lol I remember thinking after my first shift "what have I got myself into?!" many years later I still think about that day, everyone remembers their first customer, I had this hippie chick who had almost entirely all produce that I had never seen before and there were no pictures on the old style checkouts! I just about hyperventilated on the spot!
That being said timw7845, woolies isn't for everyone, some days I love it some days I just want to quit, but in the end its a job, its not meant to be fun but you should still get some enjoyment out of it. If your thinking about quitting I'd suggest perhaps trying another department, job roles vary widely within the store and you may find something you like doing more
first customer was a casual teacher from my school, lol. it was also with the old style registers. 88 > Sign On > Password > Enter.
spin that produce wheel, key those PLUs. ok, trip down memory lane over.
In relation to the earlier post of getting sick of woolies after a few weeks, or shifts i didn't really notice it. I did my induction on a saturday, two register training shifts during the next week and was working a 5hr shift the next saturday a week after induction. next thing i knew it was christmas, new year, etc. time flew and now i've worked there for 5.5yrs. working monday nights 4 - 8pm checkouts was always a social thing. there were a few of us all school age that were regulars on that night. we made it enjoyable for each other.
work (registers in the early years) and in general when i moved onto the shop floor has always been social. i always found when i was opposite another cashier if we were chatting we'd always try and involve the customers in between. never effected the scanning rate and i'd quite often get comments on my service. on the stop floor i always say hi to customers as well, even if it was just a glance up at them. it always seems to me that the staff that complain about customers being blunt, annoying, etc. are the ones that don't engage them. i agree that some customers are beyond help and are just in a bad mood and we are "in the way" but if you engage everyone you'll find that majority out weigh the negatives. nothing shits me more now going through a register and not being engaged by the staff member, i wouldn't have went through self serve if i wanted that level of service. it annoys me because i've been in their shoes, god knows what impression it leaves on customers. if you talk to them, or the staff around you it will make the shift fly by. one of the things i miss about registers is the constant interaction with people, it makes the day go quicker. so show some personality and loose the robot voice and actions and who knows what will happen.
work is what you make it at the end of the day. i've always found that if i treat it as a more social thing and engage customers its good. obviously there are bad days, but bad days exist everywhere in life so you can't just blame woolworths. let the good outweigh the bad and if thats not enough motive then look at your bank balance.