ShopRite has a kiosk where you can load the coupons to your account. I’m not sure if it requires a card to scan. You can also set up an account in a browser and load coupons in that.
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Oh, it it is the cashier’s ‘helper’ that insists on unloading my cart onto the belt and insists on baggig or boxing. The cashier has three jobs,: conversation scanning and taking payment.
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I go to one family -run grocery store where part of their customer service is the person who unloads your cart onto the conveyor belt. They also pointedly do NOT have self-service checkout. (Come to think about it, only 1 of the 3 family stores I go to does, and I never use it because they’re just trying to cheapen their costs, same way that they no longer include a pickle slice and a wee bag of chip with their sandwiches).
When I go to a chain store, I always put my stuff on the belt in a logical order for packing - frozen stuff together, meats together, refrigerated stuff together, pantry stuff together, etc. The cashiers bag quickly that way. I think that if I ever got a complaint I’d just cease being a customer.
I absolutely loathe being a data point for a store, and the ones who use loyalty cards have switched over to imputing your phone number. I just don’t most of the time, because the coupons I’m proffered never help me.
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Ding, Ding, Ding! And heavy stuff first, so they go in the bottom of the bag(s). I don’t want the lettuce or green onions underneath the heavy bag of potatoes or carrots. But sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, depending on the bagger. I try and keep an eyeball on the bagger, and if I see lightweight stuff going in and then they’re reaching for something else (and I know there’s no more room in the bag for that heavier item) I’ll ask them to move the soft/lightweight stuff out and put the jar of peanut butter/mayo/spaghetti sauce on the bottom.
I’m honestly not sure if many supermarkets actually train the baggers to pack appropriately anymore, except maybe Wegmans. There’s one checkout clerk at my local Wegmans named Kevin who I search for in line. He’s very careful and methodical in how he packs things, setting up my bags, and making sure they’re not too heavy for me. It’s definitely slower during checkout, but it’s calming, because he’s so gentle and kind, thanking me for thanking him and wishing me a great day. The first time I went through his line, he wasn’t able to check me out when it got to the alcohol, so a manager came over. He said to me “But I’m being trained on that, so next time, I can help you!” I spoke to several of the MOD that day saying that he was an absolute gem, and they both grinned and said that everyone loves Kevin, and asked if I wanted to fill out a Customer Service form about him, which I did.
I walk out of Wegmans after being cashed out by Kevin with a smile on my face.
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I almost always use the self service registers here in Las Vegas because I’m good at using them. But sometimes there’s a problem and I need the assistance of one of the clerks who stand in that area ready to help. At Smith’s, the local version of Kroger, there are a few very helpful ones and a few who I will go out if my way to avoid because not only are they not helpful, they’re downright surly. I’ve sent kind comments about the very helpful ones (especially the always cheerful Erika) and a few comments about those who could use an attitude adjustment.
At Albertsons, the other big chain in Las Vegas (they own Vons, too) I’ve had VERY little good luck with the majority of the clerks who are manning the self service registers. They seem to dislike their jobs and it shows. So when I am able to find one there who is both helpful AND cheerful, I let management know via a comment or even a phone call. Sending such things when I run across one who is surly, etc has not shown any results yet.
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Wegmans is famous for their customer service. I’ve honestly never had bad customer service there. I’m VERY thankful they came to Massachusetts!
A quick search found that they’re ranked No. 6 in Fortune’s “Best Place to Work” list for 2024, and in 2023, were ranked as a “Best Workplace for Parents”, “Best Workplace for Women”, and was ranked No. 1 on the Fortune “Best Workplaces in Retail” list.
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Is the Natick mall location still in operation? That’s quite a store!
I only use the self-service at ShopRite if I have only a couple of items (which is hardly ever). Since the cashier is the bagger, and since in NJ we bring our own bags, I start bagging as they are scanning: freezer and refrigerator stuff in the insulated bags, heavy stuff in the heavy cloth bag, and lightweight stuff in the less sturdy bags. When I get home, I can grab the insulated bags first, and safely leave the rest for later.
At Costco I almost always use the self-checkout, because that’s the de factor express line (N items or fewer), and I don’t buy a lot of items
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And that’s the one chain grocery I go to.
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No, that one closed in Summer 2023. The five in MA are Burlington (mine), Northborough (the first in MA), Chestnut Hill, Westwood, and Medford, the most recently opened store.
Wegmans said " “Unfortunately, with this non-traditional location we are unable to attract enough customers for our business model to work .” Wegmans identified the Natick community as an ideal location for a store in 2009 but couldn’t find a site that met its criteria until the Natick Mall location became available."
When they said the Natick Mall, I was thinking that if I lived close, I wouldn’t want to deal with Mall traffic to try and shop at a supermarket. Northborough is the biggest in MA at 138,000 sq. ft, with Burlington right behind at 135,000.
Oh that’s a shame. It was a nice location with fam nearby at the time.
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I honestly can’t remember seeing baggers in NYC supermarkets, and certainly not at the Park Slope Food Co-op.
A local Safeway hired a person with Down’s. He’s always smiling and careful.
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Really? Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, Whole Foods, Key Food, Fine Fare and Metro Acres (all the places I shop) have baggers. WF has self checkout as well.
Same.
At the two ShopRites I usually go to (colloquially called the Manasquan and Belmar stores but really both in Wall) the cashiers don’t even bother to begin bagging unless you ask - which I never do.
I don’t go to Wegmans often as I don’t find they are better enough to warrant the extra travel but the last couple of times the cashiers didn’t bag automatically. At the local TJ’s the cashiers will ask if you want them to bag but I usually decline.
Oh, you mean separate baggers. Just Key Food, and they work for tips.
I’ve bagged during my co-op shift before; when very busy, sometimes the floaters are asked to bag. The majority of shoppers refuse, though.
At Publix, most times, there is a bagger. But I hate the way they do it. One or two things in each bag. I prefer to bag my own, which is why I prefer self service kiosks. Alas, my favorite Publix doesn’t have them.
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Oh, yes, another peeve–giving me way more bags than needed. (Although given how flimsy the bags had become … It was a vicious cycle.)
About twenty years ago, ShopRite was giving a 5-cent credit for each of your own bags you used instead of taking theirs. I wonder if they were as happy if people who bagged their own stuff put only one or two items in each bag to increase their rebate. Then again, the cashiers themselves had no reason to care.
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Interesting! I grew up near and shopped at what was called a co-op in Rochdale, Queens, but didn’t think about what co-op might mean
Are you saying you belong to a co op where members work shifts? And that members refuse shifts?
