I don't mind waiting in long lines at the checkout. I've been in lines where I've waited 45 minutes and it didn't really bother me. Who has the time for impatience? But I'm curious about your opinions on the matter. Does waiting more than fifteen minutes in a line frustrate you? Do you blame it on the store itself (The managers or the owners)? If so, why?
Absolutely. While I understand unexpected delays, if it's apparent that they're understaffed for no reason, it bugs me. There's really no reason not to have people who can fill multiple roles so that if the checkout lines get backed up, someone can come from the back to open another line and help clear it out. I wouldn't stand in a line for 45 minutes at all....that's longer than it takes me to shop total. :S
It does get frustrating but sometimes it can't be helped. Most of the time I generally don't mind the wait but if it does irritate me when I see worker just loitering around instead of helping to get things moving. If the place is understaffed and the workers are running around then that's a different story. That would be my fault for showing up at that time. It happens all the time for me when I go to WinCo but it can't be helped because I like to go way late at night.
Yes, extremely long lines would effect the quality of the store for me and would cause me not to want to shop there at all. Especially the 45 minute wait you mentioned. Most of the time, going shopping takes about 15-30 minutes to complete and an extensive wait would just double it. Even more so, because I normally go shopping with 3 young kids who would be extremely impatient with a long line. Unless it is a holiday or special sale day, I think it would reflect badly on the manager/ scheduling person of the store. Part of their duties is to make sure they have enough employees to ensure the lines run quickly.
It depends on what kind of store it is and what I purchase from there. If it's something like the grocery store, then what? Am I the only one that is supposed to eat that week? A clothing store that has most of what I like to wear? Find a better time to go. An already crappy store with crappy service? Well, I would've only gone once, so it wouldn't matter after I got through the line.
I would not like to wait 45 minutes, but up to 20 is probably going to be OK.... as long as I am on my own and do not have my 2 antsy kids along
Yeah, long lines would definitely irritate me. Especially if there was some workers doing nothing and not helping to shorten the lines. If there was just a lot of people and no other workers to help at all, then it wouldn't really bug me that much. I definitely wouldn't wait 45 minutes in a line at a store. I would've lost the patience to wait after like 20 minutes.
What can another worker do to shorten the lines? Not every employee in the store is available or allowed to run a cash register. I think that is one of the biggest problems of customers: always assuming that they know how the store works or should work.
I don't particularly mind waiting in line but I am much happier when I can get in and out of a store quickly. The supermarket where I shop, Smith's, has a policy that there should never be more than two people waiting in line at any time. If they are busy a store manager stands behind the checkout and helps people go to a shorter line and brings in more checkers if more than two people are waiting. That type of consideration for customers makes me a regular shopper there.
Long lines do affect the quality, but I just try to relax. Ross Dress for Less is the only store that has long lines. Target can have long lines, but I have learned to avoid the rush.
I don't mind the long lines. For me, shopping is not a chore. It's a fun thing. That's the only time I get to go out and meet people. So when I am in a long queue, I amuse myself by watching the other people in the line next to me. This is the one time that I can indulge in people-watching without looking odd.
I don't mind the occasional wait, but if I find it's the same situation every time I go to a certain store, even at generally quiet times of the day, I tend to avoid that store. In LIDL, where I do most of my grocery shopping, all the staff are trained to do all the jobs - including the manager - so it's not a problem that arises there. I think it's time all stores adopted that policy, really. It's a plus for the workers, because they get paid more than the 'one trick ponies,' and it's better for the customers, because there are no long waits. LIDL has one of the best hourly rates going.
I HATE waiting in a line - a really long one anyway and I have left supermarkets in the past because of it. Don't get me wrong, I don't get annoyed - I know it isn't the checkout staff's fault - I just vote with my feet and shop elsewhere.
Its obviously not the clerks fault for the most part unless they screwed up something. If it's chronic I will just walk out the store and not come back. I usually say something as well. There is a beer store by my house that never has anybody working and they are as busy as it gets. I just go to another store that is a little farther away.
Yes, long queues does affect the shopping experience for me. I do feel that a good shop should take that into consideration when they are setting up the store and employing staff. Some are too stingy to get the extra staff...and others respect their staff and customers enough in order to make the shopping experience enjoyable. However, if there is a special or if there is a regular queue, I have no issues standing in it...thanks to technology it is no longer as boring as what it used to be.
I like to run and run out sometimes. Usually this is when the lines just happen to be long and feel like they are just not moving. I always seem to have this problem at Walmart. Even the parking lot is a mess. Thats why I prefer to get my Walmart Shopping down online.
I'm not incredibly impatient and don't mind waiting in line if the wait is warranted...BUT I do have a problem when I go to a store and check out on a busy Saturday afternoon and there are only three lanes open out of twenty. I also don't understand why stores choose to leave self check out lanes closed during normal shopping hours. This is just bad customer service on the part of the store. They should be adequately staffed to reduce your wait time and get you on your way. This does sour a shopping experience for me and if it happens more than once, then I will look for alternatives.
For me, it depends on why the line is occurring. I've worked a lot of customer service, so I know how things can get. If I can see that astore is short staffed or a lot busier than they normally would be, I can be patient. If it's just laziness or a poor employee performance though, I tend to get inwardly angry. I rarely say anything though. I don't like to be rude.
Waiting too long in line just to get some stuff paid for definitely puts me off and my threshold is usually up to 15 minutes. If I see that I probably wouldn't be able to leave the counter in 15 minutes, I usually just get out of the shop and go elsewhere. I'm fine with waiting if the counters are operating at full capacity and the cashiers are doing their best to be as quick as possible. However, the case is usually that half the counters are closed at peak periods with cashiers who look as if they've not slept for the past week. I really cannot stand such inefficiency and that definitely gives me a very bad impression of the store and management.
I have a bit of patience so, waiting in line doesn't take away the experience for me. I can only imagine that the staff is busy and can't always tend to the check out lines. But then again, it really depends on who's also in line with me, the people around me can irritate me, like if there's a little kid who's constantly crying. I'm not talking about infants, because it's really the only way the communicate, but four of five year olds who shouldn't be crying. It's a ringing in my ears I just cannot have much patience on.
