SM Hypermart JCentre Mall Big Cart ONLY

I had a basket of groceries (yes, the green plastic basket) with something like just 5 items in it. I know how to read signage, okay? So I went to the cashier counters marked for shoppers carrying said baskets. It was taking too long. There was a line of shoppers, I think 5 were ahead of me. A Korean immediately behind me broke off the line and went to the “Big Cart” counters that were literally empty – all of them – probably 4 or 5 such counters. I followed.

Korean went to one counter, I to another. The girls, yes the cashiers, if they are called that, ran to their counters because they were huddled up-front just telling stories and not working (nagtabi ba). That, only to smilingly tell us that we should fall in line at the basket counters. At least there was an attempt to be friendly and courteous. I saw the Korean wanted to protest, but she probably did not do so since she might run out of English words hehe. She returned to fall in line at the basket counter. For my part, after hearing the “advise” that I should go to the basket counters, I asked “why”. Girl said “magagalit ang supervisor”. I did not say anything anymore. Just returned to the basket counter like the Korean did – and I was now behind her hahaha. She turned to me and said “they are crazy”. I said “very crazy”!

After I was processed, I asked my cashier at the basket counter why we cannot fall in line at those “Big cart” counters when there are no people there. Her reply? She said she too wonders why the supervisor gets mad at the big cart girls when that happens. I asked where that supervisor is. She pointed to me a counter where the lady was.

I asked supervisor why that is so. Her reply? (In English take note): “No sir, it should not be like that. They should already accept you”. I told her all girls including those at the basket counters say “supervisor would get mad”. She vehemently denied that with seemingly surprised wide eyes hehe. Then I told her that I would understand if a shopper with a big cart went to the basket counter (called “express counters” in most supermarkets) since the whole point is to speed up everything. But for her “big cart” girls to be just standing around, doing nothing while there was getting to be a long line at basket counter, they should remember that it is inconveniently irritating to shoppers. I even asked her if those girls at the big cart counters receive a lower salary since they’re just standing and telling stories.

Probably embarrassed, supervisor bolted out from her counter (inside a square quadrant where the lady in charge of public address is) and went straight to the big cart girls to confront them. Am not sure if she meant for me to follow her, but I just watched her a bit and went out when she was already “getting mad” at them hehe. Now that was proof that supervisor gets mad hehe ahhhehehe! Magsabunutan sila if they want to. I just know there is something awfully wrong in that set-up.

There is something twisted there somewhere.

NB
J Centre Mall is a new big mall in AS Fortuna, Mandaue City (near Hi-way) and one of its flagship stores is this branch of SM Hypermarket aside from a Jollibee, McDo, an Air Philippines office, a Golds Gym, a CD-R King, coffee shops, banks and many more.