Bagging Groceries (Repost to Groups)

The worst of all is when they place a bottle of bleach or any cleaner in the same bag that they just put a package of meat into. I have had that done and refused to pay for it and asked to have it replaced at their cost. But my biggest pet peeve is having my bread smashed or my eggs broken. My husband always teases me about that one.

I agree that Trader Joe's does a great job. Especially in the summer, they pack all the frozen and fresh stuff in such a way to keep them cold as long as possible in case you have a longer trip home or have to make another stop.

Also, I think the paper bags make it particularly easy to pack and carry your groceries although the handles have ripped on me a few times. Those bags are very handy too - I have dozens of uses for them.

My pet peeve is when they put a single item in a bag!

Another skill I wish grocery store clerks had is correct handling of change. The customer should always be given the coins first, then the bills, not the other way around. Also, a basic course in arithmetic for all cashiers would be great so they are not completely reliant on the cash register.

The manager of the store the other day was going to put the cat food in with the bottle of Sunny Delight until I stopped him and then he argued with me over it. He said oh so this is why I see you bagging your groceries here now.

I have his name and will be making a complaint and shopping elsewhere due to this rudeness. Whatever happened to the customer being right and doing what they want?

I totally agree with this article. It drives me NUTS that they don't train them how to bag groceries these days. my mom has worked for a grocery store since I was a child and when she started out as a bagger, they taught them how to do it... I know because she shared the information with me. Now when I go to the grocery store, I even set up my items on the counter for them! heavy things first, everything grouped... bread and chips LAST. Does it work??? NO! Gr. Drives me NUTS!

I work on the register at a major supermarket in Australia, and am 16 years old. I have been working there for about 8 months now, and have to say that it's not easy packing bags! It may seem simple, but when you have so much pressure on you to do it perfectly and so quickly, it can be pretty stressful! When I began, I was not given much guidance as to how to pack the bag (we use plastic bags, or reusable bags if customers bring their own. These sometimes fit on the racks and attach with a material loop, and sometimes don't, which is annoying). I was helped out a little bit, but didn't have any actual lessons and learnt on the job. I pretty much taught myself.

I am a fussy packer, within reason, and if in doubt, I ask the customer what they would prefer (eg. "Would you like the shampoo in a separate bag?" "Do you need a bag for the large bottles?") and I know that many of the other people at the store also ask the customer what they would prefer, and pack well, but there are some who don't!! I understand that it must be very frustrating for you when you don't have your groceries packed well, but there are many of us, like me, that try very hard!

I absolutely love it when a customer packs their own groceries, and do not get offended at all. It is so much quicker and easier for me.

Please don't get angry at a cashier when they do something wrong, take a bit of extra time because they are still learning or aren't quite sure what to do. Just politely say, for example "Could you please put the detergent in a separate bag?" or "Please make sure this butter is the right way up - I had one leak everywhere the other day!" and say it nicely, because this cashier may be a very good packer. If someone asked me to put butter upright, I'd say something like "Yes of course, it's annoying when they leak isn't it?" or (jokingly) "Yes I will, but are you sure you don't want butter leaking everywhere? That's always fun! to clean up!" and I find that humour relaxes customers and makes them leave the store feeling good.

It is difficult, because if, for example, a customer only has a few things, I will ask if they need a bag. Some of them say yes, and some say no and seem a little angry that I asked (because it is a waste of a bag). Sometimes, if it's just one or two small items, I won't offer a bag (especially if they already have, for example, a handbag) and then they will sometimes get annoyed that I didn't offer! It's very hard to please everyone, but I do my best! I take pride in my job.

So if the cashier looks like they're not quite sure what they're doing, or are being a little careless, NICELY give them a few hints, and if it does continue to bother you, you can always pack your own bags :)

Hope this helped give a different perspective on this topic :)

When I worked at Jewel Osco here in Michigan City IN.they would always have us watch a training video on the rigors of bagging. What they do in the video is to demonstrate how to build up side walls. What you do is place 2 boxes one on each side of the bag and you place the cans in the middle of your walls and you place a filler item like sugar or flour on top of your cans and you place the bread or chips at the very top making sure that you do not crush them. And they always emphasize that you should use 2 hands in which to bag. Which means that you should use both hands simultaneously when placing items in the bags. You simply don't hold the bag open with one hand and then place items in the bag with the other. That totally wastes a lot of precious time and energy. You must keep both hands moving simultaneously at all times. By keeping both hands moving simultaneously not only will you increase your efficiency but you will get the order out a lot more quickly for the customer and you will also expend a lot less time and energy on both you and your customer in the process. And you will also help your cashier to be able to start another order as well. And you put your laundry detergent,dish soap,and other chemicals in a separate bag so they simply do not contaminate the other customers groceries. You also put your body soap such as Zest,Dove,and Irish Spring in a separate bag as well so it doesn't contaminate the other customers groceries as well. It is OK,to bag both the hamburger and the rib eye steaks together. But you simply do not bag the hamburger or rib eye steaks in with the pork chops. And you bag the shell fish items in the own separate bag. You simply don't bag them with anything else. And you bag the chicken together in their own separate bags away from everything else. By doing that you are avoiding cross contamination and bouchlism with other grocery items. And you must never EVER place the bread in with the wet chicken ever!! That will thus saturate the bread and make it soggy and it will also cause cross contamination and bouchlism in the process. And you must NEVER EVER place the tomatoes in with the hot chicken EVER. The excessive heat from the chicken will melt the tomatoes completely and they will be totally demolished in the process. And they will turn into soup immediately afterwards. So ALWAYS keep the tomatoes and anything else away from the hot chicken at all times. And always remember to keep the hot chicken in a bag all by itself to help to keep it hot and to help to retain it's freshness and flavor. And do not mix the heavy fruits and vegetables in with the light fruits and vegetables. They must be bagged separately in order to prevent damage and further bruising. If you have an elderly or disabled customer it would be advisable not to overload their bags completely. Please show some due consideration to them by distributing the weight equally in each bag so the bags won't be so heavy and so cumbersome for them in which to carry. Both common sense and good judgment must be exercised at all times. You can't have one without the other. And you must always show due consideration for your customer needs at all times.