Sunday, April 17, 2005

Sainsbury's Service

Just before I flew over to England I was talking to a Geordie who had been living in Germany for six years, “…see, the big difference over ‘ere, mon is that it’s serf …SERF, like…if my missus is comin’ home lert, lert at night, like…I don’t have to worry. And things don’ get stolen, mon, like they do at ‘ome…”

Now, I’m normally a bit careful with generalisations like that but I think in this case he had a point. And it could be that this was running around my brain when I went shopping in Sainsbury’s. I was only shopping for me, so I wasn’t really getting much but I still fell into my usual supermarket trance…where you suddenly don’t seem able to recollect what in the name of goodness you really need to buy.
Anyway, the girl on the till asked me about a club card, as they always do…and I said no I didn’t have a card, as I always do…and then I turned and saw a young bloke quickly putting MY shopping into a plastic bag!
I was so shocked that I couldn’t say anything at first…which is just as well because when I looked again I realised he was wearing a Sainsbury’s uniform and was, quite simply the “packer”…he was packing my shopping in bags for me…all part of the service!

Now, that IS a difference between Germany and England...

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