I. Am. A. Savvy. Shopper.
There, I admit it. It’s out in the open. I love coupons. I love sales. I love deals. Ah, it feels good to get that off my chest!
While some might call me crazy, I just call me…smart. I don’t go overboard clipping binders full of coupons or driving to 23 stores per week to get the best deals, but I do take a couple minutes every week or two to clip coupons from the paper and even print a few from the internet. Then I happily peruse through the grocery store, adding items to my cart and patting myself on the back for all of the great deals I am getting.
And then I get to the checkout line. I unload my groceries onto the conveyor belt, greet the friendly cashier, hand over my coupons…and wait with bated breath. I’m sure you can imagine my dismay when the cashier struggles to scan my coupons and the line grows behind me. Suddenly I am that customer. The one holding up the line.
Usually, if the cashier is patient and calm, the coupons go through without much of a hassle. But in the recent weeks, there have been two particular incidents in which the struggle was real. Very, very real.
The first involved a young cashier. I’m sure it was his first job and he was stressed out. But after he had trouble scanning my coupons, he resorted to pretending to scan them and then stacking them up, putting them in his drawer and insisting that he had scanned them. It was so bizzare! I had to ask customer service to go to his register, take my coupons out and scan them for real. With three kids five and under, that was valuable time that I will never get back!
The second incident was just a few days ago with a middle-aged cashier. She was as friendly as could be…except when it came to the coupons. My husband happened to be with me on this particular trip and both of our mouths dropped open as the cashier gritted her teeth, mumbled harsh words, and violently slammed the coupons down toward the laser beams of the in-counter scanner, over and over (and over). It was as if she was punishing the coupons for some sort of terrible wrongdoing. Thankfully, the manager came over and helped her. Yikes.
So what can grocery stores do to help alleviate situations such as these? Here are 3 tips:
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Use quality scanners.
Honeywell’s Xenon 1902 Handheld Wireless Scanner
Honeywell’s Stratos 2700 In-Counter Bioptic Scanner
Every checkout counter should have an in-counter scanner, such as the Honeywell Stratos 2700, which can read coupons as close as the glass window and as far as 4-12 inches away, depending on the barcode.
Each cashier should also be equipped with a wireless handheld scanner, such as the Honeywell Xenon 1902, which should easily scan any “finicky” coupons that may come through the line. Plus, a fairly obvious bonus is that a quality scanner will allow cashiers to scan products quickly, keeping checkout lines short and customers happy.
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Provide better training.
Train your employees on how to use a barcode scanner, including optimum scanning range, coupon presentation…and of course, patience and truthfulness in front of customers! But in all seriousness, if you’ve already followed my first tip, training should be minimal. The “good” scanners available today are extremely easy to use and can usually scan hard-to-read and damaged barcodes with no problem.
Watch a [Video]: General Barcode Scanning Techniques
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Participate in mobile couponing apps.
Apps such as Ibotta and SavingStar® take the clipping and scanning out of couponing. I’ve saved well over $500 this past year using apps alone! Some apps link directly to customer loyalty cards, while some need proof via receipt snapshot, and others ask customers to use their phones to scan the barcodes on promoted items.
If you’re interested in learning more about grocery checkout line solutions, we’re here to help. Call us at (800) 830-9523.
About the Author:
Carmella Giancursio is L-Tron’s Public Relations Specialist & Content Editor. When she’s not working, spending time with her husband, or taking care of her 3 young kids, she can be found in the kitchen, channeling her Italian heritage! Email info@L-Tron.com with questions, or call us at (800) 830-9523.