# what do you do if you remember that you've forgotten to buy something as the cashier is ringing up your purchases at the supermarket



## cfu507

Say you've bought some things at the supermarket and it is your turn at the checkout counter. You take your items out of your shopping cart. As the cashier is ringing up your purchase, you remember that you forgot to buy something. Is it acceptable in your country to tell the cashier to wait, and run to the shelf to get the thing that you forgot to put into your cart?

If your answer depends on how many people are waiting after you with their full shopping cart please tell me.


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## Etcetera

Hola,

It's absolutely acceptable, while you're standing in the queue, to tell the person who's standing right after you, that you need to go and get something. 

But when the cashier is already ringing your purchase up, it would seem very strange to tell them that you've forgotten to buy something and ask to wait till you get this something. I've never saw anyone to do this. 

It doesn't depend to the number of people in the queue, it seems.


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## ewie

I'd say that in the UK it's perfectly acceptable to at least _try_ this, CFU: as long as you're careful to point out to the person behind you in the queue (and, if possible, ensure that the people behind _him/her_ hear too) that "it's just *one* item ~ I'll be no more than 30 seconds", people can hardly refuse and _force_ you to complete your transaction an item short.  It may well happen that some folk will pull faces, tut very loudly, maybe even curse you under their breath, mind you.


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## alexacohen

It is acceptable to do it here in Spain if the cashier is just beginning to scan your shopping or is midway through.

If there are one or two articles left it's not; going back on your tracks, locate the rack where the product is, find the exact article you want would take you far more than thirty seconds.

You can get away with it, mind you. But you will not only get disapproving glances or tut-tuts or more or less silent curses but rather some ¡VAYA MORRO! ¡LA MADRE QUE LO PARIO!  ¡HACE FALTA TENER JETA! and  rest assured that both the cashier and the customers will criticize you with glee as soon as you turn your back. 

And you will get the same treatment when you come back with your purchase. Don't you ever try the trick if the purchase is:
A - sanitary towels
B- toilet paper
C- condoms


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## Singinswtt11

Hello!

At least here in California, it's not that big of a deal. But like Ewie said, it is usually only if it's one item that you have forgotten. I know I've done it plenty of times!


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## Macunaíma

I remember seeing only one person do it, and it was a lovely old lady who'd forgotten to buy the panettone her grandson had asked her (at least that's what she told us, and, anyway, she was excrutiated enough). We all smiled and waited patiently for the cute (or wicked) old lady as she went for her grandson's panettone. Generally speaking, though, you'd be lynched if you so much as tried to do this on a busy day at the supermarked. People are getting really unsympathetic these days. However, if you don't think the cashier will double-enter anything during your absence (you could check the receipt later, but complaining after it's done and you've taken the items home is always a big hassle), you could leave no problem _while_ she's scanning. I believe people are far more likely to remember they've forgotten anything at this point than after the cashier has finished scanning and has put your articles into bags.


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## Etcetera

I'd like to add that here it's pretty common to go back to the supermarket _after _you paid for your purchases. That's what I do.


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## sokol

It is only barely acceptable to go back and fetch what you've forgotten in Austria.
People who have to wait in queue usually will be annoyed.

You'd be well advised to loose some friendly words (not *too *many, mind, as you also should hurry up so that other people don't have to wait for long).
(Of course, if there's no queue this wouldn't be a problem at all. And then of course it depends on the location in general, if you're in a small supermarket where everyone knows everyone then other customers may have much more tolerance for such behavior.)

If many people are waiting it may happen that the cashier may advice on scanning the items in you've got yet and telling you to pay them first and then fetch what you've forgotten.


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## Broccolicious

Some supermarkets in the UK employ people for exactly this purpose. If you get to the till and realise you've forgotten something, you can ask this employee to go and find it for you - that way you don't have to leave the queue or the till.

I love it! However, I've discovered that it's not OK to go to the till with just one item, and then ask the employee to go and find a whole shopping list for you!


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## Joca

Broccolicious said:


> Some supermarkets in the UK employ people for exactly this purpose. If you get to the till and realise you've forgotten something, you can ask this employee to go and find it for you - that way you don't have to leave the queue or the till.
> 
> I love it! However, I've discovered that it's not OK to go to the till with just one item, and then ask the employee to go and find a whole shopping list for you!


 
I've also seen this  happen in many supermarkets here. Usually, that employee uses skates, so he or she can go much faster. In most cases, they will replace a product that you found to be broken, spoilt, deteriorated, whatever, while you were going through the cashier, but not really bring something that you have forgotten to pick yourself. In this case, you would have to go yourself after the forgotten item. If it's a long queue behind you, you may need a convincing explanation to these people or some brazen face to do it. Perhaps the cashier can give you some additional support by strategically asking for the other customers' patience while you do it. With his or her permission, it's easier. Anyway, if you are bold enough to do it, be honest and bring just the missing item, and not another basket of objects. Otherwise you may hear not very pleasing comments.


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## TsaraBe

I guess I'll reword my response since I didn't mean it to be personal -

In the US - where I live - it is acceptable to do this.  People may be a little annoyed, but it's generally fine.  It's usually much less annoying if someone has a lot of groceries that are being rung up so they're able to go get the item and get back to the cash register before the cashier has even finished ringing up the groceries - and as a result no one waited any longer than they would've if you hadn't gone to get the item.  

I can't speak for the rest of the US - but here it's generally ok.


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## Wilma_Sweden

In Swedish supermarkets, it is acceptable to run and get that one forgotten item, but *only* with the cashier's consent, and *only* if you're not likely to cause any delay, i.e. you have a huge amount of groceries and will be back before the cashier's finished ringing your other items. If you come back too late, the cashier will be tapping her/his fingers sarcastically, and there will be irate and lethal looks from the queue behind you, making you avoid that supermarket for the next 6 months or so...

On the other hand, while standing in line further back in the queue, it is perfectly acceptable to leave your basket or trolley in the queue and run for forgotten items. Just ask the person behind you politely, and he will move your trolley forward if the queue moves while you're away. His moral obligation to do so will not end until his turn comes before you get back, in which case you end up back at the tail end of the queue.

/Wilma


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## danielfranco

Generalizations.

No. 

I live in a large metropolitan area, where people are already short-tempered from having to drive several miles just to get to the stupid supermarket, and when they get there they find that there's ten check-out lanes ten people deep, for hours on end. So, no. You forget something, might as well destroy yourself ritually in front of the register, because anything short of that is not going to make the cashier even consider for a moment your request, or the people behind you accept it gracefully.

OR:

You could do it like me: go shopping at three in the morning. There's only one cashier open, but there's only three people in the whole store. Usually the same kind of people, too: the guy in the bathrobe and slippers, with all kinds of baby-care items in his cart; and a college-aged couple, buying a cartfull of cigarretes, cocktail mixers, condoms and snack-cakes. Usually they all gibber or giggle, it's hard for me to say which, since I am usually worried that I forgot ONE item I needed, and I'm going to have to go back and get it right when they are checking me out.

OR:

Do it like I do, also: Just give up and abandon all the groceries with the cashier.


Of course, these are generalizations that only happen in my neighborhood, and no way they could possibly represent a country with 300,000,000 inhabitants.

D


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## Cilantro y Perejil

Here, (Midwest US), I think it also depends on the size of the store.  

In a larger supermarket (that has more than just food...clothes and books and other items-like Super Walmart, Super Target, what they call a "hipermercado" in Spain), it would be nearly impossible to get what you need quickly...the store is just SO big.  Generally, these stores are busy (there are usually long lines at the cashier), and customers tend to be in a hurry.  I suppose you could go and get something...the cashier wouldn't stop you (In the US we live by the saying "The customer is always right"), but you would get a lot of dirty looks!

However, in a smaller supermarket, the service tends to be more friendly and personal.  And, the store is not as big, so you can get something a lot faster.  In those stores, it would be more acceptable to run and get something. 

CyP


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## yuggoth

In Spain:
I think the people to make the request is rather the rest of people in the queue, than the cashier.
Normally is accepted a very quick going back to pick the missing item up (not more than 30 seconds), but you can't avoid in a more or less 10% of times a  resignation or impatiente sigh.
Anyway, is better to explain that you need very much that item, or wouldn't be strange to be politely invited to queue again


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## WAMORZINHO

Here in Brasil, if you run to get one thing that you forgot, and there is many people in the line waiting, they will fight with you. It's not a good idea!
But if there is no one in the line, you can do that, depending the attendant mood.


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## Carolina Rocío

In many supermarkets here if you forget to bring something in your cart and you're already paying, you can ask the cashier for that missing item and he/she will ask someone else working at the supermarket to go bring it while he/she finishes with the rest of your shopping.  I love it!  It's even part of my shopping strategy for heavy items (when I get to the cashier I ask him/her for my six-pack of water bottles (21L = 21Kg = 46.2 lbs), which I can pick-up into the cart, but not very graciously...)


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## divina

I actually see a lot of people here in grocery stores with their shopping list in their hands while they shop, making the topic of this thread a non-issue.


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## divina

cfu507 said:


> If your answer depends on how many people are waiting after you with their full shopping cart please tell me.



Speaking of lines of full shopping carts, in the USA a lot of supermarkets have specific "10* items or less" cash registers, designated for customers with 10 items or less in their shopping carts.  However this rule is not always enforced; I have seen too many people with overloaded shopping carts waiting at those registers.

*numbers can vary, most common are 8, 10, 15 and 20

And I suppose it would be okay to go back for something you'd forgotten in one of those registers.


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## sokol

divina said:


> Speaking of lines of full shopping carts, in the USA a lot of supermarkets have specific "10* items or less" cash registers (...)



Now this reminds me of something quite funny that happened here in Vienna in my supermarket: there was a "6 items or less" cash register which didn't quite work as many people queued there with much, much more than 6 items.

So they gave it up, and a few months later came up with another idea: a cash register was turned around so that the conveyer belt did look in the wrong direction.
It is therefore no longer possible to transport goods on the belt to the cashier; you have to either hold them in your hand and put them on the cash register when it is your turn, or else you have to take them out quickly from your shopping cart when it's your turn - and then put them away again as soon as you're done.

I can tell you that this just works perfectly: on this cash register that was turned around most people waiting have no more than 5 to (max) 10 items; it is just too much of a nuisance if you've got more.
(My supermarket should apply for a patent of the principle. )


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## danielfranco

divina said:


> I actually see a lot of people here in grocery stores with their shopping list in their hands while they shop, making the topic of this thread a non-issue.




AAAaaah! But, what about, when you were making the list, you thought of making lasagna and wrote down the ingredients, but remembered AT THE LAST MOMENT, before paying, that you did not write down the 1.5L bottle of Chianti you're going to need to wash down six pounds of pasta?
Eh, how 'bout that?

List or no list, YOU WILL REMEMBER the Chianti the very precise moment you reach for your wallet to pay the cashier, I bet!
D


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## Unrealevil

It depends completely on the situation, but with the exception of someone in the situation having attitude problems...

To the cashier, it does not usually matter since they are paid by the hour and they are going to be there, either way.  But if there are people behind you, that would be rude and embarrassing and to save yourself and those behind you that trouble, it would make sense to pay for it, then go back and obtain the other item.  In the city, there is rarely a time when there are no other people behind you and you are expected to move quickly.  It is probably different outside of the city.

If it is a supermarket with a counter, I think it is acceptable to push your items to one side and allow the people behind you to pay for their things while you retrieve that bottle of Chianti.


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