Queues in shops

[Rossluck]

I was in Bunnings yesterday and they had all of their regular checkouts closed and a long queue at the service centre and another at the tools section checkout. When I was finally served the exasperated checkout lady, who had been abused by a loudmouth in front of everyone, told me quietly that they were short-staffed because of budget cuts. She said that this meant that, not only did they all have to work harder, but they also had to suffer abuse from the public.

This type of pathetic "make the customers wait and increase our profits for the shareholders" attitude isn't restricted to Bunnings, of course. How many times have we been in a supermarket with only one checkout opened, a large queue, and the checkout staff employed restocking shelves?

Remember when Macca's offered free hamburgers if you weren't served within a certain amount of time? I wish they'd bring that back in!

Economic rationalism stinks.

[duckman]

Being kept waiting for up to 20 minutes in a queue at Coles on very many occasions is why I stopped shopping there and now shop at IGA. The longest I've been kept waiting at IGA is 2 minutes. They also exercise common sense and if there is no-one in the 12 items or less lane but you're waiting at a normal checkout with more than 12 items, the cashier will call you through the 12 items or less checkout. :)

[durwood]

My local Bunnings is as bad if not worse. Checkouts queues piled up while there is an employee standing at the doormeeting and greeting people

[Termite]

At my local shopping centre Woolworths and Coles are about 130 Metres apart. When the big queues 2 checkout situation last occured at Coles a certain six legged loudmouth anounced at the top of his lungs that 20 people were going to walk away from their full trolleys and go to Woolworths. Five more checkouts were instantly opened.

[Cliff Rogers]

Coles & Bilo have to be the WORST offenders at present... they are disgusting. :mad:

[Ashore]

The thing I find most annoying is people with 20 plus items in a 12 or less express queue:mad:

[Groggy]

Hoppers Crossing on Saturday 19 Aug.

24mins at the trade counter. The tool, garden and other checkouts were worse.

[Schtoo]

I get upset when I have more than one person in front of me, which means I might have to wait for another minute, maybe two. Annoying stuff I can tell you...

They don't pack the bags though, you get to do that, which I guess saves some time.


One thing they do have here are plenty of checkout persons (can't say chicks anymore now can we?) and lots of people running around the store. The fact that they are largely robots (ie: incompetant) is comepletely irrelevant of course. :rolleyes:

[Auld Bassoon]

I was in Woolworths in Bentleigh last Tuesday and there was only the 12 or less and 1 (one) regular check-out open, and queues from here to breakfast.

I caught the eye of one of the lasses that works there who was behind the "customer service" (!) counter at the time. I just winked with a smile. 30 seconds later she invited me to come around to another cash-out.

Message: sometimes it's nice to be nice :)

[Sturdee]

The thing I find most annoying is people with 20 plus items in a 12 or less express queue:mad:


Whilst that is not illegal in Vic I was told by a Kmart manager, when I complained long and loud (reading at the top of my booming voice :p ) about this practice that it was illegal in NSW.

Nevertheless I will never put up with that practice and when someone tries it in front of me I go up to the checkout and complain at the top of my voice that the idiot in front of me can't read the sign and should be directed to another queue.

Works every time when that idiot slinks away totally embarrassed whilst I get served instead.:D

Anyone wonder why my family doesn't want me to come shopping with them?


Peter.

[ozwinner]

I caught the eye of one of the lasses that works there who was behind the "customer service" (!) counter at the time.

You ol' smoothie you.

Al :D

[Bondy1s]

This is one of the perks of living in a small country town- instant checkout service!! Of course the limited product range is a bummer though!

[Cliff Rogers]

Geeze don't start me on service in small country towns..... :mad:
I travel around a lot in my job & it fairly Ps me right off when I go to some little town to do a job & then go to get something to eat & my order ends up coming out last after all the locals who came in after me.
The last time it happened was in Mareeba & I got up & left & went to a different coffee shop.:mad:

[Ashore]

Geeze don't start me on service in small country towns..... :mad:
I travel around a lot in my job & it fairly Ps me right off when I go to some little town to do a job & then go to get something to eat & my order ends up coming out last after all the locals who came in after me.
The last time it happened was in Mareeba & I got up & left & went to a different coffee shop.:mad:

That'll lern em , bet they still talk about it damm locals :D

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Awww... Poor Cliffy. There, there.

On the other hand, I've come across some small towns that had brilliant service. At some they actually smile at the customers! :eek: Wish someone would bring that policy back to the big smoke. :rolleyes:

On one job I had to pass through the same place (one knows well. ;)) two or three times a week for around 18 months. The last 12 months or so I'd walk in, wait in the queue behind the tourists... and my tucker'd be ready to pick up by the time I got through to the counter. No words exchanged, just a grateful smile and some cash. Usually less than the listed price at that! Got some evil looks from the tourists, too... I wonder if you were one, Cliff? :D

In my books that's not local favouritism, it's damned good customer service!

[scooter]

...she invited me to come around...

And ??

To the Orange Room with details, Steve :cool: :D

Us still married blokes like to dream :p


Cheers................Sean

[Cliff Rogers]

....
In my books that's not local favouritism, it's damned good customer service!

Nuh, it sucks.... :eek:
I walk in & order a meal & sit down at a table to wait for it & six other people come in after me & all order something very similar & theirs comes out & they are half way through it & I'm still sitting there like a stale bottle of pizz????? :(
That's like pushing in on a queue & faqing rude in my book. :mad:
How do you call that good customer service? :confused:
Sure they may have six regulars but am I ever likely to go back there again?

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I'd be peeved too, if we all ordered at the same time.

At this particular caf there was no need for me to order, they'd just see me walk in and plonk it on the grill. Mind you, it would probably be a different story if I changed my order occasionally.

[Bondy1s]

Well I dunno if I'm a local yet Cliff, I've ónly been here for thirty odd years but some of the locals do recognise me and wave... or is it just the flies?

[Guy]

One thing that realy peeves me about Coles is that when there are 30 peaople queing up at 6pm ( Caulfield Plaza) the staff are all sitting outside having there meal break. I dont have a problem with staff having a break but management need to organise it better so that only one staff memebr at a time is on there break.
And the other most hated would be that the cigarette counter is always at the express checkout, and they always get priority. They just walk up when there is a queue with 20 or so people and get served next. Last time the girl went to serve this woman and i was next in queue i said to her " hold on ive been waiting 10 mins is this queue and your going to serve her" other people in the queue said she should join the queue like everyone else. Wont ever see that happen, at least Safeway have moved them to a seperate counter now.

[Cliff Rogers]

...Coles ..the other most hated would be that the cigarette counter is always at the express checkout, and they always get priority. They just walk up when there is a queue with 20 or so people and get served next. .....
Yeap, I'd forgotten about that, that is like pushing in too. :mad:

[Groggy]

Yeap, I'd forgotten about that, that is like pushing in too. :mad:Since we're whinging - I am not very happy when you get to the front of the queue and the phone rings, which they then answer and make you wait.

I got of my butt and drove in there, only to be cut off by some phone shopper. A few times now I've put the goods down on the counter and gone elsewhere.

[Cliff Rogers]

...the phone rings, which they then answer and make you wait.

I got of my butt and drove in there, only to be cut off by some phone shopper. .....
Yeap, I'd forgotten about that, that is like pushing in too. :mad:<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

[Cliff Rogers]

What about when you ring up to see if they have one & they say they do & when you get there they can't find it? :(

[silentC]

Can't remember the last time I stood in a queue. Oh, yeah I do, I had to queue up to buy tickets to my daughter's dance concert 2 years ago because the wife was playing golf.

But reading all this certainly brings back the memories and reminds me why I don't live in Sydney any more. It must take years off your life.

So I'll stop reading :p

[Iain]

Then of course theres the Commonwealth Bank, take a cut lunch with you, and ANZ Frankston, take a number, have a seat and we may wake you up when it's your turn.
Got a bit like Mr Bean in the hospital queue........
And I hate Mr and Mrs with a trolley full of gear in the 12 items or less who split the goods when they get to the checkout and fart around with one card to pay for both lots.

[Daddles]

Can't remember the last time I stood in a queue.

So, you're one of those who barges to the front eh? :D

What gets me about supermarkets is where they find the dills for the checkouts. Do they give them intelligence tests and only employ them if they fail? Dead set. You get the occasional good one, but most have left their brain in the lunch room. Jamming something heavy and hard like a bottle of milk in the same bag as the bread is popular. Or you put the tomatoes on the bottom of the bag then fill it up with heavy stuff. Every now and then though, you get a good one. I had a good one last month - young, neatly dressed, genuinely chatty and happy, knew how to pack a bag properly - I haven't seen her since, they probably realised she wasn't suitable for the job.

Richard

[Iain]

Jamming something heavy and hard like a bottle of milk in the same bag as the bread is popular. Or you put the tomatoes on the bottom of the bag then fill it up with heavy stuff.
Richard
Scrunching up the prosciutto after someone with a semblance of intelligence managed to slice and pack it properly (usually of Italian parents)

[Cliff Rogers]

....the prosciutto ... someone with a semblance of intelligence managed to slice and pack it properly (usually of Italian parents)

:D
In our little town, the supermarket is owned by the English famly in English St. (The Englishes own half the town).
If you order prosciutto they cut it about a 1/4" thick. :D

[Iain]

And how thick is the bacon???

[Cliff Rogers]

And how thick is the bacon???

English.... bacon.... they do know what that is.... :rolleyes:
It's the prosciutto that has them stumped, they think it is some kind of cold meat for sandwiches.:D

[Flowboy]

When faced with the problem of whether to use the near queue or the far queue, consider carefully which to take.

Regards,

Rob

[Iain]

English.... bacon.... they do know what that is.... :rolleyes:
It's the prosciutto that has them stumped, they think it is some kind of cold meat for sandwiches.:D
At $40 a kilo for a good one (yeah I know, there is some around for $25 but I like the $40 one)
Having said that several years ago we stopped for a pub lunch at Katamatite near where DanP resides, they had Porterhouse on the menu for $6.00, I became quite excited about this until I realised that it too had been cut like proscuitto should be:o

[AlexS]

Well I dunno if I'm a local yet Cliff, I've ónly been here for thirty odd years but some of the locals do recognise me and wave... or is it just the flies?

Nah, you're not a local 'til you have 3 generations in the cemetery.

I got P'd off with inadequate checkouts in Bunnings, so made the checkout charlie get the manager so I could have a whinge. He said the couldn't put in a limited items, cash only checkout because of 'policy'. So I got onto their website and tried to send them a blast through their 'Contact us' link, which didn't work.

Totally incompetent, from the top down.

[silentC]

We had a bit of trouble with prosciutto amongst other things when we first came down here but about 2 years ago someone opened up a proper deli in town. Up until then, the "deli" was a sandwich shop. :rolleyes:

But at least there was never a queue ;)

It's very cosmopolitan around here - a lot of retired snobs from Melbourne who are 'used' to things. I suppose they have their uses, when it was all truck drivers, fishermen and farmers, if you asked for prosciutto they'd all think you were a poof, whether they knew what it was or not.

[Iain]

A true 'poof' is a swaggie with champagne corks on his hat.

[ozwinner]

I haven't seen her since, they probably realised she wasn't suitable for the job.

Richard

Shes prolly the manager by now.

Al :p

[ozwinner]

Nah, you're not a local 'til you have 3 generations in the cemetery.

.

Small towns make me laugh at the way they are so clicky, my missus is 4th generation from Beaufort Vic, her mob arrived for the goldrush.

She left there for 3 years to go with me to England, when we arrived back she was treated like an outsider for ages. :confused:

Al :p

[womble]

Geeze don't start me on service in small country towns..... :mad:
I travel around a lot in my job & it fairly Ps me right off when I go to some little town to do a job & then go to get something to eat & my order ends up coming out last after all the locals who came in after me.
The last time it happened was in Mareeba & I got up & left & went to a different coffee shop.:mad:

doesn't surprise me, mareeba is a hole

[womble]

:D
In our little town, the supermarket is owned by the English famly in English St. (The Englishes own half the town).
If you order prosciutto they cut it about a 1/4" thick. :D

not hard to own half of malanda when you only have a few streets :D and their pub takes up most of one!

at least the good old five star has prosciutto etc (surprised me when they started selling all that fancy foreign stuff...what were they thinking! :D ), might not have a huge range like woolies but it always has the essentials...and if a queue looks like starting they call up other staff pretty quickly!

[Bodgy]

Don't know why you queue. Just walk away and go somewhere else. I wouldn't queue up for a night with Angie Jolie - well not for long, anyway.

Regarding Coles, it's not the staff, its the management that's incompetent. The Idiot Child works there part time whilst she begins the HSC. The stories she tells. Shes still waiting for her group certificates as Coles changed payroll providers last year and the old ones are on a no-talkies basis.

Woolies is so far infront, and I have a swag of Coles stock too.

Thank God for those un-suspecting Seppo investors!

[scooter]

What about when you ring up to see if they have one & they say they do & when you get there they can't find it? :(

Rule of thumb, always but always get a name.

Always but always try to remember rules of thumb. :p


Cheers.............Sean

[Cliff Rogers]

not hard to own half of malanda when you only have a few streets :D and their pub takes up most of one!!
Well you picked the town... :cool:
They actually own the WHOLE of that side of English street. :D

at least the good old five star has prosciutto etc ....
That's who I'm talking about & it must have been a while since you were there 'cos it is a Spar now, not a 5 Star. :D
They stay open til 6PM but don't try going over after work to order anything sliced 'cos the machines have already been washed down & they can't slice it. :rolleyes:

Inside info, & this is 'good old country service'... you can ring up & order your meat to be sliced before 5pm & pick it up before 6pm. :D

PS. If you want prosciutto, tell them to cut it reeeeaaallllyyy thin. :D