1. Customers sliding their card BEFORE selecting payment type. People complain that the machines are different, but here's a rule to go by. READ, DAMNIT. If you follow what the PIN PAD tells you to do, you shouldn't have any problems.
2. People who invade the personal space of the customer I'm helping. WAIT YOUR TURN!
3. People who don't put a divider down and set their items fairly closely to the previous customer's.
4. Not getting a day off that you needed off just because someone had slightly more seniority than you and their need was not as great as yours.
5. Coming to a checkstand that has no 20's, and someone instantly asks for $60 or more cash back.
6. Coming to a checkstand that's filthy (Trash everywhere, money and coupons not organized, etc.)
7. People asking me if I'm open when my light is on and I am either A) helping a customer or B) Waiting patiently for a customer
8. People NOT asking me if I'm open when my light is off.
9. People leaving their receipts and coupons at the end of the checkstand.
10. People leaving their baskets on the floor (tripping hazard!)
11. People waiting in my line for cigarettes, stamps, a question, or a price check, when customer service is open and not busy at all.
12. Customers not putting their leaky and juicy meats in a plastic bag.
13. Customers who don't even respond to "Hi, how are you today?" Not... a... word.
14. Customers on their phone when I need to ask them something (price they want on a gift card, if they want help out, etc.)
15. Customers who complain to me about ANYTHING that is not my fault (selection or lack of helpfulness in a department, price of a product, etc.)
16. Customers who come to me with several (and by several I mean 4, 5, or more) problems and/or returns. GO... TO... CUSTOMER... SERVICE!
17. Customers who don't get WIC right and then get upset when they can't get that particular product. BEGGARS CAN'T BE CHOOSERS!
18. Getting a lunch 2 hours into an 8 hour shift (yes, that has happened to me before).
19. Not getting a lunch for an 8 hour shift.
20. Only getting one 15 minute break for a 6 and a half hour shift.
21. Customers asking me questions when I'm on break/lunch or off.
22. Customers asking me if we have extra stock of product in the back, holding my line up
23. Customers not seeing "Must by 4 or more" type labels, and then complaining about it.
24. Customers who eat their groceries in front of me when I'm hungry myself.
25. Customers who return and try to get my help (buy something, price question, etc.) from the end of the checkstand rather than returning to the line
26. Customers who try to type in their phone number or swipe their card before I've even signed on or scanned an item. Does the PIN pad look like it's ready for you?!
27. Customers who swipe their payment card on the Safeway club card screen, and then say that it didn't ask for their Safeway card.
28. When I need to go to the bathroom, go on break, go home, etc., and I have my light off, yet people continue to show up.
29. Customers asking for products that a regular grocery store wouldn't carry (electronics, car supplies, etc.)
30. I love you baby! :} <--- Amanda put this in while I was away... how sweet of her :) I love you too sweetheart
30. Customers who ask me to use my own club card. You think I'm allowed to do that? Really?
31. Having a customer who needs a carryout but no courtesy clerks around <--- This is the worst.
32. Having to bag all of the groceries for a few hours because the store short-staffed a certain period or a courtesy clerk didn't show up to their shift.
33. Having customers complain about the lack of help. Don't you think I'd want the help? I should be the one complaining! At least you get to leave!
34. Having to deal with some people you can't stand on a routine basis (the regulars)
35. Customer service/the office not responding to your office calls when you need cash the most.
36. Checkstands freezing on you at the worst times.
37. Slow and incompetent baggers.
38. DAMN... PLASTIC... BAGS! Put a slightly sharp item in it, pokes straight through the bag.
39. Bags sticking to one another when you pull one off.
40. Bags not pulling the next one forward a bit when you pull it off.
41. Customers putting money on one of the belts... THAT'S WHAT THE COUNTERS ARE FOR!
42. Customers whose cards don't work (TENDER DECLINED) and get frustrated at you/the machine when it's clearly their bank or them.
43. RUNNING OUT OF PAPER BAGS! I know they cost more to make... but less than 10% of customers ask for them. Stop being so cheap, Safeway.
44. Being recognized at other places by regular customers. "Hey, you work at Safeway!" "Yeah, I know... (Don't remind me)."
45. Something like the belt, screen, scale, or scanner not working properly (Had all 4 malfunction on me).
46. Customer forgetting some of their groceries and having to chase them down (Especially when they only have 1 bag)
47. Customers who pay with EBT and either A) Think that something can go on EBT when it can't, B) Don't have enough to pay for their groceries and have to take something off or C) Can't figure out their PIN or balance and request a balance without a purchase.
48. People who write checks for a bunch of money over the total and their check doesn't go through. Checks are not forms of money; they are statements to a bank!
49. Customers who wonder why their total is so high and question almost every price.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST
50. Having to bite my tongue at customers and at my managers so that I have to vent here.
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Customers
If you work in retail like me, you start to hate people. Not all people. You'll still like your friends and family, but for people that don't fall in either category that you deal with at work, you just start to lose hope for the human race. You start developing stereotypes for certain races, ages, and genders. You can't help but feel disdain and sheer disappointment when a repeat customer (that you don't like) comes through your line.
I hate it when people question prices. We have a screen at work (like most large retail establishments) where people can see the items as they're being rung up. This happens literally every time I work, and I don't use the word "literally" too liberally. They will question a price, and it's one of three things. 1) They couldn't see the sale price come off (idiot) and should just stick to looking at their receipt, which I tell people is a hell of a lot easier to read. 2) The price didn't come off like they thought, usually forcing me to do a price check. These price checks usually result in people not being able to read price tags, like "Must Buy 4".
But it's not just the questions about prices. It's their peculiarity that bothers me. The lady that always requests paper in plastic. The guy who always asks for double paper, shortening our paper bag supply. The customers who (if you don't have a bagger and they have a large order) don't help you load a single bag into their cart. Customers who stand at the end of your checkstand scrutinizing and glossing over detail on their receipt, assuming you, the cashier, got something wrong because THEIR total was higher than they expected. Oh, and the customers who complain that something, or groceries in general, are expensive. One, it's called inflation, and two, you obviously didn't do a good job of shopping if your total is so high and your cart not that full.
I'm fortunate that I am such a patient person. Perhaps not with my friends and family, but at work in a professional environment I have the patience of a saint, and I have been told that more than once by people. There are certain customers that I would love to just switch places with and see how they like it. Oh, and if you ever come to my line in a bad mood, don't expect much sympathy or good service. People have bad days, and frankly, we're not your therapist so we don't need to hear about it. We're just one of the few people you might breeze by that day, and if your day happens to include something negative, we don't need to hear it. It's literally a waste of your time, it won't make you feel better, and you just made someone else feel worse, too.
I hate to say this, but seeing as this is my uncensored and unfiltered blog, I'm going to. There are certain customers, that, given the opportunity and if I was told there wouldn't be any possibility of any repercussions or consequences, I would beat the crap out of. There are some I'd just like to scream at, but there are certainly some I'd like to take a punch or two at. I don't care if you're an old lady. If you're going to be a bitch to me, I'm going to wish you go to hell when you die. There's this one old lady I've seen only about a half dozen times or so in my five years of working at Safeway. She's obviously had a stroke, seeing as half of her face appears to be frozen. She is by far, the rudest elderly woman I've ever met. She's sworn in front of me, and yelled at me for bagging two 64 oz drinks together. I swear, if she ever goes through my line again and is rude in an uncalled-for manner, I am going to let her hear it. I've never blown my top with a customer, but there are a select few that I might do it for given certain circumstances.
So customers, I conclude with this: I don't look forward to my job and I don't look forward to helping you. (Well, the select few people I know outside of work are ok :) ) But if I only know you through Safeway, I don't really care to know you any more. We checkers look on every customer as if they are a tiny reason we're tired and/or unhappy. We do our job because the big guys upstairs pay us little as they can get away with because we need to get by in life. We don't need you assholes making it any harder for us. *Drops Mic*
I hate it when people question prices. We have a screen at work (like most large retail establishments) where people can see the items as they're being rung up. This happens literally every time I work, and I don't use the word "literally" too liberally. They will question a price, and it's one of three things. 1) They couldn't see the sale price come off (idiot) and should just stick to looking at their receipt, which I tell people is a hell of a lot easier to read. 2) The price didn't come off like they thought, usually forcing me to do a price check. These price checks usually result in people not being able to read price tags, like "Must Buy 4".
But it's not just the questions about prices. It's their peculiarity that bothers me. The lady that always requests paper in plastic. The guy who always asks for double paper, shortening our paper bag supply. The customers who (if you don't have a bagger and they have a large order) don't help you load a single bag into their cart. Customers who stand at the end of your checkstand scrutinizing and glossing over detail on their receipt, assuming you, the cashier, got something wrong because THEIR total was higher than they expected. Oh, and the customers who complain that something, or groceries in general, are expensive. One, it's called inflation, and two, you obviously didn't do a good job of shopping if your total is so high and your cart not that full.
I'm fortunate that I am such a patient person. Perhaps not with my friends and family, but at work in a professional environment I have the patience of a saint, and I have been told that more than once by people. There are certain customers that I would love to just switch places with and see how they like it. Oh, and if you ever come to my line in a bad mood, don't expect much sympathy or good service. People have bad days, and frankly, we're not your therapist so we don't need to hear about it. We're just one of the few people you might breeze by that day, and if your day happens to include something negative, we don't need to hear it. It's literally a waste of your time, it won't make you feel better, and you just made someone else feel worse, too.
I hate to say this, but seeing as this is my uncensored and unfiltered blog, I'm going to. There are certain customers, that, given the opportunity and if I was told there wouldn't be any possibility of any repercussions or consequences, I would beat the crap out of. There are some I'd just like to scream at, but there are certainly some I'd like to take a punch or two at. I don't care if you're an old lady. If you're going to be a bitch to me, I'm going to wish you go to hell when you die. There's this one old lady I've seen only about a half dozen times or so in my five years of working at Safeway. She's obviously had a stroke, seeing as half of her face appears to be frozen. She is by far, the rudest elderly woman I've ever met. She's sworn in front of me, and yelled at me for bagging two 64 oz drinks together. I swear, if she ever goes through my line again and is rude in an uncalled-for manner, I am going to let her hear it. I've never blown my top with a customer, but there are a select few that I might do it for given certain circumstances.
So customers, I conclude with this: I don't look forward to my job and I don't look forward to helping you. (Well, the select few people I know outside of work are ok :) ) But if I only know you through Safeway, I don't really care to know you any more. We checkers look on every customer as if they are a tiny reason we're tired and/or unhappy. We do our job because the big guys upstairs pay us little as they can get away with because we need to get by in life. We don't need you assholes making it any harder for us. *Drops Mic*
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