Monday, September 16, 2013
What would you do?
On Saturday, I went grocery shopping. It was the last in a long list of chores, and I was pretty well frazzled by the time I got home and started unloading the car.
Which is when I discovered an extra bag of groceries.
The cashier had been using one of those turntable-thingies, and must have neglected to hand over this bag to the person in line before me, instead loading it into my cart.
What to do, what to do?
I did NOT want to have to schlep back to CrapMart and stand in line at customer service. And it wasn't like it was a LOT of groceries; just a few items.
But still ... the stuff wasn't mine.
"Forget about it!," I told myself. "This probably happens all the time! And it's not like they could just restock the groceries - they'll have to throw them out. The person who got shorted will come back in and they'll give him new groceries, that's all."
But still ...
I called the store and explained the situation.
The gal on the phone started laughing. "Oh, lord," she said, "That happens a lot. You don't have to bring the groceries back. If someone shows up missing groceries, we'll give them new ones, that's all."
I feel better. But I also feel a little bit sad for the person who is missing their Lean Pockets, Suave deodorant, store-brand immodium (I feel ya there, honey!), and cat snacks. I ... I think we may be twins. Well, except for the Lean Pockets, anyway. That sh*t's just nasty.
And I still feel a little guilty that I didn't just get in the car and take the damn groceries back. What would you have done?
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8 comments:
What would Jesus do ?
Sorry, couldn't resist ;)
Well, what you described couldn't happen over here in my neck of the woods as we pack our own groceries at the store..but if that happened to me when I lived in the U.S., I'd probably done exactly what you did - just make that phone call and let the store decide what to do. Their mistake after all, right ? If they want the groceries back, let them come to you eh ?
But..just out of curiosity - if this happens a lot, I wonder if people try to take advantage of the fact that the store just replaces groceries if you say yours are missing ? I mean, I assume you'll have to provide your receipt, but how will the store prove you don't actually have those groceries hidden in your neighbor's garage or something...
I know, I know...it's probably just my twisted mind and nobody would actually think of pulling something like that...
Anyway, to conclude: I think you did good, nothing to feel guilty about :)
You did the right thing with the call. And having called, maybe when the other person comes in, customer service will remember your call and be gracious about it.
That "happens a lot" worries me, though. Maybe the cashiers need reminding.
Zella, I've wondered that exact same thing, especially since one time that same store charged me twice for razor blades when I only bought one pack. I took in the receipt and they gave me the money back for the pack I hadn't bought, taking my word for it. I'll bet if you tried it too many times, though, they'd get wise to you.
and ~~Silk, yeah, the gal who gave me the extra groceries was pretty ditzy ... although I guess if I was cashiering for CrapMart, I probably wouldn't be bringing my A game, either.
I worked at the customer service desk of a grocery store for a while, an we tended to trust the customer. It makes them a more loyal customer, but yes, if it happened a lot a conversation was had with management and it never went beyond that. most people when they knew that things were kept track of would move on but then again I only remember it becoming an issue once in the years I was there.
What would I have done, I probably would have called too. But then again since I know how things work and what I would have been told I probably wouldn't. Now if it were a bag of valuable things, like say a cell phone or an electronic gadget of some sort, it would be different, but for lean pockets.. That one I know the store would rather you just keep then be miserable schlepping back..
Oh my gosh, Tails, that reminds me, back when I used to work in fast food, there was a New Year's Day when I got stuck opening the place. It was really, really slow (presumably everyone was home sleeping off their hangovers, which is where I would have been if I hadn't gotten shanghaied into working), so when an old dude came in saying that we'd shorted his takeout order, I KNEW it wasn't true. I ran the register tape, and sure enough, that day we hadn't even SOLD any of the item he said we shorted him by.
I gave him the food anyway. Hell, he looked hungry.
and yeah, if it had been a cell phone or prescription meds or something, I definitely would have gone back, no question.
I would have called. But I would have also figured that I would probably have been shorted there any number of times because I'm lazy about counting my change and it's just karma working itself out.
I would have done what you did - called back to let them know. Not because I expected them to want me to bring them back - but more so that if the poor schmuck who is missing a bag, called back in or went back, that they *might* have better luck in someone believing them and replacing them :)
Of course, it would totally depend on what it was - a bag of video games or electronics, and chances are, the store would have wanted them back :) In that case, I'd probably take it back - but on *my* schedule, for sure.
It's nice to know that we're all fine, upstanding citizens. :)
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