CHECKOUT chicks have the best job in the world, says Janace Howard.
The 64-year-old retired from Ritchies Supa IGA at Port Central last month, after 27 years.
Janace will miss her customers the most and enjoyed interacting with all sorts of personalities.
“I’ve had a lovely lot of nice customers,” she reflected. “You get all types of people – unusual characters, and you get old ones and young ones.”
Janace reckons working in a supermarket required excellent people-management skills.
“I never had any trouble with customers,” she said. “On the odd occasion, you might get someone with the poos but if you kill them with kindness, they back down.”
A heartbreaking part of her job was watching customers grow old and become more frail.
“These people who I served 27 years ago, I see them now and how they’ve aged,” Janace said. “They’re so sweet, dear old things.”
The industry has changed dramatically over the years, not necessarily for the better, Janace believes.
The introduction of self-service machines in many supermarkets is bound to have a negative impact, she says.
“I don’t think having the option for people to scan the items themselves is a good idea because that’s putting people out of jobs.”
There is also more competition between supermarkets and technology is always rapidly changing.
“When I started off years ago, we used to have to mark all the items and put them on the shelves,” Janace explained. “We used to have to bring the price up, put it in the trolley.
“It’s been quite interesting to come from that to now when you just scan it.”
Janace got along well with all the 60 staff at IGA and would have kept working had there not been such a large workload.
“I think you get to an age where you know it’s time to retire,” she said. “I’ve received so many beautiful cards and gifts – it was unbelievable.”
There was a morning tea organised in her honour on the day Janace left and a party was thrown on Saturday night at Quality Resort Sails.
About 50 people came along to thank the humble woman for her hard work.
Janace is a widow and has three adult children - Fiona, Colleen and Shayne.
She has 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
One of nine children herself, family is important to Janace and she is always surrounded by them.
She spent the last few weeks visiting Colleen in Queensland and is looking forward to taking it easy from now on.
Janace has lived in Port Macquarie for 37 years after growing up in Oberon near Bathurst.
“I just love Port Macquarie because of the beaches and the nice weather, apart from lately,” she said.
In the last 25 years, Janace has travelled to countries including France, Germany, Switzerland and England.
“Now I’m just going to relax,” she said. “If I find I get bored or something, there’s plenty of
people out there who need help.
“I could help the oldies, take them shopping, do some housework for them.”
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