To think sales staff should help you pack your bags?

[terreyyy]

I normally pack my bags without asking for help.
Today I went into the pound shop.
I had my two kids (one is 3 and other is 5) I had 2 heavy bags in one hand and it was raining so had my brolly.
Bought 5 glass pumpkins and got to checkout.
She told me they had nothing to wrap them in so I said no worries can I have some bags and I would put each in separate bag.
She put the bags down (unopened ) then scanned them really fast.
I had 1 daughter screaming,then I dropped my bank card.
So I'm trying to wrap each pumpkin up then put them in my carrier bag.
She is just stood behind the counter arms folded waiting for me.
She then says to the long queue (sorry about this everyone) whilst shaking her head looking at me.
Would it have actually killed her to just help me?
The guy serving on the next till was packing the bag for someone.
Aibu to think she could have helped ?
Rather than stand there and make me feel like an idiot

I used to work for Debenhams as a Xmas temp many years ago and I would have been bollocked if i did that.

TBH, taking two very small children and two heavy shopping bags into a pound shop on a rainy day and then buying 6 fragile items to carry home aswell is just masochistic 😃

@Iminaglasscaseofemotion

🤷‍♀️ not really the cashierfault you were clumsy, unprepared to pack your bags and letting your child scream her head off in the middle of the shop. Sure it would have been nice for her to help, but next time prepare yourself to pack your own bags.

If your a mother what a seriously ignorant comment to make letting your child scream her head off in the middle of the shop

OP I agree you should of said something there and then however she seems like a snotty little cow and I would be phoning the store to complain her name should be on your receipt. I've been in your situation especially when I dont want to leave something as I know it will be gone later! Hope your okay xx

There is a massive difference between the experience of working in a Debenhams vs a pound shop. You asked her for bags and said you would wrap them yourself- some people can get really stroppy if a staff member tries to assist when they’ve said they’ll do it themselves, and it’s not normal to have paper on hand to wrap fragile items in the pound shop... as it’s the pound shop.

She’s on minimum wage, thinking she’s served a lot of not so friendly customers today, and has probably gone away from your interaction thinking she’s been spoken to rudely by an insistent woman who wants to wrap her things herself despite obviously having a lot going on and is worried her boss will give her a bollocking for the drop in productivity from her till...
just something to think about.

Why would you want someone touching things you are buying more than absolutely necessary?
You were stressed and your child was upset but that's not her fault. You really should have asked but I've noticed very few cashiers are opening or packing bags, possibly because there is a deadly virus about.

She’s on minimum wage, thinking she’s served a lot of not so friendly customers today, and has probably gone away from your interaction thinking she’s been spoken to rudely by an insistent woman who wants to wrap her things herself despite obviously having a lot going on and is worried her boss will give her a bollocking for the drop in productivity from her till...
just something to think about.

So because someone is on minimum wage that gives them an excuse to act poorly?

Her standing there eye rolling a customer and embarrassing said customer by apologising to people for the wait was unnecessary and uncalled for.

I’ve served some rude customers and have had lines at the til. I and my colleagues still manage to treat the rest with some decency despite it. She still could have assisted if she wanted OP to hurry up instead of just standing there.

The excuses people make for bad service.

She told me they had nothing to wrap them in so I said no worries can I have some bags and I would put each in separate bag.

"I will put each in a separate bag"
Not
"Could you put each in a separate bag"
That would have given her some hint that you wanted some help.
Maybe her esp was running low or something today, to have not converted your sentence to what you actually meant. Totally unacceptable obviously, and has led to this life damaging incident that you may never get over.
Obviously this woman deserves a public flogging for this.
In the words of Phoebe "Alert the church elders!"

Of course she should have helped you. Rude so and so! When I was growing up staff always helped pack the bags - I hate that it's died out! When I worked part time in retail at university I always helped pack. I would feel like an arsehole if I just stood there gasping instead of helping.

I also remember when I lived in Oz they always pack your bags in the supermarket - makes the experience much nicer! I think NZ was the same if I recall correctly.

YANBU

*gawping

@phoenixrosehere

I’m Just pointing out that there’s two sides to every story.

I’m not excusing anyone’s poor service, however, to say that the experience of working somewhere like Debenhams is comparable to poundland is incorrect.

She could have assisted, but may well have experienced someone shouting at her in the past for doing exactly that when they’d said they would pack themselves.

Point is, you don’t know, neither do I and neither does the OP. it’s also very possible that OP’s perception of things was skewed by the stress of the situation- I know this has happened to me, and most people at times if we’re honest.

Yes she should have helped you. She surely saw you had your hands full with the children and other bags. She should have never rolled her eyes, that is plain rude!

I work in retail & we’re not told to pack bags in our training but obviously there are times when you just would! OP I would have noticed your situation & stepped in to help, including wrapping your glass pumpkins in bubblewrap ( although I guess there may not be bubblewrap available at Poundland).

There was a woman in our local co-op who wouldn't pack bags. (Pre-Covid) yet all the other staff would as standard. She would actually lean round an open carrier bag to avoid putting anything in, even if it was just one item. It was like she was making some kind of point. I never did realise what point though. She was a grumpy cow to boot who wouldn't return a smile or even a hello so I just stopped going in and spending my money there. One day I bumped into one of the store supervisors/managers(?) and he said, "I've not seen you in a while" so I told him why. Rude staff make me not feel welcome. I don't think he was pleased. I don't know if he did anything about her but at least he knew she was driving custom to the Nisa across the road.

I think in OP's situation the staff member definitely should have helped. How awkward must it have got after a few minutes of this with the queue standing waiting and the cashier just sitting there waiting for you to leave? Embarrassing for all.

I think maybe people are just so unsure of how to act and things they touch, yes she had already touched them but probably trying less contact and maybe miss judged it.

I think maybe you were stressed and this amplified the importance of this situation for you, yes she should have maybe offered to help, but it's not her fault your kids were upset and wandering off while you were trying to complete your transaction or maybe you could have just asked for help, but it's not enough to get worked up about really.

She could have assisted, but may well have experienced someone shouting at her in the past for doing exactly that when they’d said they would pack themselves.

I’d say fair enough if it wasn’t for her attitude about it. You’re right neither of us were there but that is with every situation that pops up on Mumsnet and AIBU.

Co op tends to have the grumpiest snootiest staff.

Op yanbu some of the responses here are crazy and shocking. I am on nmw and work in a shop selling cheap items. I am expected to be friendly and helpful and pack customers bags at all times unless they have brought their own and evwn then if they struggle i am expected to ask if they want some help. Its a basic part of their job. Its not on you as a customer to have to ask for basic help and courtesy. Glass pumpkins sound darling too :).

While I think that normally she should have offered to help, these days it's not so easy. Does the customer prefer to be helped, which probably means closer proximity, or prefer distance?

Someone pushing a buggy in front of me dropped a baby's sock the other day. I ran forward to pick it up and then I felt uneasy about how to approach her to give it back to her. It was quite noisy and normally I would have shouted quite loudly or tapped her on the shoulder to attract her attention. But in The Time of Covid I'm unsure.

It is a cheap shop. You aren't paying for great service. If you wanted help you could have asked. If was poor planning on your part to buy 5 ads pumpkin when you have two children and are varying multiple bulky items. Due to covid many places are trying to avoid contact with customers. Overall yta. Plan your shopping better and open your mouth to ask for help if you need it.

Oops. Multiple errors. I'm still not awake guy. I meant overall YABU.

She then says to the long queue (sorry about this everyone) whilst shaking her head looking at me.

Clearly she was BVU to do this.

But you were BU not to ask her to help in the situation, especially when you could see her colleague helping someone pack.

Of corse she should have helped you. I'd complain.

As PP have said its the pound shop.....

It is disappointing to see so many posters blaming the op here. A mother who is clearly stressed trying to juggle 2 small children and shopping? Would it have killed the shop assistant to have helped?

I can see why op didn't ask given how flipping rude the woman was, it was obvious she wasn't going to help