Problems Within

As a cashier, you get some horrible people coming through your line.  But that's another post.  Today, I'd like to mention a few of the problems plaguing the industry, even to the point of decreased productivity.

1. Bad Bosses

This is true of any workplace, not just in a retail situation. Bad bosses get in the way of productive work, as well as refusing to do much of their own.

At least they seemed to like him.

 I've had bosses of all kinds, having been a cashier for way too long while I work on higher education.  Unfortunately, the boss I had the longest was the worst.  She got fired after the cashiers were privately asked to take a survey and express our opinions of our staff.  Perhaps a corporation of the people can exist.

2. Bad Coworkers

We've all had that coworker.  The gossip.  The texter.  The lazy one.  The complainer.  Hell, you might even BE one of those people.  But without these specific people, the day would run much more smoothly, and things would get done with much less drama.

Sometimes, it feels the same.

3. Those $(%*&# Plastic Bags

The plastic bags that many people are forced to use tend to stick together and come off in chunks, rather than one at a time, either taking a lot of time to separate them or getting thrown away.  We spend so much time fussing over making these bags work and unstick that we really waste a lot of otherwise useful time and energy just standing and pulling bags apart.  Assuming we don't get aggravated and trash them.

Either way, they create a massive amount of waste, whether it be time or material, unlike cloth bags.

4. Those $(%*&# Cloth Bags

Cloth bags are often purchased with the best of intentions, but most of the time, customers forget them.  Or, if they brought them, they bring too few or have a special preference that makes things difficult, and plastic bags still end up being used.  Shockingly enough, they waste more time, more money, and just as many plastic bags as before unless the person using them is really on their toes about grabbing them.

5. Coupons/Advertised Discounts that Just Don't Work

Don't forget the thirty different conditions that go along with it and is only in the teeny tiny print!

Let's get one thing straight: I am a human punching bag for all of the verbal insults that could possibly be hurled at someone.  If I retort, I'm the one who's ass is on the line for it.

This means that it must be a good idea to make sure that any coupons attached directly to items work, or, barring this measure, that at least the ads in the circular work.  Of course not, though.  If that was the way things worked, it'd be way too easy.  Instead, I get yelled at while my overworked supervising staff takes time from their customers and tasks to either override the system or find SOME way of making it all work.  In the end, no one is really happy, and I still have to apologize.*

*I would like to note here that many of my customers have taken these sorts of setbacks with good humor and grace, and they are my heroes.  I'm not a patient person, but I'm always really grateful when they are.

MORAL OF THE STORY:  You, dear and valued customer, aren't the only thing bringing down my day.