What It Really Means When You Hear A Bell Ring At Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's is known for its kitschy, tiki meets maritime trading post-themed branding featuring pun-laden Fearless Flyers, delicious foods you can buy for under five bucks, and pizzas made in Italy. Shopping at this grocery chain is a truly unique experience, and that includes the dinging of bells you might hear from time to time while you are shopping. This clanging may seem like it's just part of the store's ambience and "Pirates of the Caribbean" vibe, but the bells, which are located at each TJ's checkout counter, have a real purpose that's all about good customer service.

This bell system is the equivalent to other grocery stores' intercom systems. Instead of disembodied shouts of "Price check needed in aisle nine!," employees use these bells to communicate. It's old-school, low-tech, and you never have to worry about it not working if the power goes out. The bells fit in perfectly with TJ's nautical decor and offer workers a code based on the number of times they are rung. 

How does it work? One clang is the polite way of letting TJ associates know there's a line of customers and another register needs to be opened as soon as possible. If you hear two rings, someone has a question at checkout that requires an answer. It could be someone asking about Trader Joe's famously affordable wine selection or what's in those Jingle Jangle tins that make an appearance around the holidays. And three "ding-ding-dings" means someone, either a customer or an employee, needs the big Kahuna (aka the manager).

In addition to the three-bell attention getter, there is a four-bell ring. This signal doesn't happen every day, but when the store needs "all hands on deck." Leading up to a holiday like Thanksgiving, you may hear a four-bell ring to help move the lines a bit quicker. So, the next time you hear those clangs echoing across the aisles, you can tell your kids no one has to walk the plank — at least not yet.