Express counters in Supermarket

[Galantspeedz]

i am uptight if i am screaming at you...... but i am just typing how i feel........... so you are mistaken....... i am not uptight....... just stating my honest opinion based on your posts.....

[Drive_carcar]

IMHO, you are too uptight. Learn to relax a bit. The world will be more beautiful if you learn to accept other people's opinion if it is not downright wrong like stealing etc. There are many grey areas in this world.

 

My dear bro, as I have mentioned before, it's not about right or wrong. I had admit you are technically right, and further there was nobody else in the queue. Just that it's not a very considerate thing to do if there were others in the queue.

[Best_ctzn]

The TS must be so surprised that how come so many ppl disagree with his logic.

I have been keeping a open mind on this issue. Only surprise is the abusive language some people use. But quite happy that most of them disagree.

[Ah_liang]

To TS, I will be f--king piss if some one pull this kind of stunt in front me.

[Osiris]

somethings aren't illegal or morally wrong.

Somethings are just good upbringing or of good character.

 

Not being gracious, considerate is not illegal or morally wrong.

 

going by your logic, can you imagine me a family of 4+maid dump 50 items in front of you in an express lane?

then It's in NTUC and I take my time to split the items so that each receipt have the minimum sum to qualify for link points? Technically I am right & I not wrong legally or immoral. just down right inconsiderate.

 

Conclusion : Common Singaporeans Syndrome : Low EQ

[Fos19]

yes - it's not about moral or technicality ... it's all about graciousness ...

 

let someone signaling to overtake, if you speed up to be ahead, morals/technical are of no concern but graciousness ...

 

u shop in a family of 6 and decide to hog express counter to buy 10 items each and split into 10 bills, morals/technical are of no concern but graciousness

 

i guess, at the end of the day, rules/guidelines are there for a purpose. if u choose to 'bend' it to save time, effort or even $, I guess just make sure you dun get caught and dun inconvenience others.

 

if i see an empty express counter and i have 11 items, yes i might venture into it too ... but if required to discard the 11th item, I will.

 

the flexibility of the counter gal/guy also depends on them ... if she/he allows rules to be 'bent', then she/he must be able to accept the criticism from someone further down the queue ... but is he/she dun, then again he/she has a rule/guide to work on ...

 

 

 

[Sabian]

If a family of 4+maid carrying baby (6 pax) queued in the express lane with 59 items in the trolley, how would you react? It looks like a regular queue?

 

I once had a couple with a trolley filled with 25 items of the same kind, they asked me if it was ok as I was behind them in the express lane, I told them it was fine since it is going to be easy for the cashier to key 1 item x 25 units.

 

A bit of common sense and graciousness usually works in such scenarios.

 

 

[Clarence07]

Just wondering if there is such a technology where you just grab what you want in the supermarket, dump them in the trolley and just push the trolley out of the supermarket to your car. Once you go out of the door, the sensor would automatically detect those items and their price from your trolley (or even in your handbag) and automatically deduct the total amount from your chosen Credit Card or Bank Account. This is similar to the concept where you bring unpaid goods out of a store (e.g Guardian) and the device could actually detect unpaid goods; only that in this instance, you don't get a shirll warning but a deduction.

 

Of course, there are some administrative details like providing the Supermarket with your CC no(similar to shopping on-line) or Bank Account No (similar to GIRO deduction) and obtaining a regular statement from the supermarket on the items which you have purchased and the amount deducted from your account each time.

 

Hence, this would eliminate the need to queue at cashier counters and express counter would be a thing of the past :)

 

 

[Carndablues]

Just wondering if there is such a technology where you just grab what you want in the supermarket, dump them in the trolley and just push the trolley out of the supermarket to your car. Once you go out of the door, the sensor would automatically detect those items and their price from your trolley (or even in your handbag) and automatically deduct the total amount from your chosen Credit Card or Bank Account. This is similar to the concept where you bring unpaid goods out of a store (e.g Guardian) and the device could actually detect unpaid goods; only that in this instance, you don't get a shirll warning but a deduction.

 

Of course, there are some administrative details like providing the Supermarket with your CC no(similar to shopping on-line) or Bank Account No (similar to GIRO deduction) and obtaining a regular statement from the supermarket on the items which you have purchased and the amount deducted from your account each time.

 

Hence, this would eliminate the need to queue at cashier counters and express counter would be a thing of the past :)

 

It's called RFID, but it's still too expensive, and you will get unscrupulous people who will actively hunt for the chips and either swap them with a cheaper item or rip them off altogether....but that's only for packaged goods, loose fruits and vegs still pose a problem....

 

[Guyver]

Most of us who do grocery in supermarkets will know about express checkout counters which limit items purchased to less than 10 to speed up buying process.

 

Recently my wife and I were in a hurry and used a express counter when we have about 15 items with us. The counter girl at first refused to serve us, pointing that there are more than 10 items. Then my wife insisted that there are 2 of us, and she could split the items equally so that it is less than 10 items for each person. The counter girl obliged unwillingly with a black face, so do some of the faces in the queue.

 

I just wonder if it is improper for us to do that? If there are 2 of us, and we have less than 20 items among us, then aren't we eligible to use the express counter? Couldn't we instruct the counter person to split the items so that we are not breaking the 'law'? What is your opinion?

 

I know there is no right or wrong. Just want to know how rampant is the practice.

 

Technically ... you are right.

 

But practically ... especially there is a long long queue behind you .... it would be inevitable for all those in the queue to feel unhappy.

 

Just like when I was at the bank the other day .... an uncle was queueing in front of me .... then he turned around and told me "I need to go away for awhile but I'll be back to my queue soon". I replied him "Even if I allow, you must ask (pointing to the one behind me and then the rest) the rest behind me and see whether do they mind or not.".

 

He give me a shocked look and say "Err ... nevermind, it's ok".

 

Then I thought to myself .... if I were to be the one doing that .... how?

 

So when you post this here .... most of us being objective will of course give our objective opinion. In a hurry is really not a good reason .... because I believe NOBODY love to wait or love to queue.

 

Anyway, we are always learning .... so I'm glad that you are frank enough to post this incident here for us to feedback to you. Some of the feedback may sound abit harsh ..... but it's ok.

 

Hope that you could learn something from this.

[Carndablues]

I have been keeping a open mind on this issue. Only surprise is the abusive language some people use. But quite happy that most of them disagree.

 

Well, you posted it on a public forum, so you should expect the unexpected....and I too hate people like you. I scolded a couple once, who did the same thing as you, but they were a little worse, they firstly split their 20 items up, but then realised that the $1 parking discount which this supermarket offered was only for bills which were $50 and up, and since splitting the groceries were not enough to total $50, they combined them again.

 

So I scolded them, told the cashier to reject them, they argued back, so I rallied every other shopper in the same queue to carry on the argument, and being thoroughly humiliated, they slunk away

[Beehive3783]

Most of us who do grocery in supermarkets will know about express checkout counters which limit items purchased to less than 10 to speed up buying process.

 

Recently my wife and I were in a hurry and used a express counter when we have about 15 items with us. The counter girl at first refused to serve us, pointing that there are more than 10 items. Then my wife insisted that there are 2 of us, and she could split the items equally so that it is less than 10 items for each person. The counter girl obliged unwillingly with a black face, so do some of the faces in the queue.

 

I just wonder if it is improper for us to do that? If there are 2 of us, and we have less than 20 items among us, then aren't we eligible to use the express counter? Couldn't we instruct the counter person to split the items so that we are not breaking the 'law'? What is your opinion?

 

I know there is no right or wrong. Just want to know how rampant is the practice.

FLAME BAIT SPOTTED

[Acemundo]

reminds me of another incident i encounter in NTUC supermarket. Although not exactly the same nature, it just shows how low EQ people have.

 

facing the typical long queues at cashier counters of NTUC, my wife and i was selected one queue to join. after queuing for few minutes, then few trolleys of grocery come barging in in front of us. then we realise this "smart" family of shopper had employed their teenage kid to queue knowing the queues take quite long. What is smarter is that the kid's place is to be replaced by the grandparents and parents who are pushing in so many trolleys of grocery.....

 

instantly the face of all in our queue blackened. Well they have the right to do that because the rules did not stipulate no queuing on behalf nor maximum quantity of grocery per person queued. But ethically this is obviously uncalled for. Misleading queuers that the queue was short when in fact they have 4 trolleys of grocery is so unbecoming.

 

there are so many actions in this world that are legally above board but morally reprehensible. using legal concept to justify one's action just shows an utter lack of grace and manners.

[Altivo]

wah... b------d behaviour...... cashiers should now have a new rule.. first come (physically), first serve..... no more choping of q places

[Fos19]

haha .. next time .. look for pkt of tissue paper on the floor ... someone might have 'chope' the queue too !

[Tunge]

Thanks for your point of view.

 

But I frankly do not think I am in the wrong.

 

Imagine there are 2 of us, me and my wife, and we have been queing together to pay for the items. Then I cannot understand why we are not allowed to use the counter since we are both in the queue and it is less than the stipulated quantity?

 

Will taking another empty basket and splitting the items among the 2 baskets helped? In that case, we clearly will not be 'morally' wrong. But must we be so inflexible and rigid thinking to do extra things for show when it actually doesn't benefit anybody? I have to make the effort to take a extra basket, shopper deprived of a extra basket on busy day, supermarket worker has to clear 1 extra basket, just because I need to be 'morally' right?

 

I think perhaps to placate everybody, that is what I will have to do. Take extra baskets, and bring my kids to make mockery of the rule, haha. Of course, must also pay separately lah.

 

 

so u start this thread for what u already think u r right.... chey

 

the rule is plain n simple, express lane for less than the stipulate item. u wanna play punk to twist the rule then people will be buay song, if i behind u i'd be buay song, but i've met many people like u who r clearly in the wrong but insist they r right, so explaining to u also no use one.... haiz oh well...

[Tunge]

Well, you posted it on a public forum, so you should expect the unexpected....and I too hate people like you. I scolded a couple once, who did the same thing as you, but they were a little worse, they firstly split their 20 items up, but then realised that the $1 parking discount which this supermarket offered was only for bills which were $50 and up, and since splitting the groceries were not enough to total $50, they combined them again.

 

So I scolded them, told the cashier to reject them, they argued back, so I rallied every other shopper in the same queue to carry on the argument, and being thoroughly humiliated, they slunk away

 

 

well done!

[Axelpro]

The intention of my posting is actually to have a discussion on this event that took place, and not to trumpet it or whatever. I am just interested to get people's view on this kind of behavior. It is ok to agree and not agree as there is no right or wrong here, morally and legally IMHO. I am not asking you to agree in the first place, and I am quite happy that the response is mostly negative. But if anybody don't agree, please do not be childish to use abusive or aggressive words as it is not leading anywhere. You do not need those words for people to understand your view. And to those who reacted so strongly, please do not be caught doing it one of these days! It will speak volume about your integrity. To me, it is ok to bend the rule once in a while if no harm is done along the way. By paying 15 items in 2 bills, I don't think I had held up much time comparing to if I had only 9 items. If somebody is so affected by this slight delay, then he will have a hard time living on this planet at all! Especially if he or she drives.

 

Personally I also do not like to do it often as not really comfortable, though I do not feel it is wrong morally and legally. But to be discrete, maybe from now on I will split the items beforehand and split the bill if I need to do it again.

 

Anyway, happy shopping. Live and let live.

 

You still want to do it again? You ought to be shot..

 

If you still intend to do it, maybe you and your wife pretend to be a stranger when start queueing... So people wont suspect at all!