There are approximately 500 Trader Joe’s stores throughout the country. Each flaunts an average of 10 brassy bells replete with rope pulls and heavy clappers at the checkout counters. You’ll invariably hear them clang during every shopping trip in quick sequences ranging from one to three rings. But what do they mean?
Like the bells mounted aboard ships to signal specific actions to their crews, these are used similarly, but for reasons that serve consumers in a very efficient manner.
One bell: When the checkout lanes go from quiet to busy faster than you can rip into a bag of the store’s popular dark-chocolate peanut butter cups, a single ring summons employees working the floor to get their asses to the front and open a couple of registers.
Two bells: You notice upon checkout that your bag of butter lettuce is torn. Or maybe you decide (to the chagrin of customers waiting in line behind you) that you want to swap it for a package of broccoli slaw instead. Voila. An employee is magically beamed over to fulfill your replacement. The two-bell signal also indicates a customer has a specific question about a product that the cashier can’t answer.
Three bells: Think returns, refunds and any payment issue requiring a record of monetary exchange with the witness and/or approval of a manager.
Never knew why those bells ring. Learn something new every day!! 😊 Thanks, Frankie!
I agree with Joanne! And I have read quite a few of your blogs this week and each has been helpful and informative. I cook every day, but the more info from others, the better off we are!! Thank you Hash Star!!