Whe I was working at a grocery store, I always HATED when people insisted on bagging their own groceries, because they just got in my way. I prided myself on being able to pack a bag very well, so I would always organize a customer’s groceries on the belt, or at least scan them in the best order to be packed. I knew what fit where in what type of bag, and I could do it damn fast. Customers, on the other hand, like to think they know what they’re doing, but instead often tend to just fumble around, leave three bags open on the counter while they play musical chairs, thus slowing down the scanning process, and just annoy me in general.
Plus, it’s often a way for them to try and snag as many paper bags as they can (I don’t know why, but for some reason, people thought the paper bags at our store were the most amazing thing in the world because “They had handles!” What amazes some people).
What I DID appreciate, was when people would take their groceries out of the little carrying basket. Nothing pissed me off more then people just putting it on the belt, then standing there waiting while I finished the person in front of them. Especially when they had very few items. Now that was just lazy and rude, in my opinion.
If you really want to help out, just get your bags out of the way as fast as possible, but leave the packing to the cashier/bagger.
That always miffed me too El Elvis… I always just stopped the belt and tipped the little basket on its side. Oops you had eggs… too bad
The baggers around here seem obsessed with making me leave with the largest plastic bag/item ratio they possibly can. Paper bags are non existant. They put the hot rotissere chicken I bought for lunch in with my frozen stuff! The mind boggles at the leap of logic that took! If they do pack for me I end up repacking everything before I put it in the van if it is particularly horrendous.
One time I bought a box of cake mix, can o frosting, dozen eggs, and a newspaper… this needed 2 bags!
When I lived in Milwaukee, it was rare to have anyone bagging for you - everyone was expected to bag their own groceries. Lots of the stores even have special belts for this with a divider down the middle and a swinging arm at the top so that when the cashier is finished with you, s/he swings the arm over and starts with the next customer while you finish bagging - the arm ensures that the other customer’s groceries are sent down the other side and keeps them separate from yours.
Here in the South, I notice that self-checkout has become more and more popular. Most of the groceries have at least one or two self-checkout kiosks and we’re expected to bag our own there as well.
Around here you can bag your own stuff at the A&P, but at the Pathmark they bag it for you unless you go to a line specifically labelled “bag your own” where they put the older/handicapped cashiers that can’t much anything, generally.
And at Aldi (which I LOVE), not only do they not BAG for you, they don’t even give you the bags when you purchase- you either have to pay extra for them, or bring your own (which is what 95% of the people do). Not to mention they never have to have anyone go out into the parking lot and get carts because they make you put a quarter in a slot in the cart initially (carts are locked to the cart return) which you then get back when you take it to the cart return in front of the store. The parking lot there is the best because there are NEVER the strewn about carts like you see at most major groceries blocking half the open spaces.
I think it differs by the store, too. I work at a natural foods grocery store, and we have a lot of customers who will bring in their own canvas shopping bags, or customers who are taking the bus or their bike and need their groceries packed just so, so our store is set up to make it quite easy for the customer to bag thier own groceries. And since we don’t have dedicated baggers, and sometimes don’t have enough clerks to have one come and bag, I LOVE it when the customer helps to bag, especially if we are busy and the lines are long.
Also, it doesn’t bother me if the customer doesn’t unload their little basket. I guess it might be quicker to scan things if they did, but I’d rather they just set the basket down and go down to the other end of the tills and start bagging. Maybe it’s just the way my store is set up, but the whole process seems to go a lot faster that way.
I wouldnt mind bagging my own groceries, except I never get enough where it would save time to move to the bagging area, then back to swipe and OK my credit card.
Jim:
so, they dont have “open” lights where you are, next to the register? I used to ask, as well, but the cashiers never responded (well, only when they were closed.) These days I go by the light.
No, I graduated from college last May. Just grew up poor, and I’d rather do things myself than pay for “service” - doesn’t seem like a common attitude where I’m living right now (Northern Jersey). They actually don’t have any Aldi’s nearby, but I stop when I go visit my parents in PA.
Oh just to keep this post semi-on topic, the Kings here always bags for you, but they’re a pretty upscale chain - the stores are really nice, and you get good service, but you pay for it too.
I was a sacker for 3 months, and I worked as a cashier for around 3-4 years.
When I was a cashier I don’t think I really liked it when the customer insisted on sacking their own groceries. It was almost like they thought I was too stupid to do it. BUT, now that I don’t work in the grocery store anymore, I can’t STAND to have other people sack my groceries. If I buy a cart load of groceries, some nim-witted high school kid is bound to try and sack them. Those high school boys always totally over-load the sacks, when I let them do my groceries I generally have 2 or 3 bags break as I’m putting them in the car, and more break on the way into the house. It’s nerve wracking to me, after I spend $130 in the store, I expect to at least be able to get my groceries to the house…
So when I go now, I usually just say “I’ll get it.” OR, I try to over simplify, buy grouping things on the belt so it’s obvious what to sack together.
I also find that these high school boys roll their eyes at me when I ask for paper sacks. Personally, when I was a sacker/cashier I thought it was EASIER to pack the paper sacks!!
Wow, it is sad what a hot topic this is for me. I think I need to get a life. hahaha
BTW, there was a recent BBQ Pit Thread about how shocked! SHOCKED! someone was about bagging his own groceries. Quite a discussion pro & con – just beware if you don’t like vulgar language; it IS The Pit.
Here’s my thing- I would gladly help pack, but I’m too busy watching the stuff getting scanned. 9 times out of 10 I find an item or two that is being charged wrong (how about a pint of strawberries for $2.58? They were on sale for 99 cents). If there’s still stuff to pack after they’re all done, I’ll help out, but I don’t take my eyes off the scanner while they’re ringing. OH, I also once caught them ringing up a sprig of parsley as broccoli. The mind boggles.
I’m so used to bagging my own stuff at Pathmark in Brooklyn that moving back to VA was a culture shock. We shop at the hometown family grocery store and not only do they have baggers, the baggers also take your groceries out to the car for you. I grew up with this grocery store, so I should be used to it, but after four years of bagging my own groceries and hauling them six blocks on my own, I feel lazy when I just stand there and wait for the checker to check and the bagger to bag, although I know they’d prefer that I not get in their way.
However, when I move into my own apartment in the fall, I have a feeling I’ll be heading to the Kroger. They have cheaper prices and it’ll be closer to the place we want to move.
<The baggers around here seem obsessed with making me leave with the largest plastic bag/item ratio they possibly can.>
I’ve lived in the same place for pushing 18 years now. My first 10 years here or so, I went to this one supermarket. They bagged, but I saw no flaws in their bagging – so I let them do it all the time. When that market went out of business, I tried the two others nearby. Didn’t like the PathMark, switched all my grocery shopping to the ShopRite, and for the same exact reason I just quoted you for, Tanookie, within two shopping trips there I started and continued to do my own bagging. By now, I’m used to it (and for other reasons which may motivate me to start a supermarket shopping thread here, LOL, I’ve considered taking my business away from ShopRite and giving it to Aldi recently).
But back to the bagging issue – when I get home from the supermarket, I have to haul my groceries through a courtyard, up one flight of stairs, then open a heavy locked door which I have to squeeze me and my groceries through, then it’s up two more flights before I get to unlock the heavy door of my apartment, and I won’t mention certain physical difficulties I’ve got. THIS is why I don’t let the cashiers who like to overload the grocery bags pack them for me. If anyone’s giving me weird looks while I pack my own bags, let 'em. It wouldn’t be the first time I got weird looks in public.
Sure, I’ll bag my own groceries whenever there isn’t a sacker available. I get enough stuff for me to get started bagging as the cashier finishes ringing me up and for the cashier to finish bagging as I run my bank card through the machine. The cashiers usually seem grateful for the help. If there is a bagger there, I usually don’t help since I know that I might get in the way. The only exception is when the store’s really busy and when I’m at the store with my mother (who tends to buy a ton of stuff at one time). Most of the time, though, I’m just buying a few things, so I go through the U-Scan.
At big stores, like Wal-Mart, I’ll just load the bags into the basket since the checkout lanes aren’t designed for customers to bag their own stuff.
I normally shop at Food Lion, where the checkers also bag the groceries, most of the time. I normally start bagging as they’re scanning my items. However, I’ve started to not do this as much, because the checkers seem to expect it now. I don’t mind helping out, but I have a problem with lazy people.
There was one time when I tried to help the checker bag my groceries and she snapped at me, “stop! that’s my job”.
I am accustomed to bagging my own grocery shopping, to the extent that I will refuse offers of assistance - nobody can do it to the standard I require and I don’t want someone else’s hands all over my stuff.
Oh wait a minute no they aren’t. I do mix up green peppers (4065) and mushrooms (4085) occaisionally though. It’s amazing what you can come up with when you type in one wrong number. I’ve gotten patio furniture (which we don’t sell) and a bottle of coke ( we aren’t supposed to have codes for them) to items no one, not even the boss can figure out what the heck they are.
I do mix up green peppers (4065) and mushrooms (4085) occaisionally though. It’s amazing what you can come up with when you type in one wrong number. I’ve gotten patio furniture (which we don’t sell) and a bottle of coke ( we aren’t supposed to have codes for them) to items no one, not even the boss can figure out what the heck they are.