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Going
to Asda in Hereford might add an hour to the shopping trip
but - even with the added cost of petrol, as long as you
don't go every day, it works out far cheaper and; above
all - so far, I have found that all of the staff are
polite, all of the time. I asked one of the staff there
if they are trained to be polite. 'We are - but mostly it
is because Asda is a nice company to work for, the pay is
good for the area, most of us started at the same time and
we are all friends,' she replied.
There
are of course some nice very staff in Morrisons, Ross too
and today, I met one nice one and the one I shall tell you
about later. There have been several occasions when I have
found a staff member extremely rude in that shop. The very
worst instance happened before the shop actually became
'Morrisons' - when it was still 'Safeway'. However, the
staff member is still working there to this day.
It
happened when the shop had it's own bakery and, more to
the point in this story, would slice a real loaf for you
on the machine. Tina and I were in the shop and I chose
a loaf, asking the female member of staff in the bakery
if she would mind slicing it for me. She pointed out that
there was one loaf already sliced on the shelf.
'I realize that', I said, 'but that one was obviously still
warm when it was bagged and the bread feels soggy'
At that, the woman snatched the loaf from my hand: 'Jesus
fxxxing Christ!' she exclaimed, angrily at me as she took
it over to the slicing machine.
Having
spoken to the then manager about her attitude, I was persuaded
and did continue to shop there, avoiding 'her'. That one
was about eight years ago - different store name and water
under the bridge now.
More
recently, after the shop had become Morrisons, I complained
to the woman serving cheese about her handling my cheese
with bare hands. Three weeks running, she continued to handle
the food that way - both cheese and cold meat, so I spoke
to the manager. 'They are actually allowed to handle the
cheese with their bare hands,' he said.
I
was pretty damned sure that they are not, however I let
that one ride and have just never bought any more cheese
or cold meat from the deli counter - to this day.
Today
(Monday 3rd March) I went to Morrisons, bought some food
from the store and was served by a very polite girl on the
check-out, with whom Tina and I even shared a joke or two.
On the way out, I called at the kiosk.
At
the kiosk, the only person purchasing goods was a friend
of mine. He was already being served and, passing the time
of day with him, I stood to his left and waited to be served
myself. Meanwhile, after I had been there a moment, another
perfectly innocent customer queued behind my friend.
Another
assistant (I think, a supervisor) came to serve
and I went to make my purchase. 'Are you next?' she asked.
'Yes, I am,' I replied.
I
would have though that my word was good enough but obviously
it was not. 'Did you queue?' She asked. 'You have to queue
if you want to be served.'
'There
was nobody else here when I arrived,' I explained.
'Are
you sure?' She continued, and then asked the innocent man
who had joined the queue later on if I was telling the truth.
He, of course agreed that I was next in line.
I
was absolutely incensed! Not by her checking that I was
next - just once. I do know how annoying it is when somebody
does push in. I was incensed by the fact that she disbelieved
me when I had assured her that I was indeed next, and when
nobody else had even hinted otherwise. Disbelieving me enough
to check with the other customer. I felt like a naughty
schoolboy, who had actually done nothing wrong on this occasion,
in trouble with the headmaster.
'If
that's your attitude, then bollocks - I'll go somewhere
else,' I replied, when she finally got to asking me what
I wanted.
I went to Somerfield, where I spent my £25.40 without
a problem and I shall only ever visit Morrisons again
in a real emergency - such as if my life, or somebody else's
life actually depends on it. I shall still use the garage
as the staff are nice in there.
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