A grocery store cashier has a high-pressure job. Their performance is often measured by their “items per minute” scanning speed. Any item that breaks their rhythm can be a source of major frustration. While there are many annoying products, there is one item that almost every grocery worker dreads seeing. It is not heavy, and it is not messy. It is a simple greeting card. This seemingly innocent item is one of the most difficult and the most time-consuming things to scan in the entire store.
The Hunt for the Barcode
The number one reason cashiers hate greeting cards is the barcode placement. There is no industry standard for where it should be. On some cards, it is on the back, and on others, it is on a tiny, separate tag. This forces the cashier to stop their high-speed scanning. They must pick up the card and flip it over and over. They are in a desperate hunt for the one, tiny barcode.
The “Reflective” Packaging Problem
Even when the cashier finds the barcode, the problems do not stop there. Many high-end greeting cards are wrapped in a thin, crinkly, and very reflective plastic. The scanner’s laser will often bounce right off this shiny surface. This makes it impossible for the machine to get a good read. The cashier must then try to scan the item over and over again, or they try and flatten the wrapper, which wastes even more time.
The Manual Entry Nightmare
When the scanner inevitably fails to read the barcode, the cashier must resort to the worst-case scenario: a manual entry. This means they have to find the tiny, 12-digit UPC number on the back of the card. They then have to slowly and carefully type this long number into their register. This process can take 10 to 15 seconds. In the world of a cashier, who is timed by the second, this is an eternity.
The Price Check Confusion
To make matters even worse, greeting cards are often not priced correctly in the store’s computer system. The price on the back of the card will often not match the price in the scanner. This will trigger a “price check” error. The cashier must then stop the entire line. They have to call a manager over to approve the price. This turns a simple, five-dollar purchase into a five-minute ordeal.
A Simple Item, A Complex Problem
For the customer, a greeting card is a simple and thoughtful purchase. For the cashier, it is a perfect storm of everything that can go wrong at a register. It has a hidden barcode, reflective packaging, or a price that is often wrong in the system. All of these factors combine to make this one simple piece of paper the most frustrating and the most universally hated item to scan at the checkout.
Have you ever worked as a cashier? What was the one item that you always hated to see on the conveyor belt? Let us know your stories in the comments!
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The post Why Grocery Workers Dread Seeing This One Item at Checkout appeared first on Grocery Coupon Guide.
