I suppose this is a pretty minor pet peeve, but it still ticks me off.

I shop at Vons in the Los Angeles area (owned and run by Safeway).
They have two store policies that I find irritating and hypocritical.
The first is, the checker always asks you "do you need help out to
your car", no matter what the size of your order. I've had them ask me
that when all I bought was a half gallon of milk, or a single bag of
potato chips.

Apparently it's store policy that they =have= to ask that question, no
matter what the size of the customer's order. Aside from the
ludicrousness of the question, I feel it's an insult to me - do I look
so decrepit that they genuinely think I =need= help? And it's an
insult to the checker - why can't the store trust their employees to
use common sense - ask the question if there's a =large= order, or the
customer is elderly and might need the help. Let the employee assess
the situation. Its not rocket science. I've complained several times
and have been told "it's company policy".

The second thing that Vons does that ticks me off is this: when you
pay by debit or credit card, the checker is required to call you by
name when they hand you the receipt. So you have to wait while they
stare at the receipt, and try and figure out how to pronounce your
name. I find this fake "personalization" worse than just a generic
"ma'am" or "sir". They don't know me from Adam, they are forced to do
this, and the whole thing is so phony it makes me crazy. Again, I find
it insulting, and I'm sure there are other people who genuinely don't
want the checker announcing their name to everyone within earshot.
Just imagine the reaction if you heard "Thank you, Ms. Longoria" or
"Thank you, Mr, Laurie".

None of the other markets I shop at do this. Anyone else have this
kind of experience? (I think it's a policy for all Safeway stores).

Like I said, I know in the greater scheme of things it's pretty minor,
but I just can't help being irritated nearly every time I shop there.

And yes, I =could= stop shopping there, but they carry things the
other markets don't, and they occasionally have great sales on meat
and poultry. Plus, they're they only market near me that carries milk
in half-gallon wax paper containers, instead of the plastic jugs
everyone else seems to have gone to. I find that my milk spoils a
whole lot sooner in the plastic jugs.

Cathy

Cathy complained:
The first is, the checker always asks you "do you need help out to
your car", no matter what the size of your order. I've had them ask me
that when all I bought was a half gallon of milk, or a single bag of
potato chips.


Apparently it's store policy that they =have= to ask that question, no
matter what the size of the customer's order. Aside from the
ludicrousness of the question, I feel it's an insult to me - do I look
so decrepit that they genuinely think I =need= help.
----------------------------
Why be such a complainer, when they are being courteous? How many
times have you/we said "How do you do?" , or "Nice to meet you", when
it is actually just a social form. You've posted this complaint before,
I think.

Agreed. It sounds fake. Keep talking about it here until someone from Vons
notices. Do not, under any circumstances write to the company.

cathy wrote:
> I suppose this is a pretty minor pet peeve, but it still ticks me off.
>
> I shop at Vons in the Los Angeles area (owned and run by Safeway).
> They have two store policies that I find irritating and hypocritical.
> The first is, the checker always asks you "do you need help out to
> your car",

and no matter what your apparent age or infirmity.
>
> Apparently it's store policy that they =have= to ask that question, no
> matter what the size of the customer's order.

Clearly.

> Aside from the
> ludicrousness of the question, I feel it's an insult to me - do I look
> so decrepit that they genuinely think I =need= help? And it's an
> insult to the checker - why can't the store trust their employees to
> use common sense - [snip]

Good point. They pay checkers a good wage but they don't trust their
judgment.

> The second thing that Vons does that ticks me off is this: when you
> pay by debit or credit card, the checker is required to call you by
> name when they hand you the receipt.

Even when you use their mandatory "club card" to avoid being
overcharged.

So you have to wait while they
> stare at the receipt, and try and figure out how to pronounce your
> name. I find this fake "personalization" worse than just a generic
> "ma'am" or "sir".

Yes. I can abide the rest of it but I hate this fake familiarity.

> None of the other markets I shop at do this.

TJ, Ralphs, the Mexican market, the Asian markets -- all let me be
anonymous and able to carry my own bags.

> Like I said, I know in the greater scheme of things it's pretty minor,
> but I just can't help being irritated nearly every time I shop there.

But minor things like this pile up. They are also the worst as far as
missing price tags on produce and on the shelves.
>
> And yes, I =could= stop shopping there,

And I nearly have. They are the closest to my house but I regularly
choose to go farther. Most of that is for better meat and wider
variety of things I'm looking for, but some of it is precisely because
of these minor annoyances. The question is, how do you get them to
wise up? -aem

cathy wrote on 2/11/2006:

> I suppose this is a pretty minor pet peeve, but it still ticks me off.

<snip comments about Von's/Safeway's courtesy procedures>

I find it more amusing than insulting. I spend most of my time either
around San Jose, CA or Portland, OR. I often shop at Safeway and go
throught the same drill. I see the same clerks and cashiers all the
time. Some pull this off with more panache than others. I especially
like it when I walk by the same clerk 3 or 4 times, he says "hello, can
I help you find anything" (sort of like he wants to be my best friend).
Then I see the same guy outside having a smoke break on my way out and
he doesn't say a word.

This is as opposed to Whole Foods and Trader Joe's which strike me as
courtesy neutral, at least for the most part.

"cathy" > wrote in message
...
>I suppose this is a pretty minor pet peeve, but it still ticks me off.
>
> I shop at Vons in the Los Angeles area (owned and run by Safeway).
> They have two store policies that I find irritating and hypocritical.
> The first is, the checker always asks you "do you need help out to
> your car", no matter what the size of your order. I've had them ask me
> that when all I bought was a half gallon of milk, or a single bag of
> potato chips.
>
> Apparently it's store policy that they =have= to ask that question, no
> matter what the size of the customer's order. Aside from the
> ludicrousness of the question, I feel it's an insult to me - do I look
> so decrepit that they genuinely think I =need= help? And it's an
> insult to the checker - why can't the store trust their employees to
> use common sense - ask the question if there's a =large= order, or the
> customer is elderly and might need the help. Let the employee assess
> the situation. Its not rocket science. I've complained several times
> and have been told "it's company policy".
>

All three of the chain groceries here do that. I don't find it annoying at
all. Some people who look otherwise fine might want help, but not want to
ask. Like a mom with small kids -- it might be useful to have someone else
load the groceries in the trunk while mom gets the kids settled in the car.
And then, having someone else remove the cart means that Mom doesn't have to
leave the kids alone, even for a few seconds.

I do think it's amusing when I've got so few items I haven't used a cart,
but you never know. What if I just wanted someone to walk me out to the car?
Maybe there's some creepy-looking guy lurking in the parking lot. People
might have a lot of non-obvious reasons why they'd like someone to walk to
the car with them.

Funny thing is, I was on crutches, then on a cane, then limping for a while
due to an injury, and when I was limping and gimping and hopping, and that's
the only time in recent memory that I didn't get asked if I needed help.
Several times. I wouldn't have wanted help, anyway, because hanging on to
the cart was actually helpful. But I thought it was funny that those were
the times I didn't get asked.

Cathy wrote:

> The second thing that Vons does that ticks me off is this: when you
> pay by debit or credit card, the checker is required to call you by
> name when they hand you the receipt. So you have to wait while they
> stare at the receipt, and try and figure out how to pronounce your
> name. I find this fake "personalization" worse than just a generic
> "ma'am" or "sir". They don't know me from Adam, they are forced to do
> this, and the whole thing is so phony it makes me crazy. Again, I find
> it insulting, and I'm sure there are other people who genuinely don't
> want the checker announcing their name to everyone within earshot.
> Just imagine the reaction if you heard "Thank you, Ms. Longoria" or
> "Thank you, Mr, Laurie".

If it really bothers you, simply get a card under a different name.

Same thing with restaurant reservations. I'm quite happy with opentable.com,
but why do they need my real name to reserve a table for me? So all my
opentable.com reservations are made for "James Bond."

Bob

"aem" > wrote in message
ps.com...

> The question is, how do you get them to
> wise up? -aem

The secret is to write about them in places where they will never notice
your comments. Don't tell the manager that his/her employees sound like
little robots. Their behavior might be his idea, and you wouldn't want him
to know it was a dismal failure.

Above all, be sure NOT to write to the CEO at this address. If enough people
DID write to him, something might improve. Bad idea.

Stephen Burd
Vons
8060 S. Kyrene Rd.
Tempe, AZ 85284

On Sat 11 Feb 2006 06:56:13p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it cathy?

> I suppose this is a pretty minor pet peeve, but it still ticks me off.
>

I'm much too busy and have far too much on my mind to give a whit about what
they do or don't say unless it was obviously something rude. Once I've done
my shopping, whether at leisure or in a hurry, all I care about is getting
through the checkout and getting home.

--
Wayne Boatwright o¿o
____________________

BIOYA

Doug Kanter wrote:
> "aem" > wrote in message
> ps.com...
>
> > The question is, how do you get them to
> > wise up? -aem
>
> The secret is to write about them in places where they will never notice
> your comments. Don't tell the manager that his/her employees sound like
> little robots. Their behavior might be his idea, and you wouldn't want him
> to know it was a dismal failure.

I have told the manager more than once about the 'calling by name'
issue, as well as about their failure to mark prices completely. I
agree with your implied point that talking to them is better than
talking here about it. You're wrong, though, if you think we'll get
noticeable response either way. -aem

On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 02:38:24 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
> wrote:

>"aem" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>
>> The question is, how do you get them to
>> wise up? -aem
>
>The secret is to write about them in places where they will never notice
>your comments. Don't tell the manager that his/her employees sound like
>little robots. Their behavior might be his idea, and you wouldn't want him
>to know it was a dismal failure.
>
>Above all, be sure NOT to write to the CEO at this address. If enough people
>DID write to him, something might improve. Bad idea.

You don't do snide sarcasm very well. You might want to try a
different tack.

Bob Terwilliger wrote:
>
> Same thing with restaurant reservations. I'm quite happy with opentable.com,
> but why do they need my real name to reserve a table for me? So all my
> opentable.com reservations are made for "James Bond."
>
I usually pick a name that's been in the news and add "doctor." I've
been Doctor Bryant and Doctor Jackson in honor of the Lakers and Doctor
Woods for Tiger. I was Doctor Huxtable for our best local restaurant
once and the hostess did a double take when I arrived with that name (I
look nothing like Bill Cosby). Next time we went there I called and
said, this is Doctor Huxtable but tonight call me Doctor Bunker. When
we got there it was wasted, as it was a different hostess. -aem

"J. Eric Durbin" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 02:38:24 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
> > wrote:
>
>>"aem" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>>
>>> The question is, how do you get them to
>>> wise up? -aem
>>
>>The secret is to write about them in places where they will never notice
>>your comments. Don't tell the manager that his/her employees sound like
>>little robots. Their behavior might be his idea, and you wouldn't want him
>>to know it was a dismal failure.
>>
>>Above all, be sure NOT to write to the CEO at this address. If enough
>>people
>>DID write to him, something might improve. Bad idea.
>
> You don't do snide sarcasm very well. You might want to try a
> different tack.
>

Nah....why? This is my standard reaction when people seem to think they'll
get somewhere posting a complaint here. If they really want something to
change, they'd write to the source of the problem. Since they don't, they
must want things to remain the same. They'll shop elsewhere. That'll show
'em. Except that it really won't.

"cathy" > wrote in message
...
> I suppose this is a pretty minor pet peeve, but it still ticks me off.

Tell the manager.


_________________________________________
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aem wrote about making restaurant reservations:

> I usually pick a name that's been in the news and add "doctor." I've
> been Doctor Bryant and Doctor Jackson in honor of the Lakers and Doctor
> Woods for Tiger. I was Doctor Huxtable for our best local restaurant
> once and the hostess did a double take when I arrived with that name (I
> look nothing like Bill Cosby). Next time we went there I called and
> said, this is Doctor Huxtable but tonight call me Doctor Bunker. When
> we got there it was wasted, as it was a different hostess. -aem


I've never appended "doctor," but once I made a reservation as "Senator
Marcus Bibulus." (It was for a wine-tasting dinner, so I thought "bibulus"
was appropriate.) I've also made reservations for the "Dunwich Group" (an
allusion to H. P. Lovecraft) and "Captain James Walker" (from the rock opera
"Tommy.")

Anybody else do this?

Bob

In article >,
cathy > wrote:

> ludicrousness of the question, I feel it's an insult to me - do I look
> so decrepit that they genuinely think I =need= help?

Well, shoot! Take 'em up on it! Let them carry that half gallon of
milk to your car for you. Call their bluff and see what happens.

> And it's an insult to the checker - why can't the store trust their
> employees to use common sense

Because common sense is no longer a common commodity. I'm guessing they
don't pay the employee to think; they pay the employee to follow
established procedures.

> - ask the question if there's a =large= order,

But that would require some discernment on the part of the cashier --
they would have to wrestle with the notion of what constitutes a large
order: number of items or size of the bill. More than one bag? More
than 7 items? The employee would have to think - and they're not paid
to think. More's the pity.

> or the customer is elderly and might need the help. Let the employee
> assess the situation. Its not rocket science. I've complained several
> times and have been told "it's company policy".

Then that's the answer. It's their policy. If it is so vexing shop
elsewhere. Trade convenience for peace. Change what you can. Accept
what you cannot change. Be serene. "-)
--
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com, updated 2-11-2006, Sausage Roll Ups

Bob Terwilliger wrote:

> I've never appended "doctor," but once I made a reservation as "Senator
> Marcus Bibulus." (It was for a wine-tasting dinner, so I thought "bibulus"
> was appropriate.) I've also made reservations for the "Dunwich Group" (an
> allusion to H. P. Lovecraft) and "Captain James Walker" (from the rock opera
> "Tommy.")
>
> Anybody else do this?
>
> Bob

One night in Mexico City after a fine dinner my Father, ever
the jokester, decided to sign the credit card receipt "Napolean
Bonaparte" just to see if they'd notice. They didn't.

We laughed, and I remember the Oysters Rockafeller to
this day. Best ever.

--
Reg

I'm Marge Simpson on my Safeway shopper card. The cashiers are usually
on autopilot and don't even notice when they say "Thank you Mrs
Simpson"

melanie

cathy wrote:
> I suppose this is a pretty minor pet peeve, but it still ticks me off.
>
> I shop at Vons in the Los Angeles area (owned and run by Safeway).
> They have two store policies that I find irritating
>
> The second thing that Vons does that ticks me off is this: when you
> pay by debit or credit card, the checker is required to call you by
> name when they hand you the receipt.

That almost offended me once, but i was abel to restrain myself from
making a sharp retort to the checker as i realized i had used a
'discount card' from a store i only shop at once a year and my name was
displayed on their digital read out screen thingy on the cash register.
But i found it overly familiar. If i shopped there more often i might
say something.

What ever happened to a tug o the forelock? or at least a simple bow?

Have you been asked if you want the senior discount Cathy? I felt like
i was cheating the first time it was offered me and i contemplated
taking it.

So you have to wait while they
> stare at the receipt, and try and figure out how to pronounce your
> name. I find this fake "personalization" worse than just a generic
> "ma'am" or "sir". They don't know me from Adam, they are forced to do
> this, and the whole thing is so phony it makes me crazy. Again, I find
> it insulting, and I'm sure there are other people who genuinely don't
> want the checker announcing their name to everyone within earshot.
> Just imagine the reaction if you heard "Thank you, Ms. Longoria" or
> "Thank you, Mr, Laurie".
>
> None of the other markets I shop at do this. Anyone else have this
> kind of experience? (I think it's a policy for all Safeway stores).

That's where it happened to me at. A posh place i also rarely shop at
acknowledges my presence because i have occasionally been shopping there
for years, an upscale 'Andronicos' and i know some of their names cause
they wear name tags.
>
> Like I said, I know in the greater scheme of things it's pretty minor,
> but I just can't help being irritated nearly every time I shop there.
>
> And yes, I =could= stop shopping there, but they carry things the
> other markets don't, and they occasionally have great sales on meat
> and poultry. Plus, they're they only market near me that carries milk
> in half-gallon wax paper containers, instead of the plastic jugs
> everyone else seems to have gone to. I find that my milk spoils a
> whole lot sooner in the plastic jugs.

Nice when all one can complain about are petty annoyances.
---
JL
>
> Cathy

In article >,
cathy > wrote:

> I suppose this is a pretty minor pet peeve, but it still ticks me off.
>
> I shop at Vons in the Los Angeles area (owned and run by Safeway).
> They have two store policies that I find irritating and hypocritical.
> The first is, the checker always asks you "do you need help out to
> your car", no matter what the size of your order. I've had them ask me
> that when all I bought was a half gallon of milk, or a single bag of
> potato chips.
>
> Apparently it's store policy that they =have= to ask that question, no
> matter what the size of the customer's order. Aside from the
> ludicrousness of the question, I feel it's an insult to me - do I look
> so decrepit that they genuinely think I =need= help? And it's an
> insult to the checker - why can't the store trust their employees to
> use common sense - ask the question if there's a =large= order, or the
> customer is elderly and might need the help. Let the employee assess
> the situation. Its not rocket science. I've complained several times
> and have been told "it's company policy".
>
> The second thing that Vons does that ticks me off is this: when you
> pay by debit or credit card, the checker is required to call you by
> name when they hand you the receipt. So you have to wait while they
> stare at the receipt, and try and figure out how to pronounce your
> name. I find this fake "personalization" worse than just a generic
> "ma'am" or "sir". They don't know me from Adam, they are forced to do
> this, and the whole thing is so phony it makes me crazy. Again, I find
> it insulting, and I'm sure there are other people who genuinely don't
> want the checker announcing their name to everyone within earshot.
> Just imagine the reaction if you heard "Thank you, Ms. Longoria" or
> "Thank you, Mr, Laurie".

What reaction did you get when you wrote to the store's HQ to express
your dislike of those practices? If you haven't complained, you should.
Store managers don't read minds; if people don't complain and continue
shopping there, the only conclusion they can make is to assume you like
their policies, unless you tell them otherwise.

On 11 Feb 2006 18:08:00 -0800, "nancree" > wrote:

>Cathy complained:
>The first is, the checker always asks you "do you need help out to
>your car", no matter what the size of your order. I've had them ask me
>that when all I bought was a half gallon of milk, or a single bag of
>potato chips.
>
>
>Apparently it's store policy that they =have= to ask that question, no
>matter what the size of the customer's order. Aside from the
>ludicrousness of the question, I feel it's an insult to me - do I look
>so decrepit that they genuinely think I =need= help.
>----------------------------
>Why be such a complainer, when they are being courteous? How many
>times have you/we said "How do you do?" , or "Nice to meet you", when
>it is actually just a social form. You've posted this complaint before,
>I think.

The problem is, they're =not= being courteous. They're reciting lines
by rote because their company policy forces them to, NOT because they
feel inclined to be courteous. That makes the whole thing a farce.
Saying "How do you do" is a generic social nicety/greeting that isn't
really a question and doesn't require a direct answer. "do you need
help out?" is a direct question, and requires an answer, even when
it's clear the question shouldn't have been asked in the first place.

And no, I have not posted this complaint before. Somebody else may
have, but it wasn't me.

Cathy

On 11 Feb 2006 20:37:02 -0600, "Bob Terwilliger"
> wrote:

>Cathy wrote:
>
>> The second thing that Vons does that ticks me off is this: when you
>> pay by debit or credit card, the checker is required to call you by
>> name when they hand you the receipt. So you have to wait while they
>> stare at the receipt, and try and figure out how to pronounce your
>> name. I find this fake "personalization" worse than just a generic
>> "ma'am" or "sir". They don't know me from Adam, they are forced to do
>> this, and the whole thing is so phony it makes me crazy. Again, I find
>> it insulting, and I'm sure there are other people who genuinely don't
>> want the checker announcing their name to everyone within earshot.
>> Just imagine the reaction if you heard "Thank you, Ms. Longoria" or
>> "Thank you, Mr, Laurie".
>
>If it really bothers you, simply get a card under a different name.
>
I'm sorry, I think maybe I wasn't clear. I'm not talking about the
club card. I mean when I pay with a bank card, or my credit card, the
name on my card gets printed out on the receipt, and as the cashier
tears the receipt off, they peer at your name and say "Thank you,
Mr/Ms. XXX, you saved XX dollars today". It's laughable when they get
a name that's unpronounceable - they stand there holding up everything
(the person trying to leave and the people behind them) trying to deal
with this policy.

Cathy

cathy wrote:
> On 11 Feb 2006 18:08:00 -0800, "nancree" > wrote:
>
>
>>Cathy complained:
>>The first is, the checker always asks you "do you need help out to
>>your car", no matter what the size of your order. I've had them ask me
>>that when all I bought was a half gallon of milk, or a single bag of
>>potato chips.
>>
>>
>>Apparently it's store policy that they =have= to ask that question, no
>>matter what the size of the customer's order. Aside from the
>>ludicrousness of the question, I feel it's an insult to me - do I look
>>so decrepit that they genuinely think I =need= help.
>>----------------------------
>>Why be such a complainer, when they are being courteous? How many
>>times have you/we said "How do you do?" , or "Nice to meet you", when
>>it is actually just a social form. You've posted this complaint before,
>>I think.
>
>
> The problem is, they're =not= being courteous. They're reciting lines
> by rote because their company policy forces them to, NOT because they
> feel inclined to be courteous. That makes the whole thing a farce.
> Saying "How do you do" is a generic social nicety/greeting that isn't
> really a question and doesn't require a direct answer. "do you need
> help out?" is a direct question, and requires an answer, even when
> it's clear the question shouldn't have been asked in the first place.
>
> And no, I have not posted this complaint before. Somebody else may
> have, but it wasn't me.
>
> Cathy


My teenage daughter, DD, was ranting about clerks and cashiers chirping
"Have a nice day" when they obviously couldn't care less about her day.
So I told her to reply "Mind your own business." It's the perfect
inappropriate response. She laughed.

A few days later when she and her mother went through a drive-thru fast
food place, and "Have a nice day", she mentioned the mind your own
business thing to Mom. Bad idea. Now everytime someone says H.A.N.D.,
DD giggles and Mom scowls at her, and the poor clerk has no idea what's
going on. I think it's kind of funny.

Best regards,
Bob

On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 04:30:41 GMT, Joseph Littleshoes
> wrote:

>cathy wrote:
>> I suppose this is a pretty minor pet peeve, but it still ticks me off.
>>
>> I shop at Vons in the Los Angeles area (owned and run by Safeway).
>> They have two store policies that I find irritating
>>
>> The second thing that Vons does that ticks me off is this: when you
>> pay by debit or credit card, the checker is required to call you by
>> name when they hand you the receipt.
>
>That almost offended me once, but i was abel to restrain myself from
>making a sharp retort to the checker as i realized i had used a
>'discount card' from a store i only shop at once a year and my name was
>displayed on their digital read out screen thingy on the cash register.
> But i found it overly familiar. If i shopped there more often i might
>say something.
>
>What ever happened to a tug o the forelock? or at least a simple bow?
>
>Have you been asked if you want the senior discount Cathy? I felt like
>i was cheating the first time it was offered me and i contemplated
>taking it.
>
LOL!! No, I haven't, but that's because I look a lot younger than I am
(which gets a bit disconcerting at times). And in a few months I'll be
able to say "yes" legitimately, if I'm asked.

Cathy

Bob Terwilliger wrote:
> aem wrote about making restaurant reservations:
>
>
>>I usually pick a name that's been in the news and add "doctor." I've
>>been Doctor Bryant and Doctor Jackson in honor of the Lakers and Doctor
>>Woods for Tiger. I was Doctor Huxtable for our best local restaurant
>>once and the hostess did a double take when I arrived with that name (I
>>look nothing like Bill Cosby). Next time we went there I called and
>>said, this is Doctor Huxtable but tonight call me Doctor Bunker. When
>>we got there it was wasted, as it was a different hostess. -aem
>
>
>
> I've never appended "doctor," but once I made a reservation as "Senator
> Marcus Bibulus." (It was for a wine-tasting dinner, so I thought "bibulus"
> was appropriate.) I've also made reservations for the "Dunwich Group" (an
> allusion to H. P. Lovecraft) and "Captain James Walker" (from the rock opera
> "Tommy.")
>
> Anybody else do this?
>
> Bob
>
>


The name Haywood Jablomé comes to mind...

Best regards, :-)
Bob

"Lisa Ann" > wrote in message
. com...
> "Bob Terwilliger" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Cathy wrote:
>>
>> > The second thing that Vons does that ticks me off is this: when you
>> > pay by debit or credit card, the checker is required to call you by
>> > name when they hand you the receipt. So you have to wait while they
>> > stare at the receipt, and try and figure out how to pronounce your
>> > name. I find this fake "personalization" worse than just a generic
>> > "ma'am" or "sir". They don't know me from Adam, they are forced to do
>> > this, and the whole thing is so phony it makes me crazy. Again, I find
>> > it insulting, and I'm sure there are other people who genuinely don't
>> > want the checker announcing their name to everyone within earshot.
>> > Just imagine the reaction if you heard "Thank you, Ms. Longoria" or
>> > "Thank you, Mr, Laurie".
>>
>> If it really bothers you, simply get a card under a different name.
>
> This caught my attention...short of identity theft, how do you get a debit
> or credit card under a different name? When I wanted to use my maiden
> name
> on my debit card after I left my husband, my bank said I'd have to show
> them
> proof that I'd dropped my married name (i.e., either a divorce decree or
> at
> least a new SS card.)

If you're signing up for just a store discount card, they don't give a hoot
what name you use.

On Sat 11 Feb 2006 10:00:55p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it zxcvbob?

> cathy wrote:
>> On 11 Feb 2006 18:08:00 -0800, "nancree" > wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Cathy complained:
>>>The first is, the checker always asks you "do you need help out to
>>>your car", no matter what the size of your order. I've had them ask me
>>>that when all I bought was a half gallon of milk, or a single bag of
>>>potato chips.
>>>
>>>
>>>Apparently it's store policy that they =have= to ask that question, no
>>>matter what the size of the customer's order. Aside from the
>>>ludicrousness of the question, I feel it's an insult to me - do I look
>>>so decrepit that they genuinely think I =need= help.
>>>----------------------------
>>>Why be such a complainer, when they are being courteous? How many
>>>times have you/we said "How do you do?" , or "Nice to meet you", when
>>>it is actually just a social form. You've posted this complaint before,
>>>I think.
>>
>>
>> The problem is, they're =not= being courteous. They're reciting lines
>> by rote because their company policy forces them to, NOT because they
>> feel inclined to be courteous. That makes the whole thing a farce.
>> Saying "How do you do" is a generic social nicety/greeting that isn't
>> really a question and doesn't require a direct answer. "do you need
>> help out?" is a direct question, and requires an answer, even when
>> it's clear the question shouldn't have been asked in the first place.
>>
>> And no, I have not posted this complaint before. Somebody else may
>> have, but it wasn't me.
>>
>> Cathy
>
>
> My teenage daughter, DD, was ranting about clerks and cashiers chirping
> "Have a nice day" when they obviously couldn't care less about her day.
> So I told her to reply "Mind your own business." It's the perfect
> inappropriate response. She laughed.
>
> A few days later when she and her mother went through a drive-thru fast
> food place, and "Have a nice day", she mentioned the mind your own
> business thing to Mom. Bad idea. Now everytime someone says H.A.N.D.,
> DD giggles and Mom scowls at her, and the poor clerk has no idea what's
> going on. I think it's kind of funny.
>
> Best regards,
> Bob
>

IMHO, this whole thread is much ado about very little. If this is enough
to get people bent outta shape, then I doubt they have enough to occupy
their minds. There may be things that they do on their jobs, too, that
annoy the hell out of other people.

--
Wayne Boatwright o¿o
____________________

BIOYA

zxcvbob wrote:

> My teenage daughter, DD, was ranting about clerks and cashiers chirping
> "Have a nice day" when they obviously couldn't care less about her day. So
> I told her to reply "Mind your own business." It's the perfect
> inappropriate response. She laughed.

I thought George Carlin came up with the perfect inappropriate response in
his "A Place For My Stuff" album:

Cashier: "Have a nice day!"
Carlin: "Yeah, yeah, yeah...can I have my ****in' change, please?"


Bob

Lisa wrote:

>> If it really bothers you, simply get a card under a different name.
>
> This caught my attention...short of identity theft, how do you get a debit
> or credit card under a different name? When I wanted to use my maiden
> name on my debit card after I left my husband, my bank said I'd have to
> show them proof that I'd dropped my married name (i.e., either a divorce
> decree or at least a new SS card.)

Get a grocery-store discount card under the different name. You won't (or
shouldn't) be able to get a debit or credit card under a false name, but the
grocery store discount cards are wide-open.


> As for restaurant reservations, I've gotten tired of people trying to
> pronounce my last name (I don't know why, it's pronounced exactly the way
> it's spelled, but it's long. That throws people off.), so I just use my
> first name. Next time, however, maybe I'll use another name...Renee
> Zellweger maybe.

Bit-O-Monty-Python: "[the name is] spelled Luxury-Yacht, but it's pronounced
Throat-Warbler Mangrove."

Bob

"Wayne Boatwright" <wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com> wrote in message

> I'm much too busy and have far too much on my mind to give a whit about
> what
> they do or don't say unless it was obviously something rude.

Now this is the second post you've made in this thread, In the first, you
said it was much ado about nothing, but here you are 22 post later still
riveted to the conversation. Evidently you are concerned about what they do
and say.

My opinion- - - - It is fake and sound like BS. At our local market I know
a few employees by name and they know me by name. If I need help, they give
a serious assistance and nothing gratuitous. Otherwise, just a simple Thank
you at the checkout is sufficient courtesy.

"Doug Kanter" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Lisa Ann" > wrote in message
> . com...
> > "Bob Terwilliger" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >> Cathy wrote:
> >>
> >> > The second thing that Vons does that ticks me off is this: when you
> >> > pay by debit or credit card, the checker is required to call you by
> >> > name when they hand you the receipt. So you have to wait while they
> >> > stare at the receipt, and try and figure out how to pronounce your
> >> > name. I find this fake "personalization" worse than just a generic
> >> > "ma'am" or "sir". They don't know me from Adam, they are forced to do
> >> > this, and the whole thing is so phony it makes me crazy. Again, I
find
> >> > it insulting, and I'm sure there are other people who genuinely don't
> >> > want the checker announcing their name to everyone within earshot.
> >> > Just imagine the reaction if you heard "Thank you, Ms. Longoria" or
> >> > "Thank you, Mr, Laurie".
> >>
> >> If it really bothers you, simply get a card under a different name.
> >
> > This caught my attention...short of identity theft, how do you get a
debit
> > or credit card under a different name? When I wanted to use my maiden
> > name
> > on my debit card after I left my husband, my bank said I'd have to show
> > them
> > proof that I'd dropped my married name (i.e., either a divorce decree or
> > at
> > least a new SS card.)
>
> If you're signing up for just a store discount card, they don't give a
hoot
> what name you use.

I know that, but Cathy specified "debit or credit card", which is why I
asked. She didn't say it was the store discount card.

Lisa Ann

On Sat 11 Feb 2006 10:35:33p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Edwin
Pawlowski?

>
> "Wayne Boatwright" <wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com> wrote in message
>
>> I'm much too busy and have far too much on my mind to give a whit about
>> what they do or don't say unless it was obviously something rude.
>
> Now this is the second post you've made in this thread, In the first,
> you said it was much ado about nothing, but here you are 22 post later
> still riveted to the conversation. Evidently you are concerned about
> what they do and say.

LOL! Hardly riveted, but apparently you are. I've randomly read 4 posts
in this thread. I find it more interesting that so many people find it so
distressing. There are better ways to expend one's energy.

> My opinion- - - - It is fake and sound like BS. At our local market I
> know a few employees by name and they know me by name. If I need help,
> they give a serious assistance and nothing gratuitous. Otherwise, just
> a simple Thank you at the checkout is sufficient courtesy.

AFAIC, it's just as easy to ignore. Think you're going to change it? Not
in your lifetime. Way too much effort anyway.

--
Wayne Boatwright o¿o
____________________

BIOYA

cathy wrote:
> The problem is, they're =not= being courteous. They're reciting lines
> by rote because their company policy forces them to, NOT because they
> feel inclined to be courteous. That makes the whole thing a farce.

Totally agree. Two very dumb Safeway policies. Another is "did you find
everything you need?," and when you say, "no," they say "that's good."

Karen

Doug Kanter wrote:

> Nah....why? This is my standard reaction when people seem to think they'll
> get somewhere posting a complaint here. If they really want something to
> change, they'd write to the source of the problem. Since they don't, they
> must want things to remain the same. They'll shop elsewhere. That'll show
> 'em. Except that it really won't.

My Safeway used to have a customer suggestion box. I asked for three
things -- one was safer lighting in the parking lot, another was to
please have more quarters offered as change at the check-outs, and I
forgot the other. All three were ignored.

Karen

The best oysters rockerfeller I ever had was in Mexico City, too!

Karen

On 11 Feb 2006 22:22:42 -0800, "Karen" > wrote:

>
>cathy wrote:
>> The problem is, they're =not= being courteous. They're reciting lines
>> by rote because their company policy forces them to, NOT because they
>> feel inclined to be courteous. That makes the whole thing a farce.
>
>Totally agree. Two very dumb Safeway policies. Another is "did you find
>everything you need?," and when you say, "no," they say "that's good."

Hey, I forgot about that one. The Vons I shop at used to have an
employee, a girl who was a little bit....developmentally challenged,
lets say. I don't know about other customers, but in my experience she
would pounce before I had even gotten all the way in the door "did you
find everything OK?" and then she would follow people around the store
asking the same question. On more than one occasion I had to confront
her and order her to stop following me. I also complained to the
manager. I don't know the reason, but she no longer works there.

Cathy

I have complained to the manager many, many times about these two
policies. The most sympathetic response I've ever gotten is a shrug.
I've also written (snail mail, not email) to Vons corporate,
complaining, and I've never gotten any response.

I don't get it.

Cathy

On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 04:51:36 GMT, cathy >
wrote:

>The problem is, they're =not= being courteous. They're reciting lines
>by rote because their company policy forces them to, NOT because they
>feel inclined to be courteous. That makes the whole thing a farce.

I'd rather their employers insist on courtesy than allow them to
ignore those customers who *do* need the help.

As soon as they get a living wage, I'll start feeling resentful if
cashiers at the grocery store don't act like fancy restaurant hosts or
my sincerest good pal.

serene

On 11 Feb 2006 22:11:03 -0600, Bob Terwilliger wrote:

> aem wrote about making restaurant reservations:
>
> > I usually pick a name that's been in the news and add "doctor." I've
> > been Doctor Bryant and Doctor Jackson in honor of the Lakers and Doctor
> > Woods for Tiger. I was Doctor Huxtable for our best local restaurant
> > once and the hostess did a double take when I arrived with that name (I
> > look nothing like Bill Cosby). Next time we went there I called and
> > said, this is Doctor Huxtable but tonight call me Doctor Bunker. When
> > we got there it was wasted, as it was a different hostess. -aem
>
>
> I've never appended "doctor," but once I made a reservation as "Senator
> Marcus Bibulus." (It was for a wine-tasting dinner, so I thought "bibulus"
> was appropriate.) I've also made reservations for the "Dunwich Group" (an
> allusion to H. P. Lovecraft) and "Captain James Walker" (from the rock opera
> "Tommy.")
>
> Anybody else do this?
>
Not me. Never crossed my mind either.
I can get a reservation w/o all the hoopla
--

Practice safe eating. Always use condiments.

In article >,
cathy > wrote:

<snipped>

> Like I said, I know in the greater scheme of things it's pretty minor,
> but I just can't help being irritated nearly every time I shop there.
>
> And yes, I =could= stop shopping there, but they carry things the
> other markets don't, and they occasionally have great sales on meat
> and poultry. Plus, they're they only market near me that carries milk
> in half-gallon wax paper containers, instead of the plastic jugs
> everyone else seems to have gone to. I find that my milk spoils a
> whole lot sooner in the plastic jugs.
>
> Cathy

Pretend to be a deaf/mute. ;-)

Make them try to say all that in sign language.....
--
Peace, Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson