Wednesday, March 31, 2010

My Thoughts on Checking/Cashiering at Safeway

I have now been checking/cashiering at Safeway for over two months. Many people have asked me what I think of it and if it is better than being a courtesy clerk.

First off, overall, yes it is better than being a courtesy clerk. For one thing, you get more respect from people that know you. For example, instead of someone you know seeing you as a bagger and thinking you are stuck in a minimum wage job, they see you as a checker and see you have more responsibility and assume you make more than the minimum wage. Fact is, however, I don’t. At least not yet. I haven’t worked at Safeway long enough.

Secondly, it seems like time goes faster as a checker, especially when it is busy. As a courtesy clerk, my carts hours (obviously an hour of my work day I would do nothing but retrieve carts) went by really slowly, especially if the weather was bad. Which is another reason why being a checker is better: you never have to cope with the elements. You get to stay inside all the time. You never have to dress according to the weather.

Of course, there are a few downsides to checking. You have to stay in the same spot 90% of the time, which doesn’t allow you to burn as many calories as being a courtesy clerk. Secondly, you are doing the same thing over and over. Scan item, scan item, enter PLU code, scan item, etc. It is very repetitive. But I’d prefer scanning items repeatedly over getting carts repeatedly.

One last downside is that you have to deal with problem customers. There are just certain people who are either having bad days or are mean people naturally that will go through your line and give you problems. Now, I haven’t actually gotten yelled at, but I’ve had people get very upset. It really kind of deflates you. As a courtesy clerk, you can choose to walk away from those situations, but as a checker, you gotta stand there and take it. Myself, if I encounter one of these people, I just try to shrug it off and move on to the next customer.

However, I still think being a checker/cashier is better than being a courtesy clerk. I don’t have to deal with cleanups anymore, no more carts, no more taking care of the garbage, and no more getting up at 6 am. *Shudders* However, checking alone can get kind of dull. That’s why I wish sometimes I was just a backup checker, who works in a different department. That way, instead of checking being the only thing you do, it can be a break from what you normally do. Perhaps someday I will make the switch to a department that needs me.

Finally, I just wanted to say cashiering is not as bad as it seems. If you generally have nice customers, work can actually make your day better. Plus, the pay goes up quite fast the longer you work there. And the coworkers are all really nice and fun to talk to. They make work a lot more fun and more enjoyable. This is my job for the foreseeable future, and overall, I do enjoy it.

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