thoughts - people jumping the queue

[littlered]

Good Morning

I had a situation this morning that I thought I handled well but I would appreciate other people's thoughts and opinions on this.

I was at the shops this morning and had just finished loaded up the conveyer belt at the checkout. The checkout girl was about to start scanning my items when when a bloke cuts in front with one item. As he hands the item to the checkout girl he turns around to me and askes if it is okay if he puts this one item through.

I said no

And I said no for these reasons.

1. Supermarket's have those twelve items or less lines specifically for these customers.
2. I've waited my turn. I also had my two young boys with me who I try and instil good manners. They have always been taught that pushing or cutting in in a queue is wrong.
3. His arragance buy asking me after he already cut in and was about hand the checkout girl his one item. Something similar happened to me a few years ago at another supermarket and I did the same thing as what I just did. The checkout girl on this occasion thanked as she knew this customer and had always cut in front of other people.

Now on this occaison the checkout girl thought i was one being rude. The bloke who cut in was completely gobsmacked that I had said no and let me know so, in his words and actions which I found completely inappropriate in front of my two young boys. I can say that when I said no I have him the first two reasons listed above but that was not good enough.

So my question out there to you is what would you have done? Did I over react with this being 1 item ? I would appreciate your comments both positive and negative

Cheers

LR

[DJM83]

I work in retail (not on a checkout) and i see this on a daily basis, mostly without the person jumping the queue without asking.

Problem is most people want everything yesterday and are always in the much of a hurry, i dont know how many times ive been abused. Also when im closing my shop and people turn up after we close, i tell them they have had all day and you want me to keep my staff back because your late? I think not.

[stev3n]

good call

[Mechan1k]

Should have at least asked you before stepping in front of you ... as a common courtesy.

I'm with the OP though ... I'd be a little peeved ... and then would have said to my son (loud enough to be heard by others) ... "This is not what to do".

If I have a fair bit on the conveyor and can see the person behind has a few small items ... I always ask them if they would like to go first so they don't have to wait for me ... but that's just me I guess.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Depends on the situation, and each one is different.

If he did as you say, I would have said no as well. If he asked in a more appropriate manner and it was a single item I would have said yes.

The checkout person should not have accepted the item in the first place as well. They certainly know how to stop people from handing over 'just 1 item' when it is their break time.

If I had the 1 item, I would still wait in line, I would never ask to be pushed forward, and would only do so if the person offered on their own accord.

This may not go down well... but after being on the main register for 10 years at my after school job it was soon obvious the type of people who didn't understand the concept of lining up and waiting their fair turn. Travelling to those countries confirmed it greatly as well ;)

Haaa DJM83 you do bring back memories! The roller shutter going down seemed to always always bring out the 'just 1 thing' person. When I asked what that 1 thing was (if I was in a good mood) they couldn't tell me.... Some people just don't get it....

I would have probably done the same as you LR.

[LG17]

I believe I would have said no as well.
Perhaps not as politely as you and I would have been more forceful (but still as polite as possible) with the checkout operator.

My son does checkouts at a large national variety store for his pocket money.
He has asked me about this scenario as it has happened to him.
I told him to just politely say to the pusher in (read ignorant bar steward!) that he is busy with this customer at the moment. He has done this and been praised by his bosses for his handling of the situation.

[supershifty]

Ah, don't we all just love shopping!

I think you were within your place to say no, it may have appeared a trivial matter to the till operator, however the fellow cut in and assumed it would be alright by you without excusing himself and asking first. I would call that a lack of common decency for him to do so.

If I'm at the checkout with a swag of groceries and I see the person behind me with a few items, I offer them through first - anyone behind them has to suffer the bad luck clause.

Those 12 items or less queues can be painfully slow though.

Cheers!

[Simple6]

Mate, I'm with you - especially (if I read right) that the checkout operator took the product from him. Add to that a rude attitude from the checkout operator and I'd be shooting off a quick email to the store exposing that after waiting & placing your items on the conveyor the operator serving took a product to sell through for another customer ahead of you who had not been waiting. Then once you'd told that other customer that it wasn't ok for him jump past you, the operator displayed a poor attitude towards me (obviously showing her opinion). Then say overall it was a poor customer experience and you'd certainly struggle to recommend that outlet/company to family and friends.

It may seem like overkill but if I received a message like that about my staff (and occassionally i do) any manager worth their salt would have a quick chat to remind that staff member that customer service and experience is everything.

Just a thought. You may get a $5-10 voucher too depending who it is probably!

[castellan]

I would of just let him in as it's no big deal at all to me, as i get riped off day in day out, costing me a hell of a lot of money, by low life scamers. so why should i give a fig about one that does not go out of his way playing games to hinder me or cost or threaten me. and a dude like that is just another ignorant idiot who is the least of my problems.

Yes i do agree with you littlered, you should nip it in the bud or people like that just think it's there right to do what ever they please, and will only walk all over you.

[littlered]

Originally Posted by DJM83

I work in retail (not on a checkout) and i see this on a daily basis, mostly without the person jumping the queue without asking.

Problem is most people want everything yesterday and are always in the much of a hurry, i dont know how many times ive been abused. Also when im closing my shop and people turn up after we close, i tell them they have had all day and you want me to keep my staff back because your late? I think not.

Thanks for your feedback all

DJM83 - there was a report in the West Australian paper this week about the Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi complaining about shop customer service. Basically she wanted a loaf of bread 14 mins before the shop opened at 6.30am on a Sunday morning and complained when the owner wouldn't open the shop for her. In this case I have full respect for the shop owners and workers as you work long days... customer's need to understand that there has to be boundaries for customer service.

Link :http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-...-mayors-dough/

[The Yeti]

Good on ya I normally will let a person in who is waiting patiently with 1 or 2 items

But if some one assumes they can push in. The answer is NO as you pointed out 12 items or less, or the self serve what's et's other wise wait your freaken turn

[In Focus]

I'm with you OP. You'll find these sort of people do this all of the time. On my drive to work and back every day, I see the same people race down the same shorter lane of traffic REPEATEDLY by "accident", then expecting someone to let them into the other lane when they realise their "mistake".

Common courtesy is great, of course, but some people are a bit arrogant, even downright demanding, in their expectation that you will do the "right thing".

[BigBlue]

Originally Posted by supershifty

Ah, don't we all just love shopping!
Cheers!

Oh yeah...just love it and with Christmas coming up it is only going to get worse!

Can't wait !

I also agree with the OP. If you ask them to go ahead that is one thing but just to jump in and assume it is OK then that is a different matter and the person in the line who is ahead has every right to say No.

Peter.

[KPCresta]

If he had politely asked or if I saw him behind me with the one item I would gladly have let him go before me.

Though the manner in which he acted you had every right to refuse him 'pushing in' the queue.

It's simply a matter of common courtesy which is lacking unfortunately in todays society.

[davenl5l]

good on ya the only ones that i hate more are the ones that go past the stationary traffic at roadworks and then push in at the front(i don't let them)

[rancidpunx]

I would have been with you on this one. I cant stand queue jumpers. I also can stand the supermarket.
If they asked politely I would have let them in, same goes for somebody behind me with a single item, I will ask if they want to go ahead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gxprj...eature=related Skip to 0.40secs

[Outbackjack]

Phew, I thought this was going to be a thread on illegal arrivals. But I guess the principle is the same.

I think that you did the right thing. Too many people carry this attitude of "me first" into their car as well!

[duaned]

I should keep a box full of these t-shirts and hand them out to the inconsiderate idiots that plague Australia,

[FGII-XR6]

I you really knew your actions were right you would not need to come on here and start a thread to validate what you did, or were you looking for some hero worship.
threads like this are useless self serving and a waste of bandwidth

Originally Posted by littlered

Good Morning

I had a situation this morning that I thought I handled well but I would appreciate other people's thoughts and opinions on this.

I was at the shops this morning and had just finished loaded up the conveyer belt at the checkout. The checkout girl was about to start scanning my items when when a bloke cuts in front with one item. As he hands the item to the checkout girl he turns around to me and askes if it is okay if he puts this one item through.

I said no

And I said no for these reasons.

1. Supermarket's have those twelve items or less lines specifically for these customers.
2. I've waited my turn. I also had my two young boys with me who I try and instil good manners. They have always been taught that pushing or cutting in in a queue is wrong.
3. His arragance buy asking me after he already cut in and was about hand the checkout girl his one item. Something similar happened to me a few years ago at another supermarket and I did the same thing as what I just did. The checkout girl on this occasion thanked as she knew this customer and had always cut in front of other people.

Now on this occaison the checkout girl thought i was one being rude. The bloke who cut in was completely gobsmacked that I had said no and let me know so, in his words and actions which I found completely inappropriate in front of my two young boys. I can say that when I said no I have him the first two reasons listed above but that was not good enough.

So my question out there to you is what would you have done? Did I over react with this being 1 item ? I would appreciate your comments both positive and negative

Cheers

LR

[flappist]

Yep there is very little substance here