this morning cashiers notice on our monitor next to our name a score of how many items we are scanning. Somebody said it was kroger trying to get us to scan faster. Does anybody know what kroger is up to with this? This is in the cincinnati and dayton area. Kroger cannot do anything to cashiers about their speed unless they are going to start to try it.
Kroger can punish cashiers that aren't making ring tender via other means, though... like cutting that cashier's hours, for example. Your CSM doesn't even have to be honest about it. He/she can just tweak the schedule and claim "that's what e-Schedule did, not me." And for any new cashiers that aren't meeting ring tender but are still under probation, they can be terminated for being too slow.
I think all the cashiers at that store should get together and scan items as slowly as they possibly can. Whenever they say we're not doing well enough, it just makes me want to do worse.
Is this on the customer view monitor? I know the Touch Screen Keyboards/Monitors have had this or a while...... Does this also have the Green/Red icon? If this score is on the customer view monitor, I would say someone has a good grievance to file. The last time I counted the stores making Ring/Tender there was 1 or 2......
-- Edited by EUID_Unknown on Thursday 1st of March 2018 06:36:35 PM
I remember during my third month at Kroger, I was on register. This lady came through my line with her big order. And as I was almost finished scanning her order, she asked me how long I've been at Kroger. I said a few weeks. Then she said, point blankly, "you're bout to get fired." And then she walked off. Well, here I am many months later, not fired. So suck on that, lady!
15 is really low, but there isn't any real incentive for people to get their scores higher. I have always had high ring tender, because I always just scanned at a high rate. But its hard to motivate people to go faster when there is no bagger or the bagger is completely slow. I would scan at 30+ items per minute and then bag 50+ of the items, because the bagger couldn't keep up. Anyone that would say that out of the blue is a complete nut, just keep doing you. But make sure "You" is neutral in response to most customers/issues and then stay strong when something happens, people are like dogs they sense weakness.
But make sure "You" is neutral in response to most customers/issues and then stay strong when something happens, people are like dogs they sense weakness.
Awesome advice. I'm working on that. Some people say I'm too nice.
Being nice is completely fine, just make sure your niceness has a little edge when you need it. People think being nice makes you weak, but in reality it just makes you approachable and able to deal with a multiple of differing personalities. Just make sure you establish your nice but able to "but someone in their place" when needed. Associates fail to understand, your always being judged/watched by customers, if the customer does not remember you or your name your not making any impression. Associates need to forget about the job at times and remember they are only there to make a pleasant impression on all the customers they come in contact with. I can be in plan clothing, shorts, sandals, hat inside or outside the store and people will remember me ......
Productivity can be judged by actions and numbers, customer experience can only truly be judged by customers remembering you and your service.
It doesn't matter. If you meet the goal, they will raise the goal until it's no longer possible.
Do they want high CCG's, or do they want me to scan every single produce item or the produce barcode sheet? They can't have both.
Associates need to forget about the job at times and remember they are only there to make a pleasant impression on all the customers they come in contact with.
When WinCo came to town, my division panicked a little. They made everyone go to training across town and really talked up customer service.
So I decided to go with it and give my best possible customer service for a week. I'd take them at their word and see what happened.
My CCG's crashed and I got a 10 or 15 minute lecture about it. Then the manager made me watch her scan for about as long while she tried to give me tips on how to get my speed up.
15 is really low, but there isn't any real incentive for people to get their scores higher. I have always had high ring tender, because I always just scanned at a high rate. But its hard to motivate people to go faster when there is no bagger or the bagger is completely slow. I would scan at 30+ items per minute and then bag 50+ of the items, because the bagger couldn't keep up. Anyone that would say that out of the blue is a complete nut, just keep doing you. But make sure "You" is neutral in response to most customers/issues and then stay strong when something happens, people are like dogs they sense weakness.
EUID_Unknown:
Exactly how do you scan 30 items per minute?
What is your technique that you use to get to this point?
This is one of the big problems with Kroger: where's the incentive to perform? It's not like you get raises based on performance. Now, if the harder you worked, the better your pay became, I suspect you'd at least see a little more interest on the part of employees to meet company goals, but when everyone gets paid the same and raises are based on length of time that you've been there, that promotes an environment where a lot of employees come in with the mindset to do just enough to get by... because why bother to work twice as hard or more as other employees when you get nothing out of it?
The biggest advice, don't get yourself too worked up about it all. Just remember its not brain surgery, you're there to kinda entertain the customers. Scanning is all about grabbing, hand movement and placement over scanner scale. You should never really look for the UPC unless its a big item or not scanning after a few passes. When you grab the item, grab it when light fingers and place a slight spin on it when your passing it to your other hand. When your passing the item, it should be spinning when its over the scanner scale. When looking at the scanner scale you have the plater (flat surface) and the vertical area, which forms an L shape were they meet, about 3 inches up and out is the sweet spot. This spot with a little spin and passing item from hand to hand will allow scanning of 90%+ of the packaging area. I would always ask for the Plus Card at the beginning and just scan it whenever the customer gave it to me....how much time is wasted waiting to start the order when the customer is still unloading their cart. You will always have customer that kill your time, you will have customer that also help your time, do not get to worked up about customer. Only one type of customer got me pissed, the ones that had $50.00 but had a cart full of $200.00 worth. When I had a customer like that, I always told them to put what they wanted on the belt first, then we will see what is left to work with.
15 is really low, but there isn't any real incentive for people to get their scores higher. I have always had high ring tender, because I always just scanned at a high rate. But its hard to motivate people to go faster when there is no bagger or the bagger is completely slow. I would scan at 30+ items per minute and then bag 50+ of the items, because the bagger couldn't keep up. Anyone that would say that out of the blue is a complete nut, just keep doing you. But make sure "You" is neutral in response to most customers/issues and then stay strong when something happens, people are like dogs they sense weakness.
EUID_Unknown:
Exactly how do you scan 30 items per minute?
What is your technique that you use to get to this point?
I'm not EUID_Unknown but I did used to be a checker and I always got over 30 items per minute when I worked on a regular lane. The scanners and checklane may be set up differently now, but when I was a checker, we were told to scan with both hands using a swimming motion. Don't pass items from one hand to the other. Reach and grab an item with one hand. As your passing that item toward the scanner, reach with your other hand to grab the next item. When you scan each item, continue moving your hand back until it reaches the belt leading to the bagging area. Just imagine yourself swimming and thinking grab grab grab grab grab grab etc.
15 is really low, but there isn't any real incentive for people to get their scores higher. I have always had high ring tender, because I always just scanned at a high rate. But its hard to motivate people to go faster when there is no bagger or the bagger is completely slow. I would scan at 30+ items per minute and then bag 50+ of the items, because the bagger couldn't keep up. Anyone that would say that out of the blue is a complete nut, just keep doing you. But make sure "You" is neutral in response to most customers/issues and then stay strong when something happens, people are like dogs they sense weakness.
EUID_Unknown:
Exactly how do you scan 30 items per minute?
What is your technique that you use to get to this point?
I'm not EUID_Unknown but I did used to be a checker and I always got over 30 items per minute when I worked on a regular lane. The scanners and checklane may be set up differently now, but when I was a checker, we were told to scan with both hands using a swimming motion. Don't pass items from one hand to the other. Reach and grab an item with one hand. As your passing that item toward the scanner, reach with your other hand to grab the next item. When you scan each item, continue moving your hand back until it reaches the belt leading to the bagging area. Just imagine yourself swimming and thinking grab grab grab grab grab grab etc.
You are the first person to explain exactly how it is done.
15 is really low, but there isn't any real incentive for people to get their scores higher. I have always had high ring tender, because I always just scanned at a high rate. But its hard to motivate people to go faster when there is no bagger or the bagger is completely slow. I would scan at 30+ items per minute and then bag 50+ of the items, because the bagger couldn't keep up. Anyone that would say that out of the blue is a complete nut, just keep doing you. But make sure "You" is neutral in response to most customers/issues and then stay strong when something happens, people are like dogs they sense weakness.
EUID_Unknown:
Exactly how do you scan 30 items per minute?
What is your technique that you use to get to this point?
I'm not EUID_Unknown but I did used to be a checker and I always got over 30 items per minute when I worked on a regular lane. The scanners and checklane may be set up differently now, but when I was a checker, we were told to scan with both hands using a swimming motion. Don't pass items from one hand to the other. Reach and grab an item with one hand. As your passing that item toward the scanner, reach with your other hand to grab the next item. When you scan each item, continue moving your hand back until it reaches the belt leading to the bagging area. Just imagine yourself swimming and thinking grab grab grab grab grab grab etc.
You are the first person to explain exactly how it is done.
This is what I needed.
One more thing. When you do it that way, you should stand so you're facing the length of the conveyor belt and the scanner is beside you. Don't turn and face the scanner. Don't even look at the scanner. Face the items that you're going to be scanning. You should be able to pass items over the scanner without looking at the scanner each time unless of course it's something that has to be weighed or the item doesn't scan.
You should be standing facing the scanner scale, but slightly facing the customer belt, and grab with your right hand and pass to your left hand. I never worried about facing the items, just try to grab them lightly from the top of the can/box. In reality as long as the item is normal sized and doing above it will not matter as long as your fingers are not covering the UPC. Normally you will not be looking at the scanner scale, just scanning and talking to the customer, unless its produce your scanning/keying...etc. After scanning always hit Total automatically and I always hit EFT Tender too, since 85%+ of customer always were paying with EFT. Even if they don't the worse you have to do is it clear.
I'm gonna try that the next time I get summoned to a register. Might not be tomorrow, maybe in a few days, when they don't have anyone else to run breaks. But when I get a chance to be on register, I'll try that. Both hands to swim... face the belt, not the scanner...
There's this girl ACSM, and when she's on register, my god she is fast. She's like a machine gun. She must be able to scan at 50 IPM or something.
Yup, after a while it just clicks. I had customers literally getting out of other register to get in my line because I wasn't messing around. I would look up and the customer belt was always empty because customer were not unloading fast enough and that was with lines 8 deep. For a company wanting to eliminate lines and have "just the right amount of staffing" they sure skimp on one of the most customer focused departments. Customers can forgive being out of a item or 2, but when they have to stand in line to give you money.....they don't really like that. Funny thing they do not blame the associate that is kicking ass, they blame the company and the corporate structure (customers are smart enough to know, the store associates are just working the store, not coming up with the rules and staffing levels".
You should be standing facing the scanner scale, but slightly facing the customer belt, and grab with your right hand and pass to your left hand. I never worried about facing the items, just try to grab them lightly from the top of the can/box. In reality as long as the item is normal sized and doing above it will not matter as long as your fingers are not covering the UPC. Normally you will not be looking at the scanner scale, just scanning and talking to the customer, unless its produce your scanning/keying...etc. After scanning always hit Total automatically and I always hit EFT Tender too, since 85%+ of customer always were paying with EFT. Even if they don't the worse you have to do is it clear.
Passing items from one hand to the other is a wasted motion and wastes time. Each hand should be able to grab an item, scan it, and pass it on down to the bagging area in one continuous motion. The exception is if the item is too heavy to pick up with one hand, you use both hands.
I would beg to differ, but I only was a cashier for 3 year and a backup for 7, department head for 8+ years! When I do run register, my lines goes 2x the speed of neighboring customers. Do you do, I will do I. But I never had to worry about my Items Per Minute....and was always 30+.
It doesn't matter. If you meet the goal, they will raise the goal until it's no longer possible.
Do they want high CCG's, or do they want me to scan every single produce item or the produce barcode sheet? They can't have both.
I absolutely agree thats Krogers MO. Goals are always raised whether or not stores are meeting the prior goal. That said you can meet ring/tender and produce scan. I do it once in awhile. I have one person who does it consistantly but thats also a cheat because we have a traditional register coded at express now so when we want to boost ELMS scores we go there so the IPM goal is lower and baggers dont know now to help when you have a 50+ item order. Our big focus is on produce scan and 1+1 level of service. Theres only a set list of items that count towards produce scan scores.
I'm gonna try that the next time I get summoned to a register. Might not be tomorrow, maybe in a few days, when they don't have anyone else to run breaks. But when I get a chance to be on register, I'll try that. Both hands to swim... face the belt, not the scanner...
There's this girl ACSM, and when she's on register, my god she is fast. She's like a machine gun. She must be able to scan at 50 IPM or something.
I bet her average isn't 50 IPM. If it's all canned goods or boxes, then yes you can probably get over 60 items per minute. However, that's not going to happen. By the time you factor in having to hand ring items and wait for the customer to get out their coupons and money, it's going to bring the IPM total down. I used to put my register on standby anytime I wasn't actively using it. That would suspend the timer and it wouldn't bring my IPM average down. Back when I was a checker, you had to hand ring all the produce and eggs. None of that stuff had barcodes. Everything had a "Lookup" number ( now known as a PLU). Even so, I still averaged between 32 and 36 IPM.
I have noticed that once your IPMs reach up to 29, then the red warning icon becomes yellow. But once they reach up to 32 I believe, a green icon with a check mark will appear. It is hard to maintain high IPMs and generally, cashiers aren't evaluated by their items per minute.
Good thing they're all going to the Clicklist (er...Kroger Pickup) where none of these things are issues (They have their own issues, I'm sure...)...Why bother going through a line and waiting, when you can just get your groceries and go??? Lots of people go to the U-Scans, too, where they can scan their own stuff (and be as fast or as slow as they want) for similar reasons...
I think they still need cashiers (I personally like going through the lines myself), but there are more options now, too...Who knows..Maybe self-scanners built-in or attached to the carts next?
I'm from Australia so different system but anyone have tips to keep above at least 16 IPM whilst bagging at the same time? Coz I feel like I can get to 30 but when your having to bag as well it's pretty difficult. Definitely would appreciate some tips
