Grocery store ettiquette

[973beachbum]

As I look toward the end of the summer and my summer discovering the joys of a part time min wage job I think people really need to rethink their manners and what is acceptable behavior. 

So far this summer I have had hordes of people who seem to think of the grocery store line as a race to get through as quickly as possible.  I completely don't understand why people have to inch up as much as possible.  If the person in front of them hasn't paid then no I can't help you yet.  I have had people go so far as to push the person in front of them to see if they could get them to go to the front.  Kinda pointless when you realize that the credit card machine is exactly where they are standing.

But then to make matters worse people seem to scout out the place looking for bags to "preset" their carts with.  The problem is they are underneath the register.  So the only polite way to get them is to ask the cashier when it is your turn.  Unfortunately some people seem to have been raised by wolves.  I actually have had people in the line behind me decide to reach underneath me to get some from my register. 

I want everyone to seriously think about that for a second.  On what planet is it acceptable to reach between a woman's legs to get to the bags in front of her   This one man actually bent down, I didn't see him obviously!, and reached between my legs to get some paper bags and hit the back of my knees.  I literally almost sat on his head.  I can't explain how hard it was not to scream "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?!?!".

 I can't wait until summer is over and these crazy people leave!!!   What bad behavior have you seen at your local stores?

[NancysSummerSip]

This one man actually bent down, I didn't see him obviously!, and reached between my legs to get some paper bags and hit the back of my knees. I literally almost sat on his head. I can't explain how hard it was not to scream "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?!?!".

. Sorry I laughed. I wish you had done it. But of course, you would have startled him, he would have jumped up suddenly and his head would have been buried in your butt. Which would have been awkward, of course. Except then you could have cut off his breathing by crushing his neck between your knees.

Bad behavior? Too many things to list. My pet peeve is people on their cell phones when they shop. I had to give up waiting to pick up a prescription, because the woman in front of me thought her call was more important than actually dealing with the pharmacist. The pharmacist needed to speak to her about her drugs and the fact that there was an issue with her CC, but this woman was not having any of that.
FWIW, the customer was mostly to blame on that, but I think the store personnel should exercise the right to void a transaction in that case and ask the customer to move aside until their call is completed.

[greeniis10]

" I completely don't understand why people have to inch up as much as possible. If the person in front of them hasn't paid then no I can't help you yet. I have had people go so far as to push the person in front of them to see if they could get them to go to the front. Kinda pointless when you realize that the credit card machine is exactly where they are standing."

Argh - HATE this!  When I'm checking out, waiting to pay, and I move forward a bit to reach my bags as the cashier is working and set them in my cart and the person behind me then moves right up to the register I say, "Clearly, I haven't paid yet, but looks like you're taking care of it for me, so thanks!"  They usually scoot back pretty quickly.

If some impatient obliviot moves their cart up in front of the place to pay before I'm done I shove the cart back with my hip as hard as I can and hope it violently bounces off of them.  This is why I shop online and at farmer's markets whenever possible. 

[NancysSummerSip]

obliviot

<<Adding that to the Cheesipedia>>

[milee]

At least the bad behavior in your store seems to be based on people trying to get their transaction done quickly and then get the heck out of the store. Around here, half the people are retirees who go to the grocery store as a social outing - wandering aimlessly through the aisles, happily chatting to strangers and asking the whippersnappers what their hurry is when said whippersnappers try to circumnavigate the human road blocks before their ice cream melts.  The other half the people are tourists who would desperately like to figure out where the snack food is and escape the retirees who are alternatively chatting to them and blocking all possible means of exit. 

It almost (but not quite) makes me long for shoppers that are alert and interested enough to reach through a cashier's legs to get to some bags.  Around here, you just consider yourself lucky if the half dead person in front of you only talks to the cashier about the weather, their grandchildren and their 14 year old poodle for 10 minutes instead of 15.

[justme]

Around here, you just consider yourself lucky if the half dead person in front of you only talks to the cashier about the weather, their grandchildren and their 14 year old poodle for 10 minutes instead of 15.

It takes all the self control I have to not throw a tantrum like a 3 year old when some old biddy doesn't take out her checkbook until AFTER the cashier tells her the total. Like it's a total surprise she found herself buying things in Publix and having waited in like for 10 minutes after spending an hour in the store. Using checks as a whole for payment anymore makes me want to scream, but I almost profusely thank those that have it all filled out but the price by the time they get there.

[NancysSummerSip]

Around here, you just consider yourself lucky if the half dead person in front of you only talks to the cashier about the weather, their grandchildren and their 14 year old poodle for 10 minutes instead of 15.

Oh, please, don't remind me. The season will be starting here soon, and the half-deads, the near-deads and the undeads will be returning to their winter homes. Jamming up the parking lots and parking in the fire lanes, waiting for their spouses to creep out with their wire wheelie baskets. All the while complaining that down here, they package things differently, put things on different shelves, sell different stuff, don't stock what they like/want/need/cannot survive without. In short, it's done better up north.

Well, now...whatcha doin' here if it's so much better up there?

[flutterby]

Since I've just finished my stint working at a grocery store, I can honestly say I have never met so many rude people in my life as I did working there. Though I was at the service desk, so at least making more than minimum wage!

The worst were the "Gimme's." "Gimme a Powerball." "Gimme a pack of Marlboros." And the worst offenders were older people who you would think would have better manners. Every single time I wanted to say "What's the magic word" just to make a point. Ugh annoying!

And also yes, the pushy people who try to edge out the customer in front of them before they're done. Most people won't say anything, but I'd always ask them to step back until the person in front was done. That usually worked, but some were really stubborn and wouldn't budge. Thought they'd lose their place I guess.

I don't think most people are trying to be rude, they're mostly just clueless. Still annoying, though.

[Opti]

Aug 1, 2014 14:06:33 GMT -5 973beachbum said:

As I look toward the end of the summer and my summer discovering the joys of a part time min wage job I think people really need to rethink their manners and what is acceptable behavior. 

So far this summer I have had hordes of people who seem to think of the grocery store line as a race to get through as quickly as possible.  I completely don't understand why people have to inch up as much as possible.  If the person in front of them hasn't paid then no I can't help you yet.  I have had people go so far as to push the person in front of them to see if they could get them to go to the front.  Kinda pointless when you realize that the credit card machine is exactly where they are standing.

But then to make matters worse people seem to scout out the place looking for bags to "preset" their carts with.  The problem is they are underneath the register.  So the only polite way to get them is to ask the cashier when it is your turn.  Unfortunately some people seem to have been raised by wolves.  I actually have had people in the line behind me decide to reach underneath me to get some from my register. 

I want everyone to seriously think about that for a second.  On what planet is it acceptable to reach between a woman's legs to get to the bags in front of her   This one man actually bent down, I didn't see him obviously!, and reached between my legs to get some paper bags and hit the back of my knees.  I literally almost sat on his head.  I can't explain how hard it was not to scream "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?!?!".

 I can't wait until summer is over and these crazy people leave!!!   What bad behavior have you seen at your local stores?

I'm so sorry Beach. I don't think I see the worst of it thankfully.

I wish I had equally funny stories to share about my PT job.

I do have some semi-funny ones though. Salespeople who do no research on our facility

and call wanting to sell things we don't need or would ever use. Alarm systems for a sub-acute

facility remains my fave as we are always open and our needs are more for patient wander-guards

versus a traditional home or even business system.

Visitors do think we should supply all sorts of things especially vases for flowers and plastic

bags for food they bring in. The best was when a single Mom wasn't sure how to navigate

her responsibilities with her children and wanted to see if we'd let a 10 year old stay overnight

in Grandpa's room. In skilled nursing facility that does not admit children.  I wonder if she

would have asked the local hospital for a similar favor? (She had two kids with her).

[greeniis10]

Aug 1, 2014 14:58:34 GMT -5 milee said:

At least the bad behavior in your store seems to be based on people trying to get their transaction done quickly and then get the heck out of the store. Around here, half the people are retirees who go to the grocery store as a social outing - wandering aimlessly through the aisles, happily chatting to strangers and asking the whippersnappers what their hurry is when said whippersnappers try to circumnavigate the human road blocks before their ice cream melts.  The other half the people are tourists who would desperately like to figure out where the snack food is and escape the retirees who are alternatively chatting to them and blocking all possible means of exit. 

It almost (but not quite) makes me long for shoppers that are alert and interested enough to reach through a cashier's legs to get to some bags.  Around here, you just consider yourself lucky if the half dead person in front of you only talks to the cashier about the weather, their grandchildren and their 14 year old poodle for 10 minutes instead of 15.

Yep, you just described my retired husband.  We no longer shop together.  At first I tried implementing rules:
1. Do NOT make eye contact with others.
2. If you do accidentally make eye contact, keep the cart moving!  Otherwise, you're doomed. 

DH knows and is related to a million people in town and is just aghast that I don't stop in every aisle to personally greet them all!  No.  This is not a time for visiting.  I have cold food I need to get home and into the fridge.

[flutterby]

Oh, and how can I forget the people who will try to return ANYTHING. A roast they bought two weeks ago that they didn't get around to cooking and didn't freeze - umm, yes I can see it's spoiled, but no, we're not taking it back now. Or the half-eaten jar of green olives that they decided were saltier than they thought they'd be - ummm, they're green olives. Everyone knows they're salty, and you ate half the freaking jar!!

[greeniis10]

Aug 1, 2014 15:10:31 GMT -5 Opti said:

Aug 1, 2014 14:06:33 GMT -5 973beachbum said:

As I look toward the end of the summer and my summer discovering the joys of a part time min wage job I think people really need to rethink their manners and what is acceptable behavior. 

So far this summer I have had hordes of people who seem to think of the grocery store line as a race to get through as quickly as possible.  I completely don't understand why people have to inch up as much as possible.  If the person in front of them hasn't paid then no I can't help you yet.  I have had people go so far as to push the person in front of them to see if they could get them to go to the front.  Kinda pointless when you realize that the credit card machine is exactly where they are standing.

But then to make matters worse people seem to scout out the place looking for bags to "preset" their carts with.  The problem is they are underneath the register.  So the only polite way to get them is to ask the cashier when it is your turn.  Unfortunately some people seem to have been raised by wolves.  I actually have had people in the line behind me decide to reach underneath me to get some from my register. 

I want everyone to seriously think about that for a second.  On what planet is it acceptable to reach between a woman's legs to get to the bags in front of her   This one man actually bent down, I didn't see him obviously!, and reached between my legs to get some paper bags and hit the back of my knees.  I literally almost sat on his head.  I can't explain how hard it was not to scream "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?!?!".

 I can't wait until summer is over and these crazy people leave!!!   What bad behavior have you seen at your local stores?

I'm so sorry Beach. I don't think I see the worst of it thankfully.

I wish I had equally funny stories to share about my PT job.

I do have some semi-funny ones though. Salespeople who do no research on our facility

and call wanting to sell things we don't need or would ever use. Alarm systems for a sub-acute

facility remains my fave as we are always open and our needs are more for patient wander-guards

versus a traditional home or even business system.

Visitors do think we should supply all sorts of things especially vases for flowers and plastic

bags for food they bring in. The best was when a single Mom wasn't sure how to navigate

her responsibilities with her children and wanted to see if we'd let a 10 year old stay overnight

in Grandpa's room. In skilled nursing facility that does not admit children.  I wonder if she

would have asked the local hospital for a similar favor? (She had two kids with her).

Off topic, but that reminded me: I have a client that is a labor & delivery RN and she was assisting with a labor.  The sister of the woman in labor asked the NURSE if she could borrow her car to run some errands, you know, since the labor was going to be a while and clearly the nurse wasn't going anywhere. 

[mollyanna58]

Aug 1, 2014 15:20:44 GMT -5 greeniis10 said:

Aug 1, 2014 15:10:31 GMT -5 Opti said:

 

 

 

Off topic, but that reminded me: I have a client that is a labor & delivery RN and she was assisting with a labor.  The sister of the woman in labor asked the NURSE if she could borrow her car to run some errands, you know, since the labor was going to be a while and clearly the nurse wasn't going anywhere. 

-faint-OMG

[wyouser]

Remember please the teachings of the venerable trio: Larry, Moe and Curley Joe.  When checking the freshness of the peas in the grocery store...the right hand holds the knife while the pinkie on the right hand is raised. The peas may then be sampled from the flat side of the knife blade.  Knuck knucks are optional

[flamingo]

After spending 4 wonderful years in Central Florida, I was very happy to leave behind grocery stores filled with retirees who have all day to shop, yet choose to shop during "afterwork" hours when those of us that are not yet close to retirement have to shop. Yes, I understand there are more us to talk to/block from aisles/ram carts into, etc, but really, can you not do your shopping at a time that does not interfere with mine?!?! And the amount of cars parked in the fire lane, so that traffic cannot get by. Because really, they don't park IN the fire lane, they park next to it and take up the driving lane.

So, now that I'm in Chicago i thought, hey, this is going to be better! NOPE. Now I have tourists who act like shopping in Target here is different somehow from shopping at Target at home. Target here expects you to pay/checks ID/does not want your kids playing on/in/with shopping carts, just like Target at home. And no, we are not Las Vegas, you cannot take your open beer/open bottle of wine in with you.

To be fair, I hate grocery shopping with every fiber of my being. So I don't think it matters where I am, I will always find other shoppers annoying. However, I continue to contend, that if they were less annoying, I'd hate grocery shopping less 

[Ryan]

The only defense for the constantly scooting up the carts is that checkout lines are too close to the main aislse (perpendicular to the actual aisles).  When it gets a bit crowded, you need to scootch in order to get out of the way.

I really have only 1 grocery shopper pet-peeve and you can probably file it under lack of awareness.  The aisles are good for 2 people (1 in each direction) and no more.  So when 2 people stop right next to each and start looking for the Sloppy joe mix, it gets really annoying.  Come on! Just look around a bit to see if anyone is behind you.

One of my annoyances with grocery stores by me is that they want to focus on customer service and fill the niche that walmart isn't serving.  We have one store that does that very well around here and another that does it half-assed.  A perfect example is the one that does it well does not have self-checkouts.  They have people working in express lines, but they are always fully staffed and there is one person ahead of you at the most.

The other copy-cat grocery store tried to do this and even went so far as to take out the self-checkouts.  So 5 self-checkouts were replaced with 5 "manned" express checkouts.  The problem?  Usually there is only 1 person working the self-checkout and not more than 2.  

[Deleted]

What does it mean to "preset" your cart with bags?

I've been a cashier in a grocery store before and I've had a few other jobs where I had to deal with customers. That's when I first started realizing that people are stupid. Having worked with the public myself before, I'm a polite customer. I know that just because someone is polite while they do their job, it doesn't mean they want to or have time to listen to your life story. And I know that the people on the front lines don't always have the power to resolve an issue and verbally abusing them might make them not use whatever leeway they do have.

When I was working as a cashier one time, a customer got irate because an item rang up wrong. He went and got the sign off the shelf, brought it back and threw it at the cashier. It hit her in the face and cut her. She was actually bleeding. I wanted to hit him, and I wasn't even the one with the cut face.

I guess I'd better stick to the grocery store I usually shop at. I haven't run into anybody there that didn't know how to act.

[Deleted]

Maybe I look like a madwoman or something. When someone is blocking the aisle or an item I'm trying to get to, they may or may not say "excuse me" but they move out of the way if they see me coming. If they don't see me coming, I politely say "excuse me" to get their attention and they move, often with an apology. If they're old or wrestling with little kids or something like that, it doesn't kill me to give them a minute.

I read complaints about people blocking aisles all the time. I'm glad they get out of the way here.

[Ava]

There's a Walmart SuperCenter a town over from me. It takes me 15 minutes to go there. I make my list and shop once a week, either Friday, Saturday or Sunday around 9.00PM.
No kids, no elderly people, no lines.

[Deleted]

I am guilty of "inching up". But I do it so people in back of me can start unloading their cart.

[TheHaitian]

Oh my world!!!!

And my wife wonders why I drink

[chiver78]

Aug 1, 2014 14:34:31 GMT -5 NancysSummerSip said:

This one man actually bent down, I didn't see him obviously!, and reached between my legs to get some paper bags and hit the back of my knees. I literally almost sat on his head. I can't explain how hard it was not to scream "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?!?!".

. Sorry I laughed. I wish you had done it. But of course, you would have startled him, he would have jumped up suddenly and his head would have been buried in your butt. Which would have been awkward, of course. Except then you could have cut off his breathing by crushing his neck between your knees.

Bad behavior? Too many things to list. My pet peeve is people on their cell phones when they shop. I had to give up waiting to pick up a prescription, because the woman in front of me thought her call was more important than actually dealing with the pharmacist. The pharmacist needed to speak to her about her drugs and the fact that there was an issue with her CC, but this woman was not having any of that.
FWIW, the customer was mostly to blame on that, but I think the store personnel should exercise the right to void a transaction in that case and ask the customer to move aside until their call is completed.

when I worked retail back in college, I had the full backing of both store co-managers to blatantly ignore anyone up at the counter that was on the phone - whether there was anyone else in line or not. that was about 15 years ago though...sigh.

[chiver78]

Aug 1, 2014 18:48:34 GMT -5 TheHaitian said:

Oh my world!!!!

And my wife wonders why I drink

I was actually just at your old store....other than half the produce dept being empty (most of what I needed ) it wasn't too bad. nobody in the self-check lines, I got right out.

my biggest pet peeve is at the stores w/self-checkout. there needs to be an IQ test before you're allowed to use them. I almost yelled back at a guy who was waiting for the one girl (8 registers, b/c the other monitor had wandered off) to punch in his produce code. nevermind that there are usually stickers on the items w/the code, there's a spinning wheel that has the entire catalog of produce codes AND bakery and a few other things. dude had a bag of loose white mushrooms (#4645 - an item I buy frequently). first I told him about the spinny thing, and he gave me a dirty look and just stood there. then I told him the specific code and he snapped at me. in my head I was like buddy, there's a line. don't use the damn self-checkout if you don't have a fucking clue.   but I just shut my mouth and willed the poor employee to punch in the code for the asshole's damn bag of mushrooms.

[Deleted]

I was going to say, being on the phone. I generally don't do it, but I have OCCASIONALLY taken some important calls while paying. The RARE times I do, I apologize to the cashier and ask if she minds. 

Today I was at the supermarket, the elderly guy behind me was talking to himself VERY LOUDLY, commenting on everything he did buy and everything he considered buying but didn't, and everything he may have forgotten to buy.

His breath could have killed a dead moose. (Having breath like that is rude too, frankly, if you're going out in public.)

I initially felt sorry for him and thought I really should respond to him, because if he's acting that way it's because he has nobody to talk to. But I was fighting nausea / trying not to retch even turning away from him. There was no way I could turn to him and converse with him having breath like that. 

The young woman in back of him responded. Within seconds, she moved back and turned around the other way and engaged the person in back of her in conversation instead.

ETA: He was behind me in line, and standing practically on top of me. I HATE HATE HATE that. I HATE when people don't respect my "personal bubble". I know kids and some older people don't necessarily "get" that so I try to be tolerant of that, but I absolutely HATE it. 

[Mardi Gras Audrey]

Aug 1, 2014 19:17:36 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

Aug 1, 2014 18:48:34 GMT -5 TheHaitian said:

Oh my world!!!!

And my wife wonders why I drink

my biggest pet peeve is at the stores w/self-checkout. there needs to be an IQ test before you're allowed to use them. I almost yelled back at a guy who was waiting for the one girl (8 registers, b/c the other monitor had wandered off) to punch in his produce code. nevermind that there are usually stickers on the items w/the code, there's a spinning wheel that has the entire catalog of produce codes AND bakery and a few other things. dude had a bag of loose white mushrooms (#4645 - an item I buy frequently). first I told him about the spinny thing, and he gave me a dirty look and just stood there. then I told him the specific code and he snapped at me. in my head I was like buddy, there's a line. don't use the damn self-checkout if you don't have a fucking clue.   but I just shut my mouth and willed the poor employee to punch in the code for the asshole's damn bag of mushrooms.

Ughh... the self check-outs suck!  I especially hate how sensitive the stupid weight things are.  If I don't want to bag something, I don't want to bag it.  Don't stop my transaction because I didn't throw my stupid pack of gum in the big bag with all my groceries!
I consider myself reasonably intelligent and was even a cashier at Walmart for awhile so I know how to use a checkout.  But self checks just don't like me.  I invariably need an override for some strange reason (usually the stupid weight....)

A good number of the stores in our area will have like 1 cashier and 6 self checkouts.  The cashier line is super long so u have to chance it with the self check..

[chiver78]

I'll grant you that - those self-checkouts are way "smarter" than the standard ones....likely in an effort toward loss reduction (the weight sensors) but for those of us that have actually worked as a cashier, those "features" are frustrating when you're just trying to get out of there as quickly as possible.

like I said, IQ test before you're allowed in line. or maybe a Nexus card for frequent users that have already shown their competency - like TSA uses.

[Mardi Gras Audrey]

Aug 1, 2014 19:32:31 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

I'll grant you that - those self-checkouts are way "smarter" than the standard ones....likely in an effort toward loss reduction (the weight sensors) but for those of us that have actually worked as a cashier, those "features" are frustrating when you're just trying to get out of there as quickly as possible.

like I said, IQ test before you're allowed in line. or maybe a Nexus card for frequent users that have already shown their competency - like TSA uses.

LOL... I think a Nexus-type card would be great!

The loss reduction features are just irritating to me.  I'm not a thief.  The store inconveniencing me because they want to save $$ is irritating.  Especially when the whole reason they have self-checkout is because they are too cheap to pay the labor costs for a checker.  If you are that worried about loss, spring for a checker.  Otherwise, don't setup your system to assume that I'm a thief and slow me down because I don't want to "bag" a 24 pack of Coke, a 40 pack of paper towels, and a 28 pound of cat litter.  Or, when I have to rearrange things or take things off the weight shelf (there is no more room) and it freaks out because the weight changes.  I need things packed the way I need them and if I need more room, a full bag needs to go back in the cart....    

[Opti]

Aug 1, 2014 18:48:34 GMT -5 TheHaitian said:

Oh my world!!!!

And my wife wonders why I drink

Share some stories.

But not the gross ones like customers taking a in the aisles.

[Opti]

Aug 1, 2014 19:27:19 GMT -5 Mardi Gras Audrey said:

Aug 1, 2014 19:17:36 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

my biggest pet peeve is at the stores w/self-checkout. there needs to be an IQ test before you're allowed to use them. I almost yelled back at a guy who was waiting for the one girl (8 registers, b/c the other monitor had wandered off) to punch in his produce code. nevermind that there are usually stickers on the items w/the code, there's a spinning wheel that has the entire catalog of produce codes AND bakery and a few other things. dude had a bag of loose white mushrooms (#4645 - an item I buy frequently). first I told him about the spinny thing, and he gave me a dirty look and just stood there. then I told him the specific code and he snapped at me. in my head I was like buddy, there's a line. don't use the damn self-checkout if you don't have a fucking clue.   but I just shut my mouth and willed the poor employee to punch in the code for the asshole's damn bag of mushrooms.

Ughh... the self check-outs suck!  I especially hate how sensitive the stupid weight things are.  If I don't want to bag something, I don't want to bag it.  Don't stop my transaction because I didn't throw my stupid pack of gum in the big bag with all my groceries!
I consider myself reasonably intelligent and was even a cashier at Walmart for awhile so I know how to use a checkout.  But self checks just don't like me.  I invariably need an override for some strange reason (usually the stupid weight....)

A good number of the stores in our area will have like 1 cashier and 6 self checkouts.  The cashier line is super long so u have to chance it with the self check..

What you wrote is why I hate the self-checkout lanes in stores by me.

They require you to do things step by step including tossing items into

a bag before you want to. Plus if your bills can't be processed easily because

they aren't pristine, you need help anyway.

[Deleted]

I don't understand what this "bags under the register" is all about. The bags at our store are at the end of the check out counter.