I work at Trader Joe’s & we use secret codes when communicating with the cashier’s bell – here’s what they mean
A TRADER Joe’s employee has spilled the beans on secret codes workers use to communicate with the cashier’s bell.
Shoppers at the popular chain may have heard the bells going off at the checkouts – but the rings are not accidental.
They are instead used in place of PA systems other stores use to call assistance.
At Trader Joe’s, one bell ring means more cashiers are needed at the checkouts.
Two rings signal a customer at a register needs help the cashier cannot provide.
And three bell rings mean that a supervisor’s assistance is required for a transaction.
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It’s also been revealed that Trader Joe’s staff taste test all new products so they are able to answer customer’s questions.
Shoppers are also allowed to try before they buy.
On the same thread of keeping customers happy, people are able to return pretty much anything – even if it’s been opened.
And in some stores, staff hide stuffed animals on shelves for kids to find, rewarding them with a lollipop at checkout.
Meanwhile, a Trader Joe executive revealed the real reason why staff wear Hawaiian shirts – and it turns out it’s inspired by Disneyland.
The company’s founder, Joe Coulombe, explained on an in-house podcast it was a deliberate decision made when stores first opened in 1967.
“I’d been reading a book called ‘White Shadows in the South Seas,’ and I’d been to the Disneyland jungle trip, and it all coalesced,” Coulombe said.
The book, which was written by Frederick O’Brien, takes place on an island in the South Pacific.
And to this day, Trader employees continue to wear the design because of Coulombe’s inspiration some 55 years ago.
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Writing on their official website, Trader Joe says: “We wear Hawaiian shirts because we’re traders on the culinary seas, searching the world over for cool items to bring home to our customers,” Trader Joe’s writes on its website.
“And when we return home, we think grocery shopping should be fun, not another chore. So just relax and leave your worries at the door. We’ll sail those seven seas, you have some fun with our finds at your neighbourhood Trader Joe’s.”