What Do You Want? (Spin-Off of "Is this the new thing in grocery shopping?")

[PeterM]

Two things:

1. Don't allow checks in the express lines. This is the worst possible way to pay for anything.

um wait - the *worst* possible way is the person using small change *and* using coupons. urgh.

Expired coupons. And then they argue about what the current date is. And if they ever allow themselves to be convinced that the coupon is actually expired, they argue that they should be allowed to use it anyway, because they didn't realize it was expired, or because they're old and on a fixed income, or because they're a loyal customer. Then the cashier calls the manager over, and the whole process begins again. From the very beginning, because apparently the whole world went back in time when the cashier called the manager over, so the customer is once again convinced the coupon is still valid.

And the worst part is, for some reason it's illegal to beat theses people to death with their own groceries.

[Yvaine]

Two things:

1. Don't allow checks in the express lines. This is the worst possible way to pay for anything.

um wait - the *worst* possible way is the person using small change *and* using coupons. urgh.

Expired coupons. And then they argue about what the current date is. And if they ever allow themselves to be convinced that the coupon is actually expired, they argue that they should be allowed to use it anyway, because they didn't realize it was expired, or because they're old and on a fixed income, or because they're a loyal customer. Then the cashier calls the manager over, and the whole process begins again. From the very beginning, because apparently the whole world went back in time when the cashier called the manager over, so the customer is once again convinced the coupon is still valid.

And the worst part is, for some reason it's illegal to beat theses people to death with their own groceries.

 

[Raintree]

I also dislike the drag-along carts. These are like wheeled over-the-arm baskets and they're a menace.  You can see when someone is carrying a shopping basket.  You can see when someone is wheeling a traditional cart.  You can't  always see the drag-alongs because they top out at about the level of the knees.

I love them. The baskets get too heavy to carry after you've added more than a couple of items (especially things like milk, or apples) and it's a struggle to get around while hoisting a heavy basket up with one arm. Especially if your neck or shoulder is hurting. If I'm just picking up a few things I don't want to get a whole shopping cart; they are much more difficult to manoever around crowds quickly, and if everyone used them there would be a major traffic jam in the store.

[Raintree]

Three words:
Training, Training, Training.

And first training lesson: when giving change to the customer, hand them the coins, THEN hand them the bills. Don't give me the bills and then put the coins on top, causing them to slide all over the place. That kind of drives me crazy. I've been a cashier many times and really, it's not that hard to hand over the coins first.

[Yarnspinner]

Please explain to the automated voice that tells me what to do at the self check out that not everyone shops in packs, therefore, there is only me and I cannot scan my groceries and pack them simultaneously.  "The bagging area is full!  Please bag some groceries before scanning more."  And when you move two feet to do that, the AV starting whining "If you are done scanning please press finish and pay!"  Lady, make up my mind. 

Also agree with the beggar free exit.  My area is lousy with Stop and Shops (seriously, you cannot swing a dead cat without hitting at least two) and the ones nearest me always have some sort of ritualized begging going on...I feel like I am trying to get past three headed Fluffy from Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone.  On a typical week, it would go like this:

Monday:  Extremely Long, Vaguely Christian Named Church asking you to give $$$ to save their  women folk from domestic abuse.

Tuesday:  Give my high school cheerleading squad cash so we can go to Paris  (Sorry, I am saving for a trip to Rome, which I still haven't made yet.)

Wednesday:  Church from Monday asking for $$$ for their starving children.

Thursday:  Please help pay for my son's senior year class trip.  (See Tuesday, above.)

Friday:  Church from Monday asking for $$$$ to help their alcoholic men folk.

There were also Girl Scouts in the A.M. and Boy Scouts in the P.M.; cookie sales and the Vets asking for help for their forgotten fellows.  But mostly, it was The Church of the Vaguely Christian Name always asking for money and almost always it was the same two tall, burley guys looking to save women from domestic abuse.  Don't want to make assumptions but my neighbors and I often speculated on a) whether the manager belonged to that church since the group was there at least once a week and b) if the guys were responsible for the domestic abuse themselves. 

I started shopping at a store ten miles away.  They had lots of beggars too, but of a different variety.  It's easier, somehow to turn down football parents than it is to turn down people begging for the deity du jour.

[snowdragon]

Three words:
Training, Training, Training.

And first training lesson: when giving change to the customer, hand them the coins, THEN hand them the bills. Don't give me the bills and then put the coins on top, causing them to slide all over the place. That kind of drives me crazy. I've been a cashier many times and really, it's not that hard to hand over the coins first.

they should be counting back the change too.

[lowspark]

Three words:
Training, Training, Training.

And first training lesson: when giving change to the customer, hand them the coins, THEN hand them the bills. Don't give me the bills and then put the coins on top, causing them to slide all over the place. That kind of drives me crazy. I've been a cashier many times and really, it's not that hard to hand over the coins first.

they should be counting back the change too.

Fat chance.

Regarding checks. If you are going to pay with a check, please have the courtesy to have it all written out except for the amount before your turn comes up. Gotta love the customers who get all the way through a month's worth of groceries being rung up and then suddenly discover that in order to write a check, they need a pen! Who knew!

I realize there's not much grocery stores can do about this situation but it is really obnoxious. I'm sure this might offend some people, but those of you still writing checks, I invite you to move on up into the 21st century and get a credit or debit card. Checks are over.

[msulinski]

Three words:
Training, Training, Training.

And first training lesson: when giving change to the customer, hand them the coins, THEN hand them the bills. Don't give me the bills and then put the coins on top, causing them to slide all over the place. That kind of drives me crazy. I've been a cashier many times and really, it's not that hard to hand over the coins first.

they should be counting back the change too.

Fat chance.

Regarding checks. If you are going to pay with a check, please have the courtesy to have it all written out except for the amount before your turn comes up. Gotta love the customers who get all the way through a month's worth of groceries being rung up and then suddenly discover that in order to write a check, they need a pen! Who knew!

I realize there's not much grocery stores can do about this situation but it is really obnoxious. I'm sure this might offend some people, but those of you still writing checks, I invite you to move on up into the 21st century and get a credit or debit card. Checks are over.

Carrying your checkbook with you is one of the worst moves you can make. If someone gets a hold of it, that person can go write bad checks all over the place, tarnishing your record and possibly draining your account. Debit cards can be canceled, and most banks will reimburse you for fraudulent charges. Besides, a thief would need to get your PIN somehow. There is no PIN required for a check.

[cabbagegirl28]

Three words:
Training, Training, Training.

And first training lesson: when giving change to the customer, hand them the coins, THEN hand them the bills. Don't give me the bills and then put the coins on top, causing them to slide all over the place. That kind of drives me crazy. I've been a cashier many times and really, it's not that hard to hand over the coins first.

they should be counting back the change too.

Fat chance.

Regarding checks. If you are going to pay with a check, please have the courtesy to have it all written out except for the amount before your turn comes up. Gotta love the customers who get all the way through a month's worth of groceries being rung up and then suddenly discover that in order to write a check, they need a pen! Who knew!

I realize there's not much grocery stores can do about this situation but it is really obnoxious. I'm sure this might offend some people, but those of you still writing checks, I invite you to move on up into the 21st century and get a credit or debit card. Checks are over.

Carrying your checkbook with you is one of the worst moves you can make. If someone gets a hold of it, that person can go write bad checks all over the place, tarnishing your record and possibly draining your account. Debit cards can be canceled, and most banks will reimburse you for fraudulent charges. Besides, a thief would need to get your PIN somehow. There is no PIN required for a check.

I would love to not need checks, but I'm in organizations which have dues and won't take anything but checks. It's so they can make sure people pay when they say they will.

[jmarvellous]

Having recently relocated from Texas to California, all I can say is that I want my HEB back. They had excellent prices, no gimmicks, great weekly meal deals, and the store brand version of most of their items was better and cheaper than the name brands. It's well run, the people who work there are happy, and they have everything.

(For those who don't know it...and those that do...you will appreciate this commercial:http://tasteofcountry.com/jack-ingram-heb-commercial/ )

There was only one thing they did that drove me nuts: they had HUGE shopping carts.  I am very short.  I looked like a toddler playing Shopping Like Mommy when I pushed the darn things, and when I got to the register I could barely reach to the bottom to unload. I complained, and was told that they also provided smaller carts. Yeah, the smaller carts were like little hand baskets on wheels, barely big enough for 3-4 items.

So what I want is HEB with normal size carts.

I have to say, HEB really is great. I like the candy-free aisles (as someone else says they want), the great selection of affordable goods (with good deal coupons clipped right to the shelf!), and the fact that every store is different according to neighborhood needs. I know I can go to the diabetic-friendly store, the health-nut store, the kosher store, the mega-store, the Latin American store or the tiny one or the fancy one depending on my mood. And they all have all the basics, too.

It's too bad some of them haven't figured out midnight shoppers' needs, but that's not a priority for me anymore. And of course the lines are horrible on Sundays at the biggest store in town, but I feel lik that's the price you pay for going shopping on a weekend afternoon.

Oh, I wish it were easier to find some Asian specialty foods! I seem to have to go too out of my way for miso. (Though employees are generally very helpful when I'm on the hunt! Or if I slip and fall in a recently spilled bottle of oil -- ouch!)

I am really excited about moving (most likely to Boston), but nervous about the grocery options!

[Redneck Gravy]

Two things:

1. Don't allow checks in the express lines. This is the worst possible way to pay for anything.

2. Implement a line mechanism where I wait in 1 line and go to the next available cashier. I like this arrangement so much better than getting stuck behind the slowest person in the store while watching people who got in other lines after me check out and leave. Currently, its like a game trying to figure out who looks like they can check out quickly without causing trouble for the cashier or paying by check.

POD!

Our Walmart has a single line for the four self check registers, you get in one line and the first register open is yours.  Of course, this has to be constantly monitored because there is always some doofus walking past the line to be next behind the customer at register one. 

[kherbert05]

Please explain to the automated voice that tells me what to do at the self check out that not everyone shops in packs, therefore, there is only me and I cannot scan my groceries and pack them simultaneously.  "The bagging area is full!  Please bag some groceries before scanning more."  And when you move two feet to do that, the AV starting whining "If you are done scanning please press finish and pay!"  Lady, make up my mind. 

Also agree with the beggar free exit.  My area is lousy with Stop and Shops (seriously, you cannot swing a dead cat without hitting at least two) and the ones nearest me always have some sort of ritualized begging going on...I feel like I am trying to get past three headed Fluffy from Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone.  On a typical week, it would go like this:

Monday:  Extremely Long, Vaguely Christian Named Church asking you to give $$$ to save their  women folk from domestic abuse.

Tuesday:  Give my high school cheerleading squad cash so we can go to Paris  (Sorry, I am saving for a trip to Rome, which I still haven't made yet.)

Wednesday:  Church from Monday asking for $$$ for their starving children.

Thursday:  Please help pay for my son's senior year class trip.  (See Tuesday, above.)

Friday:  Church from Monday asking for $$$$ to help their alcoholic men folk.

There were also Girl Scouts in the A.M. and Boy Scouts in the P.M.; cookie sales and the Vets asking for help for their forgotten fellows.  But mostly, it was The Church of the Vaguely Christian Name always asking for money and almost always it was the same two tall, burley guys looking to save women from domestic abuse.  Don't want to make assumptions but my neighbors and I often speculated on a) whether the manager belonged to that church since the group was there at least once a week and b) if the guys were responsible for the domestic abuse themselves. 

I started shopping at a store ten miles away.  They had lots of beggars too, but of a different variety.  It's easier, somehow to turn down football parents than it is to turn down people begging for the deity du jour.

I wrote a STRONGLY worded e-mail to the district I live in asking if begging and panhandling had been added to the state curriculum after being mobbed repeatedly by members of every extra curriculuar group except Football players one weekend.. They weren't doing bake sales or carwashes just begging outside stores. There was apparently hell to pay come Monday afternoon. The higher ups were not pleased and students were told if they did this or begged door to door they would be kicked out of the activities. It has not happened again.

Our Kroger banned a certain church group after they pulled stunts like driving up in vans behind woman putting groceries in their car, opening the doors, pour out and surrounding the woman while preaching to her. Honestly I nearly got one of the idiots with my keys because they really spooked me. The manager asked me to file a report because they needed the evidence to get them banned from the parking lot. There is now a no trespass order. They sometimes still show up in the very early hours at the gas station. But if you tell the krogers they call the cops.

[SciFiLeslie]

One of the reasons I hate those rewards cards is because I don't want every corporation under the sun tracking what I buy and where I buy it.  Seems I'm not alone in this.  Apparently, there's an inordinate number of customers who give the fake number (local area code) 867-5309.

Actually this can be helpful in cases of recalls.  I always use my grocery discount cards and two times have gotten phone notifications of products I purchased that had been recalled.  I was glad to have gotten this information as I had not seen anything on the news about them.

[mmswm]

One of the reasons I hate those rewards cards is because I don't want every corporation under the sun tracking what I buy and where I buy it.  Seems I'm not alone in this.  Apparently, there's an inordinate number of customers who give the fake number (local area code) 867-5309.

Actually this can be helpful in cases of recalls.  I always use my grocery discount cards and two times have gotten phone notifications of products I purchased that had been recalled.  I was glad to have gotten this information as I had not seen anything on the news about them.

Hmmmm.  That's an interesting benefit that I'd never contemplated before.  I might have to rethink my stance on the stupid cards.  Maybe I'll make a separate email expressly for this purpose.  I don't know that I'm willing to give up my phone number, even so.

[baritone108]

But I have a stack of loyalty cards several inches thick that would never fit in my wallet, which means that I forget them at home most of the time.  Why has nobody jumped on the opportunity to turn this into an ap?

I have the keychain versions all on one keychain.  Takes up much less room.