Just started as a CC and I need some advice(I didn't do computer training). I already know the proper bagging procedure(hot with hot, cold with cold.etc) I just want to know things like speed, and how fast are you expected to be? especially when it comes to medium and large loads.What's the preferred number of items you should have in a bag before you move to the next? In situations like when you have one non-food item(like an utensil or medicine) is it ok to stick it in with other food products or is it better to waste a bag on it?
If the item is not a cleaning product then it is fine to place it with other products.
My FEM insisted that eight items could be packed in to a single bag.
For the most part, she was right...but she, like many Kroger corps, was ignoring the fact that their bags are total crap.
I carried one home one day and it broke on me half way there.
Putting the items in for good weight distribution didn't do squat.
I was told that two-liters, for example, can be put two to a bag--a single bag.
Dare you to try that one day and see how quickly you start to see the structure of the bag stretch apart.
I always double-bagged milk, two-liters...whatever I felt was heavy. Screw the company worried about cost on the bags.
They want their customers to go first? Then the customers need a double bag because your provided bags suck ass.
This was the same store where our FEM frequently got on to us for trying to get rid of the bags that "didn't work".
Unless they were torn to hell you "recycled"them by flattening them out and having them ready for the next customer.
Well if there is a customer whose glass falls through and busts in the parking lot then guess who the lucky one is for the blame?
AS often as I could I would gather "excess" and stick it in the recycling bag bins in one of the two entrances. Usually the main ones.
Try to keep up with the cashier. Sometimes, it's not easy though, especially with a big order. The number of items in a bag all depends on how heavy the customer wants you to pack the bags. Most customers want them heavy while some want them light. When it comes to non-food items, chemicals (cleaning supplies, dish soap, laundry soap, etc) are ALWAYS put in a separate bag. Also, ALWAYS double bag if the bags are heavy unless the customer says otherwise.
Put aside fragile stuff like bread, eggs, and chips and bag them last. That way you can put them on top of the cart and make sure they won't get squished. (If they don't have a kid sitting up front and there's room, you can put them there.) Customers will love you for this.
Try to keep like stuff together, but like they said, so long as it's not a chemical, you can throw some non-foods things in with other stuff. (Pet food should be kept separate from regular food though. Personally, I don't give a ****, it's all contained anyway, but some people are picky. Better to err on the side of caution.)
A lot of this is really just common sense. Bag it like you how you would want your groceries to be bagged. And don't worry too much about speed. It's better that you're bagging properly, rather than just throwing things together to get rid of them, and you'll get faster as you go.
Like others have said and you yourself stated, cold with cold, hot separate, and chemicals away from food.
Here's some general quick tips:
-Try to put no more than 6 cans in a single bag. Good for stacking items on top of as well.
-When the items come down the line, make a small stash of the non-food items and cleaners. At the end, bag them all together.
-Always ask if they want the milk/gallons bagged.
Don't stress about speed right now. It will come with experience. Some of the fast cashiers can be intimidating, but if they're good then they'll help you finish up bagging at the end.
Also, you're going to learn to hate reusable bags, especially the flimsy ones. Always try to find the insulated bag first and then put the cold stuff in there. Otherwise, the customer usually gets pissed.
What I have found as a UC (CC, but at Pick, we are referred to as UC) is that I tend to be generally fast to the point that I can keep up moderately to very well with cashier if the items are alike (cans with cans, etc) but I also do "build a box" as that's one thing you'll learn when you take the online training. (build the boxes (literally, boxed cereal, brownie mix, etc) on the ends (sides) of the bag so they stand and then fill in the middle with a few cans and what not, but never ever fragile items or chemicals, or other like item-d food type product (pet food with human, etc).
I bag chemicals (anything that is a cleaner, washer, soap, oil, detergent) separate (and if its a spray type with a nozzle or in a pressurized can (like deodorant), will wrap the bag tight and double it as a precaution if something should go boom, but unlikely. Rather be safe, then risk the customer's food. Bleach will be bagged double and wrapped as well to avoid spills should something pop. If a nozzle type, wrap the end of the bag handles around the nozzle and make sure they sit around the nozzle tight so they stay secure.
A tip I can offer is you should have bags under your station for plastic, if you run low on one end if you have a two stand station, don't use all of them, switch to the more full one and refill when the order is complete. Paper I keep a stash under the cubby that has the belt control and put it so i can draw the stand out for paper and pull a bag quickly in one move.
