A queue manager should shift all the baskets along as the queue is processed, and processed baskets should be placed into an indexed array for asynchronous retrieval by the worker threads.
Stepping briefly out of a queue is ok, provided you didn't intend to. You should ideally ask someone next to you to keep your place so they know. If you're not back they should skip ahead. This on average makes things more efficient for everyone.
Dropping a basket at the end of a queue and immediately departing messes things up. Why wouldn't everyone do that if they could? Conversely, for short queues of people with lots of things the waiting at the end could be a significant amount of time, so I would be ok with someone who'd been waiting a few minutes to leave their basket, again prefering to ask someone to remember their place.
* Proportionate response to people who break best practice
The aim should be to adopt practices which converge to best, not converge to fisticuffs. Eg. if someone legitimately steps out of the middle and you didn't notice, you should ideally imply "It's ok, come back, but be quicker next time". If someone pushes in you should definitely firmly but politely tell them to go to the back, otherwise society will collapse and we'll turn into spain! You shouldn't hit them, that'd be worse. However, you could politely ask the cashier not to serve them first.
If someone leaves the end of the queue, what's reasonable? It breaks down here, because I'm not sure. I'd be inclined to stand abreast of the basket, and say "Oh, were you here?" when they return, and if they say "I'm sorry, I was just a moment, I forgot the whipped cream" let them on, and if they say "Hah, I'm entitled! Mwahahha, serve me, proles" say "Sorry, I didn't realise. Well, too late now" :)
The mischievous course of action if the person's a completely annoying arsewit, of course, is to report their abandoned basket as a bomb threat.
Generally, I agree with the principle that you need a person to hold a place in the supermarket queue, not a basket. People violating that principle annoy me less than (a) those who faff about packing, paying or using a self-service checkout, and (b) those who try taking a trolley through a basket-only queue.
A notable exception is if you notice a damaged item in one's shopping, by the way. The supermarket will try and send someone to get you a replacement, but you can find it much more quickly yourself. Even then, I'd explain to people what I was doing rather than vanishing without warning.
Indeed, that's maybe the most satisfying, though, in both short and long terms, make it harder for everyone to shop...
Generally, I agree with the principle that you need a person to hold a place in the supermarket queue, not a basket.
Hmmm. I don't know. If someone leaves a basket mid-queue it's generally pretty clear, and if they don't come back it's no skin off your nose. I admit it's politer to say something, but I know so many geeks including me who don't like talking to strangers I'm happy not to.
It would be a problem if people did this a lot, because you could never see where a queue was, and they'd gain a march on you, but it doesn't seem a problem yet. Personally, I never *want* to, but am happy to if I forget something close by.
People violating that principle annoy me less than (a) those who faff about packing, paying or using a self-service checkout, and (b) those who try taking a trolley through a basket-only queue.
I know what you mean. Though always fele horribly guilty because I do, a bit. The self service are never perfect, so I always end up getting stuck on something, and not knowing what circumstance causes it to lock up and call for help, and if everyone only used the thing if they were certain it would work perfectly no-one ever would. And similar things for right queues. Of course, you're certainly thinking of people who are deliberately unhelpful and hold everyone up for ten minutes, but I feel guilt by association :(
It's hard to tell the difference between leaving a basket because just as you join the queue you remember something, and leaving a basket because you're being a git. Also, Co-op have this nasty habit of putting tempting things near the checkouts so you just get settled in the queue and then spot the CUSTARD TARTS or the ICECREAM BARS, and have to step out to get them.
So on the whole I'd rather treat someone as though they are the former, and would probably kick their basket along with my own (you mean you don't put heavy baskets on the floor and kick them along when queueing?)
This is probably as good a place as any to mention my theory as to why this country is so notorious for orderly queuing:
We have a greater tendancy for violence combined with a strong sense of justice and fairness. Therefore there is no middle ground possible between an orderly queue and a punch-up. Good-natured competitive disorderly shoving, or opportunistic getting ahead, don't happen because they would escalate quickly.
"Another big flash-point for violence can be people trying to jump the taxi queue at 2 am, so having fairly large, burly and sober people can make a big difference."
OK, so that's in the context of people disinhibited by alcohol, but anecdotally it seems to be a common cause of violence.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2006-06-26 11:50 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-06-26 12:53 pm (UTC)QUEUE MANAGER
The successful candidate will be smart and presentable with
excellent customer service skills. Any experience in security
work would be an advantage.
... can you tell I'm avoiding jobhunting-work...
(no subject)
Date: 2006-06-26 12:00 pm (UTC)Assuming this is in Sainsbury's or something, not some kind of compsci thing...
(no subject)
Date: 2006-06-26 12:00 pm (UTC)* Best queuing practice
Stepping briefly out of a queue is ok, provided you didn't intend to. You should ideally ask someone next to you to keep your place so they know. If you're not back they should skip ahead. This on average makes things more efficient for everyone.
Dropping a basket at the end of a queue and immediately departing messes things up. Why wouldn't everyone do that if they could? Conversely, for short queues of people with lots of things the waiting at the end could be a significant amount of time, so I would be ok with someone who'd been waiting a few minutes to leave their basket, again prefering to ask someone to remember their place.
* Proportionate response to people who break best practice
The aim should be to adopt practices which converge to best, not converge to fisticuffs. Eg. if someone legitimately steps out of the middle and you didn't notice, you should ideally imply "It's ok, come back, but be quicker next time". If someone pushes in you should definitely firmly but politely tell them to go to the back, otherwise society will collapse and we'll turn into spain! You shouldn't hit them, that'd be worse. However, you could politely ask the cashier not to serve them first.
If someone leaves the end of the queue, what's reasonable? It breaks down here, because I'm not sure. I'd be inclined to stand abreast of the basket, and say "Oh, were you here?" when they return, and if they say "I'm sorry, I was just a moment, I forgot the whipped cream" let them on, and if they say "Hah, I'm entitled! Mwahahha, serve me, proles" say "Sorry, I didn't realise. Well, too late now" :)
(no subject)
Date: 2006-06-27 12:54 am (UTC)Generally, I agree with the principle that you need a person to hold a place in the supermarket queue, not a basket. People violating that principle annoy me less than (a) those who faff about packing, paying or using a self-service checkout, and (b) those who try taking a trolley through a basket-only queue.
A notable exception is if you notice a damaged item in one's shopping, by the way. The supermarket will try and send someone to get you a replacement, but you can find it much more quickly yourself. Even then, I'd explain to people what I was doing rather than vanishing without warning.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-06-28 11:15 am (UTC)Generally, I agree with the principle that you need a person to hold a place in the supermarket queue, not a basket.
Hmmm. I don't know. If someone leaves a basket mid-queue it's generally pretty clear, and if they don't come back it's no skin off your nose. I admit it's politer to say something, but I know so many geeks including me who don't like talking to strangers I'm happy not to.
It would be a problem if people did this a lot, because you could never see where a queue was, and they'd gain a march on you, but it doesn't seem a problem yet. Personally, I never *want* to, but am happy to if I forget something close by.
People violating that principle annoy me less than (a) those who faff about packing, paying or using a self-service checkout, and (b) those who try taking a trolley through a basket-only queue.
I know what you mean. Though always fele horribly guilty because I do, a bit. The self service are never perfect, so I always end up getting stuck on something, and not knowing what circumstance causes it to lock up and call for help, and if everyone only used the thing if they were certain it would work perfectly no-one ever would. And similar things for right queues. Of course, you're certainly thinking of people who are deliberately unhelpful and hold everyone up for ten minutes, but I feel guilt by association :(
(no subject)
Date: 2006-06-26 12:50 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-06-26 01:26 pm (UTC)So on the whole I'd rather treat someone as though they are the former, and would probably kick their basket along with my own (you mean you don't put heavy baskets on the floor and kick them along when queueing?)
(no subject)
Date: 2006-06-26 01:54 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-06-27 12:40 pm (UTC)We have a greater tendancy for violence combined with a strong sense of justice and fairness. Therefore there is no middle ground possible between an orderly queue and a punch-up. Good-natured competitive disorderly shoving, or opportunistic getting ahead, don't happen because they would escalate quickly.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-06-28 11:08 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-06-28 02:44 pm (UTC)"Another big flash-point for violence can be people trying to jump the taxi queue at 2 am, so having fairly large, burly and sober people can make a big difference."
OK, so that's in the context of people disinhibited by alcohol, but anecdotally it seems to be a common cause of violence.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-06-30 03:51 pm (UTC)