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Wednesday 23 August 2017

What Some People Do in Supermarkets.....

I wrote about what some people do at "chap fan" stalls a while back but I can't believe what I've seen some people do in supermarkets that I'm compelled to share what I've personally witnessed!

#1 - Those who eat for free (unethically)

Supermarkets sell a lot of foodstuff by weight (usually those fried food like potato wedges, fries, fried squid, sausages, etc.) where you can fill a plastic bag with the amount you want, have it weighed and a price tag attached to it.  And what I've seen people do at this food counter amazes me....I've seen some of them scoop the snacks into a plastic bag and went on their merry way....and eating them straightaway....without paying for it.


Worse still, there are those (usually children) who would just use their hands and pick up a piece or two to eat without paying (some would even walk away with a stick of food in hand).  Worse still, I've even seen parents taking them for their children! O_o


What pisses me off is that it's unhygienic (for us genuine buyers) as they use their hands, not the tongs provided...ish!

#2 - Those who take advantage of free food

I know the food and drink sampling stations are there for people to sample and try new food and drinks but some people just take full advantage of the free food.  I've seen families with children and each and every member will take a sampling before walking off to the next food sampling station.  I know they have every right to try and are not at liberty to buy the product after tasting but, seriously, do you need every member of the family to taste?  For me, personally, I'd refuse an offer to taste if the product is not something I have the intention of buying.

#3 - Those who are real cheapskates

Have you been to the area that sells garlic and find lots of skins of garlic all over the garlic tray?  It's a ghastly sight...I don't know why people would do that.....peeling the skins off the garlic!  It's not that the skins weigh a tonne that peeling them off would reduce the weight of the garlic they wish to buy drastically! @_@  Nowadays, some supermarkets have wised up and sell them already pre-packed.

#4 - Those who can't estimate the price of foodstuff sold by weight

They'd buy it, have it weighed and then realise it's too expensive....and decide that they don't want it (usually it's either fish or prawns).  It's fine if they discard it by leaving the weighed items back where they belong (as these are perishables) or by telling the supermarket staff they don't want it anymore, but no, they're too embarrassed to that.  Instead, they'll ditch them away from the fresh food section by stuffing them in the dry food aisles (I once found prawns stuffed between canned food).

#5 - Those who can't decide


And then there are those who can't decide what they want (this photo I snapped is a clear example).  They will take the produce and put it into their shopping cart and, when they decide they don't want it anymore, they won't be bothered to put it back where they took it from but just leave it anywhere that's convenient for them.

#6 - Those who cheat (on purpose)

I once saw a lady replace a tray of eggs she wanted to buy with some other eggs (of another brand!).  I didn't know what she was doing at first...I thought she were just replacing the same brand eggs with what she deemed to be bigger ones from another tray.  I actually felt embarrassed (spotting her do it) and moved away from her.  After she has left, I went to where she was and I found a tray of regular eggs amongst the branded eggs.  She switched the cheaper (regular) eggs with a more expensive brand (of healthier eggs).  When I relayed this story to my spouse, he said he has seen that a couple of times himself (and here I was thinking that I witnessed something unseen before)! o_O

#7 - Those who don't give a hoot about inconveniencing others 

I've also seen once a customer paying part of her grocery bill with lots of coins.  Just because you have coins you want to get rid of doesn't mean you can do it at the supermarket and inconvenient the cashier and other customers waiting in queue.  I think she paid more than RM10 in coins and the poor cashier had to slowly count them while the next person in line (me!) was fuming (and the gentleman behind me too) but we dare not tick her off as she'll probably argue that coins are legal tender and that she's entitled to pay with coins if she wants! >:(

Another common incident of when people inconvenience others at the payment counter is when they don't weigh the items that need to be weighed (out of ignorance?) and have a price tag put on it before proceeding to pay at the cashier counter.  And then the poor cashier has to run to where the produce is to get it weighed and priced.  Luckily, some cashiers are smarter and would not scan the unweighted item so as not to hold up the queue.

#8 - Those who (I don't even know what to call these)


They would open sealed items (usually those in paper and plastic packaging that can be torn easily) to see what the product looks like inside?  Or to take away some of the contents? @_@  I don't know.  I bumped into this when I was buying Cookie's food.  More often than not, I've seen packets of opened packets of foodstuff, especially biscuits and instant noodles, as well.

I'm simply amazed at what I witness in supermarkets sometimes.  What brings them to behave in such an inconsiderate manner or do some of these uncalled for things is certainly beyond my understanding.  Have you ever encountered any of these untoward and embarrassing incidents yourself? ^_~

10 comments:

  1. Wow! Wow! Wow! I just raised my eyebrows in disbelief esp the replacing of the branded eggs! It is true that some shoppers are getting weird and selfish nowadays. You just exposed me cos I always ate all the freebies and samples by promoters who winked at this uncle to buy. More often, I ended up buying their promotional products lah!

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    1. It's ok if 1 or 2 persons try out the food (and not buy) but here I'm referring to those family of 4 (or more) trying the food and not buying. That's why I'd politely decline a taste test if it's a product I know I won't buy. That replacing of the branded eggs was a first for me too when I witnessed it (just imagine the plight of the unlucky consumer who got this box)! O_o

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  2. Ah! I like this post! Yes, I have observed some very bad behavior myself. Once at Tesco, I noticed a family looking at jams. I almost fainted when the teenage son unscrewed the lid, took a sniff and put the jam back on the shelf! I have also seen items from the chilled section being abandoned at the cashier and at shelves. Then there was a kid who was probably bored and he lifted those prepacked veggies and threw them back in the pile and kept on doing it with his mum looking on and not reprimanding him. Imagine the spoilage to those veggies. It's appalling how people can behave like that. Poor upbringing? I give up!

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    Replies
    1. I see you've encountered many such appalling incidents too. And we, the unlucky consumers, have to pay for such bad behaviour when we unknowingly buy those damaged products...ish! >:( Sometimes, I feel like reprimanding those children but had to summon all my strength to refrain from doing so coz I'd probably be confronted with, "Who are you to reprimand them? You're not their mother. Mind your own business!" :P

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  3. eeeks! i'm not a frequent shopper, so i haven't seen these incidents ... but it's sad to read about. and it could cause consequences for others ... the supermarkets rack up losses from these thefts or wastage, and might therefore end up charging all customers higher prices or offering lower-quality goods ...

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    Replies
    1. Both the supermarkets and genuine consumers are at the losing end, one from losses to damaged goods and the other from unknowingly buying goods that have been tampered with.

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  4. smack those who use hands!

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    Replies
    1. I was tempted to...and I wish I could....but I know I can't...coz those aren't my children! :P

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  5. Seriously?????? Eat without paying!! (#1) I never see before and really surprise people really did this!
    #2, so shame to tell that I did this whenever I saw sampling station in supermarket but just for food I'm interested lah :P *cover face
    #3 I think this happen more frequent in hypermarket when I used to be shopping there. I don't encounter this problem when I do my shopping at V Grocer or J Grocer.
    #6 I saw people switched fruits and avocado in boxes >_<
    #8 This is too frequent, specially juices. Also in book store, we are not suppose to open those books with wrapper but some shoppers just did it ~

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    Replies
    1. Yes, I've only seen it happening in lower end supermarkets and have not encountered any of such incidents in higher end marts. Wow, I thought people would only switch like-to-like (eg. eggs) but switching other fruits with avocado...that's just too much! O_o

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