Friday 8 October 2010

A question of loyalty


The Sainsbury’s near to where I work has recently added a big bank of shiny self service tills. Wonderful news thinks I, must be quicker than waiting whilst one of the old dears glares at me because I’ve added something that weighs more than a packet of crisps to my basket.

Then I tried to use it. It was (in my defence) before 8 o’clock in the morning when all transgressions can be forgiven (with the exception of shoplifting and listening to Country and Western).

I scanned my items comfortably, only receiving two cautions that I had an “unexpected item in the bagging area”. Why it’s unexpected when I have swiped it through the till seconds earlier is anyone’s guess (it’s not like I flopped out my dumplings and placed them onto the polished counter).

Shopping safely stored, I decided to gain the 3 valuable points by swiping my Nectar card.  I am hoping that if I shop regularly in Saino’s for the next twelve years I may be able to afford to treat myself to a large packet of taste the difference cold meat.

Swipe, fail, wait, cheeky reset from the hovering till failure operative.
Swipe, fail, wait, cheeky reset from the hovering till failure operative.
Swipe, fail, wait, cheeky reset from the hovering till failure operative.

Ok, something is clearly wrong here. It can’t be me can it?

I’m starting to get angry now. Have I not been loyal enough? Did they spot me sidling into Asda’s side door for a bagel, some champagne or a pot plant?

Swipe, fail, wait, cheeky reset from the hovering till failure operative.

Then she smiles, clearly I’ve made her day.

“That’s your Tesco clubcard love” and before I can mumble my apology and explanation that I don’t really shop there and that my wife told me to look after it, she’s gone.

Maybe the problem is that all the supermarkets seem the same now. A shopping trip for food has become a jaunt down the same aisles of the same products (and even the same 3 for 2 offers). It’s our own fault but the days of popping into half a dozen shops for bread, meat, veg, etc in the town centre before catching the bus home have long gone.

Where’s my choice gone? Maybe I should have been more loyal to those now absent local shops….

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