Being a moany cow!

Many many years ago when my children small I worked in a town centre Sainsbury’s (now demolished for an out of town one)
Because it was in the town many of the customers were older and liked the personal service, help with packing and conversation with the checkout girl. Unfortunately the management had other ideas and there were timers on every cash till. I was forever being called into the office because my items per minute were not fast enough. I hated that because I did not like to rush people, particularly elderly or mums trying to juggle baby around along with packing but my timer didn’t stop until they paid and the till drawer was closed after the transaction.

I do wonder why people who clearly hate everyone seem to gravitate towards customer based employment. Or perhaps the general public make even the sunniest person hateful! We have a lady on the counter at the local Royal Mail sorting office who is so aggressive and rude that she is now known around the town for her attitude. Several people have told her in no uncertain terms but she still behaves like a crocodile with a migraine.
No - you weren't wrong. A checkout person may be the only human contact for some people, and a smile and kindness cost absolutely nothing.

I would have done pretty much the same as Monica, she would have known how I felt b her service. Yesterday we stopped at a cafe to break up a long journey home. Ordered just two coffees. The girl made one and it sat there while she talked to another member of staff , then went and took an order, then went into the kitchen THEN started to make the 2nd coffee. Left both on the side for about 5 mins while she had another chat and then brought them over to us. I told her her to take them straight back and replace them with two fresh hot coffees, which is what I paid for. She looked a bit taken aback but rushed off and did it. No excuse for bad, rude service.

No, you weren't. Lidls are the speediest check out staff and there's nowhere for the stuff to go whilst you're frantically trying to pack. I expect they've been trained to do it fast to save queueing time, but if you're goods are in a pile and harder to pack sensibly it actually takes you longer so they should go at the speed of the shopper!

I agree with all of the above, BUT if I get bad service or badly treated at a checkout - I tend to keep my mouth shut, because my husband just hates a "scene" as he calls it!! He has been known to walk away from me , if I get into a dispute with staff, his attitude is "why do you get involved - just leave it"--we are both so different, and I feel that he doesn't "back me up" as he just wants to get out of the shop, (not just supermarkets. He hates what he calls DRAMA!!

Sainsbury's cashiers have to scan a certain amount of items per minute, and if they don't reach that amount they have a disciplinary. The next step if they don't get any faster is dismissal. Harsh times.

Local Sainsbury & Waitrose staff are lovely. They always chat just enough to be friendly without nattering on. Plus they always admire my nails which cheers me up too as I spend quite a lot to get them looking good! DH never notices.

I'm with MOnica I would have slowed down & when the "finger drumming" started would have commented that I had asked her to slow down I have neuropathy in my fingers so am slow to pack & pay.

Maybe it's certain parts of the country as I don't encounter any problems here in Devon, lovely staff & very helpful. I'm always smiling & polite, I expect the same

Cosmos. I was a librarian for many many years. I am horrified to think that a librarian would be this rude to a customer. People working as Librarians have to help people find what they want, and if they are rude like this you should report them to their superior, who is probably in an office somewhere in the building, as they don't usually help out on the counter. A letter would be best, addressed to the Chief Librarian. That person was not a Librarian. she was merely a counter assistant without the qualifications of a proper Librarian. She needs training in customer care. Good for you to make her aware of her duties.

That is so true Jacq10 but I have arthritic fingers and find that by putting everything in my trolley and then moving it to the long bench just doubles my work and discomfort. I explain before they begin stacking stuff up that I am elderly, arthritic and going at a suitable speed for my condition. In no way can I go any more quickly

Not a moany cow - I am reasonably fast at the check out myself but I see lots of people older than myself who struggle and having a 92 year old mum with dementia I always wonder whether they are receiving enough help at the till - people are so quick to judge and the cashiers don’t help especially when they done seem to be able to equate the fact that the goods are yours once they’ve gone through the bleeper and that you have a perfect right to expect them to be looked after by not being flung on the conveyor belt - I always tell the cashier to slow down if things are piling up and make a point of saying that such and such an item has just cost me whatever the price and I don’t want it spoiling - the more of us who make this point to supermarket managements the better

Luckygirl are you ok? Sorry you’re feeling fragile at the mo. Sending a virtual hug and some ? to cheer you up

Not moany at all Jane. I think it's very rare these days to have unpleasant checkout staff, they are usually very pleasant to customers. I had to complain about one once (the first and last time I ever have,I don't make a habit of it) for reasons I won't go into but I never saw him again so I can only imagine he was either moved to a job where he didn't deal with customers or he was sacked. Do I feel guilty? No I don't because I know they wouldn't have sacked him for a one off instance, if he was sacked he must have done it before and had customers complain. So don't you feel guilty, you shouldn't have to put up with that sort of attitude of anyone.

When I went to Japan and shopped there, just for a few things as presents for the children, They not only packed them but the checkout assistant bowed to me after the transaction was finished and thanked me

Supermarkets I used to use when living in the US nearly always had either elderly men or disabled youngsters at the till offering to pack bags for you. Far preferred to pack them myself but seemed wrong to refuse so ended up with a lot of squashed shopping.

The last time I went into Asda there were no baskets at the entrance. There was an assistant standing nearby, doing nothing, so I asked her if there were any baskets. She shrugged her shoulders, said she didn't know and walked away. On the back of her t-shirt it said 'happy to help. !

It sounds like Morrison's. In our local store my husband and I were so shocked at the rudeness of the cashier as she literally threw the plastic bags we had requested at us that we burst out laughing. This is also the only store where I have been told that the assistants are not allowed to help customers with packing. I have a dodgy arm which is pinned and wired, so if I am on my own I often request a 'packer'. Asda and Waitrose have no issue with this, although I think Asda are brilliant with customer service.

That's odd kwest, at our local Morrison's the cashiers always ask if I want help with my packing.

I'm no slouch but will not shop in Aldi or Lidl for this very reason, that their staff scan my goods far too quickly leaving them to pile up on tiny little ledges and sometimes falling to the floor.

The Scientific Management methods of Frederick Winslow Taylor are very much in evidence there. From what others say, in other chains too. It's quite possible they are using a rank and yank system described in this link.

rationalwiki.org/wiki/Taylorism

It's the reason I use stores which have self-service checkouts. These have been discussed here in the past and seem unpopular with many. I like using them because they allow me to scan my goods at a speed I feel comfortable with and in the order I want so that I can pack efficiently.

Anyone here who has read the dystopian nove We by Yevgeny Zamyatin will recognize that we are heading towards that kind of society much faster than Zamyatin predicted.

I've found that staff at Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons are always polite - asking how you are and if you want any help with your packing, even putting meats/fish into separate bags in case of leakage.

On the other hand, the staff at Aldi and Lidl - although still polite - don't engage in conversation and flash the items over the scanner so quickly that you just can't keep up with them. There isn't even any space where the items can 'sit' while you're trying to load them into a bag/basket/shopping trolley.

No you weren’t being rude Jane10.
There is no excuse, but I do know that a lot of people are rude to supermarket cashiers.
I try to smile, say thank you and ask them about their shift.
I think they appreciate being treated as a human being.
It cuts both ways.

It is a pleasure to shop in my local Wilkinson’s. The staff are always cheerful and helpful. Once I was late for my bus and couldn’t find what I wanted. The assistant ran to the back of the store to get it for me. They are all absolute stars.

Not at all, aside from the rudeness displayed towards you there will be others who would be totally intimidated by that behaviour and maybe not shop there again- well done you

I always find the staff in Iceland lovely. They are usually quite young and are quite happy to chat with you if you want and help you pack your things away. They never rush you to pack and are always most helpful.

One of the low cost German supermarkets is notorious for the speed at which the checkout staff pass shopping through. There was a joke going around that if you wanted to have a breakdown then go and be served at A..i. You were not unreasonable and if you experience same again continue to complain.