Do you check the checker?

b, Just yesterday, my wife and I went to Safeway and bought 4 cartons of oj which was promoted at 2 for $4. When we checked out, the total bill seemed too much for our purchases, so I checked the receipt, and sure enough, they charged us $5.78 on two cartons (over $11). I went to another cashier and told her that this was wrong; I could have simple gone through the line and paid for the 2 cartons at the reduced price. She agreed with me, but it took her ten minutes to correct this problem, because when she tried to credit 2 cartons, it came up as a $4 credit. She finally said we owed $4, and I said, no we should get a refund of the difference between the high price and the $4.

Yeah, check your receipt before walking out of the store.

I do the same thing - I usually calc in my head what I expect the bill to be - and I also try to watch as they check items in - I have often caught mistakes that way.

Another thing, make sure on produce they select the right item - this could also be a costly mistake.

That produce thing is right up there; many checkers don't know the correct code even when it's posted on their cash registers.

I've never thought about checking the vegetables!

I really think I caught those two because there was such a big difference in what I expected to pay and what the total ended up being. No telling how many smaller errors I've missed.

I'm going to start really paying attention -- especially on sale items.

I always always always watch the screen while things are being rung up. I know what each item costs with in a few cents. And I too have a running tally in my brain before I approach the checker .
My mother used to embarrass me with that behavior.
Now , I understand it

What shewolf said.

As I put items on the conveyer belt, I add them up in my head. Not to the penny, If something is $4.64 I add $5.00, if something is $8.27 I add $8.00. I'll add or subtract and extra dollar once in a while while doing this, like if there where several items on the short side of the fiddy cent mark.

I'm usually within a dolla or 2 of what the register says.

There's scales and printers in our produce department, so we print our own price labels and stick them of the plastic bags.

If I notice an item that's on sale is about to be scanned, I look at the register to make sure it rings up right, and I'll catch it right there.

If the amount is the not sale price, I reach over the counter and grab the cashier by the collar, hair, or largest body piercing and scream in a shrill voice. "WHAT YOU DOIN' BITCH? YOU TRYIN' TO SCREW ME? I...WANT....MY....MONEY!!!!"

Usually that doesn't happen with a particular cashier more than once.

I do the same. I watch the screen carefully, and many times I have produce
they're not used to code on a daily basis, so I've been telling them for ages
now the specific names (fennel, leek etc.) and watch the screen very carefully
if everything was entered correctly.

btw - A little side question...

Do any of you go around and start bagging your own stuff if a bagger isn't right there?

I do.

I hate it when somebody is standing there, all impatient that the process is taking so long, but stands there like some weakling while the cashier has to ring up, turn around and bag and load it in your cart.

One time this princess was in front of me, making comments when the cashier had to resolve some problem with the customer in front of her, then telling the cashier she was in a rush when it was her turn...then proceeded to stand there.

I hate when customers mistreat cashiers. One of the first items had to get a price check, and princess let loose this HUGE sigh and gave the cashier a dirty look.

That was it....I said to her "If you in such a rush, why don't you go around and put your own **** in bags instead of just standing around?"

I've been known to bag my own stuff, but there's almost always a bagger these days.

I definitely check the checker. I also memorize produce codes for the weirder stuff to save time.

Not long ago, I bought a watermellon with my groceries. Checking the bill before leaving the parking lot, I discovered I was charged for 15 watermellons.

I almost had one of my tharns today at Smith's. I like Smith's, or many things about it. I'm not sure if it is a local chain or nationwide one. It's also where I get my deal at the pharmacy re the clinic I go to - so while I am there anyway, I also get some shopping done. Love the New Mexican food section, but also others. I could elaborate.

Il problemo is that their bagging sucks, starting with the .oooooo 1 mm plastic bags. Today I go in with my little bag collection - a serious cotton duck bag from the gourmet oakville grocery in CA, and 4 Albertson's sort of super plastic bags that you pay a pittance for and then reuse potentially forever. I hand them to the clerk who is busy chatting with girlfriend or boyfriend on the phone (I can tell) and tosses them to the end of the counter. I ask the bagger to make the big one not-too-heavy. She doesn't answer. I ask (nicely) again, she mumbles yes.

I've a history with Smith's - losing a bottle of wine thorough a plastic bag tear, losing a loaf of bread from the poor stuffing of goods into bags. It fell out of the cart... (long story). But today was new for the combo of nonchalance and seeming hostility.

This is in contrast to many places where I've gotten to know the clerks - I like the ones in Raleys-turned-into-Albertson's, and I particularly like the people at Keller's, which is primarily a good butcher/fish market with mostly healthy aisles of other foods. The guy checker and I talk about art, for example. I don't remember how we got on to that.

I'm not hostile to checkers - I might apply to be one if it wasn't such a drive for me right now.

I managed to keep quiet. I think I blame that store management and then the training and not really these two women.

An easy answer is that I could check through myself. They do have a self check aisle. But.. now I buy a lot at a time and I don't want to hold up a line while I fumble and learn. I'll try it the day I buy two things.



When I got the the car, the big bag was exceedingly heavy. Had to unload stuff to the car.

I love to bag my own stuff...I do a better job of it actually. But I started using my crates and they all think I am looney tunes anyway. But I just go and put the cold stuff in my cold crate and the other stuff in the other ones...that is if I am at Publix. At Walmart I just ask her to let me put them back in my cart...Not easy - since the end is blocked off by the stupid little carousel with the bags on it - it just in the way...

I have to confess - last time - I just let her put them all in bags when I went to Walmart...i was just so tired of the goofy looks and of having to stop and let the guy at the door pretend he was checking all of the stuff not in bags. Good grief.

I also have a running tab of what I think it will cost before I leave the house and when I actually get the stuff...when it is more than I expect I have to sit there and go through the receipt afterwards...because I have been busy putting stuff in the cart and not paying attention to the prices as she types them in....then I have to apologize to all of the people behind me that have been impatiently waiting. No wonder I just let her put them in the bags last time...it is exhausting trying to be green.

You use crates, like milk crates?

Excellent!!!

I keep wanting to do that, I could just put the crates in the cart, put the items in the crate, unload onto the belt, and reload into the crates...what could be easier.

I like bagging too. I can make sure raw meat fish go in a separate bag...most baggers do that, but you gotta watch 'em. I always put raw meat/fish on the belt first...in the produce plastic bags I put them in....the plastic produce bags that I put on my hand like a glove to pick up the raw meat package....then pull the bag inside out over the e-coli carrying mess. Never touch that nasty package.

Sometimes when I ask the bagger to bag the meat separately, they look at me like I've got 3 noses.

I always get into the most interesting conversations with the checkers....or the people behind me.

I always compliment the checkers on their choice of body piercings, expressing envy....it makes them feel good, and makes them realize middle aged women can too be cool.

This weekend, the man behind me was only buying a case full of "Big Hunks" this taffy like candy, like Mary Janes.

I said "Oh, I remember them"

He said "I buy them for my mother, she loves 'em. But they're getting harder to find, so when I see them somewhere, I buy them all."

I said "Have you tried Amazon? They probably have them (they do), and I'll bet the shippings free (it is)."

He said "hey, I'll check that out, I've never bought anything on Amazon"

Me: "oh, you should go there, you can get anything...I bought my carpet steam cleaner there, no shipping, cheaper than BB & B, and they delivered it."

Him: "That's funny, I'm looking for a steam cleaner. They sell those?"

Me: "oh god, you can get just about anything on amazon. All kinds of weird stuff too. I was looking at lotions, and clicked on a link, which took you to the page where they sell Astro Glide and all that kind of stuff."

He was quite impressed by that, I could tell.

Asto glide...<snort> I bet he was impressed! ; D

Oh yes...I try to use milk crates - or just the cart - at Publix it is not so bad because they know me pretty well and the bag boy will walk me out sometimes to help me get the crates in. But the looks that I get at Walmart are annoying sometimes. And it truly is exhausting. Shopping for two weeks without having everything in bags is inconvenient at best.

Not only do I bag my own stuff, but I unload my cart according to how I want things bagged.
Example-
i put all of my frozen stuff together so that, if I dont have to bag it, at least it is grouped together so that the cold can stay cold.
I put the bread on the belt very last right along with eggs.
I put my chemical stuff ( cleaning supplies or other non food items) first. that way they are yanked and put up before food comes.
THEN goes the canned stuff. cans and chemicals are ok in the same bag by me.
Then frozen, then packaged, then fresh, then bread egg/ toilet paper or anything else left over that may be really soft.

I too have been behind people who take a while in line. I always make it a point to say as loudly as I can with out being impolite that WAITING never killed anyone and if someone is in that much of a hurry they should be in an ambulance and not in line at ___what ever store___.
I generally get a huge sigh of relief from the checker, and snickers from other people if someones feathers are ruffled from the wait.

Really.. waiting is no big deal. And if you ARE in a hurry, it is more polite to move to another line then try to rush people who are not.

I check the checker every time and it is truly amazing how many errors are made that people probably don't even realize.

Sometimes there will be a sale price that did not go through and the checker is either to lazy or not knowledgeable enough to check it. They will say that is the price in the computer so that is the price. I tell them to keep it.

I can't even calculate the amount of money that I have been spared by checking the checker.

I organize my cart as I shop.

First stop produce...that goes in the front of the cart, where the kid would sit if I had one. Onions, cabbage and other heavy stuff on the bottom, covering the sides where small stuff can fall through. Plums, bananas mushrooms tomatos on top. I also put my bread in the part too.

All cold things go in the little section on the front end of the cart. The raw meat/fish goes under that little part, in the main car.

All heavy things go under the kid seat, going forward, with misc stuff on stop.

All organized and lined up.

I like watching what other people buy, and how they go in the cart.

Some people just toss everything in any which way.....can you imagine?

I'll bet people LOVE to get in line behind you huh Intrepid?

Chai....would you say you are O.C.?