Pak'nSave Palmerston North checkout operator Samantha Schoenwald says efficiency and friendliness are key aspects of being a top operator. Photo / Judith Lacy
Pak'nSave Palmerston North checkout operator Samantha Schoenwald says efficiency and friendliness are key aspects of being a top operator. Photo / Judith Lacy
Ask Samantha Schoenwald what the produce code is for Granny Smith apples and she answers 4139 quicker than Stickman waves his arms.
Bananas are 4011.
Schoenwald won the regional heat of Foodstuffs North Island Checker of the Year, held in Palmerston North this month.
Checkout operators from Pak’nSave, New World and Four Square supermarkets took part in the event held at the Regent on Broadway.
Schoenwald has been at Pak‘nSave Palmerston North for 18 months this time around and collectively for eight years. In between, she worked at YMCA.
It was the first time she had entered Checker of the Year.
“It was terrifying, though it was great. The team we had was great.”
Samantha Schoenwald. Photo / Judith Lacy
She had practised putting items on a bench like what’s used in the competition, rather than in a trollery as she does at Pak’nSave. This practice was what she needed to help with her nerves.
Schoenwald’s advice to checkout operators is to greet someone like you would want to be greeted, be friendly and treat customers with kindness.
Efficient service is also important. She scanned the 30 items 13 seconds faster than the other checkout operators, which helped her win the regional heat.
For the competition, all items were scannable except for one with a faulty bar code, so Schoenwald did not need to use her recall superpower.
It is faster to learn a produce code than search for it, she says. “I just like to keep my brain alive by learning a code.”
Customers ask if their talking stops her from correctly keying in the produce codes but it doesn’t.
Over time, the 34-year-old has learned how much something weighs and how much effort is needed to pick it up.
As a checkout operator, it is important to stay upbeat and keep your hands going.
It is the 75th anniversary of the Foodstuffs competition and Schoenwald says it was great to participate in the milestone event.
She was encouraged by a range of people, including customers, to enter.
Competing was a “scary idea” with the thought of people looking at her and being the centre of attention for an intense two minutes of action.
Foodstuffs North Island general manager of people Wendy Hammonds says the milestone is a testament to the popularity of the competition.
“Holding events like Checker of the Year is one way that we acknowledge the contribution from thousands of Foodstuffs North Island checkout operators who deliver a fantastic service for our customers.
“It’s been a challenging few years for our frontline teams, so this event helps us acknowledge the vital role they play in our business and celebrate the mahi they do.”
As well as scanning the items as fast as possible, contestants must maintain a friendly conversation and complete the necessary steps in a shopper’s interaction, like scanning a loyalty card and offering a receipt, Hammonds says.
There are two judges – one who acts as a customer, the other who acts as a timekeeper.
Checkout operators are awarded points on presentation, customer service, accuracy and speed. Hammonds says the atmosphere is similar to a tennis match, with absolute silence during the competition, but in between heats, loud cheers from spectators.
The regional heats end on July 11. Those who score in the top 10 will have a mystery visit from a judge in the weeks that follow, with a grand prize-winner announced at the Foodstuffs North Island Excellence Awards later in the year.
