Bag Packing In Co-op and Summerfield

**Chrissie** · 09-Oct-06, 14:03

I am the only one who gets annoyed with the charity bag packing in the supermarkets? I know that it is not compulsory to put money in their tins butyou feel mean if you say you don't want your shopping packed. I travel around the country a fair bit and I have never seen this going on in any other supermarkets it seems to be Caithness thing! What are they going to do when Tesco comes to Wick as you can ask to have your bags for you as part of the service and I have never seen any charities packing bags in a Tesco store! Some of the bag packers for charity cannot even pack your shopping properly others are just down right nosie, again I ask why should you have to have your bags packed by somebody you don't like or even don't speak to? If you don't like a particular check out operator you don't have to use that checkout but as far as the charity collectors are you don't have that choice.
I am very interested to find out what other peoples thoughts are on this

**WeeBurd** · 09-Oct-06, 14:27

Bag packers do my head in. As soon as I spot them in a supermarket, I begin to mutter unmentionables, and idle threats of walking out and doing the shopping another day

. Having raw chicken placed in the same bag as a loaf of bread from the instore bakery... would you eat the bread once you got home?

HOWEVER, I also realise that it's usually a very long day of tiring work for them, and they can make a considerable amount for their chosen charities, so I totally understand why they do it. More often than not I just tell them I'll pack myself and give them a donation, unless I'm harassed with the WeeBurdies!

Taking a different tack slightly... once it was young boys bagpacking for a local footie team. I told the lad I would pack myself, and put my donation in the tin in front of him. As he stood back to let me pack, an older male who was supervising started laying into him for not packing my bags. Poor wee mite, I did step in to get him off the hook.

**golach** · 09-Oct-06, 14:33

Bag packing is very common in all Super Markets in Edinburgh, and it is usually for a local youngsters football team both boys and girls and many other youth organisations. I pack Mrs G's trolly myself but Mrs G always puts in a donation........its for CHARITY!!!!

**Buttercup** · 09-Oct-06, 15:04

You are certainly not alone Chrissie ~ I detest them. I wouldn't mind so much if they asked first but they usually start grabbing the shopping before you get through to stop them. It's when you get home and discover your tins of soup and peas have been put in on top of your cakes, which are now squashed and unfit to serve to visitors or the yoghurt is burst because the idiot put the washing powder packet on top ~ makes my blood boil The supermarkets tend to have a sweetie free checkout so why can't they have a bag-packer free checkout? I know it raises a lot of money for charities but unless they're going to train them to pack the shopping properly please stop allowing it!
Maybe that's something for Somerfield's complaints book (If you can find it)

**tip top** · 09-Oct-06, 15:10

These charity bag packing gigs should be banned!

Firelighters in with (squashed) cake and bread and you have to pay for the pleasure.

**chaz** · 09-Oct-06, 15:13

We bag packed for the kids dancing , I always asked if people would like thier bag packed, and packed with care!! I know that others packing near me did the same, its a way of fundraising that as long as its done with consideration can work.
I do understand how others feel as i have had my bags packed for me and no thought has gone into it, its just been thrown in

Full respect has to be given to those who dont want thier bags packed, and care to those who do.

**footie chick** · 09-Oct-06, 15:15

Why are they allowed to go to the ten items or less till?

**WeeBurd** · 09-Oct-06, 15:17

Originally Posted by footie chick

Why are they allowed to go to the ten items or less till?

Bit cheeky that, no?

**Fluff** · 09-Oct-06, 16:22

instead of complaining, why dont you advise them that chicken gets packed alone etc..?

**pops** · 09-Oct-06, 17:01

i know that any time i have bag packed we were told that we were to ask all customers if they would like their bags packed before we procceded to do so. I was always reminded by my mother before i went to bag pack what would not go in the same bags.

**rfr10** · 09-Oct-06, 17:11

I have bag packed many times before and very rarely does anyone complain to us about packing their bags. Most people actually say that they think it's better that they have someone packing their bags for them, especially at Christmas time which is usually the time of year that we pack bags for people. If someone really doesn't want people to pack their bags for them then they just say and I just step back and let them carry on doing it themselves. Even if people like to pack their own bags, I find that quite often that they give a donation anyway. We're not there to annoy people, we are there to help and I'm sorry if that's the way you feel but no one is pressuring you into getting your bags packed. We also don't expect EVERYONE to give donations but we just like to feel as though we've helped. We are not going to hate you or go against you for not giving anything unless of course you are very rude which is a very rare thing that happens. Most charitable organisations (scouts for example) get told how to bag pack properly and there is usually always an adult or a senior scout at each checkout to make sure that the younger ones are doing it properly. Usually people are grateful for us packing their bags for them on the few days before Christmas and New Year. The Scouts along with the other organisations who bag pack put a lot of time and effort into bagpacking especially on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve when we could be doing other things instead.

**Buttercup** · 09-Oct-06, 17:22

Originally Posted by robin170491

I have bag packed many times before and very rarely does anyone complain to us about packing their bags. Most people actually say that they think it's better that they have someone packing their bags for them, especially at Christmas time which is usually the time of year that we pack bags for people. If someone really doesn't want people to pack their bags for them then they just say and I just step back and let them carry on doing it themselves. Even if people like to pack their own bags, I find that quite often that they give a donation anyway. We're not there to annoy people, we are there to help and I'm sorry if that's the way you feel but no one is pressuring you into getting your bags packed. We also don't expect EVERYONE to give donations but we just like to feel as though we've helped. We are not going to hate you or go against you for not giving anything unless of course you are very rude which is a very rare thing that happens. Most charitable organisations (scouts for example) get told how to bag pack properly and there is usually always an adult or a senior scout at each checkout to make sure that the younger ones are doing it properly. Usually people are grateful for us packing their bags for them on the few days before Christmas and New Year. The Scouts along with the other organisations who bag pack put a lot of time and effort into bagpacking especially on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve when we could be doing other things instead.

I would like to make it clear that I have no objections with donating to charities, I just object to them grabbing my shopping before I get a chance to say "No thanks, I'll pack it myself". If they ask first, I still say "No thanks" but I do give a donation.

**rfr10** · 09-Oct-06, 17:26

Originally Posted by Buttercup

I would like to make it clear that I have no objections with donating to charities, I just object to them grabbing my shopping before I get a chance to say "No thanks, I'll pack it myself". If they ask first, I still say "No thanks" but I do give a donation.

fair enough, I'm with you there.

**hammers** · 09-Oct-06, 17:28

Here here to all the bag packers.Getting your bags packed when you go shopping is well worth a couple of pounds donation.I would gladly pay every time i go shopping,keep up the good work,after all it`s for a good cause at the end of the day.

**rfr10** · 09-Oct-06, 17:29

Originally Posted by hammers

Here here to all the bag packers.Getting your bags packed when you go shopping is well worth a couple of pounds donation.I would gladly pay every time i go shopping,keep up the good work,after all it`s for a good cause at the end of the day.

Glad to hear it

**carasmam** · 09-Oct-06, 17:33

I love getting the bags packed for me and I have never had my shopping badly packed

I just wish they would come home with me and put it all away too

**marilyn** · 09-Oct-06, 19:32

I think the bag packers do a great job, I'm sure most of them would rather be somewhere else than standing at the end of the tills in either Safeway or the Co-op packing endless trolleys of shopping. The young ones (or often their parents) do this to raise funds for their activities and we are not oblidged to donate. I for one welcome them and hope they continue.

**porshiepoo** · 09-Oct-06, 19:46

Oops is that what they are?????? LOL
I've seen them many times and they've packed my bags for loads of times.....I just thought they were either being helpful or were store staff with nothing to do. LOL.

I feel really bad now..........not!!!

**Mister Squiggle** · 09-Oct-06, 19:49

Prior to moving to here, I had never seen bag packing done before but, both having had my bags packed and having done a few hours on tills for a couple of local groups, I have to say it's a brilliant fundraiser. I've never had any negative feedback and I've never seen anyone shoving stuff into bags willy nilly. Also, I always ask if the customer would like their bag packed, and I've not been knocked back yet. Most people are happy to put some pennies in the tin and chat about what we are raising funds for etc. Some people don't, but that's part of the strange and rich tapestry of life, I suppose.Bag packing at the local supermarket is just one way that community groups can get out there and raise much-needed funds. It also advertises what that group is trying to achieve and often gives younger members an active role to play in drumming up support and money for events that will be of benefit to them (ie the scouts, junior pipe bands etc). As far as I am aware, young people need to be supervised by an adult to avoid any possible "squashed bread" incidents.I think it's important to remember that the person packing your bag is a volunteer trying to do their bit by raising funds. They are giving up their own time and often, it is really hard to get people motivated to either help out in bag packing or other fundraising events. It can be a real slog doing endless raffles, cake stalls and yes, bag packs to try and keep your club or organisation afloat. Saying that, you could look at the number of bag packings happening in our local supermarkets as a sign that people do care and are willing to have a go at keeping community groups afloat. Worth a few broken eggs, surely? (which incidentally, is nothing compared to what I have achieved when packing my own shopping whilst keeping two small kids from dismantling the trolley).I'm sure if you really object to it, you could ask the packer not to pack - how about putting some money in the tin anyway?