Let’s reform supermarket queuing!

Standing in a supermarket queue, as most of us do on a regular basis, gives one time to think – mainly because someone in front  is taking rather longer than is polite to pack and pay for their shopping.

After a particularly irritating delay in a recent queue, I came up with a couple of suggestions that supermarket managers may wish to consider…. read on!

1.  At the head of each checkout have a LARGE sign saying ‘Please remember you will have to pay for your shopping, so please have payment ready’.  How many times have you watched someone pack their shopping, chat to the checkout person and generally dither until they are told the amount due and suddenly go into shock as the realise they have to pay.  Several minutes pass while they a) try to find the right card or b) count out the exact amount in 5p and 1p coins.. or c) rummage in their purse/wallet for a number of money off coupons which usually turn out to be out of date.

2.  Have a separate checkout just for those customers who have packing OCD; those people who pack everything slowly, by size and brand – sometimes even alphabetically. Despite being offered help with packing by the person on checkout they insist on doing it themselves and carry on regardless of the growing queue behind them, each item being carefully examined and packed as if it were a fragile piece of glass!

I think the second suggestion could be a winner as it would bring together those people who suffer from packing OCD and they can offer one another support.

Any thoughts?