Supermarket Express Lanes, Do You Count Your Items?

SeaBreeze

SeaBreeze

Endlessly Groovin'
Location
USA
When I use an express lane at the supermarket, I usually do a quick count on my items, if it's over the limit, I go to a regular check-out lane. It bugs me when I see people with a full cart at these registers.

It just happened to me again at a Kroger store. I had a lot of items, and was standing in a regular lane. The express cashier walked over to me and said he'd take me at his register. I told him I'm way over the limit, that was okay, I wasn't in a hurry. He insisted, so I ended up moving over a register.

Even though they invite you, and insist really, I feel funny about going to an express lane with a lot of items. Sure enough a guy came behind me with around four items, and looked at my full conveyor belt. I imagined what he was thinking, lol.

How do you feel about the express lanes, any problems with them? Do you count your items and abide by the rules?
 

I count them. If I'm only over by two items I go ahead and stand in line . Many many times I tell someone with only a couple of items in their hands to go ahead of me in the grocery store if have a basket full.
 
I always have. Occasionally, I've been one or two items over & asked the cashier if it was OK. And only when it wasn't really busy.

But for the past year or so, I've been doing all my grocery shopping at one of those Walmart Neighborhood Market stores, which have self-check out lanes, so now it's a moot issue for me.
 

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I've done that for others too Sharon, and had people insist I go ahead of them on line for an item or two. Mr. Jim, I don't like to use the self check-outs unless I have just a couple of items and am paying cash. Since I always used checks, I need to go through a cashier for approval anyway, so they don't save me any time or trouble.
 
SeaBreeze said:
I've done that for others too Sharon, and had people insist I go ahead of them on line for an item or two. Mr. Jim, I don't like to use the self check-outs unless I have just a couple of items and am paying cash. Since I always used checks, I need to go through a cashier for approval anyway, so they don't save me any time or trouble.
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I never really buy a whole lot of groceries at one time anyway, so the self checkouts are OK for me. If I had a basket full of stuff, I think I'd have to go thru the regular cashier line.

But as for paying, I used to use my debit card all the time until that Target hacking fiasco last year. Since then, I've been using a credit card for all my purchases. I get the bill emailed to me once a month & pay it online.
 
I give it a quick ball park count. If I'm close, I go for it. Most places I shop have very few lanes open. Walmart may have 15 lanes with only 2 regular lanes open at certain times of the day. I never have understood why stores build all the lanes and not open them. About the only time they are open is the day before a holiday.
 
Always, and never use express unless we're within their parameters, or the cashier has invited us into the line, which has happened a few times when they didn't have many in their lane.
 
When I go shopping, I go to stock up on things we need or want. I never use express lanes. If I only need a few items I'll do without until a trip to the store is worthwhile.
 
I use whatever gets me out the fastest, If they don't want me using their 'express lanes' they should hire more checkers, but I do everything I can to help the checkout person by putting bags in the cart and etc, its not their fault their employer will not hire enough help.
 
I like to tell myself I'll go shopping when I only need a few things, but it never seems to happen. It ends up being 2-3 weeks between shopping trips, so it's never express for me.
As far as trying to hurry through, I don't go when I need to get out of there quickly. When I leave the house I just figure on X amount of time for grocery shopping .. usually 2+ hours of my day. It's just my habit of doing things these days.:)
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If you all notice those express lanes have no baggers,the cashier can take care of bagging 10 items.
There was one elderly person with a cane that had away over 10 items,but others in the lane didnt seem to care.
 
I mostly use the self-checkout lanes. On the rare occasions when I don't, I always stay within the limits.

Once a friend told me he had seen a woman often at his supermarket who was a habitual offender, holding up the express lane with overflowing carts. One time, stuck in back of her, he decided he had had it, and pointed out that she had too many items for that lane. She hadn't started unloading yet. Instead of apologizing and moving over to a regular lane, she snapped, "Well, I'm here already." My friend removed a few of her items and threw them on the floor, saying, "Now, you're not here!" Wish I could have been there to see it.
 
Davey Jones said:
If you all notice those express lanes have no baggers,the cashier can take care of bagging 10 items.
There was one elderly person with a cane that had away over 10 items,but others in the lane didnt seem to care.
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stores i go to do
 
I always count and I do let people get ahead of me if they have only a couple of items. I was in the suprmarket Saturday and there were 2 rescue guys in the express lane checking out a cart full of items. I suppose they feel they deserve the right to not wait in line like every other citizen. I say lazy.
 
Bullie76 said:
I give it a quick ball park count. If I'm close, I go for it. Most places I shop have very few lanes open. Walmart may have 15 lanes with only 2 regular lanes open at certain times of the day. I never have understood why stores build all the lanes and not open them. About the only time they are open is the day before a holiday.
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Well, my guess is that they build a lot of them so they'll have enough available during busy times when they really need them.

But because each lane requires an employee who gets paid by the hour to run it, in order to keep their operating costs down, they only keep some of them open when it's not absolutely necessary to have them all open.

No matter what they may say, customer convenience always takes second place to profits.

Can't blame them too much I guess. It's always a balancing act.
 
I have been retired for 18 months now but I worked for 17 1/2 years as a cashier in a supermarket and I used to hate working the express till, you couldn't do right for doing wrong where customers were concerned and then my store installed 4 self scan tills and did away with the express till and it was much better.
 
SeaBreeze said:
When I use an express lane at the supermarket, I usually do a quick count on my items, if it's over the limit, I go to a regular check-out lane. It bugs me when I see people with a full cart at these registers.

It just happened to me again at a Kroger store. I had a lot of items, and was standing in a regular lane. The express cashier walked over to me and said he'd take me at his register. I told him I'm way over the limit, that was okay, I wasn't in a hurry. He insisted, so I ended up moving over a register.

Even though they invite you, and insist really, I feel funny about going to an express lane with a lot of items. Sure enough a guy came behind me with around four items, and looked at my full conveyor belt. I imagined what he was thinking, lol.

How do you feel about the express lanes, any problems with them? Do you count your items and abide by the rules?
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I'm considerate but not anal. :)

If I know I'm slightly over, I like to lighten things up between myself and the cashier by saying, "guess I'm in big trouble today, huh", and so far, not once, have I gotten any backlash from a cashier.
 
MrJim said:
I always have. Occasionally, I've been one or two items over & asked the cashier if it was OK. And only when it wasn't really busy.

But for the past year or so, I've been doing all my grocery shopping at one of those Walmart Neighborhood Market stores, which have self-check out lanes, so now it's a moot issue for me.
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I have done the same.
 
i rarely use the express line, but the self-check numbers... purely a suggestive to me. ;) i almost never have a big cart so whatever i have, i do on self-scan. i don't like being rushed and i like control over how bags are packed.
 
Mirabilis said:
I always count and I do let people get ahead of me if they have only a couple of items. I was in the suprmarket Saturday and there were 2 rescue guys in the express lane checking out a cart full of items. I suppose they feel they deserve the right to not wait in line like every other citizen. I say lazy.
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I don't know about the "rescue guys" but when the fire fighters shop for the station, they come in the firetruck. If they get a call, they have to drop everything and run. I think it's in the best interest for them to get out as fast as possible to get their stuff back the station.

I saw that happen once; they got a call when they were halfway through checking out a big order. The manager yelled for them to go and he'd have the groceries delivered and collect the money later.

I'm not sure why anyone would resent helping emergency personnel.
 
I make sure I'm within the limit when using the express checkout.
I was reminded of a cartoon: A cashier at the express checkout in a market is holding a smoking shotgun & there are several bloody bodies on the floor. A few shoppers with full carts are sneaking away. The caption reads: "All right. Anybody else got more than 6 items?"
 
During the last six months my favourite store has just one line up for everyone. They did away with the express line. I really miss it. When I turn around the corner & see a line with full buggies, I leave. There’s nothing I want that bad.

At another store that has self-checkout, the line up is so long it would be easier to wait behind full buggies.
 
jujube said:
I don't know about the "rescue guys" but when the fire fighters shop for the station, they come in the firetruck. If they get a call, they have to drop everything and run. I think it's in the best interest for them to get out as fast as possible to get their stuff back the station.

I saw that happen once; they got a call when they were halfway through checking out a big order. The manager yelled for them to go and he'd have the groceries delivered and collect the money later.

I'm not sure why anyone would resent helping emergency personnel.
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I agree. For what they go through on the job (look at the photos in the news from CA and Oregon), I'll gladly give up my place in line for them anytime.
 

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