Odd Cashier Quirks

What are your thoughts about this one? Today at Whole Foods, I bought some heirloom tomatoes. I thought it odd that the cashier seemed to be smelling the bag, but then it ended up that he had put my plastic bag into another plastic bag and was blowing into the bag so that it became like a balloon bubble to protect the tomatoes. So would you think this a creative thing, and applaud his innovation and that he cared so much about your tomatoes, or would you be a little creeped out by the fact that a guy had blown all of his germs into that bag, even though it was not right on the tomatoes? What does it take to make you call a store?

I'm pretty sure the guy's breath is the only objectionable substance these tomatoes have ever come in contact with. Therefore, I would have immediately run out of the store, screaming.

"Ooooh, precious tomatoes, Mr. Cashier will protect you from contact with sharp pointy edges of Organic Quinoa Flakes boxes, yesssss my precioussssss..."

Cinnamon Girl wrote: What does it take to make you call a store?

NOT that. The staff at my Whole Foods seem genuinely nice and are the most conscientious I've experienced in any "corporate" retail environment that I can recall. Can't even imagine why anyone would be irritated by a clerk's effort to go above and beyond to help make your shopping experience better. But if it bugs you that much, why not just say that you don't mind the occasional bruised tomato. And I'd have to assume that if you're that germphobic, you're likely washing the shit out of that tomato anyway so would you really want to get the clerk in trouble for that???

Merely coincidence but I happened to be at WF today to make my quarterly purchase of 10 cases of a soda that my SO likes. This involved one of the clerks making a few trips out to my car to load up the boxes which he did with a smile. And not only would he not take the tip that I tried to give him but he asked me if I would mind, instead, donating the money to this month's store sponsored charitable effort--can't recall what it was but I thought that was class x10. So sorry if my post above came off a bit harsh but I really do have a lot of respect for the staff at my neighborhood store and wouldn't be a bit surprised to see one of them do what you described--and yes, it might be good for a giggle, but I would never think to criticize them for it.

boudreaulicious wrote:this month's store sponsored charitable effort--can't recall what it was

St. Heinz's Home for Wounded Tomatoes

Hi- I would take the employees at Whole Foods any day compared to the ones at Jewel. At WF if I come in at 9:00 pm, and I can't find something in the produce section, there is actually somebody there I can ask. At Jewel it seems like the produce people go home by 9:00. I also have no problems asking if the dairy department has more of something in back. In WF the people that stock the frozen food section seem to also stock the dairy department, and I can usually find somebody working in one of those departments while I am in the store. At Jewel it is like pulling teeth to get somebody to go in the cooler and get some Oberweis milk for you. I don't think Jewel even stocks their dairy in the evening, and so you have to track down a manager or who ever to bring you what you are looking for. A few months ago I was in WF trying to find some tahini and somebody that was stocking shelves asked me what I was looking for, and I told him. He knew exactly where it was. The only reason I don't shop more at WF is because I can't afford to buy all my groceries there. I end up spending 90% of my grocery dollars at Jewel and the Evanston farmer's market.

Too much focus on the company in this discussion and not enough focus on the act, IMO.

The real question is: Is it ok to blow your breath directly into a "sealed" food product? If I'm at a local farm stand, is this act just as acceptable if a high school kid does it for the same reason? Maybe. But it's still pretty odd.

If somebody at Dominick's did this (god rest his/their soul ), would that be just as acceptable? Probably not.

Most of us have purchased a goldfish from a pet store before - they "blow up" the bag with air for the fish too, but not with their mouth....because that would be completely weird. They have a little air hose connected to a pump that costs probably $4.00 total.

WF could "fancy that up" a little, maybe even pump in pure, 'organic' oxygen that has been sitting on fresh nugget-ice infused with essence of kale, and it would be quaint and clean, and germ free! Feel free to sell that idea to WF corporate office.

Of course it's completely weird and inappropriate for somebody to close a bag around their mouth and blow their humid, germ-infused breath on your groceries.

Actually, blowing CO2 into the veggie bags does more than just protect your tomatoes from bruising. It also serves to keep your veggies fresh longer by cutting down their exposure to oxygen. No lesser luminary than Dorie Greenspan uses this method all the time. http://www.thekitchn.com/how-dorie-gree ... her-139271.

You should thank the cashier for looking out for your purchase!

spanky wrote:Too much focus on the company in this discussion and not enough focus on the act, IMO.

The real question is: Is it ok to blow your breath directly into a "sealed" food product? If I'm at a local farm stand, is this act just as acceptable if a high school kid does it for the same reason? Maybe. But it's still pretty odd.

If somebody at Dominick's did this (god rest his/their soul ), would that be just as acceptable? Probably not.

Most of us have purchased a goldfish from a pet store before - they "blow up" the bag with air for the fish too, but not with their mouth....because that would be completely weird. They have a little air hose connected to a pump that costs probably $4.00 total.

WF could "fancy that up" a little, maybe even pump in pure, 'organic' oxygen that has been sitting on fresh nugget-ice infused with essence of kale, and it would be quaint and clean, and germ free! Feel free to sell that idea to WF corporate office.

Of course it's completely weird and inappropriate for somebody to close a bag around their mouth and blow their humid, germ-infused breath on your groceries.

Then ask them not to. I highly doubt this is a "corporate" policy, given that I've never seen it done by anyone in 15 years of shopping at WF in Chicago. So a "creative" cashier thought he/she'd be helpful. And calling management and "reporting" it is the solution? Instead of just nicely asking them to stop? WHY? I doubt they were trying to deliberately infect anyone with anything.

It is kind of gross but if you're going to wash the tomatoes before you use them, who really cares?

=R=

How about this one? Employee seems pretty quirky, but also sounds fun, yet perhaps his manager does not appreciate his sense of humor. http://www.dailyviralstuff.com/the-hila ... -his-boss/

Shane for President (or at least Store Manager).

Cinnamon Girl wrote:How about this one? Employee seems pretty quirky, but also sounds fun, yet perhaps his manager does not appreciate his sense of humor. http://www.dailyviralstuff.com/the-hila ... -his-boss/

Oh man I needed that!
Thanks!

I'm glad Shane didn't get fired through all those several "infractions," yet I'm amazed. Walmart seems like the kind of place that would fire him after the first offense. Ironically, while the link's primary communication is to make us enjoy Shane, the link's secondary communication is to make me think better of Walmart than I ever thought before, for tolerating his individuality as long as they have.

As for blowing into the tomato bag, it creeps me out and I wouldn't like it done. But I agree with everyone who says the employees by and large at Whole Foods are the best in the biz. They're a huge part of why shopping there is as pleasant as it is. And I wouldn't consider reporting the bag-blowing cashier to management, I'd just be alert the next time I encountered him to head him off at the pass. That said, I don't like the criticism of the OP. Tell her why you disagree, if you do, but don't imply she's a bad person for feeling as she does. That's my 2 cents, anyway.

I did not call the store, as this cashier was quite nice. I was sincerely curious as to what actually bothers you enough to call a store? Also, as a store owner, I would rather have someone contact us before they post a negative review on the internet, and give me a chance to remedy the situation if at all possible.

So he was blowing into the 2nd bag, not the one holding your tomatoes? I would have thought he was trying to cushion them, would have washed them as normal and not given it another thought.