The Squished Bread That Wasn't & Salad Bar Nuts

[SixFortyK]

Squished Bread

I was helping the cashier by bagging groceries for a few minutes before I clocked out. The SC's groceries had backed up on the checkstand conveyer belt, and SC piped up that her bread was being squished by the other groceries. It wasn't, but I understood her concern. I grabbed the bread. It didn't appear damaged. SC howled "Get me a new one! I don't want that one now!"

OK. No problem. I go to get a new loaf. Unfortunately, the SC picked a low-volume specialty bread and we never have more than 4 loaves in the store. I find the shelf empty, and also none in the back storeroom. I begin to rehearse in my head what I will tell the SC. She had already been mean and I was fearful of how she might react.

So I return with the SAME loaf of bread. Before I can say anything, SC grabs the bread from my hands and proceeds to examine it. She holds it up in the air and carefully looks it over. She puts the bread on the counter and says, “Fine. I definitely wasn't going to pay for that other one you squished!”

It took every ounce of willpower I could muster to keep from saying what I was thinking, “It's the SAME loaf!! You just deemed ACCEPTABLE the SAME loaf that two minutes ago you deemed UNACCEPTABLE!! It's the SAME one! There's only ONE!” I really wanted to say it and embarrass her, but I just excused myself, went around the corner and had a much needed laugh.

Salad Bar Stress

I have found myself being very stressed by SCs who frequent the store's self-serve salad bar. They have odd ideas about what they should pay. It's clearly marked for sale by the pound. The heaviest item there is the salad dressing. If you use a small amount of dressing, the salad is quite cheap. Use a lot of dressing, and it costs quite a bit more. Most salads sell for $5 to $8.

Some customers make a salad and just drown it in dressing. They use so much, you can't see any greens, just dressing. This makes the salad very heavy, and very expensive. These ring up $15 to $20, or more. I cringe when these are in my line. I know they will balk at the price, and say it's sold by the plate, not by the pound. A while back, I took a photo with my ipod of the salad bar sign. When the salad plate rings up $20 and they tell me it's supposed to be $4.99, I pull up the photo, show it to them and say the sign clearly states “per pound.” They do not seem to appreciate my preparedness.

There's also self-serve soup at the salad bar, sold by the container rather than by the pound. SCs are putting salads in salad plates, and then filling the soup containers with salad dressing. When I charge them for the dressing they say “You can't charge me for that! It's not part of the salad! It's on the side!” Of course, it is part of the salad. These are large soup containers. And they fill them to the top with dressing. I don't bother to ask why they need almost three cups of dressing “on the side.”

Last week, lady bought a salad. It was $5. Then I rang up the large soup container that she had completely filled with olives, cheese, mushrooms, and other salad toppings. It rang up $7. Right on cue, she starts yelling “You can't charge me for that!!! It's on the side!! It's just the toppings!!! It's not part of the salad!!”

It's starting to get to me. I was checking out a new store in town. I saw their salad bar, and I felt my heart begin to beat rapidly, and I started to perspire. That's right, just the sight of a salad bar is causing me a physical reaction.

[registerrodeo]

I was at our store's salad bar last week (broken right wrist +love of salads=me having to buy pre cut stuff instead of making my own). So I tend to make these HUGE salads that I have paid $11 for but it is worth it for all the choices. This well dressed woman comes bustling over, elbows me aside (helllloooo? I am right here scooping olives!!) and pulls a container of lettuce from her bag..the bag she got when she paid for her container of plain lettuce and proceeds to finish making her salad. I stood there with my mouth open at her audacity because no where does it say Lettuce $6.99 a pound-toppings free!! I finished up but did see a manager of the hot foods area approach her as I was walking away. Later I saw her standing back in line with serious CBF and the manager standing next to her.

[bhskittykatt]

When I worked at the motel as a housekeeper, I had a guest once ask for a fluffier towel. All our towels were the same. So I took the towel she handed me and put it down behind my cart, looked at the towel stack, and handed her the same one back. She said it was much better and thanked me and walked away happy.

[Dreamstalker]

I think this is why--aside from lack of space--my store doesn't have a salad bar despite customers asking. I could see someone buying a clamshell box of lettuce, re-entering the store (we really need a setup where you cannot go back in easily once past checkout) and filling it to bursting with toppings then walking out.

I've 'returned' with the same loaf of bread a few times; usually when the store's jammed and I can't get back to the aisle or don't want to waste time looking. A former supervisor actually taught me to squeeze the bread lightly from both ends if it wasn't actually damaged--appearance restored.

[Catwoman2965]

These stories remind me of my last cat. Who was dumb but sweet, and a bit of a prima donna. My mom referred to him as "His Lordship" He had dry food in his dish all day, and sometimes when it would get low, but not empty, he'd cry pitifully,wanting more. I learned if I just moved it around, so he could hear it moving in the dish, but didn't add anymore, he'd think I did put more in, and eat it. Like I said, not the sharpest tool in the shed!

[RealUnimportant]

Since when did side dishes become free?

[Dreamstalker]

We charge for dressing (the fancy branded ones in a sealed pouch or cup) with our deli salads. The sticker on the salad lid says "Choose Your Dressing" and that leads a lot of people to think that the dressing is free. No...the only one built into the price is the stuff in the cup inside the container. If it has a barcode, we SELL it.

Same with the chicken tenders and sauce. The only free sauces are the tiny foil packets (which are actually for the sandwiches).

[JustShootMe]

Re: Squished Bread....Thank you!! Much needed LMAO!

[Latekin]

Since when did side dishes become free?

You forgot dude, the rules don't apply because they're a customer!

[EricKei]

...and sometimes when it would get low, but not empty, he'd cry pitifully,wanting more.

Nothing unusual about that. Mine does the same thing.

[skeptic53]

One of my fellow students single-handedly caused the cafeteria to change from "by the plate or bowl" to "by the pound". Bowls were cheaper than plates. He'd carefully build a tower of salad, putting heavy stuff like tomatoes in the bottom, filling the spaces between with sunflower seeds & dressing. He'd layer other salad ingredients up to the rim then tuck cucumber slices along the rim to create a new, higher rim, keep adding layers etc. He became famous, people would time their lunch to watch him build another masterpiece. After purchase, it would dump out onto more than one plate. Finally the cafeteria manager bought scales for each register and put an end to his architectural career.

[wagegoth]

These stories remind me of my last cat. Who was dumb but sweet, and a bit of a prima donna. My mom referred to him as "His Lordship" He had dry food in his dish all day, and sometimes when it would get low, but not empty, he'd cry pitifully,wanting more. I learned if I just moved it around, so he could hear it moving in the dish, but didn't add anymore, he'd think I did put more in, and eat it. Like I said, not the sharpest tool in the shed!

This is why I know there literally are cat people and dog people (and jackasses, etc.). This is why CBF is so common among SCs.

[manybellsdown]

Wouldn't it be cheaper at some point to just ... buy a bottle of salad dressing? Then you can slosh all you like on, and it's gotta come out to less than $20.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Wouldn't it be cheaper at some point to just ... buy a bottle of salad dressing? Then you can slosh all you like on, and it's gotta come out to less than $20.

But . . . But . . . But that means I have to PAY for it!

And the dressing at the salad bar is supposed to be FREE.

[thatcrazyredhead]

This salad bar experience would not be practical for me, because I like to have a little salad with my dressing. But I wouldn't bitch at the cashier about how much it cost. Not their fault, and I'd know better for next time.