Plastic Bag Shortage?

[calulu]

Not sucky enough to write a whiny ranting letter at PFB but definitely did not sit right with me.

Ran into Safeway to pick up a few items I needed, hotdog buns, 1/2 gallon bleach, quart of liquid starch, a bottle of wine, some toilet paper and a couple of other small items. Store cashier puts the bottle of wine in it's own plastic bag and cobbles all the other small items in with the hot dog buns. I ask her if it's not too much trouble to bag the buns separately and put the toilet paper in a bag and the starch and bleach in another bag. She sighed, rolled her eyes and acted like my request was super unreasonable even if there were no other customers in the line at all. I just didn't want the buns getting squished and I wanted to be able to carry all the bags easily from the store in one trip instead of hauling a cart across the parking lot. Besides, I recycle the bags every week.

Was I sucky for wanting things bagged a certain way?

[InsanityInc]

I didn't think you were sucky. As far as I knew you supposed to bag nonfood (and poisionous) items seperately from food.

[ArcticChicken]

It's getting to be a huge pain in the ass in my store, 'cause we're trying to use fewer bags. I think because we're trying to cut overhead so we don't have to raise prices. I'm no longer allowed to double bag unless they ask, and I have to put at least five items in a bag, even if one of them is a gallon of whatever, or some of them are cleaning supplies, etc. Which translates to a real pain in the ass when people ask me for more bags, 'cause I'm worried about being yelled at.....and I just realized why work's been stressing me out more than usual.

Back on topic, no it wasn't unreasonable to want more bags, but I understand where the cashier was coming from, if they're doing the same thing.

[calulu]

Good to know. I'll start bringing my crocheted shopping bags into stores that give bags. I'm picky about how things are packed and would rather do my own bagging.

[rerant]

I don't think you were sucky to want things bagged in a certain way, and the cashier was sucky for sighing the way she did, BUT, I've always been of the opinion that if you want something done in a certain way then you're best to do it yourself. Also I feel strongly about plastic bag consumption, and often times wonder why people need bags at all.
Being someone who doesn't even have a license I know not everyone drives, but even as someone who relies on buses I still don't see how people justify using plastic bags for some things.
Like the toilet paper, for example. That would go under my arm or I would have asked where I could get some packing tape and would have made a makeshift handle.

The cashier may have had a brain-to-mouth failure with the sigh, so since we've all had those moments I guess (depending on her overall attitude) she may not have been so sucky, per se.

I know when people go shopping they expect a certain level of customer service, and they are certainly entitled to it. But people seem to view the term "customer service" as a way out of using self sufficiency.
I'm not saying that was the case with you at all, I'm just speaking in a general sense here.
I see it all the time at my work. People want us to bend over backwards for them to do things they could easily do themselves.

A prime example is when a customer picks up a display item. We always call the department to get a new item, but some days the coworkers are understandably busy and when we tell the customers this often times they'll complain about the wait when they could have easily gone to get the item themselves in less time it would have taken to wait for the coworker.

I don't know... I will do whatever I can to help a customer, but in situations where the smallest amount of self sufficiency could be employed to resolve the issue it really gets to me when customers just start spouting off the "customer service" line.

I realise I went a bit off topic with this, sorry.

[Kogarashi]

Not Sucky: wanting your buns in a separate bag so they won't get squished or contaminated by bleach and starch. Asking politely that the cashier bag differently from what she did. Not throwing a fit at her sigh and eye-roll.

Neutral Ground (neither Sucky nor Non-Sucky): asking for separate bags for the liquids and toilet paper. I might've been a bit irritated to be asked that as well. (Though I would certainly do my best to keep my Customer Service Face and not sigh, let alone roll my eyes. Some people have their reasons, and it's not my place to question them.)

Sucky: the cashier rolling her eyes. Sighs happen, but eye-rolling does step over the line. Not enough to warrant a complaint in my book, though.

What Would be Sucky: Rebagging everything right there without telling the cashier if you muttered under your breath and/or had already given specific bagging instructions that the cashier followed to the letter. The latter happened to me once. The customer gave me specific bagging instructions, I followed them, and then she proceeded to rebag everything when she pulled them from the rack.

I've started taking our two cloth bags in with us now, especially when I know I'll be getting something heavy (like the 30 lbs. of sugar and 10 lbs. of flour for food storage the other day). I highly recommend taking yours and just asking the cashier to use them instead.

[ArcticChicken]

Good to know. I'll start bringing my crocheted shopping bags into stores that give bags. I'm picky about how things are packed and would rather do my own bagging.

I love you.

she proceeded to rebag everything when she pulled them from the rack.

I hate, Hate, HATE when people do that. If you wanted it bagged a certain way, then either tell me from the beginning or do it your own damn self.

I swear, the next person who looks at their cart-full of groceries sitting on my counter and says, "Oh, I want it in paper," is getting a paper bag jammed down her throat. (It's always a woman, I don't know why.)

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Also I feel strongly about plastic bag consumption, and often times wonder why people need bags at all.

And remember kids, always recycle....TO THE EXTREME!

Somewhat on topic: I have a bag I bought from Target that is made from plastic Target shopping bags fused together. It's neato.

[marasbaras]

I swear, the next person who looks at their cart-full of groceries sitting on my counter and says, "Oh, I want it in paper," is getting a paper bag jammed down her throat. (It's always a woman, I don't know why.)

Why is this bad? If they're sitting on your counter, they're not in bags yet.

[Lil Bunny]

Ya know I keep looking at those nice bags they sell at the grocery store and honestly I can't justify the cost. Then again when I go shopping I buy about 2 carts worth. Tell me how to get all that in those bags for not an arm and a leg and we'll talk.

Eh anyhow bagging always made me paranoid when I worked at a grocery store. I swear I never got it right. And I wonder why I quit after two months.

[Kogarashi]

I hate, Hate, HATE when people do that. If you wanted it bagged a certain way, then either tell me from the beginning or do it your own damn self.

Oh, I understand. What was worse was that she told me how she wanted it bagged first-thing, and I did it exactly as she told me. And she still rebagged it!


As for cloth bags, I can't remember where but I think there are some stores that offer a decent price on them. Also, you can crochet your own out of existing plastic bags (calulu posted the link for directions somewhere around here once before). Our three bags (one's currently hiding where I can't find it) were gifted to us, but Hubby and I would just budget if we wanted to get more. A dollar or two, maybe five, out of the budget each month and we're good.

[bainsidhe]

Hmm, rebagging items in front of me doesn't usually bother me, as long as you're polite about it. I don't bag milk unless someone asks, and many customers grab the gallon and bag it themselves. As long as you're polite about it and don't sigh or take an attitude, I'm pretty forgiving.

This cashier was bagging like an idiot. Crushing your bread and mixing chemicals with food is never a good thing. Still, much of whether or not you were sucky would depend on how you reacted. If you calmly asked her to bag items differently, then no suck was involved. If you added a bit of attitude yourself, then it's a little different. Your bagging request seemed reasonable enough, after all.

Now the people who want things bagged a certain way and then complain the entire time or act all huffy when things it's not perfect (perfect is in the eye of the beholder, let me tell you)- then grrr. I dislike having to double bag EVERYTHING and also hate bagging just three cans of soup per bag because you're afraid the bag will rip. But whatever. As long as you're civil about it, the irritation levels remain small. It's the huffiness I can't stand.

[ArcticChicken]

Why is this bad? If they're sitting on your counter, they're not in bags yet.

Sorry, I meant to say "cart-full of stuff I've just bagged, sitting on the counter."

Ya know I keep looking at those nice bags they sell at the grocery store and honestly I can't justify the cost. Then again when I go shopping I buy about 2 carts worth. Tell me how to get all that in those bags for not an arm and a leg and we'll talk.

Buy them from my store, we're selling them for $0.99 ($1.06, with tax).

[Lil Bunny]

LOL now that's tempting! I think I saw the ones at Hyvee and almost had a heart attack! Don't get me wrong I would like to not have so many (though they are nice for packing my lunch, scooping kitty litter, small trash can liners, and other traveling uses) but they really should make em feasible. Just my two cents.

[Primer]

Also, you can crochet your own out of existing plastic bags (calulu posted the link for directions somewhere around here once before).

http://www.myrecycledbags.com/category/crocheted-bags/

something I'm thinking about trying this summer...