To expect the checkout woman at the local Tesco Extra store to help me pack whilst I unload the rest of the trolley instead of her just sitting there like a cat who has just sucked a lemon !!

[CaptainUnderpants]

Ok went to the smaller local Tesco today , couldn't be bothered to drive to a Superstore . Needed stuff which I knew I could get in the smaller store .

Had a small trolley and took my owm Tesco Big Blue bags with me .

Anyway get to the checkout and the conveyer belt is quite samll due to the nature of the store , I start unloading my shopping and the checkout woman reaches for the plastic bags I say to her that I have the reusable ones and put them at the end of the checkout .

She puts a few items through, doesn't pack them in my bags , then sits and wiats as the end of the chekoput is getting full of my unpacked shopping and I am still unloading the trolley.

I stop unloading and say ' I'll pack shall I? hint hint !!

So I start packing , then I go back to the trolley and start unloading again. During pauses of not scanning the woman just sits there !

NO bloody help ! I have been in stores in the past when they offer to start packing whilst you unload the rest of the trolley then leave you to do the rest . Fine , no problem with that but when they jsut sit there and you are back and for packing , unloading , it is tiny bit annoying !.

Anyway got a bit pissed off and when I paid for the shopping I went over the fill in a customer 'satifaction' card and found none there !
Was I being unreasonable to expect some initally help in packing the bags ? especailly when I am in the throws of PMT !

If I had used the plastic bags she would have done it !

i love lidl, by the way, am not knocking it. what are your best product recommendations? (i know you worked in aldi, but still).

The worst thing about supermarkets is when the checkout staff start b*tching about their colleagues/ pay/ working conditions in front of customers - looks really bad. The best thing about supermarkets is when we can't move 10 yards without a crowd of people clustering round DD telling her she's beautiful - am I wicked for basking in the reflected glory of my gorgeous baby? I'm sure we won't get the same attention when she's 3 and having a hissy fit over a packet of sugary E-numbers......

I have had a similar experience in our local Tesco Express this morning. A young boy serving, proceeds to analyze the contents of my basket (which annoys me at the best of times) then piles things onto counter (no conveyers) and finally asks if I'd like a bag. To which I replied 'Well I doubt I'll manage DS (2 and walking) and all this without one!'

I felt a bit mean afterwards, but I have had a bad day and didn't need it tbh. They are normally quite good in there, but this particular boy does irritate me. He kind of makes conversation about inane things and I really don't pop into Tesco Express to chat about stuff when I actually have no idea what he is on about.

I'm mean

Aitch

Try some of the wines (not the cheapest ones...they can be a bit dodgy . Aldi wines were featured in the Observer wine column last month (for all the right reasons!) The Cremant du Jura sparkling at £599 is great. The BBQ frozen range is fab, especially the ostrich, and both ALDI and Lidl do FAB biscuits. Lidl are stocking continental spiced biscuits at the mo that are lovely (taste like the little minature bics you get given with coffee in some places...yum!)

On the down side, you do need to watch the salt content on some of the processed stuff (but thats the same anywhere). I see if I can think of anything else to recommend....

£5.99

The full stop is quite crucial really....

Move to America. Here our supermarket employs college students to pack, wheel the shopping out to your car AND put it in the car boot.

Maybe you could suggest this to lemon-sucker next time you're there?

I think the staff are trained to listen for a yes/no answer as it's very noisy in a supermarket! By saying something about I've got my own she must have thought you said something like I'll pack my own. Or, yes, just lazy....

We're lucky here ours are always polite and helpful.

i've noticed that with the salt content on some o the cooked meats. but i'm workking my way through them nevertheless. had some ham the other day that was inedibly salty.

"Still more pleasant than lidl/aldi where they fling the items at your abdomen at high speed while you flail about trying to get them back in the trolley without the tinned goods landing on the eggs and the potatoes squashing the grapes"

that had me in fits!!

To the OP- this has happened to me when I also have a screaming child /children with me, and I asked the woman- could you help pack a bit please?- she did.
I hate having to ask, as it should be obvious you would like a bit of help. Mostly I don't have to.But...

I am one of those anal ones who likes to pack their own. I even put it on the belt in a certain order. I'lll get my coat and leave now shall I?

YANBU - it is her job to help you pack if you need it whether or not you use your own bags or fresh ones! If I were you and you still feel like complaining then I would write a letter to the store complaining about her, her operator number will be at the bottom of the receipt (I think it is the 4 digit numer second from the end) so it won't matter if you don't have her name.

Also to Mishymoo, I work in Tesco and keep hold of the card until the receipt comes out - sorry! Didn't realise it was annoying to customers, it is just a habit to hand everything over at once - sorry again!

Fantastic name!

Er....the past 15 or so posters...

wouldnt happen in Asda ...you have to crowbar them off your packing in there. its not the greatest supermarket for a number of reasons but i have to say ive never had reason to complain about the staff. they are always more than helpful and very friendly. lovely huge fake grins and "have a nice day ishness".

Just because I know the cause of the in-human speed of the checkout staff in lidl/aldi does not make it easier to protect my courgettes ...

however, being a bargain-lover...I will tolerate it! (through gritted teeth and clenched abdominals..hey...shopercise!)

you should have asked - then complained to store manager.

COV I put shopping on belt in a prticular order too, the aim being that it is easier to pack in appropriate bags at other end ( eg all frozen together, stuff for the larder together, non-food stuff like shampoo and washing up liquid together).
Not anal surely...just pre-planning

Tiga & Cov- I'm not a control freak (you only have to see the state of my my house)

but I agree I put all fridge things together & all smelly/non edible stuff & stuff I know goes in the same cupboard in my kitchen to reduce time t'other end.( I think it's called double-handling)

Bossy I am a bit of a control freak (although I work hard not to be). DH reckons I have mild OCD (if that is possible). I can't sit and relax if I now something isn't done, I write lists for everything, have a dictaphone pen in my handbag to leave myself messages when I am out. I am very very sad

DH used to work for Tesco many, many moons ago. They have a VERY strict customer care policy. For example, if you ask someone where to find something, they should take you to the place, rather than direct you.

I would email customer relations and say that you were disappointed. I'm sure they'll be glad that you did.

Conven if I tell you that I want a dictafone for Christmas for the same reason does that make me OCD too?

In my defence it's cos I've got a PHENOMALLY (?sp) bad memory

Well I like to pack myself, but only because I can get far more in each bag than anyone who is going to pack it for me seems able to.

I hate it when they fling stuff through really quickly and then as you are still packing tell you how much it is and hold their hand out.

That makes me pack as s-l-o-w-l-y as possible

Jura - I could have asked her explicity to help but it doesn't taken much common sense to see that a customer needs some help especailly when that customer is back and for trying to pack and unload the shopping at same time , or perhpas no common sense was there in the first place ( checkout operator not me .

On the odd occasiion that I shop at Waitrose I do like it that they wait until you have unloaded the trolley before they start putting it through the till, or if they have to put it through the checkout operator will start packing iwthout hestitation.

Anyway live and learn