No double bag for you!

[tilly101]

Just had an interesting encounter up the road at the 7/11.
I have no doubt that the guy behind the counter didn't want to be there and wasn't much interested in anything, but I beg the question....was *I* an SC in this situation?

Share your thoughts and opinions people

Me -
SG - The guy behind the counter serving everyone

So I walked [or rather, struggled] up and placed on the counter my 2L milk, bread, few apples and bunch of bananas. The guy roughly squeezed everything into a single plastic bag [which didn't bother me too much TBH], but which saw the bag absolutely straining at the corners

Me - 'Oh, sorry, is it ok if I please get it double bagged?'

SG - 'No'

Me - 'Oh. Oh okay. Um. It's just that, 'cause it's all in the one bag, the bag is already kind of breaking, and I have to walk back home and I'm worried it's going to break open on the way is all'

SG - 'If it breaks then you can just carry it all, that's what arms are for'

Me - 'Oh, yup. Sorry, it's just that, 'cause I'm pregnant, I don't think I could carry it all the whole way, and I'm pretty sure the bags going to break...'

SG, with a big *sigh* - 'It doesn't matter if you're pregnant. You don't need two bag'

Me - 'Okay, but can I just...'

SG, cutting me off - 'You DONT need two bags'

Me - 'I'm happy to pay for the extra bag?'

SG - 'You don't need it'

Me - 'Okay, um, is it ok then to just have the milk and bananas in a separate bag then? So nothing double bag, but just two entirely separate bags, just so it's not as heavy so there's less chance of it breaking, please?'

SG - 'You don't need two bags'

Me - 'Oh okay, so just not two bags at all'

SG - 'I only give out two bags if people need them, and you don't need them'

Me - 'Okay, sorry'

Yeah, I took it in the butt, but honestly, my mind was elsewhere and I just wanted to get home.

The bag did end up breaking. Had to lug everything up the last street, which is uphill. So I sit here typing this with my back aching like a mother


Because I've never worked 'retail', and have no true understanding of the 'rules' surrounding plastic bags [as I know some places are quite strict] - was I actually being an SC in this situation?

[Shannarah]

Personally, if you were walking I can understand your concern about the bag being overfilled.
I work at a supermarket, and if people mention that they are walking, I will definitely pack the bags differently than if they are just going from the trolley to the car.
Where I am, people have to pay for bags, so usually want them (nicely) shoved full.
If corporate has a website, or you can phone in and talk to a manager, I probably would.
From what I read, it basically just sounded like he didnt give a shit, and didnt care if it broke or not.
In this situation I would have probably turned SC myself, and if I had not already paid, and had somewhere else to buy these things I would have probably told him to cancel the sale, as it wasnt worth me buying it if it wouldnt make it home in the bag supplied.
On occasion I have had to carry groceries home for 2km, and usually take a backpack if I know that I am going to be carrying groceries (mostly because there are no free bags here anymore)

[Slayer]

You weren't being sucky at all. You offered a different solution and even offered to pay. You obviously needed a second bag and that guy was just being a douche IMO.

[MoonCat]

Uh, NO. You were not an SC in any way. That guy was an asshole, to be frank. That remark about 'that's what arms are for'? That right there should get him written up. If he knew what he was doing, or cared about it, he would have seen that the bag was likely to break and put things in two bags to be on the safe side.

If he had a store policy that he had to follow, he should have said so, politely. But I'm guessing he was just being a jerk. Because he could.

[AccountingDrone]

I don't think you were much of a SC at all, but you might consider getting a pair of cloth bags, the handles will be easier on your hands, and they rarely break. I hate plastic bags and we have 8 or 10 fabric bags, 3 or 4 string bags and some tyvek[?] bags.

[XCashier]

I might also suggest a wheeled cart / suitcase, so you don't have to carry anything at all, just put everything in it and wheel it home. Especially considering your condition.

The guy was being a jerk. You should talk to the manager about him. We all know that customer service is no fun, but that doesn't mean we should deliberately be nasty to customers.

[Draco]

What they said. There's absolutely no reason for his behavior.

From what you posted? No, you weren't a SC at all.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I dunno, maybe the store measures how many plastic bags are given out and wants the cashiers to use them only if necessary. Or he's one of those obnoxious greenie types who thinks he gets to subject his customers to his agenda. Or maybe he just didn't give a shit.

Any way, you were not an SC.

[Chromatix]

If it had been a Finnish bag, you'd have been fine. But on the reasonable assumption that you're not in Finland, the bag breaking under that sort of strain was inevitable.

I second (or even third) the suggestion of getting a proper, cloth-based bag for your shopping. A rucksack would be perfect, since it doesn't rely on your hands and would offset the other load you're currently carrying. You then wouldn't need to rely on thin plastic bags anywhere near so much - and even if not everything will fit, you can put the heavy stuff on your back, and the light and bulky stuff is then trivial to carry.

[bhskittykatt]

You weren't an SC at all. He clearly overloaded the bag, you politely asked for a second bag and even offered to pay for it, and he still refused. The suck was on him.

[EricKei]

The guy was being an ass...Both for his attitude, AND for the fact that he even *considered* putting bread/bananas in the same bag as something heavy like a milk bottle without your requesting that he do so.

Chromatix -- You are correct. While I can only assume (and hope!) that plastic bags in areas where stores charge for them are made of stronger stuff, most plastic bags in the US are thin enough to see through, and quite flimsy. I have encountered some that were thin enough to break with something as light as as a single loaf of bread in them o_O

[Jetfire]

Agreed, not a SC moment at all. (And an SC moment would have been warrented against a sucky cashier in that case).

I second the idea of getting the reusable bags if you can; though you may already have them and just didn't think to bring them on a 7-11 run (I know I've done similar. )

Those reusable bags I got at Sobeys (in my case) have been great. They hold more, less prone to breaking, more durable, and easier on the hands. Though the heavy stuff still goes into my backpack (I've tossed 4 2L bottles of pop and/or milk into that with ease). Not that I'm suggesting a backpack for the OP considering her condition right now.

In any case, No, not a SC, but you should have been.

[Jetfire]

I think I've got a dozen of them now, 4-5 of them in my backpack at all times, and the rest scattered around my condo (usually forgotten). And one lonely Superstore bag hanging in my closet. :P

I haven't quite gone to the wheeled cart stage, since I'm a bachelor; I usually just buy a few days worth, and only stock up/get the heavy stuff when I know I'm taxiing or having another ride available. Plus I have my book bag for the heavy stuff too. (CPGear. Best Backpack I've ever gotten. No wonder they supply the military. )

[Pixilated]

If this guy isn't the owner, I'd contact the owner and explain what happened and why you won't be shopping there anymore (even if you don't mean it). If he is, I'd just stop going there -- no point in telling him why as he won't care anyway.

I know you are pregnant, and you probably wouldn't have wanted to do this, but had it been (admittedly non-pregnant) me, if I hadn't paid for it when he was being such a douche, I'd have left the stuff on the counter and walked out very early on in that conversation. He was being unbelievably smug and self-righteous and obviously takes great glee in downgrading the store's customers.

Definitely get a couple of cloth or heavy plastic supermarket bags. The big ones here can go for as little as 99 cents and they are quite tough (also quite roomy). You might be able to find one that has shoulder straps as well as standard 'hand' straps.

And if you go back there again (with your reusable bag) and he insists on jamming everything into a single plastic bag again, up-end the plastic bag into your reusable one, throw the plastic bag back on the counter, and leave.

[Captain Trips]

You mentioned 7/11. If you actually meant the chain by that name, corporate would very much want to hear from you. http://corp.7-eleven.com/contactus/t...4/default.aspx - they even have a link to a web-form for store-specific complaints.

Forcing a pregnant woman into a situation like yours is more severe than "not caring about his job." I do suggest complaining to corporate. (I only know one chain that doesn't care about what their franchises do to violate corporate policy - and it's a motel chain, not a convenience store.)