What do you plan to do with it?

[GiftShopGirl]

This woman was being a total b****, but I finally almost had her out of the gift shop. I rung up her purchases and was about to bag her items when....
SC: HOLD ON!! Let me smell that bag!
Me: Um, of course, ma'am.
SC: This bag smells like chemicals!
Me: That's probably just because it's been sitting in the stock room for a while.
SC: Well that's just disgusting! How could you, in good conscience, give these bags to people?
Me: Ma'am, the bag is only for you to use to carry things home. It's not as though you'll be drinking soup out of it, right?
SC: UGH!!! *grabs her things and runs - without the bag.*

Good riddance!

EDIT: Normally I do just smile and nod to this sort of thing, but she implied that I had a bad conscience for giving her a bag. I'm told to give people a bag, so it made me mad that she was getting on me for doing my job. She could have just said "no thank you" instead of insulting me.

[jjllbb]

Props to you for giving her a reasonable answer.

In those situations i usually pretend to agree with the customer (within reason, meaning barring racism, violence, etc).

I would probably have said something like "i know, they smell awful don't they? i kept telling management but nothings been done. You're so right. blah blah blah"

They always leave happy. Its just easier that way.

[jjllbb]

i once had an old man explaining to me why he wanted to return this massaging chair pad he'd bought for his wife.

He went on and on telling me about the car accident he'd gotten them into and how he'd recovered quickly because he was a strong and virile male while she was a weak, pitiful woman just like myself and hey, i shouldn't even be working anyway because women shouldn't work.

I just kept saying "oh yes sir, i know sir" until it was all over.

[chainedbarista]

jj, your control over a situation like that is much better than mine; the minute he inserted 'weak female' into the mix, he'd have gotten the cold stare of death and a rundown of my work history (military mainly) to remind him that females are definitely NOT weak and how i was able to outperfom most males of any age and see how he felt about that.

(low tolerance for stupidity + idiots = chew out)

[GiftShopGirl]

Normally I do just smile and nod, but she implied that I had a bad conscience for giving her a bag. I'm told to give people a bag, so it made me mad that she was getting on me for doing my job. She could have just said "no thank you" instead of insulting me.

[jjllbb]

Normally I do just smile and nod, but she implied that I had a bad conscience for giving her a bag. I'm told to give people a bag, so it made me mad that she was getting on me for doing my job. She could have just said "no thank you" instead of insulting me.

yep. classic example of SC's acting like we set company policy.

THAT'S RIGHT MA'AM I GET PAID MINIMUM WAGE JUST SO I CAN STAND HERE AND HAND YOU SMELLY BAGS AND MAKE YOUR LIFE MISERABLE. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

[chainedbarista]

i'm hoping the hag plans to put one over her head and breath deeply several times...

[Sheldonrs]

Yes, shame on you for having smelly old bags in your store!...and letting them shop!

[bloodrose]

i once had an old man explaining to me why he wanted to return this massaging chair pad he'd bought for his wife.

He went on and on telling me about the car accident he'd gotten them into and how he'd recovered quickly because he was a strong and virile male while she was a weak, pitiful woman just like myself and hey, i shouldn't even be working anyway because women shouldn't work.

I just kept saying "oh yes sir, i know sir" until it was all over.

"Ah yes, sir. Would you like to pay my bills so I don't have to work? Oh, no? Then STFU."

[JustaCashier]

Yes, shame on you for having smelly old bags in your store!...and letting them shop!

[PepperElf]

He went on and on telling me about the car accident he'd gotten them into and how he'd recovered quickly because he was a strong and virile male

just one who can't drive right...?

[bainsidhe]

Erm, these bags weren't dusty/dirty/slimy/growing things were they? 'Cause if they were just regular bags...who the hell goes around sniffing them? (Aside from this woman, obviously )

[ChillyIllusionist]

Props to you for giving her a reasonable answer.

In those situations i usually pretend to agree with the customer (within reason, meaning barring racism, violence, etc).

I would probably have said something like "i know, they smell awful don't they? i kept telling management but nothings been done. You're so right. blah blah blah"

They always leave happy. Its just easier that way.

I do the same thing..

The Walmart I work at is currently remodeling, and I'm on the remodel crew. I get to listen to people tell me its all my fault they can't find anything and they've been shopping there for 10 years and things have been the same and blahblah..

I just smile and say I'm sorry and wander away... ^^

[Munkie]

The bags do smell a bit... because they're MADE from chemicals!!!11! When I worked at Safeway, they bags stank when they refilled my station with a new chunk from the box... cardboard has this way of HOLDING a smell for a looooooooong time... and I kinda like the smell of plastic bags, in SMALL doses!

I certainly don't go around sniffing them in grocery stores!!