I'm wondering why I've been scheduled to be on Uscan, for pretty much the whole week. This past week, and the next week, I'm on Uscan. All I did was just ask one of the CSM's if I could be trained to be on Uscan, then suddenly, I was shoved into it.
Most of the other cashiers, told me they hate being on Uscan. This one cashier, said he asked them not to schedule him on it, repeatedly, cause certain customers would threaten him when he was there.
I know you'd tell me to just ask them why, but I want to know the insider reason from you pros out there that know the inner dealings of how Kroger works. Stuff they won't tell me to my face if I asked.
I'm wondering if it's because of my low ring tender score. I have like a 65%. Maybe they thought, put him on Uscan then he won't lower the Front End's budget for everybody. Also wondering if it's because they hired a few new cashiers and baggers.
I didn't even know you could be "scheduled" for U-Scan. At my store, it is pretty much whoever is there that knows how to run it that gets on it. Some of the lazier, older, workers whom don't like the young ones even ASK for U=Scan so that they don't have to check on a regular lane.
As for your question, whenever you learn ANYTHING new, Kroger will schedule you as that for a while.
When I learned how to check, I was just a checker. When I learnt the service desk, I was just at the service desk for a while. When I learnt fuel center, I was just at the fuel center for a while.
It is just how Kroger workers. Stay understaffed, maximize profits, stretch your current workers thin.
I didn't even know you could be "scheduled" for U-Scan.
Yep, the title you'd see on your weekly schedule would say "Self Checkout.Cashier" instead of just "Front End.Cashier." Our store has like four U-scans, though.
Yep, the title you'd see on your weekly schedule would say "Self Checkout.Cashier" instead of just "Front End.Cashier." Our store has like four U-scans, though.
As a Kroger cashier of two years, I also hate U-Scan, and I haven't even been on it much at all (though the new software has made it more tolerable)
It's not literally everyone, but U-Scan tends to attract unpleasant customers. Either because they don't listen to the machine, or think Kroger employees are so beneath them they'd rather not interact with one at all (hence going to Self-Checkout)
Or the winners at life that come to U-Scan with a 300-plus dollar order and a bible of coupons and cop an attitude when the coupons don't scan.
Also, a lot of your "Go to the customer" alerts will all go off at the same time, and no matter who you decide to help first the other 5 people wanting help will give you death glares.
All of this magnified during the peak hours and rushes.
That's why many of the other cashiers hate it.
And yes, your willingness to learn AND your low ring tender is why they try to keep you there. One new kid we go has a ring tender in the 60s but he actually loves U-Scan so that's what he does 99% of the time.
The others who do it frequently are the cashiers with ring tenders below 80.
As a Kroger cashier of two years, I also hate U-Scan, and I haven't even been on it much at all (though the new software has made it more tolerable)
It's not literally everyone, but U-Scan tends to attract unpleasant customers. Either because they don't listen to the machine, or think Kroger employees are so beneath them they'd rather not interact with one at all (hence going to Self-Checkout)
Or the winners at life that come to U-Scan with a 300-plus dollar order and a bible of coupons and cop an attitude when the coupons don't scan.
Also, a lot of your "Go to the customer" alerts will all go off at the same time, and no matter who you decide to help first the other 5 people wanting help will give you death glares.
All of this magnified during the peak hours and rushes.
That's why many of the other cashiers hate it.
And yes, your willingness to learn AND your low ring tender is why they try to keep you there. One new kid we go has a ring tender in the 60s but he actually loves U-Scan so that's what he does 99% of the time.
The others who do it frequently are the cashiers with ring tenders below 80.
Damn, who knew the struggle was real with the Uscan life. From how I saw it in my store, most folks don't seem to mind it. Albeit we have like 3 different sections of them. And I guess pending on what end of the store, some of the folks that man it, look rather bored.
But yea, I can imagine how real the struggle is when folks have a ton of crap, fussy kids, and things aren't going quickly enough for them to get in and get out. But still no reason to death glare anybody though. So rude.
And yes, your willingness to learn AND your low ring tender is why they try to keep you there. One new kid we go has a ring tender in the 60s but he actually loves U-Scan so that's what he does 99% of the time.
The Uscan they've been putting me on is the busiest one. It gets probably 70% of the customer traffic, compared to the other 3. The other 3 are behind the regular registers, while this one is right in the front, next to the doors and customer service desk.
I haven't gotten death glares, as you say, but I have gotten some frustrated customers. Really, I don't mind it at all. I just get a bit worried cause when I'm helping a customer with that big order, my back is turned, and the customers on the bots behind me, well, there's been a few that have just walked out without paying. I hear they wait for the attendant to get busy and that's when they walk out. I've learned to multitask better and keep an eye on all of them to make sure that happens less often.
But one thing I can definitely say, it is NEVER boring. I'm always helping some customer, and cleaning up garbage and misplaced bags they leave behind.
Here's the thing, I live in a Podunk town, and my store is physically small, about the size of CVS or Walgreen's, so we only have one U-Scan station with 8 registers or less.
I also brought all of that up to explain the customer base.
Smalltown folk are very friendly and appreciative, even, on a regular register.
But many of them are intimidated by technology, and do things to sabotage their own order, contributing to the frustartion.
They also don't understand that just because they call for help doesn't mean it's set in stone who gets helped first, like an actual line.
You brought up another reason I don't like it : it's a shoplifter magnet.
I don't get paid enough to be halfass LP, constantly policing people or getting paranoid about "security alerts"
Then when you do your part to deter shoplifting, the "customer" cries to management that they felt accused and were humiliated and management sides with them.
That's never happened to me, but I've heard it happening to U-Scanners I know in bigger stores.
I'm wondering why I've been scheduled to be on Uscan, for pretty much the whole week. This past week, and the next week, I'm on Uscan. All I did was just ask one of the CSM's if I could be trained to be on Uscan, then suddenly, I was shoved into it.
Most of the other cashiers, told me they hate being on Uscan. This one cashier, said he asked them not to schedule him on it, repeatedly, cause certain customers would threaten him when he was there.
I know you'd tell me to just ask them why, but I want to know the insider reason from you pros out there that know the inner dealings of how Kroger works. Stuff they won't tell me to my face if I asked.
I'm wondering if it's because of my low ring tender score. I have like a 65%. Maybe they thought, put him on Uscan then he won't lower the Front End's budget for everybody. Also wondering if it's because they hired a few new cashiers and baggers.
Well, you know what they say: Be careful what you ask for.
