Hi

I'm a 17 year old and work for big store.

I am left alone at the checkouts AND self-scan alone for between 3-3.5 hours!

I've queried this as it is extremely stressful and I get customers complaining,

also if I need to leave the checkout eg an item has leaked/wrong item I am unable.

There is a bell to ring for a manager but the other week I rang for over half an hour and nobody turned up!

I am also in charge of 4 self scans at the side of the checkout and if I have a queue and all 4 self scans require my attention, I can't physically do this!!

I would like some 'hard evidence' I can approach them with as I really need this job.

I have explained I cannot work alone for this period but I've just been told 'I'll be fine'!

Any help would be much appreciated

This type of expectation is commonplace in retail - self serve is supposed to be low maintenance and one supervisor can run 4, 6 or even 8 alone, however as you point out there will always be occasions where this proves difficult - if not impossible.

Unfortunately there is nothing 'unlawful' about what you are being asked to do, however there should be an element of what is 'reasonable' on the part of the employer. Your best (in fact only) approach to this would be to raise a grievance on the grounds that the workload is unreasonable - and if you can support this with concerns over customer dissatisfaction, complaints, poor service perception and even the increased risk of customer theft then it may be looked at more favourably.

And if you are in the Union and can get your local Rep on your side with it so much the better, but sadly I doubt very much that the powers that be will do much!

For a 17 year old it is wholly unreasonable. Especially if the store sells age restricted products.

I agree - completely unacceptable, but alas there is no single benchmark for what is 'reasonable'

The OP did originally name the employer and I do not think they sell age restricted products through the standard checkouts

Actually

IF you ask for help and do nto get any for an hour on end, then it is entirely unreasonable because of AGE RESTRICTED PRODUCTS.

What happens in the scenario where you are presented with customers wanting to purchase alcahol, knives or tobacco?

Actually

 

IF you ask for help and do nto get any for an hour on end, then it is entirely unreasonable because of AGE RESTRICTED PRODUCTS.

 

What happens in the scenario where you are presented with customers wanting to purchase alcahol, knives or tobacco?

I totally agree with everything you say here Sabresheep

I would ask also have you been fully trained with respect to age restricted items? If not why not? If yes fully then you will be aware that to sell alcohol at 17 this must be approved by a person over the age of 18 or you are breaking the law.

So best advice is refuse all sales of age restricted items unless there is someone readily available to check with.

It's surprising the amount of standard products that are age restricted. ( party poppers to name one.)

I find it hard to accept that age restricted items only go through a certain till area in any retail store customers will go to tills of their choice that includes self serve in my experience.

If it's a big retailer surely they have checkout runners?

And lastly if your not in a union join one as a rep working in retail I would strongly advise it.

Bill

To sell age restricted items in a store, you have to be of that age yourself. Otherwise you would be breaking the law.

As has been said, the store in question doesn't sell age-restricted products, it isn't a supermarket. We removed the name to keep this anonymous for the OP.

HB

That sounds extremely stressful.

Try not to care too much and try not to worry about it. If customers are getting a bad service because the company doesn't staff properly, that is company's problem not your problem.

Members of the public blaming you for that aren't your fault is unfortunately part of working in retail and you will get it anywhere. I used to work in a fast food joint as a teenager and got blamed for all sorts of things - menu changes, price increases, running out of ketchup, finishing breakfast at 10:30am rather than 11am....

The most you can really do is raise your concerns with the manager and explain the customer service issues. Beyond that I think you have to try and just suck it up.

If there are not age restricted items being sold then as long as all other procedures are being followed then you can only do what you can but you should have quicker support when required.

Bill

Even if ARI's were being sold i bet these global corps have found a workaround in law to get away with "not actually selling" but that's another debate.

Your 17, in a job that does not fall anywhere close to hse young worker restrictions.

Therefore to be blunt

If the others that work there are capable of doing it, you are expected do do it (with little support and some expectation that your learning so you may not be at the same speed as experienced workers)

Ask to shadow someone, try to pick up how they manage, are you slow in the swipe, too nice too customers (aka talking to them), a little shy and hesitant, not experienced in dealing with shoppers frustration at those things never bloody working for you (i avoid them for anything more than 3 items)

Find out the difference between how you are doing it and others who appear to breeze through this task.

Maybe its the job everyone hates, if so, learn to love the punishment, it's the only way of staying sane.

Learn your weakness by watching others. Experience is experience and can't be beaten, at 17 you have none.

It's called time management and you need to be aware of your mistakes and areas you can cut time from before management start using that word! No matter what job you do it will apply and the retail world is built on sell, sell, sell meaning they will always want more.

People not responding is not acceptable but also another part of the working world you better get used to, you will find there are always oxygen thieves and imposters all around you, sometimes your unlucky and they are the ones managing you.

I've worked for 25+ years and only today i was met with the most useless response to a very specific and simple request meaning i had a red mark in the middle of my forehead for 5 mins after doing the old head-desk.

Anyhow, i'm turning into victor meldrew...

Keep your chin up

This is actually for my daughter not myself.Thanks to everyone for their responses, they have all been really helpful. She tries to 'do herbest' but she is quite a stressed person the best of times and feels very pressured into running about like a headless chicken to keep the customers happy (I have told her she can only do what she can.)It is not a supermarket however it is a large retail business that sells chemist goods, toiletries etc and I would imagine some over the counter medicine may be age restricted? also things like shavers etc? Does anyone know what age related items these would be?

Razors etc iirc are 18. Same with some medicines/sprays that contain high levels of butane etc.

lets see of the top of my head

cigarettes, lighters/matches, booze, liquor sweets knives, fireworks, adult mags party poppers, glue, lottery tickets, lighter fuel and gas and believe it or not Xmas crackers.