Using a lot of coupons is not only overwhelming sometimes for the couponer, but especially so for our cashiers. Cashiers have to be very careful not to allow misuse of coupons. A cashier could very easily loose their job or be written up for accepting fraudulent coupons, or for allowing misuse of coupons. At all times we the couponers should be ethical when it comes to using coupons. Saving an extra $1 or $2 by misusing coupons is not worth potentially risking someone’s job.
If you plan to be or are a regular couponer, realize you will face negative situations when checking out. Not all cashiers and managers like big time coupon users, for various reasons. Here are a few tips I have to help avoid these situations and for you to have a good relationship with your cashiers and managers:
1. Always be ethical when it comes to your coupon usage. Don’t try to sneak anything past your cashier or manager. They will not soon forget you if you are found out.
2. Double and triple check your coupons right before checking out, to be sure you have all your coupons paired up correctly with the items in your cart. This way you don’t accidentally try to use the wrong coupon.
3. If you are unsure about a deal or coupon, find a manager and ask. It never hurts to ask, and they will appreciate your honesty in coming to them.
4. Look for a cashier or manager that you are familiar with, and check out in their lane. Sometimes I look for younger cashiers, because they are almost always enthusiastic when I check out. They always put a smile on my face as I leave the store.
5. Be friendly with your cashier, and strike up a conversation with him/her.
6. Pair up and place your coupons with the items on the belt. Most all of my cashiers love me for this, and I get so much praise! It helps the checkout go faster, because your cashier doesn’t have to go back through your bags to make sure you got the correct item.
7. Give extra coupons or freebies to your cashier after you checkout, as a thank you. I love giving extras to my cashiers, and they remember me for it!
Those are just a few simple things that I do to help my check out process go smoothly. What are some of your tips?
{ 31 comments… read them below or add one }
These are great tips! I never place my coupons with my items because the cashiers seem to just grab them into a pile anyway. But if I do have a free or BOGO I let them know so they don’t have to scan through. Being ethical is so important, as well as patient and kind. We want them to like us!
Please hand the coupons to the cashier before placing your items on the belt, this way they can look through the coupons to check for free items (to make a mental note to grab those prices as they go) and check for expiration dates. If you can put all your free items last that’s a huge bonus to a cashier and we’ll love you for it
That’s funny…all of my cashiers want the Frees first!
.-= Noelle´s last blog ..Shoprite Printable Match-Ups 3/7/10-3/13/10—a beginning =-.
as a former grocery store cashier I want to place another vote for putting your “free after coupon” items at the very front. That way, even if you have a small order, that item will be easily readable on the receipt. However, I can see the value in putting them at the end if the store has a system with a large monitor where you can see recent purchases. I guess it depends a bit on the type of system the store uses.
This is such a great post. I think people forget that our cashiers are not “the store.” They are hard-workers, often moms. They deserve the same amount of kindness we hope to be shown in our day-to-day. Great reminder!
As a former cashier, I suggest NOT pairing your coupons with your items. It makes more work for the cashier for sure. I used to hate that.
Otherwise, great tips!
That’s so funny! mine always love it. I guess the tip should be: Find out what your cashier likes, and do that!
Same feelings here – I’m a former cashier and I always preferred it when my customers handed me a pile of coupons at the start so I would have time to check the expiration dates. If the coupons are on top of the items they’re more likely to get blown off and lost. I think you’re right though, Crystal – do what your favorite cashier likes best
I offered my cashier an extra coupon yesterday when she noticed my savings and asked where I got the coupon but she turned it down. She said her store won’t allow her to accept coupons (personally) from customers! How crazy is that? I didn’t understand this policy. Has anyone ever heard of this?
Thank you for this post
I totally agree that it is important to be ethical, patient and kind.
I would also like to add that the cashiers and managers also remember us for being extra kind or ethical.
I was recently accused of having photo copied coupons at one of the Publix stores in my town. (coupons printed from clickcallmail) I didn’t even have a lot of them – only ONE. She says “Is this a copied coupon? Because if it is I HOPE you know that is very illegal and you WILL go to jail for it.” I was appalled at her behavior (it was a new customer service desk employee)
When she said that, my favorite cashier whipped her head around and her eyes went VERY wide and she hollered for their customer service manager.
When the CS MGR got to the desk she asked what was going on and the cashier says “Well I think this lady has photo copied her coupons and that is wrong!” (The only reason I was at the CS Desk in the first place was to ask if the muir glen tomatoes I had would qualify towards the $5/20 item click call mail coupon)
The CS Manager looked at me then at the coupon then back at me and smiled. “Click call mail?”
me: “Click call mail.”
Manager to the CS Rep: “It is a printable coupon on click call mail dot com. This customer is one of our VERY BEST Customers. I promise you if she has a coupon it is a legit coupon.” and handed the coupon back to me.
so I asked the manager about the tomatoes and she helped me.
That really shows the importance of being ethical and kind in your coupon usage. They know me at that store (except new employees obviously) and i’ve had new cashiers question items on my coupon and Brittany (My cashier) will always tell them “If she says it is right then it is right.”
It makes me feel great to know that they have such a high opinion of me and if I check out in Brittany’s line everything is always far smoother.
GREAT ARTICLE! Do you have a pen/pencil handy? Take a second to write the price on the buy one get one free or get one free coupons. Every cashier I have done this for thanks me and says no one does this. Wins them over every time.
.-= Lisa @ The Spot To Save´s last blog ..Fabulous Friday Freebies! =-.
I always loved that!
Don’t place your coupons on the belt- hand them to the cashier at the end. If you have BOGO coupons- place those items together on the belt last so that the prices show up at the end of the register tape. Double check your expiration dates! If your store has a website check their coupon policy- and/or print out a copy.
I like to hand the coupons to the cashier a few at a time. That way they do not get overwhelmed and I know they are not going through them so fast they miss one. I also have found that if you strike a conversation with them and are genuinely nice with a nice smile, it helps. Great article! Thanks for all the tips!
Many of the grocery stores around here require you to give ALL coupons at the beginning of the transaction, or they won’t take them. Now days they can just scan the screen for the item instead of searching your bags and they scan all the coupons at the end anyhow.
1 and 2 are so important. It takes the cashier maybe 60 extra seconds to run my coupons, but I’m always stuck behind someone who takes 15 minutes because they’re trying something that’s not technically allowed, or trying to push an expired coupon, etc. Even as a fellow couponer, I get annoyed.
.-= Mama Geek´s last blog ..Top 5 Cheap and Natural Things You Can Do For Your Health =-.
I never thought of giving extra coupons or freebies to my cashier – what a great idea!
Some cashiers like the coupons paired and some don’t. I have found some younger cashiers to be unfriendly and impatient. Then again some older ones are too. I don’t think you can make generalizations. People are people. I just try to be the one with a smile.
Just a few other quick comments (again, as a former grocery store cashier):
- I love the idea of giving your cashier a coupon for a freebie. This is how I got into couponing. I was the favorite cashier of the local coupon queen (she ultimately invited me to her weekly coupon exchange club) and one of the first times I ran up a $0.42 order for her she gave me a coupon for free donuts and I was sold on couponing!
- Cashiers often work long hours and are on their feet constantly. A few kind words go a long way. One of my favorite customers was a local radio station DJ who joked with me, told me stories about his new baby and always cheered me up if I was feeling worn out.
- If you have a ton of coupons or a complicated order that will take a long time, it’s nice to warn the cashier ahead of time and let others with smaller orders go in front of you. Other customers who join the line behind you might also appreciate a warning.
- I can’t agree with Crystal more on the importance of cultivating a relationship with a few cashiers. They will go a long way in protecting you from other, “coupon-uneducated” employees.
As for ME, I’m giving my high dollar $5 off $25 first , then my q’s, esp if the total order would not be 25.00 after the q’s were scanned.
Great article!! I love your idea on striking up a conversation with the cashier. It makes them feel comfortable and connected to you. Thanks for listing out these ideas!
Christy
.-= Christy@Coupon Gal´s last blog ..Children’s Place 15% off Printable Coupon =-.
I love your suggestions. I always hand over my coupons at the end but have them all organized. It does help to be friendly and polite. Today I was at Walgreen and I LOVE the cashiers there. The lady I had was a little flustered when I decided not to buy the Purex because it did not ring up as B1G1. She very nicely voided everything and my total was $1.61. I paid and then returned the detergent for her to the shelves. I then got in line again to do my identical second transaction. The total this time was $4.60. I couldn’t figure why but paid and left. When I got to the car I saw that she had deducted $2.99 for the detergent when she shouldn’t have for the first transaction. I went in to pay the difference. She got more flustered but another cashier took care of it and both appreciated my honesty. I go into this store at least once a week and could not live with myself if I had knowingly cheated them. Also, when I got home I told my 13 yo daughter and her first question was did you go back in and pay Mom? I could tell her I did and that is just another lesson for her in integrity and honesty. How could I face my children if I had knowingly cheated someone? I know I will sleep better tonight for taking care of it and I know the cashier will not get her pay docked (if they do that) also. Thanks for your tips!!
thanks for the advise! I try my best to double then triple check my coupons! I usually look them over again before I hand them over at check out bec I find I plan to buy items then they are not in stock .
I do not want to give them the coupon by mistake. I do make mistakes on the exp. dates(buy a day or two) Ugh!
My question is on bogo I do not understand how if you get an item for free u can use a coupon on it?? Thank You
That sometimes varies by store Anne.
Thanks for posting this! The ethical side of couponing is HUGE! I am going to repost with a link to you if you don’t mind?
Sorry…I guess should give you the right link.
Mary — The Deal Detector
.-= Mary´s last blog ..HOLY COW!! My Blogspot Blog is Back! =-.
Hi Mary, you are welcome to quote a few lines and link back. I’m glad you enjoyed the post!
I usually separate my coupons and paperclip them together… for example the ones that cannot be doubled are together, the ones that can be doubled/tripled are together, and my bogos are together. They appreciate it when you are organized so it doesn’t hold up lines and make more crabby people for them to deal with. Before I go to the store I make a list of all the items that I am using coupons for with their sizes listed so I know I always have the right item. Hope this helps!
I totally agree with striking up a conversation with your cashier. Some stores around here have a rule that if it doesn’t scan, they won’t take it. They won’t punch it in. But, if I start up a conversation, they tend to work with me and my crazy, non scanning coupons.
I guess my talent in gabbing finally comes in handy. 
I don’t know about coupons but we’re not allowd to accept money or gift cards. Customers try to give us their gift cards when there’s a few cents left on them or their change. Thanks but we aren’t allowed.
The only thing I could see wrong with this advice is to give extra coupons to the cashier. As a cashier I am not allowed to accept coupons or pass them on to other customers. I could lose my job if I do this.
i am very new to couponing. lastnight we went to target and i made a mistake. i was using an earths best coupon for $1/7 jars baby food. and i didnt realize that i only grabbed 6. i also bought a box of earths best cereal. so in the receipt it appeared still that i technically bought 7 earths best items.. i am wondering if my coupon scanned, if it did work? will cashiers return the coupon if they are not applied??? i was really frustrated last night for this mistake but also made me wonder what happened since cashier took all my coupons….
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