she wanted her HOT chicken on top of the meat. I go to put it in another bag and she realises....
-coworker has stuck hot chickens with cold products and cleaning products with perishable items.

Although, out of curiosity, which supermarket? I have friends and relatives that work at Coles, Woolies AND the Drake/Foodland stores. It'd be great to know

One other thing: I don't ever do that I might be a bit guilty of sticking the cold stuff inside something other than a cold bag on occasion, but that's it. And I also correct it.

[Auto]

My first job ever was bagging groceries for tips.

I was 10 years old and I knew that soap and detergent and household cleaners never got bagged with meat and that fresh meat. chicken and fish went into the own smaller bags before going in the paper sack.

If your cashier is getting it wrong, it's her/his fault, not the store's. Say something to the manager. That the cashier needs some training.

And pay attention to how she's bagging your stuff -- tell her how to do it right. (Doing this doesn't by itself make you a SC.)

That's a lot easier than going to another store where you pay more.

[fireheart]

If your cashier is getting it wrong, it's her/his fault, not the store's. Say something to the manager. That the cashier needs some training.

This part is true but...

And pay attention to how she's bagging your stuff -- tell her how to do it right. (Doing this doesn't by itself make you a SC.)

There's a fine line between making certain requests i.e. meat in plastic, and essentially dictating another way to bag them...I don't mind the first one but I've had the odd customer who's essentially told me how to bag the groceries (i.e. they want certain items in one bag, certain items in another bag and so on)* and assuming I'm incompetent. So just be careful. If they start making mistakes, correct them then.

And what's with the assumption that the checkout staff are all female? There are a good number of guys at work who are on checkouts and like it

That's a lot easier than going to another store where you pay more.

Again, true. But sometimes changing to another store can pay off. Certain items might be available at the other store that weren't available at the first store, their home brand might be better quality, their fresh food might be better quality and if the staff are treated well, they might also provide better service.

[Becks]

I may be one of the slowest baggers ever (OK, not really, but I am not very fast when it's all to be put in *shudder* paper), but damn it, I will bag your stuff nicely. And I know to put the meat in a plastic bag first, and the cleaning stuff, too.

But what's up with the people who want everything in one bag, no separation? Do they enjoy the taste of Pine-Sol steaks?

Holy freaking biscuit (apologies to whoever I stole this from).

That would be me.

[Megg]

I bag my own groceries at the store I go to. It is employee-owned, and they do not have baggers. I love that store, I will miss it.

[edible_hat]

It's a Foodland, that particular store has a lot of problems, the bagging thing was just the last straw.

Stuff like there are always boxes full of stock blocking aisles waiting for the shelf stackers to stop goofing off, potentially unhygenic deli practices (such as people walking around with rashes of bacon in one hand looking for the plastic sheet to put it on), the floor usually looks like it needs mopping, etc.

Definitely a case of "pay peanuts, get monkeys" going on around here. (oh and Coles, where we'll be going from now on, is actually closer)

[Auto]

This part is true but...



There's a fine line between making certain requests i.e. meat in plastic, and essentially dictating another way to bag them...I don't mind the first one but I've had the odd customer who's essentially told me how to bag the groceries (i.e. they want certain items in one bag, certain items in another bag and so on)* and assuming I'm incompetent. So just be careful. If they start making mistakes, correct them then.

True.

But no soap/chemicals with meat or fresh meat in its own bag are bagging basics. Every bagger should do them automatically without the customer needing to supervise. I got it right 100% of the time.

Any customer wanting more than bagging basics had to tell me beforehand. I never took my not knowing their oddball preferences about how they wanted their groceries bagged as evidence I was incompetent. I just assumed they were freaks and kooks.

But since I was working for tips, I accommodated myself to their quirks.

[crazylegs]

But what's up with the people who want everything in one bag, no separation?

"I want it all in one bag but don't make it too heavy!"

[wagegoth]

One of the cashiers at a nearby Target was bagging almost everything one item to a bag. Seriously, if it was bigger than a pint bottle, she put it in a separate bag.

[katie kaboom]

To play devil's advocate here...

maybe this poor cashier got burned by some particularly nasty customer who didn't like the way she bagged their things and ripped into her about it. I know when that would happen to me i would start bagging things separately that i wouldn't normally, just to keep from getting bitched at again. That may have been what happened here.

[Nayeli_Sabia]

This happened to me last year, and yes, I spoke to the Manager the next day. I was paying attention to the toddler, I didn't notice at the time the bagging horror that was going on.

I think that 90% of the population understand cross contamination issues right?

raw meat+anything=bad

My husband and I put the items on the belt in groups. Meat, produce, drygoods, canned goods, baby products, cold/frozen, and cleaning chemicals(not always this order, but these groups). They reach the bagger in said groups. Tell me then, why I have raw meat in several bags, mixed in with veggies and dry goods? What would make them think that I wanted frozen peas on top of my boxed spaghetti? And why, WHY did they put the cleaning chemicals with the babyfoods??????

[fireheart]

It's a Foodland, that particular store has a lot of problems, the bagging thing was just the last straw.

Stuff like there are always boxes full of stock blocking aisles waiting for the shelf stackers to stop goofing off, potentially unhygenic deli practices (such as people walking around with rashes of bacon in one hand looking for the plastic sheet to put it on), the floor usually looks like it needs mopping, etc.

Definitely a case of "pay peanuts, get monkeys" going on around here. (oh and Coles, where we'll be going from now on, is actually closer)

Phew. I was freaking out thinking it'd be a Woolies (the staff are always very friendly there ) but yeah, I have noticed the occasional low quality of the Foodland stores. The Drake supermarkets are OK though

[Nyoibo]

Foodland seems to be going downhill more and more these days, ever since the one in Stirling got taken over it seems.

There are a good number of guys at work who are on checkouts and like it

I wouldn't go so far as to say they like it.

[edible_hat]

I have noticed the occasional low quality of the Foodland stores. The Drake supermarkets are OK though

This one is a Drakes actually. There's also an IGA one near us which is somewhat overpriced, it's basically a big convenience store for people in the area who can't be bothered driving to Coles, Woolworths or the Drake Foodland.