Here's When Trader Joe's Employees Want You To 'Stop Touching Things'

Trader Joe's is an experience everyone should have at least once. Most regulars have their go-to staple TJ products. Many make time to meander through the flowers and peruse every nook, cranny, and endcap for something seasonal, new, or interesting to try. And if you've never been, don't worry about a thing. There will always be a friendly Trader Joe's staffer nearby to help you out in any way they can.

The people who work at Trader Joe's make the grocery store just about as special as the unique products that are sold there. They don't expect too much from the customer, and helping seems to make them happy. So, stay away from these annoying customer habits, and let them do just that. This means — hands off the bags. They've got it! "I actually enjoy bagging, so it doesn't bother me at all," said one TJ employee on a heavily liked and commented TJCrew Reddit thread. And many of them seem to have their own system, with one cashier mentioning, "I already have it mapped out; stop touching things!"

Many crew members agreed, with some even feeling like it is what Trader Joe's does. "TJ's is one of the most social and customer-focused jobs in all of retail," said one worker about their thoughts on being a Trader Joe's member. Another echoed the same sentiment: "Their job is to shop. Our job is to ring them up and bag their groceries for them."

So, while bagging your groceries isn't the best way to be of assistance, there are things you can do to help during checkout. First off, keep your reusable bags clean. And let your TJ crew member know that you appreciate what they are doing.

"It's not the bagging that gets me," said one employee. "It's the micromanaging me when I bag that actually makes my eye twitch." The crew members ask that you trust that they know how to bag groceries. And while they do that, they would appreciate some patience, mentioned another. "I enjoy bagging, but I don't want them to tell me which bag to put everything in. I do get irritated when everything piles up and they watch my every move and then appear impatient when it takes a bit for me to bag their items."

If you are a customer at Trader Joe's, consider making polite conversation while your groceries are being gathered. One team member happily reported, "My favorite customers are moms (they tend to talk more than dads) with an overflowing cart. I scan, I bag, and I just listen to them talk for a bit. It's soooo easy and pleasant." And once they are done bagging your groceries, have your payment ready, another crew member advised. " ... I'm here multitasking, having a chat, scanning, bagging, answering questions if you've got any, just need you to pay."