After our flag football game this evening, I received an email from my wife on the Blackberry.
H*rris T**ter Shooping List
Tetley British Blend Tea (as many boxes as you can find…limit 10)
Cantaloupe
Strawberries
Red Seedless Grapes
Sudafed PE (Store brand of course)
This is the only store than carries her Tetley tea, so there is no other place to go.
I am normally good about sticking to the list, but Hayden hadn’t had dinner because I didn’t want him to play a flag football game in the heat with a full stomach, so I stopped by the deli and picked up a couple of fresh sandwiches.
We made it through the store in about four minutes, but got stuck in line for ten minutes.
I felt kind of bad for the “couple” in front of me. Their bill was $102.45 and they only had $81.00 in cash…so they had to lighten the load. I guess I didn’t have a big problem with this until I looked at the items they bought and noticed that there weren’t “store brand” items and value sizes…but imported cookies and various unnecessary items…
Obviously they could have spend their money wiser, but it wasn’t for me to judge…they gave back the kitty litter and some kind of baguettes.
This is not the story though…
My 11 items (there were only five boxes of tea) took seconds to have the cashier run through the register.
The bagger/ASSISTANT MANAGER (marked on her name tag) said, “Paper or Plastic?”
I replied, “Plastic please.”
She started to bag them and said, “Well…I am going to give to paper because this stuff will fit better in the paper bags.”
Normally I would have just stood silently and gotten out of the store.
“Why did you ask me what I wanted if you were going to decide for me? Plastic please.”
“I just think that the tea boxes will fit better in the paper bags.”
“Here’s the plan. Take everything out of the bags and we will hand carry our 11 things out without ANY bags.”
“Sorry sir. I will put them in plastic.”
“Ma’am. This is twice you haven’t listened to me. I will handle MY stuff from this point forward. Please leave us alone. Have a good day Ma’am.”
“Sir. I am sorry, I will put them in plastic for you.”
I slipped into my Gene Wilder at Willy Wonka character and said…
“I said Good day.”
I guess you have to start asserting yourself somewhere. Good for you!
That lady didn’t know what hit her. What did your kid say?
Start? Somewhere?
My son was the one that mentioned that we asked for plastic in the first place. There was no yelling or voice raising.
By: joz1234 on July 14, 2009
at 12:19 am
Dude! Who pissed in your Wheaties?! But I do understand your frustration. I realize that they often operate on autopilot but I wish they’d listen to me every now and then. Like when I tell them I have a coupon before they even start to ring up the sale and then they don’t ring up the coupon. Then they get mad at me that they have to re-ring certain parts of my groceries. Just listen to me!
I love the places that have self checkouts…they were made just for me.
By: Dingo on July 14, 2009
at 6:39 am
Well this tied in quite nicely with my last post on customer service, in that I believe it’s a dying art form, never to be resuscitated again. I don’t blame you at all for going off on her – maybe next time she’ll think before assuming. We used to have that grocery store here too, the one that rhymes with Paris Jeter, but they went out of business. Probably because of all the awesome employees.
To her credit…nope…she’s a dumbass who knew what I “wanted” and “needed” despite what I wanted and needed.
By: Kimmothy on July 14, 2009
at 8:51 am
This seems so unlike you!
But… Good for YOU!
She needs a lesson in quality customer service.
Whoops…maybe I did slip out of character. I just hate for someone to ask me what I want any then decide something else for me. Just put in in flippin’ paper and don’t ask me.
By: terri on July 14, 2009
at 8:59 am
Wow. You can get really prissy when you want to, eh?
Nice scene, though.
“Prissy” is a perfect word to describe me…thanks…and I was even in a good mood last night.
By: rachel on July 14, 2009
at 9:15 am
I love that quote! I think I am going to use it for the rest of the day, except just blurt it out loudly and sharply when anyone starts talking to me.
I am not sure why it came to mind last night…maybe it is a weird sign about my brain. I think it was that I let out the first “good day” that struck me odd when I said it…it is something that I have NEVER said until last night. When I said it, it must have set off some kind of trigger…then BAM! Willy Wonka!
By: maleesha on July 14, 2009
at 9:18 am
I also think its funny that the “couple” in front of you KEPT the expensive imported cookies, but left the kitty litter! I mean, what are the cats going to do? Do their business outside the box? Very odd.
I’m one of those crazy people that put their groceries on the belt JUST SO so that produce is bagged with produce, frozen with frozen, etc. It irks me to no end when they checker decides to bag AT THE END and completely undoes this procedure. I envy your ability to speak up!
The cat litter was like $14. I hate cats…
By: stacy310 on July 14, 2009
at 5:01 pm
You must have been having a very bad day that day.
Nah…been having a ton of good days and we had just left a flag football win with my son playing his best game ever…I really just wondered why this lady asked me what I wanted and then told me that I wanted something else, then even did it…and didn’t listen to me AGAIN.
By: Midlife Slices on July 14, 2009
at 9:48 pm
Cripes! I’d hate to ne on the receiving end of your anger. Good Day Indeed!!!!
By: PolkaDotMommy on July 14, 2009
at 10:06 pm
Love it!
hmm, I gotta get more creative with my comments.
By: GYL on July 15, 2009
at 8:30 am