You Get What You Pay For

I went grocery shopping today(Saturday) at the local discount grocery store and finally decided after several months of being unsure that I don't like how these stores are operated. I wanted to put the blame on myself for the problems I find with these stores, but it really is a problem that reaches beyond just me. Here's the problem: In order to keep down costs, these stores are understaffed. Long lines are the norm at the single cashier and there is only a tiny little space for groceries after being scanned by the cashier. It is the responsibility of the customer to pack up the groceries in bags, boxes, or a grocery cart as quickly as possible, and you really do have to be fast because the cashiers are really quick. By the time the customer gets half-way through removing the groceries, the cashier is already asking for money. At this point the customer has to whip out money, put the change back in a wallet, and then put the wallet back in a secure place (who wants to forget their wallet on the counter? not me.) Half of the groceries still remain sitting on the tiny table at this point and the cashier won't start helping the next customer until the previous customer is completely out of the way. The situation would not be so bad if there were a few other cashiers available and the table was larger.

I recall encountering a similar situation when I worked at Michael's Arts and Crafts. The tiny cashier tables also bothered me in particular. The tables at Michael's were okay if you were buying just a couple of small items, but typically they didn't suffice for the job they were there to do. If a store wants to encourage customers to buy lots of products, then shouldn't they make check-out a happy and low stress part of the shopping experience? I suppose that the conclusion here is that high-end stores do provide plenty of cashiers, table space, and grocery baggers, but higher product prices are paid for this better customer care. Since I am not willing to pay the price, I will have to put up with the dirty looks I get from my fellow frugal customers lined up behind me.