Some people just don’t get it. You can only buy what you can spend. Putting items into the shopping cart and then deciding if you want it or not at checkout is not OK. There’s a reason why every item has price tags and if someone has a problem with adding or subtracting, we have calculators to help remedy the problem. Please know how much you have to spend and what you can buy because all of that stuff you didn’t want, we have to put it back. This isn’t the game show, Supermarket Sweep and your checker is not the host.
There’s a lady that comes into our store and she’s what we call a serial cartist. She just grabs whatever on the shelf and goes to the checkout line knowing fully well that she doesn’t have enough money…
Gameshow Contestant: I only have $80 dollars.
I look at her cart full of groceries and immediately call for a courtesy clerk.
I ask courtesy clerk Courtesy Clerk Johnny J, if he can grab another shopping cart.
Courtesy Clerk Johnny J: Really? She has one already.
Me: Trust me.
As we’re bagging her groceries she keeps asking where she’s at…
Gameshow Contestant: How much is it now?
Me: $54.61
Gameshow Contestant: Remember, I only have $80.
I can see the look on Courtesy Clerk Johnny J‘s face fuming as he realizes what’s going on because he will be the one putting everything back to the shelves. She finally unloads everything from her cart.
Gameshow Contestant: I guess I got more than I thought.
Oh really, you think?
As the total gets closer to her budget, she starts to sort what she “needs.”
Gameshow Contestant: I think I’ll have enough for these.
beep, beep, beep…
Me: $82.71. Your $2.71 over.
Gameshow Contestant: But I need those, what do I have double that’s already bagged.
I look at Courtesy Clerk Johnny J…
Courtesy Clerk Johnny J: Oh? I can play too?
He pulls the 3 cans of cat food…
beep, beep, beep…
Me: $79.86.
She looks at the leftover items on the conveyor belt…
Gameshow Contestant: Looks like I did better than last time!
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
I can imagine how much it annoys the customer behind them.
I’ve never seen anyone do this before.
@Alicia – I’d be suprised if there isn’t any other grocery clerks who read this blog would say they haven’t had this happened to them before.
Paul… I can’t believe some of the stories you post here. How can people do these things?? Isn’t it common sense to not do that? Not to mention how is that not extremely humiliating? I don’t get it!
@Erika – You’d be suprised what people really do. I think they do it because it’s not their problem at the end of the day and I gave up on assuming that people have common sense. It wasn’t humiliating to her at all, no shame. She just went on with her business. She did say “sorry,” yeah that made everything better.
I see that sometimes, but today a lot of people, like I do, use credit cards to pay.
LOL, I see this ALL the time where I live at. I have done it, but I atleast get very close and if I do have to put something back its only like one thing. We dont have calculators avail at my grocery store…
OMG, I would totally lose it over some stuff like that. But, in fairness, I have a calculator brain. I am able to tell you to within like .50 what my total is almost every time, without even meaning to know. I don’t even mean to do it. It’s just sort of this freak thing. I calculate taxable items and all. Freaks my kids out completely. Not to mention I never use cash. If I had to stand behind someone playing this game I would feel an overwhelming urge to scream. Or commit an act of Aggrevated Mayhem. I am in the mood for Aggrevated Mayhem lately, though. *wicked grin*
I love the game show twist you threw on this pet peeve. Excellent, my friend. It’s annoying to the person behind as well as the cashier and bagger. Maybe the next convenience with shopping cards will be ones with built in calculators…ok, now if someone gets money on this patent, you heard it here first!
Oh my gosh. You’re giving me flashbacks! Ugh. I’d rather you shot me now than made me go through THAT again.
Oh, the patience you must have!
Wow that is ridiculous. This is why I always pay with a credit card.
Good Lord, I know you see it all in the grocery store! This is ridiculous! Love your blog…how unique!
Hahaha!!! I used to love that show! Poor CC Johnny J!! Did you at least give him a sucker for a consolation prize?
My sister just directed me to your site, and it’s honestly the best thing I’ve seen in so long. I’m sad I didn’t come up with it first. I’ve been a checker at a grocery store for the past 7 years and all your posts are SO TRUE. I have a lady who does this exact thing ALL THE TIME. She gets in her motorized mart cart and fills it up with unnecessary crap which I end up having to void half of it off. She apologizes every time, but I want to tell her “if you’re really so sorry, can you please, just once stay within your budget?” ugh, the public.
Perhaps next to the express lane, you should add a “never have enough cash” lane. Now that I can use credit or debit cards, I never have this problem. There have been times when I had to replace an item or two, though.
As for calculators, I haven’t seen them in years. One chain around here used to have them on the shopping carts, but i think they got abused and ruined by rain when the carts were left outside.
That’s hilarious.
No @%%#*( way!
I would say I’m shocked, but really, I can’t. Sadly.
It’s too bad there’s no legal recourse the store can take to prevent that. Customer is always right!
Thank you for the kind words Emily. Great to know more who can relate to our working life =).
That seems sad to me – maybe she doesn’t have enough money, isn’t bright enough to calculate and just needs more than she can afford?
I have spent most of my working life in customer service, but it still seems when I read the stuff that happens to you I find myself saying ARGH!!! haha. Kudos to you for being able to approach it with good humor and for sharing it with us.
I work at a grocery store. I absolutely HATE it when this happens. It doesn’t take much to do a rough estimate BEFORE a person comes to the checkout lane. It’s a waist of our time to deal with someone that is too lazy to count. Most of the time if the customer doesn’t have enough money they opt to put back something healthy just to keep their pack of soda or bags of chips. Rediculous.
Nichole: Haha, I’ve seen that many times. Put the apple away and grab the candy bar =/
I am always shocked at people who bring a CART full of groceries to the register, only to tell me ” I only have $43.28, so stop at that amount.” Then, the remainder of the groceries have to be put away by an employee. I don’t mean one or two items, I mean 40-50 items, usually steaks, ice cream and cold stuff! I had a lady yesterday hand me three containers of sushi and say “I am going to put these back.” I, being a smart-ass, handed them back to her and said “Ok”, thinking she’d actually PUT THEM BACK in the case. Oh no…..she kept re-iterating she was “putting them back”…..I knew what she meant but I wanted her to say it: “I am a lazy ass and I want someone else to “put them back.” Why did you bring perishable items to the check stand then, bitch?? Did you not see that they’re priced at $9.99 each? At least she didn’t stash them in the magazine racks to spoil, I suppose!! Like another commenter said, I see people put back the apples and veggies and keep the chips and soda all the time!
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