Wal-Mart Tips

Here are some tips for checking out at Wal-Mart:

1) If you have anything heavy in your cart, do not put it up on the belt. You do not have to prove that you are manly enough to haul it up there. You see, your cashier, though likely not as manly as you, as probably already hauled tens (if not hundreds) of those item across the scanner today and would appreciate the reprieve.

2) If you have large bags of dog food, cat food, cat litter, etc., check for a peel-off bar code label that can be handed to the cashier while the bag is left in the cart.

3) Once you put your items on the belt, do not constantly fiddle with them, rearranging them. Meticulous cashiers look over the items on the belt and determine the best order to ring them up to ensure the most efficient way to bag them. If you rearrange things, it may mess up her system.

4) Please hang up the phone! Talking on a cell phone while checking out is not just rude, it can be an impediment. You can not possibly pay attention to what the cashier needs to say to you if you are talking on the phone.

5) Parents, watch your children. Shopping can be a stressful time for kids, and they often show it by acting up. Many times, parents aggravate the situation by being unnecessarily harsh. Relax. The children will usually follow the parents' lead and relax also. If your child(ren) make a mess (ie: a bag of M&M's spilled all over the floor), at least show some concern and even make an attempt to clean it up. Then, the cashier will have sympathy for you.

6) When you buy a potted plant from the Garden Center, pay for it in the Garden Center, if at all possible. If you must take it through the front-end checkout, do not put the plant on the belt, unless the cashier instructs you to do so. It is usually easier for the cashier to come around and scan the plant with the hand-held scanner than to clean dirt from the plant off the belt and scanner.

7) Don't expect the cashier to read your mind. If you have items to price-match, let her know BEFORE she rings it up. Otherwise, the item will have to be voided and rung up again.

8) Last, but certainly not least: BE FRIENDLY!!! The job can be stressful at times, but a smile and/or friendly conversation from a customer can really brighten up the work shift!

These tips apply to checking out at a regular register with a cashier running it. There is a whole other list of tips for using the self-checkouts. Number one: If in doubt, DON'T use it!!!