brooklyn1 wrote:
>
> They usually have only a couple three low quantity checkers (for people who
> want to get done quickly), but they'll have 15-20 full service checkers...
> you'd be very annoyed if you had a full cart and had to wait for 3-4 ahead
> of you to check out with only a few items each.

You must have larger grocery stores. Most of the places where I shop
have only a dozen checkout counters and rarely have them all open. At
the times when do my shopping they typically have to express and 4 or 5
regular counters. One of the grocery stores where I sometimes shop has
no express counter at all. It is a small, family run places, good prices
and is always busy.

> It's much more efficient
> for everyone (especially the store) to maintain the separate check outs.

It is not efficient for me to be standing in a long line to check out
20-30 items while people who came into the store while I am in line,
gets their one crummy item and checks out while I am still waiting in line.

I have to admit that most of the local grocery stores are much more
efficient than they used to me. At one time there was a limited number
of grocery stores in this area and one of them was notoriously slow.
There were a couple times when I was waiting in line so long that the
ice cream I was getting started to melt, I walked out and told someone
they will need to put everything back.

Dave Smith > wrote:

> brooklyn1 wrote:
>>
>> They usually have only a couple three low quantity checkers (for people who
>> want to get done quickly), but they'll have 15-20 full service checkers...
>> you'd be very annoyed if you had a full cart and had to wait for 3-4 ahead
>> of you to check out with only a few items each.
>
> You must have larger grocery stores. Most of the places where I shop
> have only a dozen checkout counters and rarely have them all open.

I think he only shops at Walmart. My grocer only has 14, 2 of which
are self-serve. And even the CostCo only has 14. None of sich are
all ever in operation that I've seen.

> I have to admit that most of the local grocery stores are much more
> efficient than they used to me. At one time there was a limited number
> of grocery stores in this area and one of them was notoriously slow.
> There were a couple times when I was waiting in line so long that the
> ice cream I was getting started to melt, I walked out and told someone
> they will need to put everything back.

That was out Albertson's. No matter how many people were in he
store, they only ever had no more than 2 lanes open (virtually
nobody ever shopped there). There was consistently as many in line
as there were in the isles.

-sw

"Sqwertz" > wrote in message
...
> Dave Smith > wrote:
>
>> brooklyn1 wrote:
>>>
>>> They usually have only a couple three low quantity checkers (for people
>>> who
>>> want to get done quickly), but they'll have 15-20 full service
>>> checkers...
>>> you'd be very annoyed if you had a full cart and had to wait for 3-4
>>> ahead
>>> of you to check out with only a few items each.
>>
>> You must have larger grocery stores. Most of the places where I shop
>> have only a dozen checkout counters and rarely have them all open.
>
> I think he only shops at Walmart. My grocer only has 14, 2 of which
> are self-serve. And even the CostCo only has 14. None of sich are
> all ever in operation that I've seen.
>
>> I have to admit that most of the local grocery stores are much more
>> efficient than they used to me. At one time there was a limited number
>> of grocery stores in this area and one of them was notoriously slow.
>> There were a couple times when I was waiting in line so long that the
>> ice cream I was getting started to melt, I walked out and told someone
>> they will need to put everything back.
>
> That was out Albertson's. No matter how many people were in he
> store, they only ever had no more than 2 lanes open (virtually
> nobody ever shopped there). There was consistently as many in line
> as there were in the isles.
>
> -sw

I never shop for groceries at Walmart, only thing they'e good for is past
date bargain critter bread, cat litter, and a few other non food items. The
Super Walmart I go to has checkouts for as far as the eye can see, never
counted, they're doubled up and kind of staggered, I literally can't see
that entire distance, but no matter which one I choose their clerks are
slower than constipation. The Price Chopper stupidmarkets where I buy most
groceries have more than 20 checkouts, always full up and very efficient.
The little stupidmarket I go to in this small village has 10 checkouts, but
when I shop on weekday mornings typically only half are open, no matter,
only us old farts are there at that time and none are in a hurry to leave,
it's more a meeting place. A couple three times a year I shop at Sam's Club
(and I don't buy many food items there) must have close to 40 checkouts,
they don't bag, they check from one cart into another, you get to roll it
out to your vehicle and do with things as you please, I buy whole cheeses
and dry sausage there so I bring an ice chest because it's more than an
hour's drive... I also bring empty Carlo Rossi cartons so stuff doesn't roll
about. With such tiny stores the sqwartz dwarf must live in the appendix of
Texass.

"Sqwertz" > wrote in message
...
> Dave Smith > wrote:
>
>> brooklyn1 wrote:
>>>
>>> They usually have only a couple three low quantity checkers (for people
>>> who
>>> want to get done quickly), but they'll have 15-20 full service
>>> checkers...
>>> you'd be very annoyed if you had a full cart and had to wait for 3-4
>>> ahead
>>> of you to check out with only a few items each.
>>
>> You must have larger grocery stores. Most of the places where I shop
>> have only a dozen checkout counters and rarely have them all open.
>
> I think he only shops at Walmart. My grocer only has 14, 2 of which
> are self-serve. And even the CostCo only has 14. None of sich are
> all ever in operation that I've seen.
>
>> I have to admit that most of the local grocery stores are much more
>> efficient than they used to me. At one time there was a limited number
>> of grocery stores in this area and one of them was notoriously slow.
>> There were a couple times when I was waiting in line so long that the
>> ice cream I was getting started to melt, I walked out and told someone
>> they will need to put everything back.
>
> That was out Albertson's. No matter how many people were in he
> store, they only ever had no more than 2 lanes open (virtually
> nobody ever shopped there). There was consistently as many in line
> as there were in the isles.


Albertsons is the worst place ever to shop in a hurry. Every time I went
there (St Pete during lunch break) there was one retarded cashier working
and she always seemed to know everybody in line ahead of me. Can we have
the family reunion in the county jail please?

TFM®

"Dave Smith" > wrote in message
> It is not efficient for me to be standing in a long line to check out
> 20-30 items while people who came into the store while I am in line, gets
> their one crummy item and checks out while I am still waiting in line.
>
> I have to admit that most of the local grocery stores are much more
> efficient than they used to me. At one time there was a limited number of
> grocery stores in this area and one of them was notoriously slow. There
> were a couple times when I was waiting in line so long that the ice cream
> I was getting started to melt, I walked out and told someone they will
> need to put everything back.

If I went to the store and only bought ice cram, I'd be PO'd if I had to
wait for a few people with full carts. I'd probably go to another store.
It is in the best interest of the store to satisfy as many customers as
possible. At time, the 12 or fewer lane would be empty and they would take
a person with a 15 to 20 item and get them through quickly. Other times
there may only be two lanes open and neither would be express.

There is always the self checkout option, but I hate it and refuse to use
it.

In article >,
"Ed Pawlowski" > wrote:

> If I went to the store and only bought ice cram, I'd be PO'd if I had to
> wait for a few people with full carts. I'd probably go to another store.
> It is in the best interest of the store to satisfy as many customers as
> possible. At time, the 12 or fewer lane would be empty and they would take
> a person with a 15 to 20 item and get them through quickly. Other times
> there may only be two lanes open and neither would be express.
>
> There is always the self checkout option, but I hate it and refuse to use
> it.

The self-checkout lane at one of our local supermarkets also offers
someone ringing the register and someone bagging and pushing the cart
out at the same price. It reminds me of when the banks offered Internet
access at additional cost to me.

leo

"Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Dave Smith" > wrote in message
>> It is not efficient for me to be standing in a long line to check out
>> 20-30 items while people who came into the store while I am in line, gets
>> their one crummy item and checks out while I am still waiting in line.
>>
>> I have to admit that most of the local grocery stores are much more
>> efficient than they used to me. At one time there was a limited number of
>> grocery stores in this area and one of them was notoriously slow. There
>> were a couple times when I was waiting in line so long that the ice cream
>> I was getting started to melt, I walked out and told someone they will
>> need to put everything back.
>
> If I went to the store and only bought ice cram, I'd be PO'd if I had to
> wait for a few people with full carts. >
If the store is crowded and it's summer I'll use the customer service desk
when all I have are a few perishable items like meat... but I don't ever
remember going to a stupidmarket for just ice cream. In fact I never buy
ice cream at a stupidmarket during warm weather even if it's not crowded
because it will be melted before I can get home... even if all I want is
like a one serving thingie I'll stop at a quick-serve like Friendly's (they
have a drive-thru), Cumberland Farms, or Stewart's. For ice cream I almost
always stop at Stewart's, there's one like two miles from my door... I buy
my gas there and I dred that their ice cream flavors of the week will be
something I can't resist. Stewart's has pretty good ice cream, they have
lots of flavors, there are three each week on special at almost half
price.... about half my stops there I'll bring home two half gallons.
http://www.stewartsshops.com/

Ed Pawlowski wrote:

>> I have to admit that most of the local grocery stores are much more
>> efficient than they used to me. At one time there was a limited number of
>> grocery stores in this area and one of them was notoriously slow. There
>> were a couple times when I was waiting in line so long that the ice cream
>> I was getting started to melt, I walked out and told someone they will
>> need to put everything back.
>
> If I went to the store and only bought ice cram, I'd be PO'd if I had to
> wait for a few people with full carts.


I wasn't there just for ice cream. I had my week's groceries in the
cart. I should add that I always pick up the frozen goods last and then
head straight to the checkout.


That place had very slow checkout service. They also had lots of
checkout counters. They just didn't have any staff manning them. They
had 15-20 counters, but I never saw more than half of them open, even at
the busiest times. They are no longer in business. The one that opened
up across the streets has half as many checkout counters, but have tried
the novel approach of actually having people working at them. It is rare
to have more than two people ahead of me in line.


While you may not want to wait long enough in line that your single
item, the ice cream, starts to melt, it is just as bad for the person
getting all the weekly groceries.



> There is always the self checkout option, but I hate it and refuse to use
> it.

I refuse to use self checkout.

"Dave Smith" > wrote in message
>
> That place had very slow checkout service. They also had lots of checkout
> counters. They just didn't have any staff manning them. They had 15-20
> counters, but I never saw more than half of them open, even at the busiest
> times. They are no longer in business. The one that opened up across the
> streets has half as many checkout counters, but have tried the novel
> approach of actually having people working at them. It is rare to have
> more than two people ahead of me in line.

There are two possible causes. The first is poor management. Someone is
supposed to keep an eye on the checkout load and open additional lanes or
get baggers as needed. The other though, is the lack of qualified help. In
some places, it is difficult to get good help for the low paying jobs. Fast
food places have similar problems. When Mc Donald's opened up along Rt. 95
in well-to-do Fairfield CT, they had to bus in help from the Bronx.

At the store I go to, there is a core of workers that have been there for 5
or 10 years. Some full, some part time. There is also the "checker of the
week" that seems to not last very long at all. You see them a couple of
times and never again.

On Sat, 28 Mar 2009 07:40:01 -0400, "Ed Pawlowski" >
wrote:

>There is also the "checker of the
>week" that seems to not last very long at all. You see them a couple of
>times and never again.

If I ever tried that job, I'd probably be in that category. You can
only imagine the abuse you'd have to take from customers. From what
I've seen in this thread, it would be more than I'd be willing to put
up with.


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

sf wrote:
>
> If I ever tried that job, I'd probably be in that category. You can
> only imagine the abuse you'd have to take from customers. From what
> I've seen in this thread, it would be more than I'd be willing to put
> up with.

I have not been a cashier per se, but have done counter service. I was a
part time clerk in a department store for two years. Some people are an
absolute pleasure to deal with. Some are just there. Then there is a
minority who are just a royal pain in the butt.

In article > ,
says...
>
> sf wrote:
> >
> > If I ever tried that job, I'd probably be in that category. You can
> > only imagine the abuse you'd have to take from customers. From what
> > I've seen in this thread, it would be more than I'd be willing to put
> > up with.
>
> I have not been a cashier per se, but have done counter service. I was a
> part time clerk in a department store for two years. Some people are an
> absolute pleasure to deal with. Some are just there. Then there is a
> minority who are just a royal pain in the butt.

I should have gone into hostage negotiation. I always always good at
defusing things with customers when I did the retail thing for a few
years.

On Sat, 28 Mar 2009 00:08:23 -0400, Dave Smith
> wrote:

>
>> There is always the self checkout option, but I hate it and refuse to use
>> it.
>
>I refuse to use self checkout.

I smell another survey in the making!


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

Dave Smith > wrote in
:

>
> It is not efficient for me to be standing in a long line to check out
> 20-30 items while people who came into the store while I am in line,
> gets their one crummy item and checks out while I am still waiting in
> line.

I sometimes pop over to the supermarket in between getting off the train
and my bus arriving. I want only a few things (bread, milk etc.), and
standing behind someone checking out 30 items while I miss my bus is not
efficient for me.

Don't assume that people who buy small amounts a) only every buy small
amounts - I also do large grocery shops at the same supermarket or b) only
come in once in a blue moon - some weeks I may buy small amounts on several
days.

--
Rhonda Anderson
Cranebrook, NSW, Australia

Core of my heart, my country! Land of the rainbow gold,
For flood and fire and famine she pays us back threefold.
My Country, Dorothea MacKellar, 1904

Rhonda Anderson wrote:
> Dave Smith > wrote

>> It is not efficient for me to be standing in a long line to check out
>> 20-30 items while people who came into the store while I am in line,
>> gets their one crummy item and checks out while I am still waiting in
>> line.
>
> I sometimes pop over to the supermarket in between getting off the
> train and my bus arriving. I want only a few things (bread, milk
> etc.), and standing behind someone checking out 30 items while I miss
> my bus is not efficient for me.
>
> Don't assume that people who buy small amounts a) only every buy small
> amounts - I also do large grocery shops at the same supermarket or b)
> only come in once in a blue moon - some weeks I may buy small amounts
> on several days.

You have a good point. It's a service available to me in the times
I'm just picking up a few items when usually I buy a lot more than
that. Probably most people who shop in that store fall into that
category. It's nice to have. If I think I will have to wait on line for
any length of time just for 1 or 2 items, I would probably just skip
it.

nancy

"l, not -l" > wrote in
:

> Far worse, IMO, than the 20 item folks in the 10 item line are the
> ladies who seem surprised that they are asked to pay for their
> groceries (not sexist, just probability, since 90+% of the shoppers in
> the store are female). She stands around watching the checker scan
> the items; then, completely caught off-guard when told the total of
> her goods, spends 5 minutes rooting through her purse to find her
> wallet/credit card/checkbook.

Not something I notice much myself. However, it might be a little different
in supermarkets I frequent. I'm rarely standing around watching the
checkout operator scan. If I'm doing a large grocery shop I'm unloading my
trolley on to the belt and then heading to the other end and putting the
filled bags into my trolley before there's no room left on the little
platform thingy. I'm usually juggling money and bags at the end.

My supermarket does have a handy feature with EFTPOS now where I can swipe
my card at any time while the checkout person is scanning things - select
whether I want to pay the purchase price only or want cash out as well.
When the transaction is finalised I just select account (IIRC - might
actually do that bit earlier too) and enter PIN. If I'm doing a big shopI
can quickly swipe my card between unloading the last things onto the belt
and starting to load bags into the trolley.

--
Rhonda Anderson
Cranebrook, NSW, Australia

Core of my heart, my country! Land of the rainbow gold,
For flood and fire and famine she pays us back threefold.
My Country, Dorothea MacKellar, 1904

l, not -l wrote:
> Far worse, IMO, than the 20 item folks in the 10 item line are the ladies
> who seem surprised that they are asked to pay for their groceries (not
> sexist, just probability, since 90+% of the shoppers in the store are
> female). She stands around watching the checker scan the items; then,
> completely caught off-guard when told the total of her goods, spends 5
> minutes rooting through her purse to find her wallet/credit card/checkbook.

I am glad the hear that I am not the only one who sees that and gets
upset. If I am paying cash I have my wallet out and enough money in my
hand to cover what I expect it to be, or else I have my debit card in my
hand before the cashier rings up the total. These old girls wait until
the total is rung up and then start the search, as if they didn't really
expect to actually have to pay. There should be a trap door with a short
timer for people like that.

On Mar 27, 10:56*pm, Dave Smith > wrote:
> l, not -l wrote:
> > Far worse, IMO, than the 20 item folks in the 10 item line are the ladies
> > who seem surprised that they are asked to pay for their groceries (not
> > sexist, just probability, since 90+% of the shoppers in the store are
> > female). * She stands around watching the checker scan the items; then,
> > completely caught off-guard when told the total of her goods, spends 5
> > minutes rooting through her purse to find her wallet/credit card/checkbook.
>
> I am glad the hear that I am not the only one who sees that and gets
> upset. If I am paying cash I have my wallet out and enough money in my
> hand to cover what I expect it to be, or else I have my debit card in my
> hand before the cashier rings up the total. These old *girls wait until
> the total is rung up and then start the search, as if they didn't really
> expect to actually have to pay. There should be a trap door with a short
> timer for people like that.

It still ****es me off, even though I have to kind of pity them. It
seems to me that they are trying to prolong the rare human interaction
they get at the checkout. It's pathetic, but maybe pitiable.
Loneliness is sad, and I try--often unsuccessfully--to be empathetic.

I'm sleepy. Goodnight RFC.

--Bryan