A note on Team Leaders July 23, 2008
Posted by cashierobs in Cashier Observations.Tags: cashier, communication, effective, improve, leader, manage, note, supervisor, team, workers
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There are many levels of employees than make a business go round. Each person is a separate gear that coincides with another. This philosophy is well known and needs no further explanation. But there is a section of those gears that is not well known and is equally unappreciated.
During my previous semester in college I was taking a class on the sociology of leadership. Many guests spoke in this class, but the one most prominent was a gentleman from England who’s job it was to improve business relations between managers and workers (by the way, did you know that Americans perceive people with a British accent to have about 10 higher IQ points than someone without?).
Anyway, one of this gentleman’s main topics was the importance of supervisors, or team leaders. His case was this:
Team leaders are effectively the connection between management and the workers.
Not a difficult topic to understand at all. But it’s bland and uninteresting without the appreciation of what activities team leaders partake in.
Team leaders train and work with improving skill, mentality, and anything else necessary for a positive working environment in those who work below them. In my case, team leaders are in charge of cashiers or generally anyone else other than managers.
Team leaders provide incredibly important information between management and workers. Management is rarely available for workers and thus rarely know the true environment on the floor, like the workers do. Similarly, workers rarely get opportunity to ask a manager to exemplify on a question of theirs for a particular rule or new promotion. Team leaders are there for the communication gap.
Many team leaders do everything the workers do. And many do similar tasks as the managers. The difference is the position title and the frequency of these actions. The point is that team leaders do them, however frequently it may be. I’m often astounded by the integrity and mentality of my team leaders and that they can handle all the tasks they are expected to.
Of course, not all team leaders act this way. Some are asses and some go the extra mile. I’ve been blessed with the latter and this is just a note of appreciation for them.
And also because I’d be fired already if they hadn’t saved my ass so many times.
Five ways to (not) get along with a cashier July 20, 2008
Posted by cashierobs in Cashier Observations.Tags: along, belt, better, cashier, conflict, conveyor, five, get, headset, heavy, improve, items, membership, phone, talk, tips, word
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Cashiers got you down? Is it taking a coons age to get from the register to the exit? Just follow these five useful tips to improve the relationship.
- Before approaching the register, be sure to have a membership card ready (if applicable); then throw the card at the cashier before putting items on the conveyor belt. Be sure to look inconvenienced if the cashier asks for a membership when the cart is halfway empty from unloading it.
- Talk on your cell phone or Blue Tooth headset while checking out. To achieve the greatest respect from a cashier, give them only a portion of attention. Cashiers should be happy enough by now that they don’t take advantage of a now semi effective attention span. Finally, purchase a headset so the cashier never knows when they are being spoken to or not.
- Place the largest and heaviest items on the conveyor belt. Since cashiers are always standing in place and never moving, it’s important to consider their exercise needs. Large cases of water or Gatorade can be useful; but toss them onto the conveyor belt to make sure it’s stable and working properly. Placing vacuum cleaners or over sized boxes onto the belt also helps. Don’t forget to add kitty litter and as much dog food as possible and don’t let the cashier use their hand scanner.
- If the cashier isn’t scanning items quickly enough, don’t be afraid to show them who’s boss. If the cashier isn’t up to par with standards, just ask for a new one. A supervisor will be available as soon as they are done assisting all nine underage cashiers with alcohol sales.
- Finally and most importantly: don’t say a word. Ever. Remember, cashiers are not really people. Most of them are barely literate. In fact, it’s probably a good thing by not saying a single word or acknowledging them. Just give them the grocery items, pay for it, and walk away.
Thanks! Be sure to check in for more great tips!
-Disclaimer-
Most customers at my register do not act like this. I can go an entire day without having one of the asses featured above. But when one does appear, it can be either comical or can ruin what was potentially a fine day for a cashier.
Choosing between gas and food July 16, 2008
Posted by cashierobs in Cashier Observations.Tags: cart, costo, food, gas, kitten, sam's, shopping, slow, strike, truck
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An empty shopping cart lurks in a full aisle.
I apologize in advance for the lack of my usual hilarious satire and frequent shenanigans in this post. You have been forewarned, but I’ll make it worth your while by the end of it. I promise.
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The title of this post is a phrase which my mother is reminding me frequently of. As gas prices are rising, more people have to choose which is more important: gas or food.
There is little I can say about the economy that isn’t already being felt, and what is being felt is more than I could ever convey into words. But I will say that scarier things could happen. Thousands of truck drivers in Europe, for example, have gone on strike due to outrageous gas prices (in case someone needs reminding, gas prices are WAY more expensive in Europe than the states). The result is low morale at home, poor stock in the grocery stores, and empty stomachs to those who would be fed otherwise. The real question is: Why couldn’t that happen in the States?
I have been hearing that more and more people are shopping smart: Wal-Mart, discounted stores, buying in bulk (such as my very own Sam’s Club). But now I don’t know what to believe. Sam’s Club has been slower since the 4th of July. Even the weekends, and excluding sign-up-for-credit-and-get-a-free-apple-pie day. Yeah, that’s all this country needs: more credit.
Personally, I’m lucky to be living in a city that is faring better than the rest of the country, and to be in a family that manages their finances well. But I’m curious to hear of others’ opinions on how they’re faring. How about it, then? Are you on the upside of this economic downfall?
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I hope you’ve enjoyed my crudely Photoshopped image of a shopping cart in a Costco. My own attempts of taking a picture at Sam’s that would strike sorrow and agony into the hearts of men and other furry creatures alike were foiled by my manager. There was also going to be a cute, cuddly, and lonely kitten to finish the task of inflicting some serious sorrow. Be thankful. You lucked out… this time.
Fighting with bananas July 11, 2008
Posted by cashierobs in Cashier Observations.Tags: banana, cashier, code, cry, food, fruit, silly
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Have you ever had an argument with fruit? Or vegetables? Or food of any kind for that matter?
I have had more conflicts with items at the register than is worth trying to count. It usually begins like this, so put yourself in a cashier’s shoes for a moment: Greet the member and smile (they’re members at Sam’s Club, not customers. And be sure to smile, dammit; you love your job), then take their membership and begin scanning their items.
Everything is going smoothly. You laugh, the member laughs, the member cries, and you cry. Make a comment about the weather, maybe sell an extended warranty. Then you see it. It’s coming up ahead, just glaring at you, waiting to see who makes the first move. You grasp the bananas and give it a Dirty Harry look. You begin swearing under your breath that the bananas had better scan, or it’s in big trouble.
You take the plastic wrapping on the bananas and begin spreading it apart so the UPC code is nice and smooth. Keep spreading that banana wrapper. No. Don’t stop. Keep spreading it until it scans, then strike when the time is ripe (get it? Aha).
Oh, but wait. The UPC code is too close to the tie on the top of the wrapper. It is impossible to spread the wrapper evenly. Realizing defeat, you find the “cheat sheet” with all the fruit codes on them and type it in manually. You finish the transaction and hang your head low. Embarrassment and mockeries ensue.
Admit it. There is no way someone can fight with a piece of fruit and still look manly or competent. It’s embarrassing. Anyone who has been on the purchasing end of a register can testify that it’s frustrating when their cashier is fighting with a bar code, like bananas, or bread (sometimes the wrapping covers the bar code), or simply can’t find the bar code because it’s hiding off in some corner on a box of cereal.
Bananas: 1, cashier: 0.
Be afraid. Be very afraid. July 6, 2008
Posted by cashierobs in Cashier Observations.Tags: about, first, purpose, why
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Welcome to Cashier Observances. The game show blog where I write about the things I see. Sounds cool, huh?
If you’re reading the title and thinking that you could give a damn about what a cashier thinks, then I don’t blame you. But don’t let the title turn you away. My awful writing and grammar should be more than enough to accomplish that.
We all have chores we take part in daily. Making coffee in the morning, driving to the gas station, or shopping, just to name a few. We all have our own ways and methods of completing those chores. This blog is about watching the interactions of people and common chores and putting them into words. (If you want an in-depth version of what I’m writing about, check out the About section.)
This blog still isn’t about what you’re thinking
The point of this blog isn’t to answer why people do the action they do. The point isn’t to explain it, or to give an absolute answer to that begging question, “Why do half the shopping carts I take have lopsided wheels?” I am neither certified nor willing to rack my brain to answer those questions specifically.
The point
The purpose of this blog is to put the actions of people I see into words. Basically, I am giving my opinions of people and their interactions with common chores or tasks. Now, hold on. You’re probably pointing your finger at me and reminding me with your keen memory on my statement of not answering the “why” in questions. To this, I reply, think of my writing as a review. I will give my opinion on what I see in order to compare the opinions of anyone who decides to read my opinion. If I answer the “why” in your question, then I’m sorry and please don’t tell on me. Some of the best opinions are from people who are telling you what you already know, but get you to look at a specific thing in a different way. That is the purpose of this blog.
