11 Customer Behaviors Grocery Store Employees Absolutely Hate

Ready to talk grocery store etiquette? We've covered things customers hate about shopping at markets like Trader Joe's, but grocery store employees have some beef too, ya'll. In fact, some workers are so over it, they're heading straight to the internet to vent (most likely coming off one doozie of a shift). Across community forums, Reddit threads, and late-night TikTok videos posted probably after particularly long days, grocery workers have been logging on to air it out. And what we've noticed is that the same exact grievances are being mentioned over and over.

That tells us these grocery employee gripes aren't emotional rants being launched randomly into the ether. Instead, they are repeated stresses from daily encounters that point to real problematic things. Or, should we say, real problematic ... people. That's right. These workday woes are tracing directly back to one common denominator. Customers. Specifically, shoppers with behavior issues.

What makes matters worse? Most of these bogus customer behaviors are completely avoidable. And before you go clutching your pearls and gasp, while exclaiming: "Not me!" Keep reading. We gathered the loudest complaints, and the specific behaviors mentioned that pushed grocery workers to the edge. This list isn't about shaming, but more about explaining why certain customer habits spark employee ire, and basically how not to be an awful person while grocery shopping.

While we've written about supermarket habits that are costing you money, this is more about shopping habits that are costing you precious cool points with personnel. Let's talk about rather than return them to their rightful places. This behavior is bad enough, but where things really cross the line is when those haphazardly ... and you decide to ditch them in non-refrigerated places.

From the customer's perspective, this may not feel like such a big deal. You picked up a gallon of milk, then got halfway to the register and changed your mind. Your thought process for randomly storing the milk on the closest shelf? You have places to be, or maybe you just don't feel like walking all the way back to the dairy section (you are so close to the register now already). Besides, isn't it the grocery clerks' jobs to do that stuff?

Well, yes. But many times that grocery worker won't find your little stowed away treasure until it's been sitting out for hours, which means that Waste is gross. And employees are not only annoyed by this behavior, but it is also perplexing. .

How about when customers abandon a full grocery cart? or tucked neatly to the side, the fact still remains that leaving an poses quite the conundrum for store clerks. While they're certainly the unsung heroes of our food markets, grocery store employees are not psychics (nor should they have to be). Are you coming back? (Perhaps after picking up that one item you missed and couldn't bring yourself to drag your cart with you to retrieve)? Have you abandoned your shopping ferry entirely, no plans of ever returning for your loot?

Poor employees are left perplexed, and peeved. They can't know whether you have shortly stepped away or "left the building" entirely . So, now they have to decide whether (and when) to reshelve the items in your cart. This is stressful, as if they wait too long with any perishables lurking in your trolley, they risk the chance of spoilage, rendering them entirely unsellable.

If they move "too fast," only to have you return miffed, that's a whole drama boat these poor workers just did not sign up to board when clocking in. Suffice to say, no part of the grocery worker role in this scenario feels like a win, so your winning move is to keep your cart with you, or take a minute to put things back properly before making that quick exit.

Checkout is supposed to be a completely straightforward, relatively fast, no fanfare affair. There should be a steady rhythm to it (when done right). Customers place items on the belt or counter, cashiers scan, baggers bag, And on and on, this pretty simple process will repeat.

Alas, we do not always live in a perfect world, like when customers roll up to the register fully engaged in a phone call and disrupt this should-be-symbiosis without a single blink. Talk about wrecking the vibe, and throwing a big wrench in that rhythm. Employees say they hate this because it turns the entire transaction into a groan-inducing guessing game. Maybe the cashier would normally ask whether you preferred your cold groceries bagged in a certain order, but not with you gabbing to your girlfriend they won't. And when it's time to pony up? That touchless payment chip is linked to that same phone currently glued to your ear.

All this while, this is taking some time, the line is growing, and everyone behind chatty Kathy is waiting. Inevitably, the energy starts to shift, leaving the poor cashier wishing their shift to end, like, right now. Employees frequently describe this as one of the rudest customer behaviors, mainly because it represents .

Reusable bags are really trending right now. We think they're amazing, as are the customers who use them (look at you, doing your part to save the planet). We really do salute you, as do grocery store employees we would imagine, that is until you roll up to the register with

That shopping tote may be environmentally friendly, signaling your glorious entrance into the world of global sustainability, but you also have a responsibility to your local grocery store baggers to not make them sick. because they (poor souls) are required to handle whatever is handed to them. , sour, moldy, or worse, bags that go beyond just the need of a slight airing out.

It's a multitude of sins here, shoppers. It's unhygienic. Like, who knows what that stain is from? . And it's  pretty darn awkward. Since employees are basically trapped into taking whatever totes are handed to them, they're forced to mask their discomfort (and gag reflexes) while valiantly attempting to complete their task of bagging your groceries and getting you out the door. That takes a toll, which is probably why this gripe comes up so often. But there's a simple fix. Save the baggers from gagging and just wash the bag.

To be fair, this next line feels like one many shoppers might have unknowingly crossed without thinking of how it actually affects grocery workers. It may seem not a big deal to us, which is probably why it's reported as happening near constantly. You're doing your grocery shopping and you see a worker. They have the telltale name tag and they're sporting that uniform, so they must know everything about everything, right? Wrong.

This mindset drives employees up the wall, with many reporting how when constantly asked detailed questions about departments they don't work in. The issue here is not necessarily the interruption, but more the assumption customers make ( A produce worker won't automatically know about meat cuts, a cashier cannot be expected to be dialed in to what's going down in the bakery, and a deli worker might not have any expertise when it comes to advising you on that organic cosmetic cream from the whole body section.

So, when customers insist on having these expectations met anyway, or worse, are annoyed when employees don't deliver, there is a pressure point that reaches its peak. This is when you could say grocery store anxiety is a real thing, and not just for customers. It's not that workers don't want to help, but more about the frustration that comes from unfair expectations.

There's one pretty universal instance nearly every grocery store employee knows all too well, which is that moment, mid-restock, when your whole world gets rocked. Now, while that may sound a wee bit dramatic to those reading, imagine the scenario for a second. There the poor grocery worker is, minding his or her own business, just trying to restock the store, when suddenly, a random arm appears. Initial shock alone is not ideal, but then, imagine that arm proceeds to reach and , invading near every inch of your personal space, and sure enough bursting your personal space bubble with remarkably unaware aplomb.

It's a lot. And employees clearly are not jazzed about this way-too-close-for-comfort interaction style with shoppers. Proof of just how invasive this feels is seen everywhere online, with grocery employees consistently citing this shopper behavior as infuriating. This ire has nothing to do with customers wanting an item (it's what you're there for, workers get it). The big issue stirs up because of how customers go about getting said item. Grabby is not a good look, especially when that grabbing involves a reach around that makes grocery workers uncomfortable.

There is even a safety factor to consider here, too. Sometimes, workers are restocking items that are heavy, or can shift unexpectedly. One startling customer space invasion could really spell danger. Suffice to say, covers all sins here, shoppers.

What's funny (really not, when you ask workers) is that we all have the same time on our watches. And yet, somehow, what time it is isn't really agreed upon universally (not exactly). Case in point: A shopper rolling up at a grocery store five minutes before closing, before proceeding to fill their cart to the brim, hits differently from the employee perspective. And by "hitting differently," we mean it feels like a direct slap.

Many may read that as dramatic, but those who've worked in retail know that dread of watching (in what feels like slow motion) as a shopper rolls their cart around, oblivious to all time once the initial entrance door has been breached.

This is why when rocking up with five minutes left on the till-closing clock. More often than not, that "just one thing" you're grabbing never ends up being one solo selection. Also, that once a store closes, employees rarely get to lock up the doors and just call it a day. There is an often lengthy list of tasks that must be completed before the workers actually get to head home. So, when someone enters at the last minute, and then stays beyond actual closing time, it delays every single step of that process. While it may not be the same shopper, this happens nightly, which reasonably explains why this behavior is such a consistent gripe.

If you have ever wanted to witness a free show featuring the absolute worst in human behavior, simply head to the nearest food market, locate the express lane, and settle in for the circus. It could all be so simple, this express lane etiquette. There is usually a sign. That sign is usually large. The lettering on that sign is usually quite legible. And what does that sign usually say? It usually gives a clear number, letting customers know the exact amount of items allowed (maximum) for use of that lane.

The idea behind express lanes is actually pretty brilliant. But then you have that customer. The one who arrives breezily to the express lane and proceeds to clog it up with an unhinged amount of items. This is among the most irksome behaviors mentioned online. The worst part is (causing lines to back up and customers behind them left to stew as they stand), it places the poor cashier in a real bind.

If they enforce the limit, . Should they ignore it, they face the ire of fuming customers waiting in line (with the correct amount of items). It is a no-win situation.

These days, cash transactions are becoming a rarity, with touchless payment taking preference. However, holdouts still remain, and with them comes the unique gauntlet that grocery stores have to navigate when those bills are busted out and coins are passed across the counter. We're talking about . We mean those bills , socks, waistbands, even sweat-soaked pockets.

And before you gasp, clutch your pearls, and say, "No way!" Sadly, these instances are all too common with cash payment. And when they rear their ugly heads, workers usually have no choice but to take them. There is of course the hygiene, or lack thereof, that comes into play here. But based on online commentary from actual workers, what makes this behavior especially frustrating is the cool casual demeanor by which these busted bills are delivered. It is pretty incredible when one reads the accounts relaying customers handing over absolutely gross wads of cash without one single whiff of embarrassment.

It's like (did we mention the bras?) was a completely natural, normal thing. Did we miss something? From the employee's perspective, it feels thoughtless, and low-key gross. And while a whole heap of hand sanitizer may remove the germs left behind, some memories stick.

President Herbert Hoover once claimed  This is a lovely quote that certainly rings true ... unless, perhaps, you ask a grocery store employee how that translates to real life. And by real life, we mean smack in the middle of a Saturday afternoon grocery rush. This is a buzzing, bustling time when adults seeing children as "resources" (specifically in helping to scan or bag groceries) is anything but the bees knees.

We speak in jest with the quote comparison, but the kernel of truth remains. While most grocery workers understand that parents want their children involved, there is an undeniable friction that often arises when a child's "fun" and "educational" learning moment becomes a bottleneck for everyone else just trying to get pick up their bunch of bananas and be gone. Countless recollections online share stories of grocery workers watching (in pain) while parents insist on letting their very young kiddos slowly place each item on the belt, or scan self-checkout selections at a snail's pace, during peak shopping hours.

What shoppers may not think of is h, . Rushing the child would look rude (grocery workers are not monsters), but the employee also realizes (often painfully so) that there is often a line of super-peeved shoppers amassing behind this decidedly unhurried tot. Suffice to say, when shopping, please, for the love of employees, pull from other resources.

This final bone to pick is one that . and a customer drops money onto the belt instead of simply placing it in their outreached palm, employees almost universally interpret it as pretty darn dismissive. It may seem like an insignificant exchange, a wee small gesture that means nothing. But, clearly, from the copious amounts of times it is mentioned as a sticking point online, this one carries weight.

When one thinks more closely on it, . After all, the cashiers are right there. The effort it would take to place one's bills right into their hand would be zero more than tossing that money down on the conveyor belt or counter. More than that, the real issue is that flinging money on the belt then forces the worker to bend down and pick it up, which many often feel creates an unnecessary (and unappreciated) power imbalance. And over the course of an entire shift that is often filled with loads of other instances of behaviors deemed disrespectful, this one action can really send a worker to the brink of what they feel is tolerable.