Is stealing time the same as stealing money?

I would say yes! Because you are stealing from the company insofar as not doing a job that the company are paying you to do.

I work with several women who think nothing of skivving. It has gotten so bad that it is now part of their shift. Rather than serve customers on a till, which is what we get paid to do, these women will do anything except sit on a till. On the rare occassions they do, they only do so for very short periods of time. And what is more annoying is that the manager knows because she has been told by lots of different people who work on different shifts that this is the case. But instead of reprimanding her she gives her more jobs to do. So this one woman milks the jobs so that she doesn't have to spend time sitting on a till.

I really don't understand supermarket managers - why are they so afraid to become unpopular. Surely, the name of the game is to promote teamwork, honesty and making profits? So who can you go to? Is there anybody who could help. Please tell me if you know of someone - I personally don't think there is anyone in the store who cares - including the managers.

ID please

A story appeared in today's tabloids that told of a Checkout Operator in Tesco's who asked for ID when a young girl was buying a quiche. I think that was a case of common sense gone wrong because I could think of nothing in a quiche that would require the buyer to be over 18 - having said that we have prompts on out tills when customers buy The Sunday Times. I don't know what that is about?

However, while age ID is an important issue it does require common sense.

I had a case a few months ago where I ID'd a young looking chap because I thought he looked young. He gave me a hard time and I called a Duty Manager who disgarded what I told him about the incident and made me look a complete idiot. Needless to say, I was so upset and would have left if I could afford to leave. It was terrible. No back-up. Never again.

I suppose I thought, for a fraction of a second, that management especially senior management would back me up - silly woman I am!

Stop! Wheelchair thief about!

I was horrified to hear that a disabled colleague has had her wheelchair stolen while she was at work.

The chair was positioned outside her pod because of its size. Someone, it is thought, probably a local kid had taken the chair valued at £1,000 and dumped it in the local woods. To date it has not been found.

The large superamaket chain has asked their employees to donate £2.50 each to buy her another chair. While I am a supporter of those in need of help, I object to paying out anything when the supermarket in question has just announded £millions in profits. Surely the company and company items are insured against theft on this level. I can't believe that the company will not pay up - they can afford it.

This issue of who pays for the replacement wheelchair has divided employees because most people think that the company, with or without insurance, should give this poor girl the £1K she needs for another wheelchair.

Just another example of what the big supermakets think of their employees i.e. not much - you are only there to make us a lot of money.

Ice is bad news for checkout operators

Just heard a report from Justin King CEO Sainsburys saying that there was no panic buying in his chain. The empty shelves are a result of customers buying extra because of the bad weather. Does he realise that extra is "extra shopping trolleys" piled to the hilt with anything that may not be available if the bad weather continues? Things like: milk, bread, tinned food, fresh food, chilled food, toilet paper, coffee, tea, cereals - basically most things that Sainsburys sell.

When he was speaking on the telly he looked quite tanned so I am assuming that he had been away to somewhere hot. Therefore, he would not know the extend of deplication in the stores coupled with the problems lorry drivers have had getting through to stores. However, it is not just the smaller stores, it is the larger ones as well.

A further problem is the lack of staff. Most staff are not able to make it in and according to Justin they have a month to make up their time or take it as holiday.

My problem is that when the government and motoring agencies advise against travelling we, the staff who serve customers, should NOT be penalised if we are unable to get to work.

As the unions have said, the problem will be that staff will not be motivated to help out ever if the bigger chains don't relent and give way. These organisations should not be allowed to have their cake and eat it too - look at the vast profits they make.

Merry Christmas to Checkout Operators Everywhere

Don't you just love this time of year? Festive decorations, lots of nice things on the shelves of stores, supermarkets and decorations everywhere. But where is the season of goodwill when it comes to Checkout Operators?

This Christmas, when you are buying your shopping, putting your food on the conveyer belts with lots of goodies spare a thought for the Checkout Operators.

1. Be patient - mistakes happen when people are in a rush.

2. Be a good customer - have empathy for all checkout operators

3. Remember CO's are people too and someone has to do that job.

4. Be polite - it is amazing how far a please and thank you will go - it really does speed up
your chopping experience.

5. It is not the CO's fault when things go wrong. Technology has a lot to answer for.

6. For many CO's who work long hours normally, Christmas is a time when they too can
make extra money.

7. Season greetings apply to everyone.

8. Don't forget to write a letter to the Store Manager and tell them about your good customer
relations experience and who the CO was that provided it. It will make the CO's day too!

Make this year a season of goodwill to everyone - especially Checkout Operators (CO).

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

You've done a good job - now you'll get a verbal warning !

What a strange week this has been! First I had a Red Obervation for my lack of Customer Service i.e. there was no beginning or an end although the middle bit was better than anyone else - so I failed. As if that wasn't bad enough, it was followed by my getting a Shinning Star (£10 voucher) for my Customer Services. This was given to me by the Store Manager because a customer has recommended me for it. Crazy isn't it???

Two weeks later, a student, not even a manager gave me another Red Observation for once again my failure in producing a beginning and end. Although this time I was award TWO Shinning Stars - one from a customer who said I gave superior customer service and a second from the Mystery Shopper.

And guess what? I was also given a Verbal Warning that my Customer Service skills are lacking - you couldn't make this up could you?

So who decides on the customer services template? Some bozo in head office who has never sat on a till in their life - let alone for 8 hours a day. Is this unfair or what?

The funniest thing to come out of this is that I suggested to Head Office that we, the staff, be able to assess management the way they assess us - and guess what - I got a Shinning Star for that too! To date I have 9 Shinning Stars from Head Office this year alone. Pity my customer service skills are lacking?????????

How to avoid (serving) customers!

Although you work on checkouts in a large store you may be interested in learning how colleagues I work with avoid working!

1. Think of the irrelevant - like cleaning your till area when there are lots of customers about.
Take your time making sure you haven't forgotten a speck of dirt.

2. Go to the loo a lot. And take your time walking there and back . Don't forget to wash your
hands so clean that the skin almost falls off.

3. When it is hot - ask to get a drink . . . and again, and again.
When it is cold you will need a hot drink and a jumper. Don't get them on the same trip
make two very slow trips to the changing rooms and to your locker.

4. Forget about queues - there will always be long queues - let your supervisor through their
weight around. It is not your problem.

5. What ever you do - don't be good at it because people who do their job and people who work
hard are the ones who get all the aggro from staff. It is the people who milk the system
that get on in this environment. Learn from others who are successful how to milk the
system otherwise you will be the odd one out.

10 ways to speed up your shopping

Have you ever wondered how to speed up your trips through the supermarket checkouts?

Simply follow the following rules:

1. Smile at the checkout assistant – remember even checkout people are human.

2, Don’t forget the checkout assistant is always right.- when they tell you
something listen, absorb and remember!

3. Don't stress them more than they are already. Checkout operator have targets to meet and trust me, they are doing their best to process your order as quickly as possible.

4. If an item is unknown – don’t fret – it is not the end of the world. Unknown items, items that don’t scan or disappearing bar codes annoys checkout operators more than you. So don’t get annoyed with the checkout operator it isn’t their fault. If you are in a hurry either accept it and or politely say "never mind, I'll leave it."

5. When you forget to hand over your coupons or vouchers, take them to the Customer Services Desk to refund your money. Don't argue!

6. Pack yourself - if help is offered and you want to pack – ask the assistant to put your shopping from the trolley on the belt.

7. Don't distract the checkout operator they will probably have more important things to think about than processing your order.

8. If you have a problem, ask to see a manager and suggest they spend a week on the checkout.

9. Id you lose your temper with a manager - you will probably get a voucher!

10. Take an interest in the life of your checkout assistant - it will probably be the first time someone has.

Disciplinary for doing your job

Sorry to my supporters for being absent - health problems! Never mind I am back with Tales from the Checkouts!

What has happened to work? Remember in days not so long ago, you were excepted to do a days' work for a days' pay - not avoid being on the tills.

I work with one lady who is such an expert, my manager gave her more jobs to do (otherwise known as more opportunities to get off serving people) and she got away with it. I am beginning to wonder who is the MUG here. Think it is me.

Hope you all had a nice summer!

I'm still running Sainsbury's

The episode last night featured a new recruit who had a successful career in sales and it showed. She definitely knew what she was talking about and her ideas were doable. From the trailers I thought it was going to be more agressive selling but what she in fact did was make Sainsbury's user friendly. So for me it worked. And I liked the idea!

No doubt they will be implementing this into our store. It will be interesting to see who the Store Manager chooses to be the sales person that is where the difference will occur. Because the way I see it you need someone who is approachable, confident, able to "personality" sell and a person who is keen to do a good job.

Yes, this is bringing back communication to the customer. It is also a good way of finding out what customers want.

I'm running Sainsbury's

U watched this programme with great interest! The idea seemed too good to be true . . . and it was. What it was, was a PR exercise to show how good Sainsbury's are. But are they?

Knowing what I do about how superstores like this are run, I found it strange that Head Office did not give this poor girl a hand like they would do for every other new product on the shelf i.e. vouchers, start the campaign at the weekend, offer tastings, even showing her how to sell. But then they wouldn't because it is not really in their interest to simply because they would stop the customer from buying more as they searched for the key things to make up their "Feed a Family for a Fiver".

I also thought the staff at Head Office were patronising to Becky.

So they got their PR but I personally don't think they got very good PR because it showed how ruthless they are especially when it comes to supporting staff and their ideas!

Who is the mug??

Ok, I am paid to do a job. The job is not brilliant but it pays money and that is what I am paid to do. However, my bone of contention is the fact that I have to work twice as hard because two people I work with spend all their time doing anything but work. Which I think is grossly unfair!

And the worst part is that you tell your manager who does nothing. You tell senior management who also does nothing - so who else is there?

Would you like to know what really gets my goat is when I am pulled into the office for stupid things like I took my tea break at the wrong time or I asked too many questions - but that is how you sell, by asking questions. So perhaps I am the mug by not milking the system like the women I work with do. Therefore, in future I will try to milk the system and do it better than them. At then, I won't feel like such a pratt!

Scandal hits the checkouts

Just about every month you have someone who thinks they can "get away" with stealing money from the tills. But they are told when trained that it has been tried and no one has EVER succeeded, yet still the people who steal seem to think the store won't miss an odd £100 here and there. When will they ever learn? The system is bigger than any one or collection of people and nobody ever gets away with it.

This time the victim was the daughter of one of the supervisors (who didn't have anything to do with it, nor did she know her daughter was stealing money). How awlful that must have been for her to go back into the store knowing that everyone was talking about they theft. But she did it, my heart really goes out to her because she is a good person and would never do anything like that ever. Most of the people I work with would never do it either.

What they don't seem to appreciate is that they are stealing from us the workers rather than the fat cats at the top. We are the ones who will suffer with our bonuses etc.. It is not fair! But then the world is not fair either.

Back to work

Finally, after another operation on my hand, I am back to work. But am still working on the tills. Fortunately, I am doing reduced hours although I am not sure for how long. However, there is another lady also doing rehab hours and she is milking the system and playing a strange game of making sure everyone knows her problems i.e. she was injured by a customer. My point to her was why didn't she do something i.e. take it up with the unions solicitors sooner rather than later? Because she does keep going on about money and how much she needs to live. Her situation is really odd - I think.

There I am plodding along and making the most of it. But I have another operation to come and am waiting for a date. I am convinced that someone has put the evil eye on me because of all the medical issues I have had. Normally I am fit and healthy and had enough operations during my early years to last a lifetime - so why more now????

When is far too far?

After all the excitement from yesterday's snowfall, I was astonished to learn that a few of my work colleagues were unable to make it to work. You would think this not surprising bearing in mind how difficult conditions were, but:
I work in Southampton; one manager travelled from Salisbury, Wilts,; one from Chichester, Sussex, and one from Christchurch, Dorset. the distances they travelled were considerable yet one colleague who lives literally a 10 minute walk away rang personnel to say that she couldn't get in because of the snow?????

Milk the system and be popular with your manager

This week has been interesting to say the least. My manager read me the riot act for taking my tea break at a different time. I did it to help out my colleagues. When I pointed how stupid this was she threw back in my face how she had been helping me??????
Then I pointed out that she should be clamping down on the people milking the system - what about the time stealers? What about the people who spend excessive amounts of time doing simple jobs? What about . . . being a manager to them?
She didn't like that and hasn't spoken to me since.
At least mega mouth is gone - hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One handed checkout opering

I can't believe that my store won't allow me to have an afternoon teabreak because I don't work an 8 hour day - only 7 1/2 hours and therefore only qualify for a morning break and unpaid lunch. The problem is that because of the cold weather my joints have swollen up in my right hand making my fingers go into spasm i.e. I spend all day working as a checkout operator on tills. The worst part is that I have been there 14 years.

Surely this can't be right?

The best day of the week

Having been on holiday for the past could of weeks, it makes you appreciate how precious life is and how some people i.e. the supervisors I work under make life so unbearable for some of my colleagues. However, the trouble is, who do you complain to?

Your immediate manager - she has, unfortunately, become ineffectual as a manager. She started well, but due to one particular supervisor (who has endless amounts of issues and a very loud mouth) she has lost her spark and let this individual manage her. If I were her, I would transfer her out of our store - but that is logical and an easy solution. Anyway that is not my problem.

The union rep - she too has little impact even though she has the union behind her.

The store manager - he thinks everything in every department is rosy. Probably because he has his own problems and this one should, I emphasise should, be sorted out by my manager.

Leave - the problem is especially in this current economical situation it is not a good idea.

Grin and bear it - that is the easy way out. However, I am fortunate because for me there are ways out. But I do feel very sorry for the meek amongst my colleagues. I have told them that I will help them "get action" and that they need to "group together" because that way somebody, somewhere will have to do something.

It would be nice to be able to do the job you get paid to do without the bullying that goes on.

Judgemental to customers

When you think I have been off work for almost 6 months, having just gone back, after 5 minutes it is like I have never been away. It is like a hiccup in time However, some things have changed.

Some people I work with have become more dissatified with work and therefore get annoyed or upset by stupid things. For instance, one older lady I work with has become judgemental about customers she serves - making comments about them, their appearance, size, or matter. I told her that we are not there to be judgmental just to serve and get people through the door as quickly as possible. But I know she really doesn't want to be there and quite frankly, if she feels that strongly why doesn't she leave?

It is a pity that people have to behave like that. I can remember a time when people would jump through hoops for you but not now. Now we have a credit crunch, no pensions, no money and the cost of living has risen sharply hence, some people feel they are justified in behaving in this judgemental way.

Bozos

Monday was a really bad day because I wasn not conforming to regulations set out by senior management who are never on checkouts anyway. Apparently, I do not great customers appropriately - whatever that means. Nor do I treat them in a patronising way. Shame on me for showing them respect and dignity. After all these bozos who are senior management haven't got a clue about how people, how to manage and what customers want. Can you blame checkout operators for not wanting to stay in a job?