'Are you alright with your packing?' Aibu?

[CaptainTripps]

It wrong-foots me as I try to figure out how to answer.

I reply 'No'. They think that means 'No I don't want help'.
I say 'Yes'. They think that means 'Yes I am ok with the packing'.

It should be: 'Can I help you with your packing?'

If I do want help, I end up saying 'oooh yeah. I'd love a bit of help...' to be really clear.

But is it an intentional ploy on the part of the checkout operator? Cos they all seem to do it.

Where I shop they just sweep everything through the checkout straight into the adjacent trolley. If you try and 'pack' your shopping you get told to go and do it in the packing area..

help with your packing?

how the other half live

"Yeah I'm alright thanks".
Less words? "Yeah fine thanks".
Less words? "Yeah fine".
I suppose you could say just "fine" but may come across as a bit rude!

Tesco innit!

"I'm fine, thank you"
or
"I'd love some help, cheers."
Usually work for me.

I say that. After 9 hours of asking customers if they need help it gets a little tiresome.
A simple 'Im ok, thank you or 'no, some help would be nice'' is enough of an answer.
Really its not that difficult.
If you don't want to be bothered by an illiterate thicko like a checkout operator either use self scan or scan as you pack.

I shop online and let someone else pack it.

As Jubblies said, talk to the person earning MW on the check out and say, 'I'd love some help'. A bit of friendliness can make a difference to your day in a job like that. I know, I've had them.

lol..

Last year my arm was in plaster with a broken thumb and I still got the question "are you alright with your packing?" a few times. I found it hilerous.

If you don't want to be bothered by an illiterate thicko like a checkout operator either use self scan or scan as you pack.

Are you serious? Is that what you believe I people think? How shockingly rude!

Won't use / don't use self scan on principle. Saving real peoples' jobs and all that.

If you don't want to be bothered by an illiterate thicko like a checkout operator either use self scan or scan as you pack.

There are checkout operators who have or studying for degrees. I don't know any checkout operators who are illerate or thick.

I think Lovelyjubblies is trying to make the point, as a checkout person, that some customers treat checkout people with that assumption.

What I find really bloody irritating is the carrier bag opening technique tesco do, that and the "do you need bags?"
Errrr no, I'm going to put a weekly shop in my pocket....
Yes yes I know reuseables, I do use those.... But in Aldi and lidl.

i always say... it depends how fast you are....they then take the hint and dont throw things at me at lightening speed... some of them think they are on supermarket sweep...

i mean... ive carefully stored it in my trolley so the delicates dont get squashed, then i've ordered it on the conveyor so that everything goes in the right bags.... the least you can do is give me a fighting chance to get the stuff in the bags, before you chuck stuff on top.

I hate them asking this. They've seen me putting it onto the belt ready to go through the checkout, so why would I need help packing it at the other end?

I always feel slightly irritated when the checkout person asks me if I want a bag then ignores my 'No thankyou I've got a shopping trolley'. Wilkinsons seems to be the worse for this.

Hiddenhome, they have to ask and will get in trouble if they don't.

Just fall to your knees, sob hysterically and wail,

"Nooooo, I can't pack! I can't cope."

Bit dramatic but it would be worth it to see their face.

Or shop online/use the self service tills. Is easier since shopping has become this mad social ettiquette labrynith no one can possibly navigate.

I idly looked at the till in Asda the other day and it had a note stuck to it with 'ways to reduce plastic bag consumption'
No fluffing of bags
Only give a minimum of bags
Ask if they need bags
Have no bags on display

So you can forgive them for asking about bags.

I know they have to ask, but it still gets on my nerves.

They also start chucking the stuff through really quickly and I immediately regret not asking them to pack for me

Don't be annoyed with the checkout operators, they have to ask. I'm a mystery shopper and believe me, they have to ask.

Oh and LuvelyJubblies IS a checkout operator, she wasn't slating them, she was being sarcastic to the OP.

Once I was struggling after an operation on my hand.

Tesco asked if I'd like help packing. I said, "Ooo, yes ^please!"

She rang a little bell.

I waited.

And I waited.

And I waited.

Yes, I packed it myself.

Seriously, why ask? They expect you to say no. They don't hire staff to float about packing bags.

Really, why can't the checkout operator 'help with the packing'?

I just pack for the customers as I go, and I'm very careful with apples etc, nothing worse than bruised fruit, crushed bread or broken eggs....

I would hate someone else packing for me. Once they did it and there were maybe 3 items in each of a billion bags.

I've got my systems, my food all lined up on the belt in order. Anyone else would just get it all wrong!

I usually say "I should be ok but feel free to join in if I start to look panicky!"

I just say, 'let's see how I go' but I love Haveyougotanyleechesforthis's suggestion if I'm in a queue where I can see the checkout person isn't matching their speed to the customer's.

I think that's something stores should be ensuring the train their operators to do. I have no problems in Asda with this but Lidl and other shops are dreadful for whiz zing stuff through and making the customer feel uncomfortable.