[thevillages2013]

Originally Posted by Pairadocs

I could not agree more. The "pandemic" experience has changed so many things. When I turned to Walmart on line shopping I was VERY leery, most of all feared this would be a way to dispose of deteriorating, unsalable, fruits and vegetables. NOT SO ! Was amazed at the quality I have received consistently, and have become addicted to the process of walking to my laptop or tablet all week and adding items, scheduling pickup that suits me, and I can't say enough about the employees at the 466 store near Oxford, so pleasant, friendly, and do they ever work hard. (started tipping them well but Walmart put a stop to that months ago now). Now, I will continue to shop at Publix, W.D., and as you said, Aldi, but never again at the level it once was. I believe this experience has permanently changed many things in our society.... previously I would NEVER have considered even trying grocery pickup !

As an aside, had an interesting experience at a Publix last week; I have always loved everything about Publix. I have complimented them on line, and told the manager of the one I frequent most often, how I admire their hiring process... they NEVER seem to hire folks who lack the skills of working with the public. But, last week I forgot to bring my reusable sacks and did not tell the checker I wanted paper bags. (I hate plastic bags when I am on golf cart, they do not sit up like my shopping bags or traditional paper bags)

So, LOL, after I had finished, and the checker had begun the next order (with a long line waiting) I realized I forgot to get paper bags. I stopped pushing my cart and went back a few steps and took two paper bags from the lane NEXT to the one where I had actually checked out. Somehow the clerk who checked me out spied my "stealing" of two paper bags and stopped checking out her customer, and LEFT her lane yelling at me to STOP. I didn't realize at first she wanted me ! She then LOUDLY shouted "WHAT are you doing ?" I was cheerful, not even thinking she was serious, I said, I got a couple sacks, I forgot my bags and these plastic sacks fall off the golf cart is all...." As she GRABBED the two sacks from my hands (by now with quite a few people stopping to watch her stopping a thief stealing two paper bags) she began to lecture me: " you can NOT just take sacks, if you want paper sacks you have to TELL "us" BEFORE we bag your groceries." "oh, I said, I understand that, and I always bring my own large shopping bags that stand up nicely on the cart, but I just forgot today, I am very sorry, I really am, but I had no idea taking a couple sacks (when she "caught" me, I was in the process of opening one and trying to put several plastic bags into the one paper sack and she even made me take out the two plastic sacks I had already put in) would be a problem, again, my apologies". Lucky for me she did not call the police I guess ? Lesson learned, NEVER forget to take sturdy shopping bags, or make sure you speak up (and generally I do ! ?) about which type of bags you want at Publix. The most embarrassing part of all this was her behavior stopping checking the customer she had started, while she ran after me to retrieve the two bags ! Do I think this is part of Publix official SOP, I doubt it, but lesson learned !

Should have offered to pay for the bags. No way she should have reacted like that and you shouldn’t have given in so easily. My style would have been to drop a dollar bill on the floor and keep the bags.