Photo Credit: Pick Another Checkout Lane, Honey
I think it should be the goal of all of us Krazy Coupon Ladies, whether Veteran or Virgin, to make sure our checkers are excited to see us, rather than dreadful. How do we do that, you ask? Let me explain.
GO ORGANIZED: Couponing is all about being organized. Checkers will be so much more excited to see you, if you walk up to the checkout with an organized envelope of coupons, sorted according to transaction (if you are doing several transactions) and all cut and neat and ready to go. It is stressful for you and your checker if you are searching for coupons, trying to clip them and keep your kids quiet all at the same time. I love having all my transactions planned out so that I can watch my cashier as she scans my coupons, ask her how her day is going, ect. See more about getting organized for checkout
HERE (Day 6) ___________________________________________
DON’T EXPECT SPECIAL TREATMENT: Don’t expect your checkers to bend the rules for you. If a coupon or promo limits your transactions, FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES. Checkers are accountable for their register and for each coupon that passes through. Also, I will note, while we don’t want to expect special treatment we can expect to be treated with respect, just as though our coupons are cash. Bottom Line? Don’t demand that the rules be broken for you, Play Nice!
DON’T BE A SHELF CLEARER: Checkers will be more friendly to you if you aren’t the reason they are going to have to explain to all the other customers that they are out of a certain product. While I think it is the stores responsibility to stay stocked, we as krazy coupon ladies can take advantage of knowing about sales before they happen. My favorite thing to do when I find out about a sale that I want to stock up on, is to GO IN and SPECIAL ORDER. You can’t pay in advance, but you can order the amount you need, and you can avoid all the guilt for clearing a shelf. Also, if you are willing to chance it, you can go the last day of the sale or you could make several little trips after their freight days. More about special ordering HERE.
OVERAGE: At most stores, checkers like to be “Blissfully Ignorant” about Overage. Stores aren’t losing money when overage is given because they get reimbursed for the amount of the coupon, but they are a business, so of course if they catch it, they’d rather keep it than give it to you. Don’t demand (or expect) overage, and Don’t point it out if you do get it. Simple enough, right?
GO PREPARED: Print out Store Coupon Policies and have them in your binder. Often, checkers aren’t given the proper information (by their managers) and will be more than happy to follow the rules… when they know what the rules are. Don’t get confrontational, rather politely hand them the policy and explain how you thought you understood the policy to read. Read more about getting your hands on your stores’ policy
HERE.
SMILE: Okay, this is dumb- but when you run into a problem make sure the first thing you do is smile. Then, nicely explain how you understand the policy to be, maybe offer a solution and then hand over your printed policy. Also, don’t be afraid to nicely ask for a manager for some clarification. But stay nice and always smile!
It works wonders, I promise!
COMPLIMENT and RAVE: My favorite checker at my Albertsons is a young guy who doesn’t work too many hours each week, so when I luck out and see him, I get excited. One night I told him that he was my favorite checker, and he perked up. He said ” Well I would love more hours, do you mind filling out this form, and telling my boss how much you like me??” Of course, I would love to see him get more hours, so I obliged. The next time I saw him, he came over to me while I was still shopping and thanked me for passing along kind words about him to his boss. He told me he would love to help me if I ever needed anything and that he really appreciated it. If our checkers like us, they will bend over backwards to make sure our experience is pleasant. A little compliment goes a long way.
