What Do You Do If Someone Has A Full Cart In The Express Lane?

Question

I don't know about others, but I really don't understand those who unload a full cart in a 15 item or less lane.
Once I asked someone I knew at Wally World, why they allow a person to do that.
She told me that the manager had a rule to never turn away a sale. If they were there, check them out.
If the person has a full cart and I am holding a few items. I will ask politely if I can go ahead of them since it's the express lane.

Answer 1

I would tell them they are in the wrong line and point to the other registers. Be polite about it but be loud enough that others can hear you.

Answer 2

It is annoying, but these are the same people that push their way through life, breaking every little rule they can and they don't care about others feelings. They are selfish, rude people.

I think the Express Lane registers should be set up to scan only a certain number of items and then print a receipt and finish the transaction before scanning more items. Initially it would be a pain, but once people got the idea it might stop some of this rude behavior.

Answer 3

I usually will let them know they are in the express lane. They are so embarrassed at being called out they leave the lane with little to no comment. I guess I am lucky, my stores cashiers let the customer know they are in an express lane and they can use lane 8 (or whatever is open) if they haven't unloaded yet. If they have already unloaded they let them know that next time they need to use a regular lane (politely but firmly) and I have been apologized to by the cashier when that happens.
I also am the person who will let the guy with an item or two go in front of me and we don't need lead pipes or to worry about being shot...jeez!

Answer 4

I work at K-mart, and actually, have been stuck in the "express" lane an awful alot. People usually come through it with a full cart, start unloading their things, then look up and say, "ohhh, express lane? *keep unloading* is this okay? oh man.. *unloads the rest".."
you're not going to escape rude people, even in the fine world's of walmart and k-mart, so..do what you gotta do.
chances are, if you are able to stick it out there and MENTION..the fact they have so many items and you have so few by asking if you can go ahead of them, whether it's embarassment or what have you, they're going to let you.

Answer 5

Tap them on the shoulder and say "Oh, the next regular lane is over there. This is the express lane." as if they just didn't see it was the express lane and made a mistake.

Or look at them like they're an idiot and say "Are you serious? You think you're gonna go through the express lane with an entire cart full of s%$#? Get your @ss into one of the regular lines. What a jerk!"

Answer 6

I completely appreciate your frustration!

I believe the best way is to politely remind them they are in the express lane and ask if you can go ahead of them. There are times, though, that a manager or cashier has asked the person to come into the express lane as a matter of customer service (to keep them from waiting in longer lines since the express line was not full).

Answer 7

It would be the clerk position to tell that person 15 items or less and move to the next counter. If one does not speak up then nothing will be done. It is also polite to ask if you can go ahead before the other check out a full grocery cart.

Answer 8

The Express Lane thing is a customer service SNAFU.

Some stores/mgmt enforce it as a rule, and will have their cashiers kick people out of the line if they violate it.

Other stores would rather not lose those customers, and so they consider it a "suggestion" or "request" rather than a rule.

The cashier has to do what mgmt dictates, so getting angry at the cashier about it is directing your angst at an innocent party.

At WalMart, it is a REQUEST, and having rung that line many, many times, it seriously is not worth it to the cashier to bother saying anything. I just ring as fast as I can and hope the other people in line are kind enough to not flay me for something I can't control.

If they do, I simply say, "I apologise for the inconvenience with that, but It is not up to me, it comes from the Home Office. You'll want to cal 1-800-WALMART with this sort of issue. Good Luck".

When people are kind, I thank them for their patience.

Also, in WalMart, the tobacco line is also a 10 items or less in many stores. It makes no sense to have someone ring thru a regular line, then have to stand in the tobacco line to get cigarrettes.

I guess my bottom line here is that if you, as a customer, have a problem with another customer about the express lane limit, talk to that customer.

I actually consider customers who yell at ME for it to be jerks.
To you jerks -
You're too much of a wuss to face the person actually engaging in the behavior you are upset about, so you flay the captive audience who will lose her job if she tells you to piss off.

I can't force a customer to leave the line.
What am I supposed to do, call security?
THAT'll sure hold up the line for ya.
It's not worth saying anything. They know where they are. Right where they want to be, and too bad for anyone who doesn't like it.
Having rung thru probably 10 thousand orders, I can tell you that they aren't likely to be considerate just because I ask them to.

BUT- I do have the right to hold up the line while I call over mgmt to explain to them that I refuse to ring the customer who is being rude to me because I rang thru a customer with a full cart. I haven't had to do so yet, but I advise you to not get in MY line if you plan to be rude to your cashier. I will ruin your day.

Answer 9

It's up to the cashier to deal with it. If he or she won't, the manager should be nicely told. As for the person in that line, I'd politely point out that they were in the express line. If they got nasty about it, I'd move but still let the manager know that his cashier didn't deal with the situation. And then I'd have to remember that I am supposed to pray for nasty people too.

Wow....I just got a smack on the spiritual head. The person with too many items in an express line may have some serious issues they're dealing with personally. After pointing out that they were in the wrong line, I would put my own time aside and offer to help them move their things to another line and help bag if it eases their burden. Sometimes we all need to put others first.

Answer 10

I'd point out to them that this is the express lane for maximum 15 items.

Answer 11

Well its annoying, very annoying, but the world isn't going to end if you have to wait a little longer. Sure you can tap them on te shoulder and say "hey can't you read?!" but they'll just go ahead and do exactly the same thing next time they go shopping.

But yes, I agree with you and the shops should enforce the rule. in future just tut loudly and roll your eyes at them etc.