You thought of Flanner when you saw that smelly fish? LOL! Flanner always throws out the bait. He is a bottom feeder I guess.

Have never seen supermarket cashiers sitting down. And, if they did how could they reach all of the items to push them across the price reader (unless they have REALLY long arms) and how would they pack the groceries (unless they put the bags in the floor)?

It seems to me the job can only be done standing up - like a clerk in a department store. Sitting is more comfy - but would take much longer - and require a lot of popping up and down.

Having the checkers bag isn't silly. What would the price of groceries be if they had to have a bagger and a checker on each line?

And the shopper has no time to bag, since you are:

Watching the prices on the display to be sure they're correct

Sliding your ATM card, inserting secret code, asking for cash back, okaying transaction

then filling out delivery address forms

<i>somehow i think that if american cashiers sat and europeans stood, the argument would be reversed and the europhiles would say that the americans are so fat and lazy that they can't even stand up to do their jobs.</i>

I think now we're at the real crux of this thread.

Thank you walkinaround....

gruezi

nyt...have you ever been in a grocery store in europe? everything you describe with such disbelief is how it usually works in most european countries. it's almost like you are questioning if it really works this way. strange.

Bagging groceries in Switzerland is left to the customer because:

1. Cashiers used to bag groceries (I remember this quite well) but regulations no longer allow it. I believe it has something to do with health issues.

2. Migros tested &quot;baggers&quot; and found customers didn't like them. Migros customers are picky about which items go into which bag and many complained. Also, a few consumers were suspicious that Migros would raise prices to cover overhead. Of course, I adored the baggers.

So now the consumers get to do all the work and nobody (except for American consumers who are used to different service) is complaining.

Lines are quite efficient here and I find them not faster or slower than in the States. We even have 8 items or less check out cashiers.

Now, in the tiny grocery store in my town, life's a bit different. I walk in and all of them say, &quot;Hello Schuler!&quot; in a friendly voice. If I forget my money, they will write down the amount and I can pay it back next time. However, I still have to bag my own groceries.

nytraveler wrote: &quot;Having the checkers bag isn't silly. What would the price of groceries be if they had to have a bagger and a checker on each line?&quot;

Probably not much different, because the throughput at each checkout is greatly increased (rough guess: about 50%), and the amount of floorspace given to checkouts can be reduced.

But that is not the whole issue. If low prices can be achieved only by treating staff badly and putting their health at risk, then we should think of being willing to pay a little more.

Is it true that some supermarket employees in the US are paid so little that they qualify for food stamps?

Where I shop, the cashier always asks if I need help with packing.
As I have the efficient Canon Chasuble to do it, I always refuse the offer.

This is an interesting thread, not wishing to digress too much, I can see the link between this and a television factory in the Czech Republic that I have dealings with. They make all the production line operators stand all day, in fact there are no seats on the shop floor at all.

First sight this seems remarkably cruel, especially to the older staff but they explained to me that this method, 'keeps them on their toes' (forgive the pun) by making the staff more flexible, and allowing them greater freedom in movement to complete their particular task freely and quickly.

Eliminating the opportunity to sitdown comfortably and relax and therefore creating an effective and productive operation.

Now the Czech Management strongly believe that due to the varying amounts of Nationalities and cultures working together on this production line this method reduces the opportunity to be lazy.

Make of that what you will.

Muck

For anybody planning a career move:

http://www.dhs.ca.gov/ohb/HESIS/cashiers.pdf

NY - it's easy to reach everything when you sit. I've never been to the US so perhaps your checkouts are different...

Here there is a conveyor belt moving towards the checkout. You put your stuff on the conveyor belt. The checkout operator gets your groceries 'delivered' right in front of them (well, a bit off to the side), they then scan it move it along. Sometimes the scanned groceries just go onto a slidey bit where you wait at the end to bag, or sometimes there is another little conveyor belt delivering them to you to bag. The checkout operators don't have to reach for anything, it's right there for them.

If you want help with bagging, or you are still busy putting your items on the belt, they can bag for you as they go.

I actually think our check-outs are fairly fast once you get to the front of the queue of course. Most delays are caused by people faffing about with their money, leaving their stuff to go back and get something they've forgotten, someone spilling something all over the belt etc.

At Aldi/Lidl you are not supposed to bag your stuff at the checkout. You are supposed to chuck it straight back into the trolley then go and bag it at one of the special tables.

nytraveler: &quot;Have never seen supermarket cashiers sitting down. And, if they did how could they reach all of the items to push them across the price reader (unless they have REALLY long arms) and how would they pack the groceries (unless they put the bags in the floor)?&quot;

And I have never seen cashiers standing up. The cashier´s chair is high, and the seat turns from side to side. The cashier does not reach anything. There is a pedal she pushes with her foot, and the strip pushes items next to her hand. On the other side the strip pushes items forward where the customer bags them. One can always check the prices from the receit, a customer does not have to keep his/her eyes in the cash machine. There is ample time for bagging.

Admittedly, I'm only shopping for myself, but it's a poor day when I haven't already bagged my own shopping by the time the till's ready to accept my credit card. And I do it properly!

Me too. It's not hard and it speeds things up.

I won't use those self-service things because if you've bought any wine etc every time you scan it it bleeps and a spotty kid has to come and do something to tell the machine that this weatherbeaten bald bloke is in fact over 18.

I prefer self-check out because for one only i want to handle my items - not some hands of cashiers who i've seen cough into their hands, etc.

And out self-serve check outs are remarkably efficient - may have something to do with the collective IQ of the town perhaps - much shorter than waiting in line - probably designed so to encourage their use

I guess Flanner worked for Safeway and we know that Safeway, once a whale was gobbled up by a minnow - no wonder he was made redundant.

I can't remember if cashiers at S Kensington High Street Whole Foods Market were sitting or not when i went there a bit back - may be the only standing cashiers in Europe - but probably sitting i would suspect

&quot;Is it true that some supermarket employees in the US are paid so little that they qualify for food stamps?&quot;

Maybe if they work for WalMart. I worked for Vons, which was purchased by Safeway (worst company EVER) in So Cal. When I left in 2001, I was earning $19/hour, time and a half on Sunday, 3 weeks paid vacation, triple time on major holidays, medical and dental coverage, and extra $.50/hour after 6 pm. Pretty good for a part-time job.

By 2003 all that had changed as contract negotiations broke down and the grocers blocked all employees from working for 5 months. By that time, many full time clerks and other clerks left and found other work. The strike was settled and the owners won the two tiered wage system. All new hires would be on a different pay scale. The most anyone could eventually earn doing my job would be about $12/hour and they'd have to wait 6 months or a year before qualifying for health care.

It's a tough job. I had to leave due to a workman's comp injury. All those years of pulling and pushing groceries ruined my right shoulder and my neck. I eventually got my movement back-first through aqua therapy and then Pilates.

&quot;Is it true that some supermarket employees in the US are paid so little that they qualify for food stamps?&quot;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;

I can't imagine it's a well paid job anywhere. I would assume that any family living on a cashiers income would qualify for benfits/tax credits (our equivelent)

&quot;I can't imagine it's a well paid job anywhere. I would assume that any family living on a cashiers income would qualify for benfits/tax credits &quot;

Read my post above. In 2001, $19/hour is/was good. I was able to purchase a condo working p/t as a grocery checker. But I also had/have another source of income through acting and modeling.

My son worked at the local Kroger for a while recently - he started at $9/hr and soon was up to $11 and more at night or on Sundays

not a living wage but he was a student

but for the old pros there they get about $17/hr and many work every Sunday and holidays to get 1.5 time pay - but these old pros are getting to be fewer and fewer as Kroger is hiring temps and folks without guarantee of wage increases, seniority, etc.

they are in a union but obviously a very weak one

I didn't finish all the above, but I have never been in a European grocery store where I didn't have to bag my own groceries. And usually I had to weigh, bag and tag my own produce too. So I don't think comparing the 'productivity' of a sitting cashier to an American 'standing' cashier is, pardon the pun, apples to oranges.