“Grab ‘n Groan,” “Grab ‘n Don’t Go,” and “Grab ‘n Get Your Ass in Line,” may be some of the more humorous nicknames, but the long lines at Grab ‘n Go Marketplace in Hamilton Complex this term have caused frustration for many University students living in the residence halls.
Since the check-out process changed at the start of spring term, lines tend to build up to the point where students are waiting much longer to purchase food. After nine weeks, the situation has not improved much with time and practice. It’s not uncommon to see more than 20 students waiting to check out because of the tedious new process.
Tom Driscoll, Food Services Director, said the system changed because it makes it easier to track inventory and increases the accuracy of charges to students’ accounts. The new system also allows all purchases to be reported to a central location because every dining venue uses the system. It’s just more visible at Grab ‘n Go because more items are scanned.
“As it grew and we keep adding more products it became really clear that we needed a better accounting process,” Driscoll said. “I don’t know that the lines are any longer than they were … I would question that.”
Most students say otherwise. Impatience is evident in the lines, which lengthen significantly around meal times, occasionally almost to the back of the store, said junior Laura Brown, who works as a cashier at the marketplace.
“Some people get mad, but a lot are really nice,” Brown said. “I think they realize it’s not really our fault, it’s the system.”
Brown said line lengths vary depending on who’s working the register. An advantage of the scanning system is cashiers are not required to have good mental math skills, she said.
Housing has taken some actions to rectify the negative repercussions of the new system. There is often a second cashier, which speeds up the process significantly. There is also the possibility of using a third cashier, although that is a less frequent occurrence.
“(The lines) got better for a while, but they’re getting worse again,” said resident Katrina Parke, “especially toward closing.” Parke said her shopping habits have not changed since the new system was enacted.
Freshman Michelle Reichert also shops at Grab ‘n Go as often as she used to, but she thinks the lines have gotten “a little faster.” She said they are irritating, “especially if you’re in a hurry.”
Some students are also running out of points faster than before, and are concerned that multiple item scannings result in multiple charges.
“If they ever have an issue with that they should not buy the item,” Driscoll said. “They could also ask for a receipt.”
Receipts are a new feature of the first system revamp since the Grab ‘n Go opened nearly 10 years ago.
All students living in the residence halls have a pre-determined number of “points” to spend each week on meals. When a student purchases food, a food service employee scans his or her card and the appropriate number of points is deducted from the student’s account.
At the Grab ‘n Go, students can purchase packaged foods such as chips, sodas and canned soups. Each item costs a certain number of points. Students often buy a handful or more of items, especially at the end of the week, when unused points may expire.
With the old check-out system, the cashier would mentally determine the total amount of points to be charged to the student’s account, scan the student’s ID card, and type the total into the computer. Now, the cashier must scan each individual packaged item, resulting in a longer check-out process. Often, the scanner is inefficient and the cashier must scan the same item numerous times.
“We’ll continue to work on it and I encourage students to give us feedback as far as what their frustrations are,” Driscoll said.
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