The tasks aren't the issue. It's the problem solving and general big picture that seems to trip people up.
This is actually why I think it'd be better fit for me than my current position. Problem solving is something I have no issue with. I am a very analytically inclined, and logic-minded person. I'm also very confident and willing to take accountability for my mistakes.
Every other cashier in the store turns on their blinker several times per shift, often in excess of once per hour, and if working the service desk some will call over the GSA as much as 3-4 times per hour. If I am on a lane and I need something and the GSTL/GSA appears to be busy I don't turn on the blinker and wait for them if I can solve the problem myself, I'll walk over to the service desk and grab their walkie and PDA and solve the situation myself (price lookup, calling for an item to be brought up, calling for DPCI for an item, etc.) If on the other hand the GSTL/GSA doesn't appear to busy, and it's faster for them to come over while I continue scanning items than for me to stop scanning items to walk over and grab a walkie/PDA I'll turn my light on, but more often than not I avoid bothering them whenever I can as I am a very independent person and dislike relying on and hindering others when unnecessary.
Sometimes this includes doing things that might be questionable at some stores, but I am confident enough to do it and let the GSTL know after if I think it is alright, and he's never reprimanded me for doing so or said I shouldn't have done so.
Example being things like:
Guest claims they were supposed to get a $10 gift card when they bought three of an item, I scan all three items, they are similar, but not identical, but are identically, or very closely priced (say diapers, but one is a different style or size) and two of the three show up as being part of the sale, I will scan a gift card, make it be $10, and then input two $5 coupons to avoid the need for an override (a $10 coupon would prompt for an override).
For the most part, if I am confident in guessing what someone is going to do after I call them over for help, and I can do a close approximation of that same scenario myself without their intervention I just do it. Our last GSA (who quit) was not very good at this, she got told off many times for calling over the LOD for fairly trivial matters that she should have been bolder about and handled herself.
My mindset is largely that, I am not afraid to make errors; she was. She was worried that if she made a mistake she'd get fired, so didn't want to do anything out of the ordinary without it being okayed. If I think it's okay, and know it isn't a huge deal I just do it. If it later turns out I shouldn't have, I can explain that I thought what I did was okay, and that I won't do it again. Only if it is something major is this likely to have worse repercussions than bugging people every time I am slightly unsure of how to best handle something in my eyes. If it has potential major repercussions then obviously I'd ask the LOD beforehand, but if it doesn't, then I see no need to involve them every time I need to make a decision that isn't strictly black or white. I like grey.
If I'm at the service desk there are only two reasons I call the GSA/GSTL over for the most part:
1.) I need a supervisor override, they don't even ask why anymore, they just walk over, enter their #'s and walk away typically.
2.) A guest has demanded to speak to a manager. This usually happens in one of two scenarios.
a.) They want to return an item, they have no receipt (or appropriate credit/debit/check), or drivers license, and refuse to believe that there's nothing I can do for them.
b.) They wish to buy an age-restricted item and have no license and think I should just fudge it because they're clearly old enough. I tell them that sorry, no, it does not matter if they are 80, the computer cannot see them, and it makes the decision of whether they can be sold the item or not, not me. The GSTL/GSA then comes over and parrots what I already told them.
Technically I am confident enough to handle even these scenarios without the extra help and them reinforcing my statements, but I rather suspect that lying and telling the guest that I am the manager (when I in fact am not) would likely be much worse for me if they called my bluff than wasting a few minutes of the GSA/GSTL's time.
