Why do stores...

[littleraven7726]

whenever i go to walmart, i expect to wait.

our grocery store upgraded their checkout system, and the first few weeks were interesting.

but the self checkouts always seem to have a problem. i certainly don't blame the employees for that.

when those self checkouts first came out, DH and i would joke that we needed a walmart vest. (we lived in a town with 3 walmarts at the time)

i have worked in retail before. and it's so true that alot of time managers send a bunch of people home when it's dead. then 2 hours later get slammed with customers.

i was lucky when i was in big-box retail. i was on the stocking team. minimal customer interaction.

 

[carolpetunia]

It's obvious that this is a big, big pain for a lot of people on both sides of the checkout counter. If I may suggest...

I think it would help if we all try to bear in mind how complicated life has become in the past couple of decades. We're all feeling far more pressure than we used to -- time pressure, money pressure, pressure to keep up with so much information and such a volatile world... it seems like we spend most of our time on edge these days.

We're all in the same emotionally-worn-out boat -- so maybe we should all decide to just cut each other a lot more slack. Some clerks are slow and inept; some customers are rude and cranky. That's not likely to change.

What we can change is our attitude. If we make an effort to smile and say hello, make eye contact with each other, that's a good start. If we consciously try to be a bright spot in someone else's day, even by saying something as simple as "Cute blouse!"... it's amazing what a difference that can make in someone's mood.

And the thing is, the act of being cheerful and pleasant to others -- even if you have to fake it -- is guaranteed to lift your own spirits, as well.

 

[gingersmom]

Excellent post, Carol.

 

[bonnie1965]

Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

It's obvious that this is a big, big pain for a lot of people on both sides of the checkout counter. If I may suggest...

I think it would help if we all try to bear in mind how complicated life has become in the past couple of decades. We're all feeling far more pressure than we used to -- time pressure, money pressure, pressure to keep up with so much information and such a volatile world... it seems like we spend most of our time on edge these days.

We're all in the same emotionally-worn-out boat -- so maybe we should all decide to just cut each other a lot more slack. Some clerks are slow and inept; some customers are rude and cranky. That's not likely to change.

What we can change is our attitude. If we make an effort to smile and say hello, make eye contact with each other, that's a good start. If we consciously try to be a bright spot in someone else's day, even by saying something as simple as "Cute blouse!"... it's amazing what a difference that can make in someone's mood.

And the thing is, the act of being cheerful and pleasant to others -- even if you have to fake it -- is guaranteed to lift your own spirits, as well.

Well said, Carol.

 

[pekoe & nigel]

I don't really mind waiting in line- after all if you go to certain stores you generally know to expect a wait. I know that the cashiers are doing their best, and they can only work so fast when there are lots of people in line. The thing that I cannot stand is when there are other staff members standing around talking to each other while there's a growing line.

Can you not help out a little bit????? Even if they can't use the other cash register, they could at least help putting items in the bag to speed things along a bit. I mean come on, make me happy, pretend to look busy!

I used to work retail. I totally understand how frustrating it can be on both sides of the till, especially as an employee when you get unaccountably rude people (or people who think they know better than you and can push you around because you look young.

) But I miss my retail job, because more often than not people are nice, and I loved being able to help others and make their day a little easier. I find the most effective way to deal with problem customers is to be extra-cheerful and helpful to them, regardless of their foul mood. I keep telling myself at Christmas I'll get a part time job in a mall for fun but never get around to it.