Customer wanders off while I am scanning her groceries

[notalwaysright]

The correct answer is "People who start trying to put their stuff on the belt while the person ahead of them still has half a cartful to put up."

Jeez, I don't know that I've had anyone try this with me. But now that I think about it, the way I stand and where I leave my cart probably has something to do with it. I pretty much block the whole area, so someone would have to move my cart and myself to put their stuff on before I'm done. Once I'm done, I push the cart up and get out of the way. I think this is what most people do? I'm going to try to notice the next time I'm at the giant grocery store.

What kinda bugs me is at the express lane, when someone doesn't put up the divider... Mostly people have a small amount of groceries, so we could have maybe three different transactions worth of stuff on the belt at once. Even if you're the super cool college student just buying beer and chips, use a divider! Or the person with one item who doesn't put it on the belt, and lets the cashier scan a few items of the next person's groceries before saying "oh, that's not mine, I just have this" while handing the cashier a tiny item that he had been holding at waist height, making it totally invisible from the cashier's point of view.

[XCashier]

For heaven's sake, people, finish your shopping, THEN go to the checkout! It's that simple! And so is using a divider! And so is paying attention to what the hell is going on! It's your money that's being spent, why the hell aren't you paying attention?!

...I need a better job.

[Dreamstalker]

On SCO I've had the following happen when it gets crazy busy:

SC1 starts scanning, then wanders off to get something (of course forgetting which register they were at); while they're gone, SC2 comes up and obliviously starts scanning their own crap. It's a gamble whether SC2 will notice their total is higher than it should be. If that happens, I simply void off what's not theirs and take it to be filed with the rest of the returns. Or neither party notices and SC2 will actually pay for everything. This happened the other day, and IIRC the 'before' total wasn't small change.

SC1 will be down at the end bagging before closing out/paying (why people do this, I know not). The display/register will still be in 'scan item' mode...and SC2 will start scanning their crap. Resulting in 1 leaving with their groceries and 2 paying for both parties. Or 1 will intentionally walk, and the same thing happens.

I try not to get between SCs in a case like that unless specifically called over.

[snugglegirl05]

For heaven's sake, people, finish your shopping, THEN go to the checkout! It's that simple! And so is using a divider! And so is paying attention to what the hell is going on! It's your money that's being spent, why the hell aren't you paying attention?!

...I need a better job.

I feel the same way about this.

[Rana]

This right here is my pet hate at work.

Why do they feel the need to ask/apologise to me? Dude, shouldn't you apologise for the poor person behind you? For that matter why did you get in line if you don't have everything? Why are you not paying attention and using a divider? Why then complain to me if I scan everything in one shop? I am not a mind reader for crying out loud I don't know where your shopping ends and another starts unless you use the divider.

I got so miffed off one time when a family started unloading their shopping up onto my belt, and right as I got to the end the rest of their family showed up with another cart of shopping and forced their way in because 'they are together and I have to serve them because they were already in line'. I told them that this was not fair on my customers that had been waiting behind them - and that next time they tried it I would be sending the other part of their family to the back of the line and wait - because if you're not here all at once you won't be served as a party ya'll !

They never tried that again, at least not while I am on shift.

but yeah ... hate all the things above. The people that walk off, the people that don't use dividers, and especially the people that start loading up before the other customers have finished loading up their own stuff.

[crinklestein]

When I worked as a cashier and people disappeared on me like this, I would routinely void the order, clear my belt of their items, put the items back in their cart and push the cart out of the way and start ringing up the next person in line. This ALWAYS was met with chuckles from the next customer. They would always come back looking confused and asking where their stuff was. I would tell them, "It's over there in your cart. When you're finished with your shopping feel free to get back in line and I'll ring them up for you." Then I would turn away from them and act as if they didn't exist while I continue helping the actual customer. They would stand there looking stunned and wide-eyed but they would eventually get back in line.

[Dreamstalker]

I wish we could do that...on SCO we actually can (if I have the 'overlord' assistant card, some shift leads will give it to me just for that). Regular registers the poor cashier has to deal with it (only a lead can void orders, and most of them don't see the link between the vanishing SCs and long lines).

[Pagan]

That works best when the dividers are the mostly-solid plastic/rubber ones. Not the hollow lightweight plastic ones. The bit of flex in the rubbery one gives extra speed to the THWACK of the end of the divider hitting the belt, and can make some people jump... Not to mention, it can also start them wondering if the psycho in front of them ( ) might actually use it on them.

This was at Albertson's and they don't have a rubber belt. They have a rotating thing that I think is probably made out of at least inch thick particle board. And their dividers are plastic, but it's a thick plastic about 3 inches across and hollow. They make a really nice, loud smack when you slam them down.