Book info

• Title
• Author Tazeen Ahmad
• Year
• Genres

Thoughts

This is a weird one. Part inside scoop, part analysis of the recession, part tales of simply watching the human race pass you buy. Tazeen Ahmad spent six months working in Sainsburys, and kept a diary of her time on the tills.

I really loved this book, despite finding it hard to place. The talk of the recession wasn’t that interesting really, except for how very obvious it was to the checkout girls on the front line of the public and their spending. Seeing how people change their habits, how everyone is shocked when the register rings up the final amount, and how flippin’ obnoxious some people can be was fascinating.

The real surprise came from the inner workings of the supermarket though. I don’t want to give it all away, but the number of observations checkout staff get, how it is drilled into them to smile and chatter to every customer, it’s amazing. I don’t particularly want to chatter when I get to a checkout, but that should be my problem, not the checkout person’s. Apparently Sainsburys pushes really hard for that kind of service though, whereas other supermarkets may not. That could be why I don’t go to Sainsburys! That, or there isn‚’t a handy one nearby.

Anyway, good book, easy reading, recommended.

Rating: Unrated