NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Manawatu Guardian

Pak’nSave Palmerston North’s Samantha Schoenwald wins regional Checker of the Year title

Judith Lacy
By Judith Lacy
Judith Lacy is editor of the Manawatū Guardian·Manawatu Guardian·
27 Jun, 2023 11:48 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Pak'nSave Palmerston North checkout operator Samantha Schoenwald says efficiency and friendliness are key aspects of being a top operator. Photo / Judith Lacy
Pak'nSave Palmerston North checkout operator Samantha Schoenwald says efficiency and friendliness are key aspects of being a top operator. Photo / Judith Lacy

Pak'nSave Palmerston North checkout operator Samantha Schoenwald says efficiency and friendliness are key aspects of being a top operator. Photo / Judith Lacy

Ask Samantha Schoenwald what the produce code is for Granny Smith apples and she answers 4139 quicker than Stickman waves his arms.

Bananas are 4011.

Schoenwald won the regional heat of Foodstuffs North Island Checker of the Year, held in Palmerston North this month.

Checkout operators from Pak’nSave, New World and Four Square supermarkets took part in the event held at the Regent on Broadway.

Schoenwald has been at Pak‘nSave Palmerston North for 18 months this time around and collectively for eight years. In between, she worked at YMCA.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It was the first time she had entered Checker of the Year.

“It was terrifying, though it was great. The team we had was great.”

Samantha Schoenwald. Photo / Judith Lacy
Samantha Schoenwald. Photo / Judith Lacy

She had practised putting items on a bench like what’s used in the competition, rather than in a trollery as she does at Pak’nSave. This practice was what she needed to help with her nerves.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Schoenwald’s advice to checkout operators is to greet someone like you would want to be greeted, be friendly and treat customers with kindness.

Efficient service is also important. She scanned the 30 items 13 seconds faster than the other checkout operators, which helped her win the regional heat.

For the competition, all items were scannable except for one with a faulty bar code, so Schoenwald did not need to use her recall superpower.

It is faster to learn a produce code than search for it, she says. “I just like to keep my brain alive by learning a code.”

Customers ask if their talking stops her from correctly keying in the produce codes but it doesn’t.

Over time, the 34-year-old has learned how much something weighs and how much effort is needed to pick it up.

As a checkout operator, it is important to stay upbeat and keep your hands going.

It is the 75th anniversary of the Foodstuffs competition and Schoenwald says it was great to participate in the milestone event.

She was encouraged by a range of people, including customers, to enter.

Competing was a “scary idea” with the thought of people looking at her and being the centre of attention for an intense two minutes of action.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Foodstuffs North Island general manager of people Wendy Hammonds says the milestone is a testament to the popularity of the competition.

“Holding events like Checker of the Year is one way that we acknowledge the contribution from thousands of Foodstuffs North Island checkout operators who deliver a fantastic service for our customers.

“It’s been a challenging few years for our frontline teams, so this event helps us acknowledge the vital role they play in our business and celebrate the mahi they do.”

As well as scanning the items as fast as possible, contestants must maintain a friendly conversation and complete the necessary steps in a shopper’s interaction, like scanning a loyalty card and offering a receipt, Hammonds says.

There are two judges – one who acts as a customer, the other who acts as a timekeeper.

Checkout operators are awarded points on presentation, customer service, accuracy and speed. Hammonds says the atmosphere is similar to a tennis match, with absolute silence during the competition, but in between heats, loud cheers from spectators.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The regional heats end on July 11. Those who score in the top 10 will have a mystery visit from a judge in the weeks that follow, with a grand prize-winner announced at the Foodstuffs North Island Excellence Awards later in the year.



This is a Public Interest Journalism funded role through NZ On Air
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Manawatu Guardian

Manawatu Guardian

White-tailed spider bite leaves man in hospital for a month with deadly infection

02 Jan 04:00 PM
Manawatu Guardian

Police appeal after woman shot in Palmerston North

16 Dec 08:35 PM
Manawatu Guardian

All Black's legacy lives on at Romney Lane Homestead

13 Dec 04:00 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
New health cadetship is opening doors for Wairoa job seekers
Hawkes Bay Today

New health cadetship is opening doors for Wairoa job seekers

13 Jul 06:00 PM
Getting young crims back to class: 'We need a holiday, they keep turning up'
Hawkes Bay Today

Getting young crims back to class: 'We need a holiday, they keep turning up'

13 Jul 06:00 PM
Move or rehome? Owner's choice if dog's 'dangerous' label sticks
Rotorua Daily Post

Move or rehome? Owner's choice if dog's 'dangerous' label sticks

13 Jul 06:00 PM
The Conversation: Defence spending is like insurance – how will NZ pay the higher premiums?
Opinion

The Conversation: Defence spending is like insurance – how will NZ pay the higher premiums?

13 Jul 06:00 PM
'Time For Us To Contribute': What to expect at Harris Tapper's New Zealand Fashion Week debut
Viva - Fashion

'Time For Us To Contribute': What to expect at Harris Tapper's New Zealand Fashion Week debut

13 Jul 06:00 PM

Latest from Manawatu Guardian

White-tailed spider bite leaves man in hospital for a month with deadly infection

White-tailed spider bite leaves man in hospital for a month with deadly infection

02 Jan 04:00 PM

Andy Stewart pushed on with his motorbike trek despite his growing pain.

Police appeal after woman shot in Palmerston North

Police appeal after woman shot in Palmerston North

16 Dec 08:35 PM
All Black's legacy lives on at Romney Lane Homestead

All Black's legacy lives on at Romney Lane Homestead

13 Dec 04:00 PM
Three men to appear in Palmerston North court on drugs and firearms-related charges

Three men to appear in Palmerston North court on drugs and firearms-related charges

11 Dec 04:27 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Manawatu Guardian e-edition
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search