Working at Stop and Shop this summer surprisingly taught me more than I had originally thought it would, especially in the little time I was there for. I never worked at a grocery store before, all my prior jobs were fast food so just that alone was a huge difference. I mean, yes a cashier is a cashier anywhere you go and you have to be fast and efficient, but working at a grocery store has a completely different vibe and requires more responsibility in my opinion.

For the most part, you simply just scan items and bag but there is more to it than that. You are forced to interact with the customers longer than you would working in fast food and you have to bag items in a specific way. Every once in a while you get a customer who is super picky and you just want to scream “Well if you’re that specific about how you want it bagged, then you do it” but of course you have to hold your tongue. Also in a grocery store I had to learn how to put in checks, food stamps and WIC items which was honestly the most difficult because the process is so specific. I had to learn the store well so I could do returns quickly, had to check expiration dates, put price tags on items, I even did stocking for the store and used U-boats to carry the big boxes.

The best part of Stop and Shop was the variety of work I did. I also managed to learn how to deal with self-scan which was another challenge because you are required to look after five registers and what fun it is when all 5 people are having issues. I definitely learned how to deal with being a little overwhelmed and it taught me that I am only one person and all I can do is help 1 person at a time in the quickest way possible. Some customers of course would be extremely annoyed only making me feel more overwhelmed but somehow I got through it.

I have to say I didn’t think I would get so attached to the job and people there so fast but I am already putting my two week notice to go back to school. And not that I want to work there forever, but the experience, though at times difficult, will be missed and so will some of the people there. The biggest lesson I got out of this experience of working here is that working for a grocery store has a lot more to it than just scanning items, there’s people who stock, put carts back, work the service desk and clean. Sometimes as a customer, you don’t notice how a grocery store runs because of a team and everybody’s job is equally important whether your scanning items or stocking shelves and that’s’ an awesome thing. I’m excited to get back and earn my Bachelors in Psychology, but it was actually a fun time working at Stop and Shop this summer and I’m glad I was hired there.