From my experience working in a supermarket, Shoprite to be exact, a few things really stand to be true.

• 1.If I am shorter than you or same height, asking ME to reach things on the top shelf isn’t really the smartest idea
• 2.If I am pushing a shopping cart in full uniform with a scanning gun, that means I too am shopping as well as working. I shop for customers who would prefer not to, or cannot shop for themselves. And, as is common courtesy with any shopper, walking slow in the middle of an aisle or standing right in the way is really rude.
• 3.It is my job to help customers, and while I am more than willing to answer questions while I am shopping for other customers, please don’t take advantage of me.
• 4.Although mostly everyone in the store has the same uniform, just because I am currently in Meat or Frozen at the time, it does not mean I know everything.
• 5.Maybe I am biased, but if there is a small “traffic jam” the employee who is working should go first.

I am five foot two (and a half). I am sorry if you cannot reach something, but asking a short employee such as me just puts me in an annoying position. How can I possibly reach something over a foot above me? It just doesn’t make sense to ask someone of my height.

I cannot tell you how much this annoys me. “The customer is the reason for our job, not an inconvenience” is the store’s motto, but when they take their sweet time when other people are trying to meet deadlines, then I think it is okay to call them an inconvenience. When it’s not deliberate, then I do understand. Sometimes people get in their own worlds and that’s fine, but when you see me coming and still don’t make an effort to move, just know that I kinda hate you.

Asking me where something is in passing is totally okay and even welcomed- even though I have stuff to do, I do want your shopping experience to be easy. I will tell you where anything is as long as I know where it is, but I cannot escort you to where I just told you. At the risk of sounding mean, if you’re grocery shopping- you’re an adult. If you found your way to the store, you can find your way to the item that I just told you where it is.

This isn’t a huge pain, because it is easy to assume I work in the department I am standing in, especially since I have a clipboard. Also, certain departments do have different uniforms, but if you don’t work there I wouldn’t expect you to know. But if I say “I’m sorry I don’t work in this department, so I’m not too sure”. Don’t huff at me and give me a dirty look- it’s not my fault I just happen to be in the place that you’re having an issue.

Everyone knows what I’m talking about. You’re in the aisle, someone is stopped and then decides to go, the second person is trying to get by, and then someone else is caught up in there too. Usually everyone laughs and makes a “traffic jam” joke and then they figure it out. When someone is working however, and gets caught up in the blockage, I feel like they should go first. The common shopper is on their own time, but the worker is trying to get things done and shouldn’t have to be held up in the public’s stupidity.