You Think These Employees Have Just Been Sitting Around?!

Whilst in University, I am working in a popular supermarket chain as a team leader. I work evenings, so this means that I am essentially in charge of the checkouts as there are no managers in. I wear a headset, and if the cashiers need assistance, they buzz me and I go help. It doesn’t say what help is needed on the headset, just which number checkout.

One night, I am in the middle of the store putting away some abandoned items. My headset tells me checkout four needs help. I’m on it.

As I am walking over, checkout eight also buzzes in. Fine, I will go there next. It takes a good couple of minutes before I get to checkout four. Some discounted items aren’t going through and I need to authorise something. It takes about three minutes to put through all the items that the customer wants, and then I make my way over to checkout eight.

As I approach, I can hear this guy causing a scene. He is moaning about how long I am taking and how incompetent we clearly are. As I get closer, I see this middle-aged man with his arms in the air in a “Come on!” gesture.

Customer: *To the cashier* “I’ve been on my feet all day, and all I f****** want is another box of eggs!”

Me: *Super polite* “How can I help?”

He turns with the biggest frown and I fully expect him to rip me a new one, but alas… he suddenly looks sheepish, and his body visibly shrinks in with shame. You see, I am eight months pregnant at the time and as big as a house.

Cashier: “The eggs the man chose are broken and he needs a new box.”

Customer: *Immediately* “Oh… um… I can go get them?”

There isn’t even a queue behind him; he could have gotten them at any point.

Me: “No, that’s okay, sir. You’ve been on your feet all day. Let me get your eggs.”

I waddled away and took my time.