To moan about Aldi treating me like a child?

[augustmonster]

Their food is great. I am happy with the price I pay for my weekly shop.

But I am sick, sick, sick of being told how I have to place my trolley at a certain way at the checkout. I have rheumatoid arthritis in one of my wrists and fingers, and I find it much, much easier to stand next to the checkout and load my trolley across my body, rather than take the weight of the goods across the length of the trolley as they would like me to stand.

The last three times I have been to Aldi, they have insisted that I need to put the trolley the way they want it. On every occasion I have said that I prefer it this way, and on one occasion they refused to let me, saying it was store policy.

Today I explained to the assistant that I find it easier to pack my bags a certain way round. He said, "Fine but we actually have a no packing policy." I think he meant that I was supposed to use the packing shelf. I laughed because I was packing faster than he was scanning (a feat, I know, but I have one of those cool Lakeland trolley shopping bags).

I was not causing an obstruction (miles away from anyone else), and I have no idea why this is policy, but AIBU to think that they can mind their own bloody business about how I load my trolley? I have no wish to start discussing my medical condition with strangers.

You might just need to tell them or they won't understand. You don't need to go into detail but you could just say that you have arthritis and you need to do it this way because of it. Aldi do have a protocol for how you angle the trolley and no packing at the till so the staff are just doing their jobs

I've never ever used Aldi before what do you mean you can't pack at the till? So you couldn't pack as you do in Asda or Tesco ?

@anitagreen Yes, you are supposed to just bung everything back in your trolley and then use a shelf at the back of the store to pack your groceries up. Actually this isn't a problem for me as I can pack them as quickly as they are scanned anyway, as I have a system!

So it's not a problem with their no packing policy (that was just a ridiculous reason the cashier gave me for not having my trolley how I wanted it), it's with the fact that they want me to have my trolley at a certain angle at the till which is physically difficult for me.

Meh, I always pack straight into my bags in the trolley and manage to keep up with the checkout person. I didnt know it was an actual 'policy' rather a thing you generally do there. A bit like clearing your own table in Mcdonalds. Not a policy, just something 'everyone just does'.

I'd just carry on as you are TBH.

I pack my bags. Never been told not too.

I’m surprised they get away with this style of packing due to disability laws. How can disabled people possibly keep up? It’s bad enough for the non disabled.

I understand it’s part of the keeping prices low thing, but there are limits.

I always pack straight into bags too - the checkout operator today clearly took it as a challenge to scan faster than I could pack, but I won 💪

I've never been told where I had to stand though - naff orf with that. I have a dc in the trolley, how am I meant to get stuff into the trolley around him?

You don't need to 'discuss your medical condition' though. A breezy, 'actually, this way's better for my arthritis' then carry on as you are.

I've never found anyone objects to that sort of approach.

It has to be angled a certain way so they can see into the bottom and check you haven’t hidden stuff under the trolley. They will have mystery shoppers who will deliberately do this and if they haven’t insisted you position your trolley correctly and checked it and then made you pack on the shelf they could lose their jobs.
It’s the way Aldi and Lidl work, no packing allowed at the till so they can serve more customers in a shorter time thus needing less staff and keeping prices lower.
It’s a trade off and if you want a different experience you have to go to another store.

Personally I would just say that I have a disability and either they let me do it my way or they need to call someone to help.

Just to be clear, my problem isn't with the bag packing shelf/rule which I understand helps them to keep costs down. They don't care if you pack your bags at the till so long as you keep up with them, I think.

My problem is with how they are insisting I position my trolley at the end of the till at checkout, making it awkward for me to reach over certain angles. I can't see how I position my trolley is any of their business so long as I'm not obstructing anyone.

Fwiw it’s worth I have RA too so I sympathise but having worked in Lidl as a student I know the check out staff have to enforce this policy.

@gamerwidow That's interesting, thank you (and sorry to hear about your RA). What on earth is the reason they give for the policy?

The position of the trolley allows them to see into it properly this is all. Maybe you could put it at the end so they can see in it then love it back to where you need it?

@gamerwidow, sorry cross-post. Thanks for the explanation.

Never heard of that?

My toddler son stands in the trolley (no double trolleys😑) and helps pack (I do most of it) and have never been told to hurry?

It’s because people stick bags of nappies and other stuff under the trolley and nick them.

Instead of saying to them you prefer to do it this way, just say you have arthritis and have to do it this way.

And just accept they have a protocol to speed things up, it's not about you personally. The staff are just doing their jobs. They don't know you have arthritis.

gamer has got it in one. The staff can lose jobs if they don't ask people to do this and they won't know whether you find it difficult unless you tell them " I prefer to do it this way" looks like a difficult customer whereas "I need to do it this way because of my arthritis" shows you have a genuine reason. I know it's a bit crap but Aldi is cheap for a reason but most of the staff at my branch seem lovely and I don't think any of them would object for the reason you specify

Their food is great. I am happy with the price I pay for my weekly shop.

That price is, in part, made possible by their policy of packing your stuff on the shelf. It allows them to get customers through faster, which allows them to pay fewer staff, which allows them to discount your food.

Personally, I would speak to the manager about discomfort when packing.

I haf shopped in lidl thousand of times and have never once used the packing shelf. I always pack at the till and it’s never once been commented on

Tell them exactly what you wrote in your thread title. Stop treating me like a child, I'll do what I want.

Nobody would tell a bloke how to position his trolley or how to pack.

If you like racing the checkout operator, a good trick is to put things that need to be weighed around the middle of your shopping - slows them down a little to let you catch up

I hated that at Aldi. I just said ..l'm the customer l will pack it my way thanks...with a big smile. What are they going to do; chase you out of the shop?
I am a fast packer, dont dawdle so l am not slowing anyone down.
I think, because the workers are mostly foreign, they sound more abrupt that usually.

yes they do.