Tips to Remember when Standing in a Checkout Line

If you've ever been a checkout person in any type of store, you know fully how much of a pain dealing with customers can be from time to time. You also probably know that most clerks along with sales associates are given training on how to treat customers accordingly and how to act in general: The code of Conduct. Every place has these - work, stores, and even schools. However, there is not a single code of conduct for customers and there really should be at least some sort of guideline. From experience and observation, I put together a list of tips a customer should remember when they're in a checkout line - especially when the store is busy.

1. Time

Believe it or not, clerks do understand that customers have things to do and people to see. That is why we try daily to get customers out of our lines in a swift and proper amount of time. Nobody likes to be kept in a checkout line for more than fifteen minutes. Where I work, this has been a conversation between several clerks and what their idea of the most rude, impatient customer trait would be - that being impatience.

Very often a few people will get in line and one will no doubt be elderly. What customers (mainly younger) need to remember is sometimes these elderly patrons have to move slowly to count money or even write checks. Holding pens can hurt for some people and writing can be a big task all in itself. This, however, does not give the customer waiting in line the right to whine, complain and tap their foot impatiently like the world is coming down. Understanding that some elderly move at a slower pace than the rest of the world can help a clerk not feel so at fault and make the customer-sales transaction move smoothly.

2. Loose Coins en masse

As clerks, we do accept coins, obviously. This includes rolled coins. We see no real issue in accepting a ten dollar roll of quarters. In fact, sometimes the customer doing this can be doing us a huge favor. But what we don't like, coinwise, is a whole order of over 20 dollars in coins - especially when they are unrolled.

I can't say the same for every store out there, but, when we ring up items and total it, we are timed at how long it takes us to get the customer out of our line. Dropping change by the bagful onto the counter and telling us to count it up can cause large problems - especially if only one or two registers are open and there's a sudden rush. Clerks can not take the time to count up nickels, dimes and quarters for a customer and expect to keep others in line happy.

There is no need to be rude and blurt out, "well count it already!" because we are not the ones who dropped the coins onto the counter - you were. Having coins rolled saves the clerk precious time and also keeps them out of trouble with managers - especially if another customer complains about not being able to get checked out in an orderly fashion. Just please, do the clerks a huge favor and pay only with wrapped coins if it's an insane amount of money you intend to pay with using coins.

3. Throwing money

This one sort of goes with number two in as much as throwing out more money (or dumping it from a bag) onto the already counted piles of coins. Clerks want to get a customer out in the most efficient time possible, so, if you think it's amusing or productive to make such a mess with coins by throwing them at the clerk, you're sorely mistaken.

Being in a rush and throwing paper money at a clerk can be just as bad. Most clerks can understand wholly the idea that customers sometimes have bad days and can be in a sour mood. But there is no need to throw the mood onto an innocent sales clerk. Throwing any kind of money is just rude. Handing it over nicely so the clerk can count it is truly the only acceptable means of transaction. Unfortunately, some seem to fail to realize this fact.

4. Cell Phones

Being chatty on a cell phone in a checkout line is just plain discourteous. I don't mean just to the clerk, but, other customers in line don't want to hear your business. Even more important, while you're gabbing away on the phone at checkout, a clerk might want to point out something wrong with an item and you aren't paying attention.

What only makes this issue worse is when the clerk gives a total and the customer acts annoyed that they interrupted their conversation. Sometimes, this causes a customer to get a tad testy with the clerk for no reason. Remember that you had the option to say, "I'll call you back when I'm out of the store" but the clerk and other customers weren't given that option. Just because your priorities lie on a phone conversation over a bill is your own issue. The clerk is just doing their job.

5. Most Clerks don't have ESP

From time to time a clerk can ring up a total and the customer doesn't have enough money to cover the bill. Sure, it's embarassing for the customer but who hasn't had this happen at least once in their life? This little issue is easily resolved with the customer selecting a few items to have voided out to bring the total down to a payable amount.

What clerks lack is ESP. I'll give an excellent story from a personal (and recent) encounter. Perhaps this customer was the dreaded customer from "hell" in many ways. She came in, grabbed several expensive items and came to the checkout with thirteen dollars in paper money and about fifteen in coins - all unrolled which I mentioned earlier being very displeasing. Once I managed to count her money up to twenty six dollars, I repeated her total to her once more: fifty two dollars and some odd cents. I told her that it wouldn't be a problem to take a few items off and she looked at me and said, "well you know what to take off then!"

This not only shocked me but it also shocked the other clerks who had to come on register early to take care of others due to this customer. Clerks do not know what you would prefer to return and what you'd prefer to keep. You have the option to have whatever you want removed and whatever you want kept on as long as you pay. Do not be rude and expect a clerk to know what you want to keep. While a few out there may be psychic, most of us aren't.

6. No, we don't give change

Have you ever gone into a store, bought items and then after the register is closed and asked the clerk, "drat, can I get five ones for this five dollar bill?" only to have them say, "no, sorry"? A lot of stores nowadays have adopted this rule to help prevent the clerks from getting ripped off.

Time for another small story, but, this one has a rather sad ending. A former clerk in our store recently had a rather large order. The sale included items that came to well over six hundred dollars. The customer paid with money which was completely fine. Unfortunately, they handed the clerk some money after the sale and asked to have the money broken down into a certain amount of each denomination of bills. The girl listened intently and gave the customer exactly what they asked for, tucking the exchanged money away where it needed to go. What the girl didn't realize was they had requested two hundred dollars MORE back than they had given her.

This is why clerks don't give change. Because the customer asked for change and the girl, being courteous, agreed to it, she was then terminated because the drawer came up short two hundred dollars and it was classified as a theft. Sure, you may only want to get five ones or even break a dollar for quarters, but understand that clerks and stores have policies like this in place to secure their pockets and the job of a clerk. Most stores even allow broken money at a customer service counter for the customer's convenience. Just don't get angry when a clerk says it's against store policy. Be glad they are doing their job.

7. Items

Clerks most of the time don't know every sale item or item carried in a store unless they've been told or trained to know. So if a clerk doesn't know if the store carries a certain brand of soda or they don't know why the store doesn't carry it - do not get angry at them. They aren't normally a part of the decision making process that involves determining what a store carries and what a store opts out of carrying.

The best a clerk can do is refer the customer to a manager of the store to help alleviate any problems from the customer and the less than satisfying store experience.

8. Credit Card Applications

At least one store in every town has an offer for their store credit card. At the end of a sale the clerk generally totals the order up and then asks, "Would you be interested in applying for a ..... card today?" Yes, it gets annoying and every time you're in a store you've been asked only to deny the clerk each time. Now you're aggravated and you yell at the clerk for this action.

Please understand that in store training, clerks are told to ask this question every time to every customer. It's store policy. If a manager passes by and the clerk is overheard not asking it - they can be reprimanded for not following orders. See, home office orders the stores to do these applications to try to make money ( a sad but true fact - that's exactly what we were told in training). The store then expects clerks to do the in-store soliciting for these cards hoping for at least one yes on occasion. They do get them, but, they get far more rejections than acceptions.

This does not give the customer the right to read the riot act to the clerk. They can try to request the clerk remember them and not ask anymore, but, if it's a part-time clerk they might not realize right away you're a regular and will never say yes even if it had a zero percent interest rate. Just understand that these store credit card questions are, again, a clerk doing their job. If they don't do it, the home office yells at the bosses who in turn reprimand the clerks.

9. Ten items or less

Some customers are in a rush. Lines can be long and in stores, orders can be very complicated and time consuming. Luckily, someone created the idea for a ten item or less lane. Fast, friendy and what the busy customer needs to get in and out quickly.

Lines may be backed up all over except in the express lane. This does not mean you can slide over with more than ten items and expect to be served. First off, the light on it says ten and less for a reason. Sure you might be in a hurry but you may also hold up the customers behind you who think you're going to be in and out like the rest of them.

Clerks do tell customers with more than ten items to get into another line. They are doing their job by enforcing the store rule and there's no exception to the rule unless a manager tells them to shut off the ten or less light and open as a regular register. Do not argue with them because a manager will tell you the same thing.

10. Who is to blame?

This is probably the most important thing to remember when standing in a checkout line. Most of the time, a problem you may have is not the fault of the clerk. They don't determine what price something rings up at or why an item isn't ringing up at a discounted price.

If a customer has an issue they can state it to the clerk and request a supervisor to come over, in almost all cases a manager on call comes over almost immediately. The manager can then verify the customer's grievance and tell the clerk what they need to do to make the transaction both complete and proper.

Do not just take out your anger on a clerk. They are not the ones to blame in most instances. Remember that and you'll be fine.

Being courteous in return to a courteous clerk is the best possible way to go. They tend to go out of their way to make an experience the best they can for any visitors to their store. Understand, though, that even clerks can forget something from time to time and remember that you are a guest to the store and should act properly yourself to avoid being banned from shopping there ever again.