I assume it's been studied by whoever studies this kind of thing, but can anyone explain why supermarkets generally have one line for each register and banks have one snakey line for all teller windows?
I think about it sometimes, and I was reminded of it the other day when I was at the Whole Foods on Ridge Road in Yonkers. Ready to check out, I saw a few open registers with short lines -- one or two people waiting behind the person being checked out. But I also noticed a register without a line. There was a cashier standing there, and the sign with her lane number was illuminated -- the sign that the lane is open. And since there were no customers there, I skedaddled my butt right over. When I got there, the cashier looked at me sadly and said she was closed.
I was disappointed, but went back to one of the other lines. No harm no foul? Not really. In that short time it took me to go to what appeared to be a valid line and then return to the other lines, others had joined the truly valid lines. So I now had to wait longer.
So then, while I am on line, still waiting to get to the cashier, the cashier who told me her line was closed opened up. Immediately, customers from behind me ran over to her for service. So if I had stayed, I would have gotten served sooner. But, since she simply said she wasn't open, I had no way of knowing to wait for her to open.
Then, to cap it off, as soon as I got close enough to start putting my groceries on the conveyor, another cashier opened up another register. He came over to the guy behind me and brought him mover to be his first customer. Aaaargggh!
Now, I know that none of this was a really big deal. It didn't even rise to the level of first world problems. But it was annoying at the time, partly because it seemed as if the entire supermarket apparatus was conspiring against me. And it wasn't really anyone's fault (except maybe the cashier who forgot to keep her light off while her line was closed). Please tell me you can relate?
So, as I said, this had me thinking about the snake ride that you get at the bank. And the post office. I wish they would use it at the supermarket. Anyone know why they don't?
I think it's because it would be hard to maneuver shopping carts through the maze. They have them in places where it's just people, like banks. But not where you have a cart, like WalMart or Home Depot, or at car toll booths for a similar reason.
ReplyDeleteThe one who wasn't open yet should have told you that she's opening soon. But in general supermarket workers are low paid for a reason. (Although I've encountered exceptional supermarket workers, they are in fact exceptions.)
I suppose. I also know that these problems I was complaining about aren't major hardships. But, like paper cuts, they are very annoying.
DeleteJoAnn's uses carts, and they have just one queue for all the registers.
ReplyDelete