Post a pet peeve.

[Princess Awinita]

All this self serving whining is merely proving my (and Jel's) point.
We in stores are not huge fans of the SCO's, we have lost colegues and friends due to this form of streamlining but it is NOT on us. We didn't get a say in this, it was the CEO's and CFO's that did.
Just STOP taking it out on us, we don't need it, or deserve it.

I am not taking it out on you, quite personally I'd love to take my frustrations with the SCOs out on the machines directly. Quite personally I prefer to actually have my money handled by a living person. So you will ALWAYS have someone in my family getting stuff and going right to whatever actual living person running a lane to get into line to buy something

Of course they then only have EVERY lane open during black friday.... or is it thanksgiving afternoon now ?

[Annoyed]

I am not taking it out on you, quite personally I'd love to take my frustrations with the SCOs out on the machines directly. Quite personally I prefer to actually have my money handled by a living person. So you will ALWAYS have someone in my family getting stuff and going right to whatever actual living person running a lane to get into line to buy something

Of course they then only have EVERY lane open during black friday.... or is it thanksgiving afternoon now ?

The ONLY way it will ever change is if people protest these things and refuse to use them, no excuses.

This whole thing is making me think of a whole new thread for this section which I might start: "How did the US shopper become trained to accept utter crap?"

[Gatefan1976]

The ONLY way it will ever change is if people protest these things and refuse to use them, no excuses.

This whole thing is making me think of a whole new thread for this section which I might start: "How did the US shopper become trained to accept utter crap?"

The same way they were trained to be self serving morons.
You wanted it and thought it was about "choice" and did not give a crap about the server.
Sucks to be you now.

[VampyreWraith]

I'm not really a fan of the self checkouts, I'll use them if I have to and usually only if I'm just picking up a few things. Most of the time I get on the regular line. I think a lot of the self checkouts have an item limit, I usually fill up my cart when I go to the store because I tend to buy things when they are on sale and so that I don't have to keep going back to the store as much. Even if I'm allowed to have that many items in self checkout, I wouldn't want to because chances are they'll probably be an issue with some if the items, and I'd rather have a cashier that's right there help me out, instead of waiting for that one person who's likely to also be needing to help out several other people.

[BruTak]

It's the same everywhere.

If there's a job somewhere that takes three people to do efficiently at peak times, but two the rest of the time, then management will go for the two person option every time.

Those two people will then work flat out to keep up with demand.

Then managment wonder why so many of their workers are off sick with stress...

[mad_gater]

And the sound of the paper being printed....

dot matrix printers were noisy enough

[Annoyed]

The same way they were trained to be self serving morons.
You wanted it and thought it was about "choice" and did not give a crap about the server.
Sucks to be you now.

I am not aware of one person in my circle of R.L. acquaintances that wanted the "choice" of SCO's as you call them. They are being pushed by the operators of retailers so they can cut their labor costs at the cost of customer convenience.

[Gatefan1976]

I am not aware of one person in my circle of R.L. acquaintances that wanted the "choice" of SCO's as you call them. They are being pushed by the operators of retailers so they can cut their labor costs at the cost of customer convenience.

I call them SCO's because that's what the retail industry calls them. Yes they cut costs but again what I am actually PUSHING is for you folks to understand it is not on US and just STOP taking it out on us. We are doing all we can, operating in crap conditions (which is pretty normal actually) but right now, the GP just needs to get it's crap togeather and that is not on us, it's on YOU.
You think we have all the responsibility, yet you ignore it in stores and still blame us??
Again, piss off.
Just, take care of everyone, not just yourself.
Be kind.

[Annoyed]

I call them SCO's because that's what the retail industry calls them. Yes they cut costs but again what I am actually PUSHING is for you folks to understand it is not on US and just STOP taking it out on us. We are doing all we can, operating in crap conditions (which is pretty normal actually) but right now, the GP just needs to get it's crap togeather and that is not on us, it's on YOU.
You think we have all the responsibility, yet you ignore it in stores and still blame us??
Again, piss off.
Just, take care of everyone, not just yourself.
Be kind.

Again, you are personalizing criticism of the stores as criticism of yourself. No one thinks the peon makes the decision about using those infernal things.

Oh, and added thought regarding the other discussion regarding them and the store requiring that customers weigh the product after scanning it for loss prevention. If the store chooses to forego the cashier to save $, they give up the security function that cashier provides for the store too.

[Gatefan1976]

Again, you are personalizing criticism of the stores as criticism of yourself. No one thinks the peon makes the decision about using those infernal things.

No I'm frigging not. WE face that criticism every day, all you are doing is not doing it in a store and saving it for here. I'm not blaming you, I even said you are the kind of customer I would bend over backwards for to help as you sound like you are kind to the workers and cashiers. When we can't however, we get abused. Staff are getting verbally abused, spat on and in some cases hit just for trying to help the GP out.
Do we deserve that?
We are doing a thankless job in a time we are deemed essiential and we are still treated like dirt.
Is that fair, is it kind?
My wife comes home from her work and finds me crying over songs or movie clips and tells me not to put myself through it, but there is a reason I do, to NOT become cold and remember the hopeful person I am. I am not mean or nasty, I'm blunt and honest sometimes because I am seeing your nation go to crap based on the ideals of "corporate America" and after being given so much, in the time of a crisis they want more and screw the people. You have thousands of people dying, just in your state and people are still arguing over politics!!

Oh, and added thought regarding the other discussion regarding them and the store requiring that customers weigh the product after scanning it for loss prevention. If the store chooses to forego the cashier to save $, they give up the security function that cashier provides for the store too.

No, they have used an alternate, weigh your goods and have a cashier to help you if you have an issue. It's not on them if you don't like that, and if you have to wait in line to get face to face service, then do it. No one is stopping you and if it adds time to your shop, get over it.
We do our best with what we have, and folks attack US because they get frustrated and it's NOT OUR FAULT, but it happens anyway.
I realise you are probably nice in the stores Annoyed, but you call us monkeys and subhuman out of them.
How should we treat you?

[Annoyed]

No I'm frigging not. WE face that criticism every day, all you are doing is not doing it in a store and saving it for here. I'm not blaming you, I even said you are the kind of customer I would bend over backwards for to help as you sound like you are kind to the workers and cashiers. When we can't however, we get abused. Staff are getting verbally abused, spat on and in some cases hit just for trying to help the GP out.
Do we deserve that?
We are doing a thankless job in a time we are deemed essiential and we are still treated like dirt.
Is that fair, is it kind?
My wife comes home from her work and finds me crying over songs or movie clips and tells me not to put myself through it, but there is a reason I do, to NOT become cold and remember the hopeful person I am. I am not mean or nasty, I'm blunt and honest sometimes because I am seeing your nation go to crap based on the ideals of "corporate America" and after being given so much, in the time of a crisis they want more and screw the people. You have thousands of people dying, just in your state and people are still arguing over politics!!

I agree, the employees take a lot of abuse. As I like to put it, you are peons. Your job is to stand there and get peed on. But the reason for this is not the customers, its the company. (the blame for EVERYTHING lies at the feet of the people whose name is on the door) In this case, how many customers harangue peons because there is no one else to make their views known to? Ever try to talk to a store manager about a problem? "Sorry, he's not in today" or some such BS is all you ever get. So the customer unloads on the only person they can. Same as with telephone call centers. When I was in that business for crappy ISP, how many times do you think I got unloaded on because the company refused to provide adequate service, or even reliable crappy service?

Regarding politics.. Well, that might be because some parties are using the crisis to push completely unrelated items to advance their own pre-existing agenda, rather than actually doing something to help solve the crisis. If you wish to discuss that further, PM.

No, they have used an alternate, weigh your goods and have a cashier to help you if you have an issue. It's not on them if you don't like that, and if you have to wait in line to get face to face service, then do it. No one is stopping you and if it adds time to your shop, get over it.
We do our best with what we have, and folks attack US because they get frustrated and it's NOT OUR FAULT, but it happens anyway.
I realise you are probably nice in the stores Annoyed, but you call us monkeys and subhuman out of them.
How should we treat you?

Ok, you agree that the SCO is aggravating to customers. is that the way that brick and mortar should be acting when they're trying to survive against online retailers? If the US consumer hadn't been trained to accept crappy service from retailers, no one would use them at all.

The only time I've ever gotten to the point of being insulting such as monkeys and subhuman is in situations where that person shouldn't even be working in that capacity because they are incompetent at their job. I mean, really, a guy whose job it is to help people in the tool dept. of a major big box store not knowing what a timing light is or being too lazy to help locate a specific tool that they did have in stock at the time?

That is absurd.

[Gatefan1976]

I agree, the employees take a lot of abuse. As I like to put it, you are peons. Your job is to stand there and get peed on. But the reason for this is not the customers, its the company.

Self serving BS. It's up to the GP to not treat us like crap, but many of you don't. You are even saying we deserve to be pissed on and don't BS yourself, you just put it in writing. You say it's not fair, but you don't care. "it's not the customer's fault", well are we staff members abusing ourselves? NO, it's the customers who do and all you are doing is giving people an excuse to keep doing it by saying that.

(the blame for EVERYTHING lies at the feet of the people whose name is on the door) In this case, how many customers harangue peons because there is no one else to make their views known to?

I don't know, and why should I care. Once more you have made it clear we are just pee-ons. If that's how you think, why the hell should we give a damn what you think. You want to talk to management, write a letter, because I'll tell you for FACT the store managers in grocery stores have ZERO power over policy. They cop just as much crap as your basic worker. How do I know? I've done the damn job, I keep getting asked to do the damn job but I am TIRED of the abuse, the expectations and the workload.
We have NO power at a store level mate and while YOU might realise that, most don't. They expect everything and give nothing.

Ever try to talk to a store manager about a problem? "Sorry, he's not in today" or some such BS is all you ever get. So the customer unloads on the only person they can. Same as with telephone call centers. When I was in that business for crappy ISP, how many times do you think I got unloaded on because the company refused to provide adequate service, or even reliable crappy service?

That was not your fault, nor is it ours. I am ALWAYS kind and friendly to people just trying to do a job. I can be mad at the company for being Arsehats but WHY take it out on the frontline? WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING and the excuse that people need to take it out on someone in a store in just self serving BS. You want to rage, get mad and express your frustrations. WHY? It's human nature? Or is it just yours?
The store manager cannot help you any more than the cashier because we all get the same marching orders. That is the simple reality.

Regarding politics.. Well, that might be because some parties are using the crisis to push completely unrelated items to advance their own pre-existing agenda, rather than actually doing something to help solve the crisis. If you wish to discuss that further, PM.

Nope, not interested. We have wildly different views and neither of us will back down. I've given up trying to prove a political point with you. You don't want to hear it and quite frankly, I don't want to hear yours either. It's actually sad because all it means it the separation of thought and idea's has become so toxic it's just impossible to discuss.
I wish I could.

Ok, you agree that the SCO is aggravating to customers.

When did I say that?
I use the SCO all the time because it's easier, faster and I can get out quicker. I only go to a register if I HAVE to. I'll still talk to the staff because I have known them for years as a regular customer, but the SCO is simply easier.

is that the way that brick and mortar should be acting when they're trying to survive against online retailers? If the US consumer hadn't been trained to accept crappy service from retailers, no one would use them at all.

Think for a second, just think.
How is online any different than a SCO?
You have to do it all yourself, there is no cashier, no staff member who can help you so what exactly are you getting upset about? You want the human contact? Someone to help you out when you need it? I get that, and when we can, we do but we can't always. You are a mechanic, you took years to learn where hundreds of car parts are located and how to fix and service them. we face 30k plus lines in a small store alone, let alone a megastore like you guys have in the US, but you expect us to know where everything is and get shirty when we don't. It takes time to learn all these things and people in retail simply don't last because they come in thinking it's easy and it's NOT. Again, at the best of times we cop abuse and you can say all you want it's the company, but it's not the company that has to deal with it, it's us. Next time you are mad in a store, don't abuse the staff member, write a letter or email to the company. If enough of you do it, they might just pay attention.

The only time I've ever gotten to the point of being insulting such as monkeys and subhuman is in situations where that person shouldn't even be working in that capacity because they are incompetent at their job. I mean, really, a guy whose job it is to help people in the tool dept. of a major big box store not knowing what a timing light is or being too lazy to help locate a specific tool that they did have in stock at the time?

Did they know?
Did you bother to ask yourself weather you knew more than the staff member?
Nope, they are just sub human, and that's OK.
How about I stick you in a bottle shop and expect you to know after a few weeks what the difference between a Rose and a Shiraz is? Or a SSB and a Chardonnay? The difference between Scotch and Burboun? What's the difference between a wheat beer and a standard beer? What is the difference between stout and clear beers?
Why can't you work this out you sub human monkey?
Are you getting the point yet?

[Annoyed]

Self serving BS. It's up to the GP to not treat us like crap, but many of you don't. You are even saying we deserve to be pissed on and don't BS yourself, you just put it in writing. You say it's not fair, but you don't care. "it's not the customer's fault", well are we staff members abusing ourselves? NO, it's the customers who do and all you are doing is giving people an excuse to keep doing it by saying that.

Did I ever say you deserved it? No. Just like I didn't deserve to get unloaded on in my former occupation.
Still gonna happen though. I couldn't stop it, and neither can you. only remaining choice is to get used to it.

The "peon" bit is again, not saying you or I deserved it, just that you have to stand there and listen to it. If you don't, you get fired.

And... That "bottle store"? You would expect the guy to know what beer is, though, right?

[Gatefan1976]

Did I ever say you deserved it? No. Just like I didn't deserve to get unloaded on in my former occupation.
Still gonna happen though. I couldn't stop it, and neither can you. only remaining choice is to get used to it.

The "peon" bit is again, not saying you or I deserved it, just that you have to stand there and listen to it. If you don't, you get fired.

No, you didn't say it, you just EXPECT it to be part of the job. If I came to your shop back in the day There is no way in hell I would abuse you just for not knowing something. I might ask to speak to someone else, but there is no way in hell I would abuse you because YOU DON'T DESREVE IT.
Why should we get fired for putting up with customer arsehattery? How about we fire back? point out you [general] are just a stupid lazy fewking moron? You stand behind the salt and ask us where it is? "where are the eggs?" "Where is the milk?" You people come into these stores every second day and have no bloody clue where anything is and you expect us to put up with your crap AND know where everything is??

You call us peons, stupid, ignorant, ill trained and subhuman, but all we are doing is our best. You call younger "people with heads full of mush" well guess what, you have a head full of rocks, hard, dumb and unchangeable.

And... That "bottle store"? You would expect the guy to know what beer is, though, right?

I don't expect him to know where hundreds of types are, or what they taste like. Do you?

[Annoyed]

No, you didn't say it, you just EXPECT it to be part of the job. If I came to your shop back in the day There is no way in hell I would abuse you just for not knowing something. I might ask to speak to someone else, but there is no way in hell I would abuse you because YOU DON'T DESREVE IT.

Ok, so if you brought your car to me and I asked you what gasoline was, you're still gonna let me work on it?

Why should we get fired for putting up with customer arsehattery?

Because its a business, that depends upon customers choosing to come into your store and spend their money there. If you do get into an argument with a customer, and he chooses to shop elsewhere, who wins? Over time, as more and more people go elsewhere, your store closes and you and everyone else involved loses their job. Again, who wins?

It ain't right, and it certainly isn't fair. But that is simply the way the business world works. And need I point out that life in general is simply not fair and never will be fair? That is the way it is, deal with it or do something else for a living.

The only way that doesn't apply is if there are no other stores the customer can go to; if your store has a monopoly.

You call us peons, stupid, ignorant, ill trained and subhuman, but all we are doing is our best. You call younger "people with heads full of mush" well guess what, you have a head full of rocks, hard, dumb and unchangeable.

I call you peons because that's what you are in the management structure of the store. You probably don't even make the decision on what to wear to work. The absolute bottom of the corporate food chain. The comment about peon = pee-on is just acknowedging that I know you don't make the decision and have to listen to the customers because it's part of the job.

Regarding "young skulls full of mush", there are many wisecracks I can make with that, but let's be serious. Young people are still learning, so their minds are not set yet. By my age, I've already looked at most issues and have learned which way the mop should flop.

I don't expect him to know where hundreds of types are, or what they taste like. Do you?

You're ignoring the degree of magnitude of the stupidity. A store representative working in the tool dept. who doesn't know what a timing light is is on the scale of the employee in that bottle store not knowing what beer is, which is not the same thing as knowing the difference between the many different types of beers.

Or the magnitude of laziness displayed by another employee in that same store and tool department not being willing to help a customer from finding a product that he wishes to buy.