How to Shop

Sometimes you don't understand all of the dynamics that make up a situation until you are on the other side of it. For example, sees things that happen at a school that a student doesn't. You might spend twelve years in school as a student, but if you become a teacher, you become aware of things that you were completely oblivious to before.

For the last couple months, I have been working as a cashier at a major retailer. Now, we all have plenty of experience as customers. You've gone to the store to do a little shopping, and you've watched the cashier scan your items and put them in plastic bags, and you've handed over your money and received your change. But when you're on the other side of your transaction, you begin to see all sorts of things that you never saw before, and many of them are negative. And so, in the spirit of Black Friday, I'd like to give you a few tips that can help you be a courteous and responsible shopper:

Make sure you have money to buy what you pick up
I think this is a no-brainer, but apparently not everyone else does. You can't buy things if you can't pay for them. Now, I understand if you might be cutting it close with what funds you have available to you, so you might grab and item or two that you'll have to wait on for another time. But it amazes me when customers come up to my register with a large order and say something like, "Let me know when my total gets to $30," and that total is reached only halfway through their cart, so then they say they don't want anything else. This is especially problematic when the unwanted merchandise includes cold food such as meat or milk. If a customer brings a package of hamburger up to the register and then says they don't want it, we can't put it back on the floor for purchase because of health concerns, and that meat is just thrown away. So when you're shopping, make sure you can pay for what you grab.

If you do change your mind about buying something, put it back or give it to an employee
When I worked at a library, there were signs all over the place tells our visitors not to try to reshelve books that they had pulled off the shelf. Why? Because the Dewey Decimal System can be a little complicated for some people, and it's important to make sure things get put back in the same place. In a store, many people don't care at all if things are where they're supposed to be, so you see all kinds of items in random places. Just in my check-out line, I always find cans of green beans, packets of underwear, or spiral notebooks. Once I found an entire set of pajamas jammed up where the gum is. That's not where pajamas go. They go in the pajama section. So take them there, or give them to someone who can.

Put a hold on your family drama until you get outside
Families quarrel from time to time. All of us have gotten into arguments with family members. You've probably even shouted once or twice. But please, when you're standing at the register buying your products, establish a momentary truce until you leave the store. You might not think it's that big of a deal to cuss at your significant other or to yell at your kids how then need a whoopin', but when you do it while the cashier is trying to bag your merchandise, it's awkward as heck for that person.

Don't eat what isn't yours
This one really isn't that big of a deal. I think it's kind of funny actually, because it's just not how I've grown up operating. But sometimes, when I'm ringing up someone's merchandise, an empty bag of chips or candy will come along my conveyor belt, and the customer will say, "Oh yeah...I ate that." What?! Here's the thing: you don't own anything in the store until you pay for it. Up until that point, it belongs to the store. So don't eat it. If you're really hungry, take it to the front and buy it. Otherwise, it's like going into a strangers house and rummaging through their cupboards for Little Debbie cakes.

When the cashier hits on you, just go with it
You wouldn't believe how many times I've winked at a pretty customer and tried to get her number, but she just totally shoots me down. No sense of common courtesy.

Don't expect every employee to be an expert on every product
Now, in a lot of stores, you should expect that the people working there have some knowledge about the things they sell. Especially in a smaller, specialty store. However, I work in a store that sells just about everything, and it would be absurd for me to know everything there is to know about all of the items in our store. And yet, this is what people often expect. It's okay to ask, but don't get frustrated if the person you ask isn't really able to help. I don't know which kinds of chewing gum are safe for dentures. I don't know of that pan will be big enough for the turkey you bought.

Have you ever worked retail? Do you ever see any other behaviors that customers do that can be obnoxious?