You really don't need to do that...

[Dreamstalker]

Produce in plastic produce bags isn't a problem, I can usually see the PLU sticker through the bag (tangent; I'm starting to hate the barcodes that you can print out, as they always seem to get wrinkled when people put them on the bags...I had one person who stuck them on a sheet of paper and just handed it to me which was kinda nice).

This guy had bagged cans/bags/stuff that was shrinkwrapped already, and I had to remove said bags to get the barcode to scan (even flattening the bag over the code won't work).

Cue "Don't do that, just scan it, don't take it out of the bag. You can scan it, your scan gun isn't working." (which it wasn't; even the fixed scanner was nonfunctional a percentage of the time, that register is possessed) If you know the gun's not working, and clearly the scale scanner can't pick it up, what's left to do? Oh that's right, it should be free (yup, he said it)

[XCashier]

If you know the gun's not working, and clearly the scale scanner can't pick it up, what's left to do? Oh that's right, it should be free (yup, he said it)

At first, I just thought he had OCD or something like it. Once he said the above, yep, another failed scammer.

Perhaps if they put their creativity towards honest endeavors, they wouldn't need to scam everything.

[Dreamstalker]

There are one or two customers who really do seem to have OCD (one of them did the stickers-on-paper trick I mentioned, which really was helpful as everything had been pre-weighed and I could just scan the codes), but they're nice about it and try to help the cashiers.

This guy was either a scammer, or just a [town]-typical crabby bastage who likes to make the employees 'actually do work'. Apparently because my natural facial expression is neutral and I don't smile on command I'm not "happy to help" and need to be made to jump through hoops.

[Teskeria]

'Oh, no sir, If we can't scan it, we have to charge $10.00 each. And you seem like such a nice person, I'd hate to see you pay that much."

[BuffySummers]

That's a marvelous idea about putting the stickers on a single piece of paper - I'm going to use that next time! =)

[Dreamstalker]

I still had to put the item on the scale (one of these days I should try just scanning the code with nothing on the scale and see if it still works), but it was really easy to scan the codes...I did have to do a little blocking with my hand so the gun didn't get two at once, but overall it was easier than having to fiddle with each bag to get it flat.

Our store has a "price guarantee" where an item is in fact free if it doesn't scan correctly/at all. I suspect that there are a few SCs who seek out items with mangled barcodes (or alter them themselves) to take advantage of this...I was actually waiting for someone to play that card with the wonky scanner.

Cashiers aren't allowed to say if we suspect a code has been intentionally damaged, nor can we 'confiscate' an item with a damaged-enough-to-be-unscannable label except in the cases of truly damaged items with an X through the code that was accidentally reshelved.

[veniteangeli]

UGH When I was working in the supermarket I used to work in, I used to HATE that.

"If it doesn't scan, it must be free."

That's right up there with gems like "I just printed it this morning" (said when cashier examines large denomination notes). There's a dozen other moronic things customers say and think they're hilarious and completely original, despite the cashiers having heard the lines a zillion times - can anyone else think of any? I'm blanking at the moment, it's been so long since I've had to deal with that haha.

[Food Lady]

"You look bored; I'll give you something to do," or "You look lonely...." My usual answer--to shove them back into reality--is, "Oh, I have a ton of things to do right now; I'm trying to find a free moment." Yeah, they backpedal when they realized they basically just called me lazy.

[Nashida]

"Sir, if I got a dollar every time I heard that...oh wait, I do."

Said that many a time at uBash. Got people in line to chuckle and the wanna-be standup comedian to keep his day job.

[veniteangeli]

I flipping hate it when they say "Oh, you look lonely."

Even if that WERE the case, what makes you think I want a perfect stranger to alleviate that boredom? Don't you think I'd rather someone I actually LIKED did that?

[EricKei]

The barcodes-stuck-to paper thing works on the Selling side, too ^_^ I used to do installs and training for a POS system, and one of the best ways to deal with barcodes on items to tiny to have stickers (e.g., jewelry) was to print the barcodes for those items out on a pice of paper and laminate it. I got the idea from delis that would do that for their meats, and just had a sheaf of papers clipped to the register/scale.

[angelicafire]

I put the meat I purchase in the produce bags, but they have those at the meat section. I can't imagine putting anything else in the baggies, that would be annoying.