Do you want a hand?.................NO

chazbar

Why is it that in every supermarket I go to now I am confronted by strangers trying to pack my shopping?

I know some are for good causes and I am not anti charity but......
#1 I don't want any help packing my shopping
#2 I have said no thanks before but it didn't matter
#3 My groceries which i am paying good money for is getting threw in every way, bread is getting crushed, fruit and veg is getting bruised and then I give them money for it because if i don't, I feel guilty.
#4 Most are not for charities, they are for clubs and societies which I have nothing to do with in any way at all.
#5 Its pretty embarrassing when you buy private products such as contraception and creams, to be then handled by a child

Is it not possible that just a few tills are left with no one packing on them, so the consumer has a choice, or perhaps, why not just leave the buckets at the tills and I would be more than happy to leave my loose change with them.

brightspark

It's a rule in my local Dunnes that the collectors cannot man all the tills, there has to be at least one checkout without any one collecting.

gizmo

chazbar wrote: »

Is it not possible that just a few tills are left with no one packing on them, so the consumer has a choice, or perhaps, why not just leave the buckets at the tills and I would be more than happy to leave my loose change with them.

You do have a choice even when they're there, that's why they ask you "Do you want a hand?". Regardless of whether I want to give them money I prefer to pack my own shopping but a smile and a "No thanks, I can manage" won't cost you anything either.

coffee_cake

gizmo wrote: »

You do have a choice even when they're there, that's why they ask you "Do you want a hand?". Regardless of whether I want to give them money I prefer to pack my own shopping but a smile and a "No thanks, I can manage" won't cost you anything either.

Yeah that's what I do too

looksee

I agree with both chazbar and gizmo. I don't like having other people manhandle my groceries, and yes I have had things damaged by bad packing. Mostly now I say, I'll give you a donation, but I'd rather pack them myself.

It does seem a bit silly to refuse help though when you have to catch up with packing because you have been unloading the trolly, especially when the 'helpers' just stand there in your way, gawking. I have also heard other customers make smart remarks about people who are too picky to allow the children to help!!!

What is frustrating though is when you head for a non-packing till and someone comes from one of the other tills to 'help'.

And at the same time I appreciate that these people have given up their Saturday to help raise money, and are trying to be helpful. I always give a donation, regardless of whether they pack or not - football clubs might only get a token though:D

Exclamation Marc

I agree with the OP, sometimes you just really don't want the help they're offering.

Some of them are decent, but there are a hell of a lot of "volunteers" who just flat out dont want to be there, and more or less try to pack everything as fast as they can and just rifle my shopping into bags under the "fit it all in" principle.

Also the amount of times packers have mixed in Domestos or Dettol with food is just baffling, so I prefer to do it myself or hit the tills with no packers.

wmpdd3

I was working on a check out today, I choose one without a volunteer packer, ended up being most popular check for the hour. We only have packer once a week and we hare hounded by these charities and groups for more dates.

Last year one group couldn't get the date they wanted so they advised all the children's parent to boycott the supermarket.

Put your opinion in writing to the supermarket so we can pass your thought s to the groups when they demand their dates.

And no way would I let anybody else pack my bag, even if they were trained by the supermarket such as superquinn.

Nolimits

I know our store manager doesn't like them because alot of customers don't like them. The key is that there should always be one person to 2 or 3 tills or even more, that way if you don't want a hand they can quickly move onto the next one instead of just standing there like a pleb as you pack your own stuff.

Exclamation Marc

wmpdd3 wrote: »

Last year one group couldn't get the date they wanted so they advised all the children's parent to boycott the supermarket.

That's disgraceful, but doesn't suprise me hugely.

AngryLips

It especially gets on my goat when the society/organisation/charity is of a religious persuasion

Priori

Self-service checkouts all the way.

I usually get embarrassed and give them change, and it's never the money that bothers me; for some reason it just gets me in a fluster when I know somebody will be there to offer to pack my (one bag) usually! A little silly I know.

ShooterSF

The trick here is to turn the old guilt tactic back on them. Let them pack the bags then turn and say "I can give you money if you wan't but I'm sure you'll agree the feeling of doing a good deed for no reward is the best reward of all"

The Lovely Muffin

I hate this as well.

Every weekend (without fail) most of the checkouts in the supermarket have people at them packing bags.

I always say 'no thanks' and while some of the 'bag-packers' listen to me, some just stand there looking at me.

It's mostly for sports clubs though, sometimes, it's for charity, but not always.

Kidchameleon

Absolutely hate bag packers. One time I was in my local Super Valu and there were packers there. So your one packs my bag, grand not a bother, I throw some change into her bucket, she then proceeds to stare into the hole in the bucket, counting how much I put in :eek:

Magenta

They've even had them in Boots as well. I mean for ****'s sake.
The checkout space at Boots is small enough as it is, they are designed for people only buying a basketful of things max, and you've got somebody from a sports club etc standing at each one, crowding the place up. Very annoying, especially when you're paying by card and don't want someone breathing down your neck.
Why on earth would anyone need help packing at most, a basketful of stuff?
Plus, Boots stock is often very sensitive ie pregnancy tests, condoms, etc- I'm not letting some kid put those in a bag for me!

91011

A few weeks ago at Tesco Newbridge

At Door - guy selling Big Issues. (has been there for years and decent too)

At checkout - bag packing in aid of local club.

On way out - table with someone selling Jackie Skelly memberships and box with sign asking you to donate to animal shelter.


Whilst no-one has an issue with groups & people looking to raise money, there has to be some form of limit / option for those who do not wish to donate to be able to avoid it in some way otherwise it will be counter productive.

TheDriver

I hate down here in the country where other GAA clubs are packing in my local supermarket even though we have our own GAA club.
Anyone ever get annoyed by the way that some sports clubs have seperate collections for underage/women/men etc

pinkypinky

I deliberately went to the self-service tills in Tesco Clare Hall with a mostly full trolley today because there was some charity packers. I don't have a lot of spare money for charity at the moment and it embarrasses me to have to not give something.

wmpdd3

Honestly put your comments here and something will be done. I know it's a pain but trying to convice clubs (who are also customers) that they are annoying customers is impossible.

https://www.tescocomments.com/

pinkypinky

Thanks for the heads up. Filled out the form - they want a bloody store number and I don't have my receipt - can't send the feedback without it. Silly. I called the branch and got it.

Brendog

Lads I know you are all doing it for a good cause but you need to learn how to pack shopping bags.
The amount of times I've got someone to help pack my bags and when I get home I discover the ice cream is in with the toiletries, fruit is in with meat and crisps are in the freezer bags.


I know you're doing your best but its very annoying when I spend €200 on food and by giving you €2 I can only eat €100 worth of what I've bought.

foggy_lad

91011 wrote: »

A few weeks ago at Tesco Newbridge

At Door - guy selling Big Issues. (has been there for years and decent too)

At checkout - bag packing in aid of local club.

On way out - table with someone selling Jackie Skelly memberships and box with sign asking you to donate to animal shelter.


Whilst no-one has an issue with groups & people looking to raise money, there has to be some form of limit / option for those who do not wish to donate to be able to avoid it in some way otherwise it will be counter productive.

Lidl and Aldi never have these annoying bag packers! it is just another nasty americanization of irish society.

jpb1974

I know you're doing your best but its very annoying when I spend €200 on food and by giving you €2 I can only eat €100 worth of what I've bought.

50% of a €200 shop destroyed... wow... that must've been some packing job.

Liamario

The obvious solution is for all the local supermarkets to agree that they don't allow these "charities" to come in and pack bags.
Problem solved.

Das Kitty

I would actually be delighted to have someone pack my bags IF they knew what they were doing.

The last time I said yes I was 9 months pregnant and on my own. Stuff was squashed, bags were burst, there was even a broken jar. I complained to the manager the next time I was in.

A local girls hockey club collects in one of our local supermarkets regularly. It galls me to see the girls slowly dumping everything that comes their way into the same bag not even looking because they are either texting or staring vacantly out the window. I never donate to them and I always get scowled at. It's rarely charities that do these collections in my experience.

LittleBook

Brendog wrote: »

Lads I know you are all doing it for a good cause but you need to learn how to pack shopping bags.

+ 1

I usually don't mind these kids so much and where I shop it's usually for a good, local cause. If I want a hand I say "yes please", if I don't "no thanks".

But a kid this weekend put me off completely, I had a lot of stuff and no less than 6 bags but even after I tried to point this out he managed to stuff the lot into two bags that I couldn't lift!

It was like he was playing Tetris rather than packing intelligently! :pac:

ShooterSF

For those of you interested I found this book a great help. It explains the tactics people use to persuade you to do things and once you are more aware of them you can realise the obligation you are feeling is one you have been cleverly tricked into and you can consciously override it.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Influence-Psychology-Persuasion-Robert-Cialdini/dp/006124189X/ref=sr_1_1/277-1889232-7706728?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1284384627&sr=8-1

wmpdd3

Good point about Lidl and Aldi, never have any kind of collector. Has anyone tried to collect on their premises? What's their policy?

keithclancy

ShooterSF wrote: »

For those of you interested I found this book a great help. It explains the tactics people use to persuade you to do things and once you are more aware of them you can realise the obligation you are feeling is one you have been cleverly tricked into and you can consciously override it.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Influence-Psychology-Persuasion-Robert-Cialdini/dp/006124189X/ref=sr_1_1/277-1889232-7706728?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1284384627&sr=8-1

Actually I think its the Irish Mentality, people are too polite.

Germany and Holland they just say 'no' and have no problem doing so.

They say exactly what they mean, hence they come off as rude when visiting our emerald isle

VERYinterested

Most of the kids clubs collecting is to subsidise a trip for them abroad at Easter. It is not being done for charity. Don't feel guilty, just opt out of the help. If they want to go on a holiday, let their parents pay, why should you pay?

dudara

I just say "Thanks, but no thanks". I drop in a few coins and leave it at that.

If they're really determined, I stand over their shoulder directing them on how to do it.