While doing our weekly grocery shopping it begins to storm outside, the kind of thunderstorm that will soak you to the bone in a matter of seconds. Once my wife, my 2 children, and I are done checking out we stop at the front door to decide if we want to wait for the rain to stop. After checking the weather we decide that it is going to last a while, so I just decide to suck it up and go out to get the car, leaving my wife and kids to wait for me to pull up. I of course get soaked to the bone on my way out. Once I get to the entrance I start loading my kids in the car when the store manager approaches us. I assume she is going to tell me I can’t park there, but instead she proceeds to help me load my groceries into the trunk, along with about 4 other employees all of them getting soaked as well. I have never had that kind of service before and it’s nice to know that there are still people out there willing to help their customers even if it doesn’t help their bottom line.
Like most of the larger grocery stores, the one I work at has a bakery department full of fresh bread. Also like most grocery stores, the quality of our free bags is not exactly stellar, and this extends to the paper ones we package our bread in.
One night I am working as a cashier when three teenage boys start hovering at the end of my till, like they can’t decide whether or not to get in line. They only have a few items, including a baguette, so I assume they haven’t finished with their shopping. I tune them out so I can pay attention to the customer I am currently serving.
All of a sudden their voices get louder, and I turn to see that the bottom of the baguette bag has split open, and the baguette has slipped out. One of the boys picks it up, and proceeds to turn the bag around and slide the baguette back through the ripped end. Of course, it promptly falls through the other end, since it’s open. For some reason, this baffles all three of the teens, as if they expected ripping one end of the bag would magically seal up the other.
My customer and I have a hard time not laughing. We then have to convince them to go get another one to replace the damaged one, since they don’t realize that eating dirty food might not be the best of ideas.
They may be tears of laughter, but I weep for the next generation.
(I’m walking in the frozen section when a customer comes up to me.)
Customer: “Excuse me, do you have any pre-made pie crusts?”
Me: “Yes. We have some right here, but also some in dairy right around the corner.”
Customer: “Ah. Do you know the difference between them?”
Me: “One is frozen and one is not?”
Customer: “Okay, thank you.”
(I am an observer in this story. I am in line behind a woman, who is next in line at a grocery store checkout. There are two lanes in operation, both marked “20 items,” but nobody is counting; it’s not a big deal. For the line I’m in, there’s a young man running the register, ringing up a guy’s groceries, maybe ten items total. The other register is run by an older guy who is ALWAYS there; he’s super-efficient. He’s got five or six people in his line. He had to run over to the customer service desk to grab some cigarettes, but that took him a minute maybe. The lady in front of me questions the younger guy:)
Customer: “Are you open?”
Cashier: *just finishing up the guy that was in line ahead of the woman* “Yes, ma’am, I sure am!”
Customer: “Are you open? The reason I’m asking is that your light is off!”
Cashier: *leans over and flips the light on* “Sorry, I just jumped and started ringing people up!”
Customer: *holding her two items* “Are you open, then?!”
Cashier: “Yes, I am open!” *reaches for the two items*
Customer: “Well, I was confused! Should I go over there? Is that guy there? Is he open? Your light wasn’t on! What am I supposed to think?! It’s confusing! There’s nobody over there, and your light is off! I don’t think I should have to pay for things, since it’s so confusing!“
Two ladies are shopping together and one runs over to the yogurt section I’m working next to.
Customer (to her friend): I’m looking for my yogurt! They always sell out of my flavor before I get here, it’s the best one. Banana!
I look over and realize she’s looking for an item we don’t sell.
Me: I’m sorry, we don’t sell banana-flavored by Brand1. We have banana by Brand2 and banana cream pie by brand3 and brand4, though.
Customer: I always look for it here but it’s the best one so it sells out before I get to it. Everyone likes banana for some reason.
Me: Actually it’s not there because we don’t sell it. Some of our other locations may, but we only have those other brands I mentioned. I’m sorry about that.
Customer: Oh, that’s okay. I’ll just check back next time I’m in, you sell out of my flavor so fast!
me: *dies inside*
