Plastic, paper, or take your own bag(s)?

Bee said:
The supermarket I started work with as a cashier did have porters/packers, if a customer wanted a packer we used to call for one, it was when that particular supermarket was taken over they did away with the porter/packer title and they were just called porters where they do the main of their work outside, but it is now part of the cashiers job and customer service to ask if the customer needs help with packing....the majority of customers nowadays bring their own bags and prefer to do their own packing but the cashiers are still expected to ask if they need help...............I once had a customer report me for not asking her if she needed any help with packing.

I can only speak for the supermarket/company that I worked for, for 17 1/2 years.
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That must be before I lived here as I've never seen a packer. My store is Morrison's - the only store in my town except for the lousy Co-op. But I used to sometimes make a trip to Tesco and they almost always asked if I wanted help. That was the store where somebody turned my strawberries into jam by putting potatoes on top of them.
 
oakapple said:
I take our own bags which are stronger than supermarket plastic ones.
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I have about 8 or 9 of the heavy plastic reusable bags I bought at Morrison's and Tesco. And a cloth wine bottle carrier.
 

Ameriscot said:
That must be before I lived here as I've never seen a packer. My store is Morrison's - the only store in my town except for the lousy Co-op. But I used to sometimes make a trip to Tesco and they almost always asked if I wanted help. That was the store where somebody turned my strawberries into jam by putting potatoes on top of them.
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It is Morrisons I am referring to, I did say in my previous post that before the takeover they had porters/packers, Morrisons have never had packers.

It is Morrisons company policy that all cashiers ask customers if they need help with packing whether it is Scotland or England the company policy is the same.
 
Bee said:
It is Morrisons I am referring to, I did say in my previous post that before the takeover they had porters/packers, Morrisons have never had packers.

It is Morrisons company policy that all cashiers ask customers if they need help with packing whether it is Scotland or England the company policy is the same.
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I'm only asked occasionally if I want help packing. But then it's a small town and a lot of the cashiers probably remember that I'll say no thanks. And I only see them ask when it's a large order.
 
After a big drive to stop stores from using non recyclable bags, my grocery store started giving out reusable plastic bags and giving 5 cents each time you used one. This was several months ago and I am still using those bags.
 
Ameriscot said:
I'm only asked occasionally if I want help packing. But then it's a small town and a lot of the cashiers probably remember that I'll say no thanks. And I only see them ask when it's a large order.
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It is a small town and one of the smaller Morrisons that I worked in and I never asked those regular customers if I knew they prefered to pack their own shopping.....but..... during one appraisal I had I was asked if I offered to pack customers shopping, when I said no! not to customers that prefer to pack their own, I was hauled over the coals and was told that it didn't matter I still had to ask as it was company policy and then I was asked if I asked customers on the express till and my answer again was no! once more I was hauled over the coals and told it didn't matter if a customer only had 1 or 2 items I still had to ask if they needed help with packing............so if you are never asked Ameriscot, those cashiers are not doing their job correctly according to company policiy..................but on the other hand despite being hauled over the coals for not doing my job properly according to company policy I still carried on working my way which as far as I am concerned was a common sense approach.:badgirl:


From this copy and paste you will see I posed the question on Morrison's forum and the reply I received......

QUOTE (Bee @ Apr 2 2015, 05:23 PM)
Could any of the Scottish members please tell me if it is Morrisons company policy in Scotland for all cashiers to ask if customers need help with their packing the same as it is in England.

Thanks a lot.

Yes but only after you have first asked if they require any bags and if so what kind of bags they would like to purchase and how many they would like due to carrier bag charge.


So from that you can see what you should expect when you shop in Morrisons but in the cashiers defense all I can say is, with you being a regular customer and you are not asked about help with your packing, the cashiers use the same common sense approach to the job as I did.;)
 
I would say our Morrison's is a major employer in town here as there isn't much else. So I believe the competition to work there is stiff as otherwise it's likely they'd have to take the ferry to get to work - which can be a very long and expensive commute. There is no competition as far as supermarkets here, although a lot of elderly shop at the Co-op. Don't know why as everything costs more and their fruit and veg are rubbish.

I'll pay more attention to whether I get asked if I need help bagging, but I'd guess about 30% of the time. I'm always asked if I need bags.
 
Bee within a 3 mile radius I have the option of Waitrose, M&S, Sainsbury, Morrisons, & tesco..all superstores... and Morrisons along with Tesco are the ones who are most likely not only to NOT ask if I want help with my packing, but to not have any Carrier bags even ready for me to pack my own..I have to ask can I have carrier bags, and much as I like Morrisons as a store to shop ..the till staff are appalling when it comes to customer service, in that when i do ask for bags (and believe me like Annie I do a massive shop at any one time)...they are pulled out one at a time. Just the other day I asked the guy if the Bags were being rationed!!
The other gripe I have with Morrisons ( and Tesco for that matter), is the cashiers' propensity to comment on my items as they go through... Picking up a magazine and reading the title after they've scanned it..or commenting on a certain item of food..''What's this I've never tasted that' etc...they may be thinking it's friendly, I don't know, but it's intrusive and annoying to me ...Just put my stuff through without comment if you don't mind I'm in a hurry and there's a queue of people behind me..

It sounds to me as tho' policies have slipped since you were there !!
 
Like Holly, we have a choice of all the major supermarkets within a mile or so of us, Sainsbury is the nearest so we use that, as well as for petrol. We have accumulated a selection of heavy duty plastic bags over the years and nearly always use those, unless just popping in on the fly, in which case we use a free disposable bag. We also bought a couple of hessian 'bags for life' for £1 a while ago, although WHO's life they mean I'm not sure, they certainly won't outlast me.

As an aside, does anyone have/use those self checkout machines that the major shops have now? I find them OK for the odd item or two but not for a major shop. That annoying woman who tells you ... "UNEXPECTED ITEM IN THE OUT TRAY" gets up my nose, it makes you sound like you're swiping something :)
 
hollydolly said:
Bee within a 3 mile radius I have the option of Waitrose, M&S, Sainsbury, Morrisons, & tesco..all superstores... and Morrisons along with Tesco are the ones who are most likely not only to NOT ask if I want help with my packing, but to not have any Carrier bags even ready for me to pack my own..I have to ask can I have carrier bags, and much as I like Morrisons as a store to shop ..the till staff are appalling when it comes to customer service, in that when i do ask for bags (and believe me like Annie I do a massive shop at any one time)...they are pulled out one at a time. Just the other day I asked the guy if the Bags were being rationed!!
The other gripe I have with Morrisons ( and Tesco for that matter), is the cashiers' propensity to comment on my items as they go through... Picking up a magazine and reading the title after they've scanned it..or commenting on a certain item of food..''What's this I've never tasted that' etc...they may be thinking it's friendly, I don't know, but it's intrusive and annoying to me ...Just put my stuff through without comment if you don't mind I'm in a hurry and there's a queue of people behind me..

It sounds to me as tho' policies have slipped since you were there !!
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It's much better at the store where I live, you know how small Dunoon is. I often choose the till I go to by the cashier as some are more friendly than others. And in general I find the staff in the store helpful and friendly. But then, I find people in this area more friendly in general.

As for commenting on purchases, I used to go the Tesco superstore in Greenock, then Port Glasgow about once a month because they had lower prices. One time I bought two oven mitts. The cashier who was very young challenged me for buying two saying most people only buy one and I'd have to pay for both of them. WTF!? The lady in the queue behind me was just shaking her head in disbelief.
 
Ameriscot said:
I would say our Morrison's is a major employer in town here as there isn't much else. So I believe the competition to work there is stiff as otherwise it's likely they'd have to take the ferry to get to work - which can be a very long and expensive commute. There is no competition as far as supermarkets here, although a lot of elderly shop at the Co-op. Don't know why as everything costs more and their fruit and veg are rubbish.

I'll pay more attention to whether I get asked if I need help bagging, but I'd guess about 30% of the time. I'm always asked if I need bags.
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I hate the Co-Op with a passion, they have the worst quality food of any supermarket. What a pity Morrisons is your only choice. I like it as I said because it's probably my closet supermarket but because I have the choice, I prefer to shop at Waitrose (simply because they have a much larger range of organic choice).. or M&S...but I'd choose Morrisons over Tesco or Sainsbury...I do occasionally pop into Aldi or Lidl if I'm in a town where they have them, and buy fish and cheeses , the quality is good and much cheaper then the rest but I couldn't possibly eat their own brand stuff, it's inedible ..
 
Rob said:
Like Holly, we have a choice of all the major supermarkets within a mile or so of us, Sainsbury is the nearest so we use that, as well as for petrol. We have accumulated a selection of heavy duty plastic bags over the years and nearly always use those, unless just popping in on the fly, in which case we use a free disposable bag. We also bought a couple of hessian 'bags for life' for £1 a while ago, although WHO's life they mean I'm not sure, they certainly won't outlast me.

As an aside, does anyone have/use those self checkout machines that the major shops have now? I find them OK for the odd item or two but not for a major shop. That annoying woman who tells you ... "UNEXPECTED ITEM IN THE OUT TRAY" gets up my nose, it makes you sound like you're swiping something :)
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I hate the self-checkouts and won't use them but my DH will.

My area could only support one large supermarket. I think our entire peninsula only has a population of about 20,000. Shopping elsewhere entails a ferry trip then a drive of at least 7 or 8 miles. I do have a friend who makes a trip across the water every few weeks and does all her shopping at Aldi or Lidl.
 
Rob I'm not a fan of self service checkouts , simply because of the reasons you state and also the stupid fact that if you dare to put an alcoholic beverage through you have to wait for 'permission'..like a naughty child. I understand the reasons of course, but it just holds everything up while you wait for someone to come and OK it..

Equally i don't use the self scanning guns in Waitrose..the idea is that you go to the customer services desk and register your CC or debit card then take a gun and scan your own items as you go around and bag them up in the trolley which takes twice as loing to go around by the time you've scanned every item ...but you still have to go back through the one and only Customer service till before you leave, so still have to queue...
 
hollydolly said:
I hate the Co-Op with a passion, they have the worst quality food of any supermarket. What a pity Morrisons is your only choice. I like it as I said because it's probably my closet supermarket but because I have the choice, I prefer to shop at Waitrose (simply because they have a much larger range of organic choice).. or M&S...but I'd choose Morrisons over Tesco or Sainsbury...I do occasionally pop into Aldi or Lidl if I'm in a town where they have them, and buy fish and cheeses , the quality is good and much cheaper then the rest but I couldn't possibly eat their own brand stuff, it's inedible ..
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The only reason I ever go into the Co-op is that's where our post office is.

Our store was totally remodeled and a lot of items added about 4 years ago. I am happy with them now although there are a few items they stopped carrying and I have to go to the health food store which is never cheap. I find the fruit and veg in our store has improved a lot and is much better than in the Tesco I used to go to.

I think I stopped into a Lidl or Aldi once on a Tesco run but had no desire to every go back.
 
Ameriscot said:
I hate the self-checkouts and won't use them but my DH will.

My area could only support one large supermarket. I think our entire peninsula only has a population of about 20,000. Shopping elsewhere entails a ferry trip then a drive of at least 7 or 8 miles. I do have a friend who makes a trip across the water every few weeks and does all her shopping at Aldi or Lidl.
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Annie I have seen people with trolleys piled high in Aldi and Lidl...and at the rsik of sounding like a snob..and I'm really not...I have no idea how people could enjoy eating most of what Lidl and Aldi sell.. and although affordable and God alone knows there are many who can only afford those types of supermarkets I realise that...I just feel it's such a pity that apart from the aforementioned food chesses , fish and some meats..most of it is poor quality.

That said...in Spain near my house there is a large Lidl supermarket which is very popular with the Spanish as well as Germans and English ..and unbelievably they sell much much better quality of food yet at the same discount prices than the Lidl here..I wonder why that could be..
 
Holly, where I live we have the choice of Morrisons a small Asda , Lidles and the Co-op, other than that I would have to travel approx 20 miles for a different supermarket.............standards may have slipped in the Morrisons you shop at and that is down to the store manager but not at the Morrisons I go to, I am still asked if I would like bags and help with my packing................as for your sarcasm towards the cashier only pulling one bag out at a time he was only doing what he was he told to do, they are not allowed to have bags on display or pull a big wad out..............many a time I have gone home from work with a sore tongue where I have bitten it so hard because of customers sarcasm and them using the cashier as a sounding board and I haven't been able to retort back.

I had best leave this thread now before I say something I shouldn't.
 
Errrm excuse me Bee that was uncalled for I didn't use sarcasm towards the cashier I asked him a straightforward question...he had every right to explain to me that it was the company policy not to have bags lying out at the end of the conveyor belt for the use of the customer but he didn't, he just dragged another ONE bag out when it was clear I had at least enough shopping to fill a half a dozen.

However there again you have explained that cashiers are not permitted to have bags out on the conveyor belt in Morrisons, but that's patently not so, because I have on more than one occasion when there's been no bags forthcoming from the cashier at the till I'm at..reached over to the till behind me where the cashier there has in fact already got a lot of bags ready and open at the end of their belt!!
 
The other gripe I have with Morrisons ( and Tesco for that matter), is the cashiers' propensity to comment on my items as they go through... Picking up a magazine and reading the title after they've scanned it..or commenting on a certain item of food..''What's this I've never tasted that' etc...they may be thinking it's friendly, I don't know, but it's intrusive and annoying to me
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That's where we differ, hollydolly. I don't find it at all intrusive, or annoying, in fact I find it friendly and am happy to answer the cashier and have a bit of banter without feeling as if I'm being rushed. :)
 
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I understand that Pam if people have the time and are happy to chat...and I will chat happily too with a cashier as long as my stuff is being scanned at the same time and I'm not holding up a big queue...it's just I don't like the inquisitive questions about my items.. :)
 
hollydolly said:
Annie I have seen people with trolleys piled high in Aldi and Lidl...and at the rsik of sounding like a snob..and I'm really not...I have no idea how people could enjoy eating most of what Lidl and Aldi sell.. and although affordable and God alone knows there are many who can only afford those types of supermarkets I realise that...I just feel it's such a pity that apart from the aforementioned food chesses , fish and some meats..most of it is poor quality.

That said...in Spain near my house there is a large Lidl supermarket which is very popular with the Spanish as well as Germans and English ..and unbelievably they sell much much better quality of food yet at the same discount prices than the Lidl here..I wonder why that could be..
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The friend that goes complains about Morrison's prices here (which I'm sure are higher than in other Morrison's due to added cost of the ferry transport) are too high. She and her husband are very low income.
 

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