“One way, or another, I’m gonna find you, I’m gonna get ya get ya get ya”

I love thieves. They make my day.

I’m talking about “fruit boy”. “Fruit boy” started off about a month ago (at least for me).  He came in my line one day, and “didn’t have enough money for fruit” so he asked me if I had cash. I said no (which is true, I almost never carry money on me, just debit cards.) and then he asked the lady behind him. She seemed uncomfortable about it, so she quickly said no, and ignored him. So he kept bugging her, saying things like “what’s the matter? you can’t help me?” to which I was ready to kick him out of my line and take the damn nectarine. She ended up paying for it, and he left with the fruit. I then saw him talking to John Gerris (former NBA player), and leave. I apologized to the lady for the awkward moment, and I flagged John down to my register. I told him what happened, and the woman said she would take care of it anyways and I told John to watch him next time.

So the next night, I was working again, and “fruit boy” comes back. He goes straight to the service desk, and tells Shannon that he left a pear last night. That’s a lie. First of all, you “bought” a nectarine that you didn’t pay for, and then you have the nerve to come back in to say you “forgot” a pear? Get the hell out.

So then I figured his little scam, and I paid attention to his MO. He’s extremely skinny, about 5’6, freckles, reddish hair, brown eyes, always wears a baseball cap, baggy jeans and a button down shirt. Until recently, now he switches up his shirts to regular or polo shirts. But I recognize him right away. And he’s under 21, that I know because I see enough of his license sometimes to see the “under 21” bright yellow mark. Oh, and he always steals a piece of fruit.

So a week goes by, and fruit boy is back. So he tries to tell me he paid for the peach, (which I know he didn’t) but Brownie let me give it to him for free since Brownie didn’t know his scam. To which me and a few other people explained to Brownie what’s going on with that kid. So he was like “okay next time we get him.”

So then later on, he goes through self scan another day. So I see him, and warn the rest of the cashiers and the people at self scan. We had 3 people at self scan guarding as he entered one of the self scans. We didn’t see him take anything, but that doesn’t mean anything. I know we had to take some stuff from him that he “didn’t want”, and we removed it from his sight so he wouldn’t try to take it.

So weeks go by, and I heard from another cashier that “fruit boy” came in and tried to steal a trial size shaving cream in front of Norine, who’s our newest manager. Brownie said she dealt with him.

So everyone knows who “fruit boy” is.

Then he came in two nights ago. I guess he tried to get to the service desk about the fruit, but Tony (manager) denied him and told him he needs to pay for it at a register. I watched him go through Stephanie’s line, and he walked out pay for the fruit. I was excited.

So then “fruit boy” comes in last night. He bought four things, and I was waiting for him to hold the fruit back from me, claiming he paid for it, in which I think at this point I would strangle him and probably throw him out myself. He actually paid for it, and I did everything I could to bite my tongue. When he came up to me, I was tempted to say “so, are we paying for the fruit today or are we going to steal again like we have been for about a month or so now”, or say some off color comment to him. But he paid, I wished him a good day, even though I rather grab him by the ear and throw him out.

Tyler came up to me later, and asked me if we had to let him go again with free fruit. I said “no, he actually paid today”, in which we gave each other a high five and laughed.

So, “fruit boy”, if you read this, I hope you stop stealing. And, if you think you can get away with it, I am watching you. If I so even see a hint of you stealing, I will pick you up, and carry you outside for an old fashioned beating. And believe me, when I am done, you won’t be able to use those “grabby” fingers for a while. And if I get suspended for a day, I don’t care.  I’m not allowing you to steal; to raise the prices of food for us poor people who work our asses off to make a damn dime. Get a job, somewhere, anywhere, if you are desperate for money. Oh and I also won’t let you steal so that my pay gets cut and Stop and Shop can claim some bullshit that they don’t make enough money to give us a decent raise. Stop and Shop makes enough damn excuses to cut hours and not give us raises, don’t give them more reasons.

Yahoo Answers: Is talking on the cell phone while checking out rude?

Yahoo Answers

Yes it is rude. I have to ask for your card, and then your too damn busy trying to one hand everything from card to paying.  And I don’t want to hear your damn conversation.

I’ve mentioned this several times in my blog of people just not paying attention and talking on the cell phone. One of these days I will embarrass the living fuck out of someone for talking on the cell. I may just not ring up their stuff until they’re done talking. One time I was making fun of a customer because she was putting stuff on the belt while talking, and everytime she turned her back I made facial expressions and used my hands to imitate talking. I had customers behind her in hysterics. I mean come on folks!

Get off your cell phone! Seriously! I know they made unlimited talking plans, but that’s ridiculous, OKAY?!?!?!

F My Life Moments and Other Things

Had a great FML moment today. While walking into work, I ran into Jamie Silva, and another mutual friend of ours. I said hi briefly as I had to get to work (was running a tad late) and ran upstairs. Then I had a thought.

See, Jamie is now a rookie NFL player for the Indianapolis Colts. He’s number 40 I believe if anyone cares. Which I’m happy for him, he deserves it. I actually called it about 11 years ago when we were in 8th grade at Riverside Jr (now Middle) School. (Should’ve betted people on it, might be a millionaire right now, anyways).  Any who, so I put on Fmylife.com (it may get published), I wrote:

 “Today, I ran into an old high school friend. We graduated the same year and we both went to pricey prestigious colleges. He is now a rookie NFL player for the Indianapolis Colts, and I am a cashier at a grocery store. FML.”

Another FML moment was when I asked my editor at the newspaper I intern for if I could get harder stories. I sent the email Sunday night. Monday I get two phone calls. The first one was for more hours at Stop and Shop. Then my editor called to do a story that night, which I couldn’t do because I just accepted more hours at work. FML.  Can’t win.

So I’ve been looking for a job in journalism, and I “harass” (in quotes for a reason) people I know who may be able to get me a job somewhere. I had one customer give my resume to the Providence Journal publisher that he knows. (And apparently works for him as a second job.) Then I ask the guys who come in from WPRI/FOX  down the street. Another one of my customers works at a radio station and GEM plumbing is trying to get me a job at either place, since there will be openings soon. ( I hate the word “soon”, because soon to me means anywhere between now and a week from now. “Soon” to other people may mean months.)

I mention to random customers, some have taken my business cards in promise to try to help me if they hear anything. So far, no luck.

I really need to leave because Stop and Shop is driving me nuts.  We have this new lady who does our schedule now, and she still doesn’t have a damn clue.  She’s really nice, don’t get me wrong, but she can’t do a damn schedule for shit. I wish Tessier was back. As anal as he could be sometimes, and pissy, he at least did a schedule right.

The first couple of weeks she fucked it up because my sister and Burr can’t drive, and she’d have them on when me or my mom couldn’t take them.  Then she was fine for a while; I got two days off a week, Tue’s and Thur’s, which was nice, because then I got breaks every few days. Then my mom went on vacation. Both last week and this week we had meetings, which screwed everything up, plus she didn’t have people in until midnight when we close on two of the nights. So we had to make Brownie stay, who was sick as a dog and should be home. Then I got Brownie’s cold/flu/ whatever he had, so now I’m sick. I had to take Burr and Joy back and forth all last week, and I got little rest. Which is probably why I got sick. I actually had to bring my sis home one day while clocked in because she had no way home because of the way she did the schedule…GRRRRRRRR!!!!

And the meetings are dumb. Really, really dumb. I had Nelson, our store manager, run our meeting. He tried joking around with us. It was interesting, and I didn’t notice until our meeting that he had an accent, and couldn’t pronounce certain words correctly. I tried hard not to laugh at him. While we were at the meeting, part of it was talking about the percentages going up as far as  with customers and whatnot. The percentages were anywhere from 1-3%. And my manager said that that was good. GOOD? How is that good? That’s terrible! If we really improved on our service and stuff, it should be HIGHER. Good would be like 10% or higher. Not 1 or 3%.

And then I brought up the new policy about the bags. When customers bring bags in, they get 5 cents off their order PER BAG THEY USE. Or at least that was the policy. Then we got a notification of a complaint a woman had about cashiers not putting in the right amount of bags they used. So now we have to put in the bag credit for every bag they have. The problem is this one of two things: If they have 10 items, and 11 bags, it doesn’t work. You can’t go past 10 bags, if that. I also noticed that if they bought something on sale, like soda, and you have to buy so many to get that price, like 5 for $5, if you just buy that, the sale deletes itself if you put bags on. Then you pay full price, because the bag credit is considered a coupon.

Our manager did not know this. Of course not, why would you? You don’t use a register. What pisses me off about management and corporate is that they give these rules you can’t do and makes things harder, because we are using a system that doesn’t allow for certain things to happen. Like giving a customer bag credits, or doing a certain type of refund or whatever. The computer only does what it’s allowed to when programmed. When you change the rules, the computer isn’t updated to the way the new rules are set. DUH. Which is why I can’t give a woman 11 bag credits for 10 items, or give a customer a certain price for something because we want to make “THEM” happy.

And I hate condescending customers. I had an idiot at 11pm trying to tell me what vegetables he was buying as I was ringing them in. I told him “sir, I know what they are”. Like seriously, I’ve been eating vegetables since I was allowed to eat solids. I’m 24 years old.  I’ve been working for Stop and Shop for (gag) 6 years. I think I know by now the difference between an onion and a banana. OK?

Then I had this one idiot a couple of weeks ago. He asked me if I was express. I said “no, if I was I would have a red light on.” He says “I know, but just wanted to ask” WHY, SO YOU CAN WASTE YOUR BREATHE ON STUPID QUESTIONS? Like seriously, you probably just killed 10 trees in the rainforest by even speaking.

I had another lady shove her Stop and Shop card in my face. I really hate when people do that, it makes me want to hit them with their card. Seriously.

I’ve had other stories and moments, and as soon as I remember them, you will all enjoy another update. Irate Worker is ill, so hopefully I’ll feel better soon.

In the meantime, if anyones interested in writing to this blog, let me know! If I get a new job (whenever the hell that is), I’ll let someone take over this blog. Email on the front page, title the subject line “Irate Worker”.

Self Scan Hell…

I hate self scan and it seriously needs to be banned. And those God forsaken easy scan its.

The other night I was working, a guy came in my line with a easy scan it and put all his shit on the belt. I was like you need to bag that stuff that was the fucking point of using easy scan its. So I scan the gun and I asked him for his card.

“I don’t have my card.”

Me, being confused, asked him how did he get the gun without the card (because you need it in order get a gun; you scan your store card and a gun lights up for you to grab.) “Oh, some lady let me borrow hers.”

Well that’s just great dude. Now that I ended his order, I don’t know if that lady has gone through yet or not with her card and groceries. I explained the problem, scanned his order, and then got rid of my line, and ran over to the place where the guns are kept to reset it.

Here’s what could’ve happened. If that woman had not gone through yet, and the gun was still in the mode to finish and pay, that lady if going in line within the time period, could’ve been paying for his groceries as well as hers. Because the gun he used all his groceries for are on her card, and if scanned, the items pop up on the bill. Then she would’ve been left wondering what all these groceries are, and since she might not have bought the same stuff as him, we would have to void the order out and rescan her groceries.

It was idiotic on both parts. Both of them should’ve known you can’t “borrow” a card to use the easy scan its, if we did that there would be more problems.

Self scan was fine for the first half hour, then it got swamped. I watched a number of stupid things today.

I still don’t know why people are sliding their Stop and Shop cards through a credit card machine. To make it even funnier to watch, this one lady told me she was looking for her receipt after she finished buying her stuff. She was sliding her Stop and Shop card through a credit card machine to get her slip….hmmm. She claimed it was her first time. Well even if it isn’t your first time, obviously you wouldn’t slide a card to grab a receipt from the machine. What an idiot.

I saw another foolish lady trying to sign for her credit card, except instead of trying to sign in places where I know people  get confused, like the screen where you see your receipt, or the other screen where you process your card, she was trying to sign the small tv screen where you can see yourself, because you’re on camera. Who the hell tries to sign on a camera, when you can clearly see yourself when doing it? It’s not like it was one of the broken cameras where I can see that it’s black because it’s blanked out. And why would you sign something up in the air like that? Who does that?

And during that time period, I was going back and forth bagging for my mom, and I walked into a middle of a situation.

Apparently a woman customer had bags on top of her groceries, and my mom inquired on them. They were our regular plastic bags, so usually we don’t think of them as being reused, because most people don’t. So apparently the woman was appalled by this and got upset. She was like “I’m here all the time, and they looked use, and you insulted me.”

How is she insulting you? You know how many people grab bags off a register to use? And they look wrinkled, anyone can wrinkle the bags, doesn’t make them used. Maybe look used but not necessarily. It’s not an insult. And we’ve never seen you before. What a fucking moron. We gave a bag credit now get the fuck out…lol.

I can’t complain too much except watching a lot of moronic stuff. And being really busy. And we need to hire more people. We had two cashiers on and self scan. Like hello? From 7 to when I left all we had was two cashiers, almost no baggers and self scan. Cutting hours is not working. Add more hours or hire more people or both. Ever since my boss cut hours we’ve had unneccessary lines. It’s not busy, just stupid things. I’m used to having 30 hours during the summer, I’ve gotten close once and since I’ve not gotten more than 20ish hours. Makes me mad.

Need a new job. Sooner rather than later.

No, really?

As a side note, getting your tonsils out and a UPPP sucks. So bad I lost my voice and sounded like a four year old girl. Which going back to work after that, I was hoping I’d get my voice back. I did finally.

So during my two weeks out of work, I would go in to get prescriptions and stuff, and my coworkers laughed at me because of my voice. I wasn’t exactly amused.

Later on this week I will have two self scan shifts, so get prepared for more annoyance from me and probably stupid customer stuff.

I’m getting really sick of dumb people. Like if I have a register with the handicapped symbol, people ask if they can come in since it says handicapped, yet half the time you see well able bodied people ahead of them buying their stuff. Duh.

Or when clearly my light is on and I’m standing there bored out of my brain, and they’re like “Are you open?” No, I just feel like standing here getting paid to do nothing. Of course I’m open, get in my fucking line already and get out.

And I also seemed to lately get really slow people. Not old, just slow. Like they take their time to leave. Go home already.

I had this really special dude a few days ago. I have a line, and this guy comes in (I think I’ve seen him at Shaws. I think he’s deaf, not sure, but makes a lot of  hand motions and doesn’t talk.)  Anyways, he comes up to me, rubs his tummy and points to candy. Then he takes out this coin and covers up most of it except for the part that says “Roman Catholic” and points at me. At which I shook my head no, I’m not Roman Catholic, or Catholic for that matter. Then he leaves.

So I interpret his motions to be “I’m hungry for candy; are you Roman Catholic?” What does that have to do with the price of peanut butter, I have no idea.

It was pretty funny. Then, a few minutes later, he walks  out with a bag of groceries, waves at me, rubs tummy and points to bag, and waves goodbye. Sure dude, whatever.

Then yesterday was the first time I’ve seen a customer wear an appropiate shirt for themselves. This guy comes in, speaking in Portuguese (which drives me up a wall) on his cell phone. (People talking on cell phones generally annoy me, and other customers, but even worse when speaking another language.) He was wearing a shirt that had a picture of a guy sitting on the couch playing video games, with a caption that read “Not now I’m busy”.

He spent most of the time in my line talking. His shirt should’ve had a pic of someone on their cell phone, but either way, his shirt fit the situation at the time.

I hate annoying people.

You know you’ve worked too long at your job when…

…you get hit on by a customer you’ve been waiting on for years and know most of his personal life. Yea, wasn’t I a lucky duck today?

I went in to work today to deal with cluster fuck of problems.

I’m having surgery on my tonsils on Tues and the doctor wanted me to have 10 days of recovery, so I took 10 days off from work, the 16th-26th. Well then, more things came up.

I didn’t think to ask to work earlier in the day on Monday, because I can’t eat after midnight, and I usually work until midnight. I’d like to eat before I can no longer eat, so I switched with someone so I can get out of work early and be able to have a dinner and snack before bed.

My mom didn’t think to ask for the night off, because she has to drive me early in the morning to be knocked out (again for the 2nd time this year, and the 4th time in the past 3 years.) at the hospital. So we had to switch her schedule too, just to drive everyone nuts.

Apparently the person who does the schedule was in a bad mood, so we avoided him and went to another manager during work to deal with the switching. It really isn’t a big deal, but I don’t want to deal with my boss’s wrath. I’m all set thank you. The people we switched with were willing, so it made my life easier.

I was given a million yellow shirts; I just needed one, not five.

I saw my friend Burke for the first time in a long time and we chit chatted across the way, when I saw “Aids”.

We call this guy “Aids” because he has huge hearing aids out of his ears, because he’s partially deaf.

I’ve known this guy before I even worked at Stop and Shop, he’s been a regular customer for years and a pain in the ass. We knew his now ex-wife, daughter and now grand kid, and he was an usher at my mom’s ex-boyfriend’s church. The dude is near his 50’s. He lives in the same city as me, unfortunately.

A few weeks ago, my sister and I were shopping when he was congratulating me on graduating from college. He then told me what he did on his graduating day or whatever, and he says to me “we should take a trip sometime”. So I thought he was joking, and he followed me around a bit and I told my sister “I think he’s trying to hit on me”, so we left him in the dust. We waited until he left so we could check out.

 Today he comes in, and I have a big order, and he has 3 cans of cat food and bottle returns. I was hoping he would leave, but instead he stays. I had a feeling he was going to hit on me again.

So he goes “Me and my friend are having a party this weekend, wanna come?” I told him I would be working all weekend. “Well, when are you free?” (I’m like dude leave me the fuck alone) But I told him I was busy and getting my tonsils out, so I would be out of work for a while.  He was like aww no partying for a while and I’m like no partying or drinking. He also asked me for my number, which I lied and said my phone’s broken and I have to get a new one.

I got him to leave, but I told my coworkers and my mom. This is ridiculous. If I was anywhere else, I could’ve told him off in the meanest way possible. But I had to be nice because I was at work. I was so pissed.

He hits on me one more time, I’m getting a restraining order. I wonder if his next move is to assault me. He’s fucking creepy and I don’t like it. He’s cool as a customer friendship type deal, not a pervert like he’s being now. I don’t know if it’s because his wife left him (although I heard they still live together, what the fuck?) and he’s lonely or whatever, but don’t come near me. I don’t want you or your damn baggage.

I really need to get out of Stop and Shop, or at least out of this area. I can’t take this anymore. Between dealing with stupid customers and mean people and shit like this, I’m gonna go nuts. Not that it doesn’t happen anywhere else, but I rather work in a smaller enviroment that is a bit safer at least.

So, I think from now on if I leave work without my mom or someone else, I’m asking to get walked out with someone. And I think if I see him again I’m going to have someone take over my register so I don’t deal with him. I hope to God I don’t need to call my lawyer and deal with this man.

Open Mouth, Insert Foot

I have worked the past five days, and thank God I got a day off today. I’ve had it up to here with people.

A couple of days ago, there were two guys in my line buying stuff for a cookout. Steph was in the line in front of me, and the guy wanted cheaper hamburger buns. He sent his friend to get it, and got the wrong ones, so the guy went to get him. His friend goes, “God, would’ve paid the extra 40 cents. I don’t know why I go with him, he’s not a good friend. Seriously. I don’t know why I’m friends with him.” Well, Stephanie starts cracking up laughing, and I was just in my Oh My God I can’t believe you said that phase. My mom turns around to asks what happened, and we were like “we’ll tell you later”.

He ended up getting one set of buns and they left.

Then one night, I was sitting at Citizen’s Bank on a chair, since my legs were killing me and there weren’t many customers. It was near the end of the night. I’m sitting there and this guy is yelling “hello! hello!” (I’m like dude, seriously, there is only one light on, are you fucking blind?) So I get up and point as I hobble over there in pain.

So I look at his shirt, which is something I saw online and thought it was cool. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So while I’m making small talk he was just being an asshole. His wife came up and Brownie was bagging for me and she recognized him. So I told Brownie that I thought the guy’s shirt was cool,and he was like “what are you gonna do next, ask me if I’m Indian?” I’m like dude calm the fuck down.

Such a dick.

Then yesterday, both Nick’s were bagging for me, and this couple and the girl’s father were buying stuff. So the boyfriend went to pay, and the father was like “no, I’m paying” and went back and forth. The boyfriend ended up paying, but the father shoved money into his daughter’s hands. When the father turned around, she shoved the money in his butt pocket.  Then the convo goes like this:

Father: “you guys would like it if we gave it to you.”

Me, Nick and Nick: “Yea, we could use it”

Father (talking to Nick with the long hair) “Yea you can use it for a haircut”

Nick (after they leave) “Such an asshole. He needs it for Rogaine.”

LOL

I don’t know what’s with customers lately, or at all actually. If someone is standing at a register, and a light is on, then obviously I’m open. There was one day where I was literally asked every time if I was open. No, I’m just standing there with a fucking yellow shirt, ugly black apron looking like a fucking bumble bee for shits and giggles. Of course I’m fucking open. DUHHHHHHHHHH.

 I don’t know what’s up with certain people, but I do not understand why we shined our registers with baby oil. There was this one night that I don’t know which manager had the brains to have us shine our registers with baby oil. It doesn’t dry. And they baby oiled my mom’s register, so customers were getting their food and stuff covered in baby oil. I don’t know about you, but I sure in hell do not want my shit covered in fucking baby oil. It may feel “dry”, but really, it’s still wet and gliding on stuff.

Oh, and customers are really disgusting. If you’re not feeling good, stay the fuck home.  A couple of nights ago, all the sudden I see all the CSS’s running around trying to figure out something with the bathroom. I went in the women’s bathroom, and low and behold, in the second stall, which got broken last week and repaired, got covered in shit. I don’t mean just the toilet, shit was all over the walls and the stall and the rest of the toilet. Someone had a serious explosive ass, and didn’t sit down in time. Unless it was one of those squatters.

I hate squatters.

I hate squatters and I hate the parents who teach their kids how to squat. SIT ON THE FUCKING TOILET. The toilet wouldn’t be disgusting and get piss and shit all over it if you fucking people sat your ass on it. And don’t use your feet to flush the toilet, you can always wash your hands. God knows where the fuck your feet have been or what you stepped in. Do the classy way that was taught in all those potty training books. Sit on the toilet, do your business, wash your hands and dry them. Call it a fucking day.

I’m sure I have more to say, but it will come another day.

Time warped in the 70’s, Welcome to 2009

Wow. I have not updated in a long time. So sorry.

I had some special people today. By the way, I’m back in the Seekonk store, finally left the East Longmeadow for good. YAY!

So, I had to go on register 4, which I wasn’t thrilled about because I figured at some point I would get express. But I didn’t.  I got self scan instead later.

One of my first customers were these weird women.  I believe it was a mother/daughter team. The daughter was about maybe 40ish, and the mother maybe in her 60’s. They gave me these coupons from the 70’s. Legit 70’s. They were those coupons that never expire, ever.  One coupon was technically 30 cents of a glass jar of Welches Grape Juice, which we do still sell, 30 years later, but she gave me a regular refrigerated carton instead. I just let it through, but I tried to tell her what it was really for and she would not have it. Another coupon was for $1 off a carton of orange juice, also from the 70’s. The daughter got really excited over what she saved. She didn’t have a card, so I put one in for her. She used a gift card, in which she thought she saved more money because of it, but it was because I used a store card. She had me in such a tizzy. The way she acted I swore I stepped back into the ’70’s.

Then I had her mother. She was just as bad. They kept repeating themselves about “oh how much I saved” and “these coupons are from the ’70’s, because back then they didn’t expire, nowadays they do.” Near the end, after literally handing me her items two at a time, she gave me more old coupons along with some current ones. I had to hand her back coupons because you’re only allowed one coupon per item(s), depending on the coupon on. If you have a dollar off something and a 20 cent coupon for the same product, you can only use one.

Well, trying to explain that to this customer was a joke. “But there was a coupon on the box.” “Yes ma’am, but you can only use one or another. You have have  only one box and two coupons; I can only use one, and I will use the higher one.” “But there was a coupon on the box.” “Right ma’am, but I can only use one; those are the rules, I can’t make it work.”

To top it off, the daughter chimed in “Can I make a suggestion? Can they put paper bags for the corn? Those corn bags don’t hold the corn” (The way she said this sounded like a first grader trying to tell a teacher something)

“Ma’am, that’s something to tell produce. I have nothing to do with that, and we have corn bags for a reason.”

The look on her face was priceless. She wanted to know how much she saved, which was about $38, including card savings. Of course, I used my card, in which if she had her own and was a true saver, she could be getting gas points to save money off her gas at Stop and Shop stations. But she lives in the ’70’s, so we won’t go there. I wouldn’t be surprised if she still goes through full service stations because she doesn’t know how to pump her own gas. LOL.

They were real winners, and really dippy. The woman behind her was annoyed, and she was like “just smile”. Yea, no. Fuck this shit. I have a BA in English and a minor in Philosophy, and probably more intelligent than half the dimwits I work with and customers, and you want me to smile? Fuck no.

Then I had another lady argue with me about 20 cents off. I rang up these local bakery rolls that get delivered to our store that we sell as well. It rang up $2.59, and the sticker was labeled $2.39.  “But the sticker is one there. (Bitch, it isn’t even OUR store sticker, for fucking crying out loud.) So I save the woman 40 cents because she had two of them. Really? 40 cent? That won’t even buy a small pack of gum. Jesus. I know we are in a recession, but worry about dollars, not cents, especially under 50 cents.

I’m sure I have more stories, but I can’t remember right now. But I will leave you all with this absolutely hilarious one.

My last day at the East Longmeadow store, my first customer was this lady, who was upset by the price of rice cakes, that rang up $2 instead of $1.50. (Again, one of those idiotic penny pincher extremists.) She went back to look at the price (because I had special needs baggers that would take an hour just to find what aisle it’s in) and she goes “It’s like a maze over there. I can’t figure out those signs, and I see arrows point down. I have a masters degree and I can’t even read these signs. It’s really confusing for the customer and they need to fix it.” She was pissed.

I said nothing, however, I thought “Lady, I’m going to have a BA in English and a minor in Philosophy in about 4 days, and I can read those signs. I guess you missed the class ‘Common Sense 101’. Those signs really aren’t confusing.”

They really aren’t. If you read the sign, it says what size, SB means store brand, and price and the signs are there the way the chart has them, which aren’t drawn up by us. It really isn’t that hard. Honestly, it’s because people these days are in such a fucking rush, they can’t be bothered to glance to make sure they are reading the right sign. Take the time, so you don’t wait in line. Honestly, if I were to observe and do an experiment on this very subject, I’m pretty sure 90% of the time wasted in line because of an argument over a price is because of a customer’s stupidity. And if you want to know why the prices of things go up, it’s not just because people steal or the gas;  it’s because people can’t be bothered to read, then we give stuff away for free or reduced price, so then the manufacturers lose money and up the prices of everything to make up for loss, and then you customers bitch about the prices. I don’t want to hear it.

New Facebook Group-PANT-People Against New Technology

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=60987189603&ref=mf

While I was at work, I was inudated with these stupid Easy Scan It’s. We have people showing others how to use it, and I got fed up with it. Most people realized despite what those idiots tell them in a sense it does take away job. It may add more “technology jobs”, but it takes away jobs from 16 year olds and elderly but not close to retirement or can’t retire people or people looking for second or third jobs.

It also steals from the company. Those people who choose to scan the bar codes the get from a machine in the produce section, those scales aren’t necessarily set right. Even if it is off a cent, either direction, you are essentially over time taking money from the store, and prices will go up. Or if it is in the company’s favor, then the consumer loses out.

It costs more money too. The average cashier at Stop and Shop makes about $10,000 a year (give or take). One self scan costs $10,000. Nevermind insurance or warranties that may come with it. Nevermind the extra cost outside of a warranty if the self scan breaks. One Easy Scan it costs $100. There is approximently 100 of those total in each store. I’m not sure of the cost of the unit to recharge them, but I’m sure it’s up in the $1000 mark or so. And the TV to replay the commerical on how to use it? At least $1000.

It costs more to have those things than to get a bagger and cashier. Even with raises and time and a half and holiday pay, it flucuates, but it’s less costlier than a self scan. Also less annoying, a person doesn’t break down in the middle of an order and so forth. And you can have people help you, self scan and easy buddies you do shit yourself.

I made a group on facebook, not to do much about it now, but if enough interest occurs or a lot of people, I say we take it up to the stores and politicians and get this shit banned. Let’s end technology that aids a recession!

I’m God with a Gaydar

Oh updates updates….fun times.

So yesterday I had this lady come through my line with a whole chicken, and I noticed the tag was ripped off it. So I asked the lady if she knew how much a pound it was, and she had no idea she thought “I can look it up”. If I could look up every fucking item that had no barcode or price per pound I would need a gigantic book or something and it would be the size of the fucking store itself. Aggravated as naturally I would be, I sent a bagger to find out the price somehow. So all my customers had to wait. So after she left, I told the next lady I had that apparently people think I’m God and I can perform miracles when it comes to knowing things, like prices and whatnot. She goes “If you are, I have two requests.”

HAHA.

So a few days earlier, I was at a register near self scan (not 14, thank God, the register directly next to self scan) and I’m ringing this couple up, who are apparently staring at this guy who dyed his hair flaming red. So after I’m done, the guy goes, “Question. Do you have good gaydar?” “Umm, I’m guess?” “We are trying to figure out if that guy over there is gay.” I turned around and looked at the guy. “Could go both ways, I guess.” “Good, we were trying to figure that out because it was driving us nuts.”

Sure pal whatever, gaydar isn’t a real thing, but sure. For those of you who may not know what “gaydar” is, it’s a term used to find out gay people with a supposed “radar” people have to guess, or otherwise known as “gaydar”.

Then two days ago, some lady with a four year old boy tried to steal $780 worth of stuff. The poor kid was confused, and the woman had the nerve to say she would pay for it. Apparently her story was that she was stealing stuff to sell to get money to pay for her tooth operation her insurance wouldn’t pay for. Brilliant.

Then I had this lady come through with a lot of markdown stuff, and she was in the way. In the middle of me ringing out someone else, she comes up to me and asks if we have discounted papers. Yes lady, we sell day old papers to go with the day old bread. What the hell? No, get out of my face. It’s called a library, use it.

This poor couple that comes through my line twice in one week has major issues. The first time they came through my line they had a paper plate issue. (Price wise) Then they had an issue with their card or something. We were joking around that I was a curse becaues everytime they come through my line something bad happens. My bad.

Yesterday was fucking terrible. I hate when the weatherman says “snow”. Every time we get a forecast of snow, the fucking lines are out to timbucktoo. Deli orders for the kiosk alone was up to 200 by 6:30pm. No carriages whatsoever. ANYWHERE.

There were other funny incidents but I can’t remember. I’ll have to write them later.