Originally Posted by
genejockey
These days the thing that slows the line for me is almost never the checker. It's usually the customer. Like the lady the other day, who was buying two sets of groceries, because she was helping a friend, but she herself was rather muddled about which was whose and which money in her purse went with which, and what bag they should go in. And then after she'd settled both, decided she wanted a couple of the candy canes they have at the checkstand, which the clerk had to ring up. Or the folks who wait till the very end to even pull their money out to pay, and then they have to fiddle with it endlessly. Or the the ones who buy 3 or 4 exotic fruits or veggies and the clerk doesn't know what they are to look up the code and the customer doesn't remember either.
I go to Food For Less. You bag your own stuff and there are 2 conveyors so 2 customers can be bagging at the same time. Any cashier can ring up your order faster than you can use the card reader and bag it.
The other day the customer in front of me couldn't figure out the card reader, even with some help from the cashier. I guess he was using a debit card which needed a PIN. He tried over and over until the cashier came around and walked him through it.
At the end of the conveyor there is a pad which you push with your hip or hand to advance the conveyor. This baffled him, as well. I was next to him and demonstrated on my conveyor which didn't help. I then reached over and touched the pad which is about a 8x8 square on a hinge with a switch underneath. This caused him to grab the switchpad and try to lift it. I finally went over and pushed it so he could get his stuff.