Grocery store etiquette

[shepgirl]

No Mary, it isn't an OHIO thing. Matter of fact when we cross Ohio to go warm up we find the people going out of their way to be pleasant to us.

You want another pet peeve besides people leaving baskets in the parking lot instead of the corrals? It's people just leaving them to roll wherever and having the basket land on your car leaving a nice ding. And the worst one yet is when you really have to get some shopping done and get to the handicapped parking spots only to find them full, check inside the vehicles and there are no cards anywhere in sight - where we are those cards have to be visible if you park there. The store managers refuse to enforce this because they fear losing customers - meaning handicapped people have no money to spend in their stores I guess.

[Medusa]

No Mary, it isn't an OHIO thing. Matter of fact when we cross Ohio to go warm up we find the people going out of their way to be pleasant to us.

Wait. What? You come to Ohio to warm up? I want to move out of Ohio because it gets so bloody cold! Where in the world do you live, Antarctica?

[Catlady711]

I can sypathize with ALL of you including the cashiers. I worked for a few years at a 24/7 grocery store, although at that time we had old fashioned cash registers with buttons, not scanners and I worked the off shift so no baggers available, but if slow we'd bag for each other.

I have encountered all of the rude/inconsiderate people you have regardless of which side of the register I'm on.

However my BIGGEST pet peeve is baggers. Now maybe it's because I bagged my own customers stuff (never had a one complain) or maybe I'm just finiky by my gosh no one seems to know how to bag anymore!

I mean does it take a genius to figure out if you pick up an item and it's cold you should probably put it in a bag with other items that are cold? This whole 'bag by shape' thing is ridiculous. I don't want my 5 frozen meals spaced out in 3 different bags with boxes of cereal, boxes of trash bags and my cake mixes. I definately don't want my frozen OJ bagged with my canned veggies. and I CERTAINLY don't want 20 separate bags because the person can't figure out more than ONE bag of chips can fit in a bag or if you put the eggs on the bottom you can still put a bag of chips or a loaf of bread or something on top that won't squish it. (yes it's the one area I allow the cold to be different).

It's so bad I've seen stores with a little chart showing shapes that are allowed to go into same bags. Heaven forbid if you buy something that doesn't fit the shape they don't know how to bag it.

And to top that all off I've OFTEN told them I want to bag my own groceries and was told that they'd get into trouble if I did. I tell them, 'if your manager has a problem with it please send him/her over here and I'll gladly speak with them, there is no need for you to get into trouble over this'. Most times nothing happens because it's busy and they can use the baggers on another full line.

Only thing that bugs me is I'm not as fast bagging against a scanner as against the old fashioned cash register, but close. lol Besides I've gotten so I always put my items on the belt the way I want them bagged to TRY to avoid having dumb bagging if I'm not doing it myself. They STILL manage to get it wrong.



Oh and it isn't just people in grocery stores that stop carts in the middle of the isle to chat. I'm starting to see ALOT of that on the street with people in their CARS!!!!

[DJFyrewolf36]

Around here there are a LOT of people on cellphones that are oblivious to the fact that they are taking up the entire isle...
People who don't put carts away bugs me too. I usually end up putting carts away, especially if they are in a close parking space

[ILoveMyAbbyGirl]

I have to add, because I worked at a grocery store for three years, lol.

-Yes, the cart thing is annoying as h*ll. Even now, I work at Petco, and granted, we don't have a cart corral, people are still too lazy to walk 20 feet and bring it back in.
-CELL PHONES! Don't get me wrong, my cell phone is my LIFE, but I make an effort to NOT BE RUDE and GET OFF MY PHONE when it's my turn in line, or wait out of line until I'm off the phone. I HATED that as a cashier!
-People getting mad at cashiers for items coming up wrong. Not my fault, thanks!
-Crabby people! If I'm nice to you, please try to be nice to me and acknowledge my existence. Don't take your bad day out on me. =]

I hated working there. People are so rude.

You know what? I think all of us PT'ers should just buy our own town. We'd be wonderfully mannered citizens with tons of lovely animals, lol.

[sparks19]

OH OH OH... AND... the people who park in the firezone right along the curb because GOD FORBID they park the car and walk an extra few feet. NO they park right there on the curb so no one else can get around them to get to a parking space. FIND A PARKING SPACE LIKE THE REST OF US

[Emeraldgreen]

Here in B.C. we have to pay for our carts. At one store you have to put a quarter in the slot and at another, it's a dollar coin. It really works because everyone puts their carts away so they get their deposit back. And any carts that are left in the parking lot are quickly scooped up by people who want a 'free' cart or the coin they'll get when they return it to the corral.

The thing that bugs me the most in grocery stores is how people come flying out of an aisle as if they have the right of way. lol They definitely should be yielding for the cart drivers on the end aisles. I just about get T-boned 3 or 4 times by people everytime I shop. And because I'm so ridiculously nice, I apologize. I don't even mean to but I'm usually startled and then say 'sorry' and then THEY glare at me. I'm working on my own mean glare for my next shop. No more 'sorries' from me! LOL

[Medusa]

I'm working on my own mean glare for my next shop. No more 'sorries' from me! LOL

Go get 'em, killer. Grrrrrrrr LOL

[sumbirdy]

We went into a grocery store today and it looked like they had what seemed to be 2 thirteen year old boys there. I don't think it would have bothered me quite as much if they were actually mature and doing their job. It's a small store and you could hear them running around the store. The cashiers had to go over the speaker several times while we were there (which was only for about 20 min) telling them to come back and bag some groceries. They were shoving each other around the store, one shoved the other so hard he almost ran into an elderly lady. They were also making perverted jokes to each other with little children nearby! They should fire them and give the jobs to two people that actually need them. I have never seen anything like that before. I've seen workers in stores joke with one another but it was always clean, in no way harming anyone, and they were always doing there job at the same time. Luckily that store is not one we shop in often.


Mom is one of those people that just stop in the middle of the aisle where no one can get around. I always have to move it for her. And usually apoligize to the people behind us.

[Catlady711]

Worst one I ever saw?

I was checking out at a store and the entire time the CASHIER was on the cell phone. I had to lean over to see her display just to find out my total. She never once acknowledged me.

[jennielynn1970]

We went into a grocery store today and it looked like they had what seemed to be 2 thirteen year old boys there. I don't think it would have bothered me quite as much if they were actually mature and doing their job. It's a small store and you could hear them running around the store. The cashiers had to go over the speaker several times while we were there (which was only for about 20 min) telling them to come back and bag some groceries. They were shoving each other around the store, one shoved the other so hard he almost ran into an elderly lady. They were also making perverted jokes to each other with little children nearby! They should fire them and give the jobs to two people that actually need them. I have never seen anything like that before. I've seen workers in stores joke with one another but it was always clean, in no way harming anyone, and they were always doing there job at the same time. Luckily that store is not one we shop in often.

That's management not doing their job. They should tell the kids to either do their jobs, watch their language, or leave for the day. If they can't do that when they are there, then they should find another job, or if they're 13, mature a little more and then get a job. Some of our baggers are younger kids, like 16, and they are goofy, but they are definitely kept on top of. We're all discouraged of talking while working. Sometimes if it's late at night, and it's more relaxed and no one has anyone in the lines, we'll chat a bit, but usually there is someone there. We're a 24/7 grocery store, and we're by a few colleges, so we get a lot of business. Haven't done an overnight yet, but I know if they aren't busy they do stocking upfront, cleaning and stuff.

[Pam]

Here in B.C. we have to pay for our carts. At one store you have to put a quarter in the slot and at another, it's a dollar coin. It really works because everyone puts their carts away so they get their deposit back. And any carts that are left in the parking lot are quickly scooped up by people who want a 'free' cart or the coin they'll get when they return it to the corral.

There is a Shop Rite about two miles from me that does that and I think it is a terrific idea. The little slot only accepts quarters so you have to make sure you have the correct change before you go shopping. I now keep a quarter in my console just for shopping and I get it back when I am finished shopping if I return the cart.

Getting back to Medusa's first post, I would have had to look and see what book that girl was reading! It must have been quite good to hold her attention like that. I would have to go out and buy it!

[Daisy and Delilah]

The thing that bugs me the most in grocery stores is how people come flying out of an aisle as if they have the right of way. lol They definitely should be yielding for the cart drivers on the end aisles. I just about get T-boned 3 or 4 times by people everytime I shop. And because I'm so ridiculously nice, I apologize. I don't even mean to but I'm usually startled and then say 'sorry' and then THEY glare at me. I'm working on my own mean glare for my next shop. No more 'sorries' from me! LOL

I love this thread. It's about time somebody brought this up. Thank you, Mary. I agree with everything that's been said. However, the above quote has been something that's plagued me for a long time!! Ok....so you feel it's okay to cut me off and plow forward without any consideration to getting out of my way. Who ever said which one of us has the right of way?? When I go to the stores, it seems like I'm always the one that doesn't have the right of way, as well.
Thank you Emerald Green for pointing this out. I am also the one that apologises and the other person never says anything to me like it actually was my fault to almost "accidentally" go in front of them. They run me over and I feel bad?? It's insane isn't it??

The question I always ask........what in the world would these cell phone users have done if they grew up in the 60's and 70's(Oops--I think some of them did)? A lack of a phone in my hand didn't bother me then and it doesn't now. I realize there are some emergency calls and urgent calls going on but certainly not all of them. In fact, most of them seem to be idle chit chat. It amazes me that the grocery stores are havens for cell phone use. I still don't have a problem with it as long as they're being responsible in looking where they're going and paying attention to what's around them. Unfortunately, I don't see much of that.

[NoahsMommy]

And because I'm so ridiculously nice, I apologize. I don't even mean to but I'm usually startled and then say 'sorry' and then THEY glare at me.

HA HA!! Thats me too! I walk away thinking, "what the heck? Why did I apologize!!??! That lady was the one that nearly ran ME down!!"

My peeves:

The grocery bag thing too. I always put my items together how I'd like them bagged: dry with dry, wet with wet, warm with warm, cans with cans, produce with produce, forzen with frozen and light with light/breakables
Then, its takes 5 minutes for the bagger to get there and my system's all screwed up!!! I used to BE a bagger and that's how I bagged!! I mean, come on, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to bag groceries correctly!

And the asking if we need help to the car thing? Um, there are 2 of us and 1 bag....yea, sure, walk me out and hold my bag, and my purse for me too. In fact, want to come home and put this stuff away for me too??? When I was a bagger, we asked people if they needed help, IF THEY NEEDED HELP! Do their brains fall out when they enter work???

The carts. I will always get my cats from the parking lot - I will never understand the laziness of not putting a cart AT LEAST in the cart corral thingy. I used to be a bagger, and therefore a cart chaser, so I have the utmost sympathy!!!

Carts part 2: how about when someone goes through the line with a cart and then once bagged, they grab the bags ONLY and leave the cart there. Hello??? Put that where you got it!!

While again, I was a high school girl bagger with some cute hottie boy checkers, I would at the very least, acknowledge my customers!!! Now, the bagger and the checkers ramble on and on and flirt and laugh and barely notice your existance. Ugh, rude!!

[jennielynn1970]

My peeves:

The grocery bag thing too. I always put my items together how I'd like them bagged: dry with dry, wet with wet, warm with warm, cans with cans, produce with produce, forzen with frozen and light with light/breakables
Then, its takes 5 minutes for the bagger to get there and my system's all screwed up!!! I used to BE a bagger and that's how I bagged!! I mean, come on, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to bag groceries correctly!

And the asking if we need help to the car thing? Um, there are 2 of us and 1 bag....yea, sure, walk me out and hold my bag, and my purse for me too. In fact, want to come home and put this stuff away for me too??? When I was a bagger, we asked people if they needed help, IF THEY NEEDED HELP! Do their brains fall out when they enter work???

Carts part 2: how about when someone goes through the line with a cart and then once bagged, they grab the bags ONLY and leave the cart there. Hello??? Put that where you got it!!

While again, I was a high school girl bagger with some cute hottie boy checkers, I would at the very least, acknowledge my customers!!! Now, the bagger and the checkers ramble on and on and flirt and laugh and barely notice your existance. Ugh, rude!!

If I've ever asked someone if they needed help to their car with things, it's been someone who has a loaded cart, is elderly or maybe has a child and ton of bags in their cart. I ask who I think may need help. I don't ask everyone, and I don't always ask what management tells me to ask when it seems like a redundant question, or a moot point. I'm not a machine who is going to spew out stuff just because they say we should. If it seems applicable, I do. If it's not, I don't. So far there haven't been any issues with that.

We do have a few baggers who are special needs, and some of them do take time to do the bagging. There are a few baggers I work well with, and they are the ones who are not chatty with me while working. When they are chatty, I can't concentrate, and then I end up not paying attention to what I'm doing and make mistakes. I don't like making mistakes, so I'd rather have no bagger at all, or a bagger who doesn't just stand around and talk all the time.

I think bagging items is kind of a logical task. It's not like it's rocket science. Bag what goes together, together. Cold with cold, cans with cans, raw meat with raw meat, chemical with chemical. Don't overload the bag. I do get some people who tell me to either make it all fit in two bags (umm... yikes! when I see their order), or make it light (usually the elderly, and I have no problem with that at all), or you'll get the ones who want to bag all on their own and they bag anything with everything. Raw chicken with the fruits and veggies, the bananas with the canned stuff.

Many times I've offered to have a bagger get someone a new loaf of bread because it was mushed by the time it got to the check out line. I have a method to my madness when I shop, and I get my bread and eggs last, but that's just me.

Leaving the carts blocking my lane gets me annoyed. It hasn't happened much, but the last time it was one of those carts with the "car" at the front for the kids to sit in. There were two young women shopping with their kids, and they only got a couple things and they left both of them in my lane and were starting to leave so I did stop them and said "Oh, I think you forgot your carts, they're still in my lane." The one looked a bit embarrassed and mumbled that they just forgot about them, and the other girl just said they didn't want them and she walked out. Yeah... nice.

I had another girl give me attitude the other day because I wasn't clairvoyant and didn't see that she was paying with a foodstamps card. If I'm ringing your stuff up, and you're swiping a card and I can't see what card it is, how am I supposed to know?? Should I just judge by the way a person looks and think "oh, that's a foodstamps person/family"??? The computer gave some line about mismatch of payment, and so I asked if she used American Express, because we don't accept that. "No, it was foodstamps!" Very loud, very pissed off. Um... I didn't see that, and you don't have to yell it at me. I don't ever try to point out someone using foodstamps, or try to make them feel embarrassed, and as I said, I'm not clairvoyant and can't just see through the card reader to what you just used when I'm in the middle of ringing up items. Just flash me the card when I give you the total, and I know what you're using, and we're all cool, and we're done.


I did have another "test" last night from the one front end manager. We have to treat them like a customer, ask them if they brought their bonus card and any coupons. Would like to try my pick of the week (which I never ask, cause if you want to buy it, you'll pick it up). He sat on the handrail and put his feet up by my register. I asked him to get off because it was a hazard to his well being. He laughed at me, and I said, "What??? I'd say that to a customer." and he says, "Yeah, you would, knowing you." Sorry, but if a customer would do something that could potentially injure them, I'll ask them to not do it, or something like that. Kids climbing on the bagging shelf, banging on the registers that aren't being used.

Eh... I'm sure there will be more to come, lol. Glad I had off tonight, lol.