The lines were long, and getting longer.

No surprise, really, as there were only two open checkout counters in the grocery store–one for customers with 15 items or fewer, the other for everyone else. As I stood there, I remembered that the last time I got stuck in the store the same thing happened. Only that time the store manager told me when I suggested they open more lines that it was the checkout clerks’ fault for not asking for help. The manager, I might add, who was standing at the front of the store ignoring her staff–and her customers.

My grocery bag had 4 of one item, 3 of a second item, and 1 of one item. (Yes, there’s a reason I’m telling you this.)

As I was waiting my turn, I asked the clerk if he could scan an item and cue in the multiple of numbers to save time for everyone. His response: Everything has to go on the conveyor belt because you never know when security might be watching.

Huh?

Trust shouldn’t be a missing ingredient in your business.

I don’t know if the store thinks its customers are all thieves or if its employees are giving food away for free. What I do know is that, unlike this store, they are empowering no one to make the experience better for everyone.

Photo by Andrea Goh (Flickr).