Evening all - just about recovered from my foray into E Leclerc's today - what a miserable human experience!
Just a few of my observations and experiences - feel free to add your own at will.....
Staring - so fed up with people staring when I talk in English. Strangely when I first arrived here over 10 years ago, I used to whisper when talking in my native tongue - not sure what that was all about but, I don't do it any more - how brave! I think I'm going to get a badge made with 'Yes I'm a Stranger (aka étranger) - Get Over It!' written on it.
SelfScan - waste of time. I've been using the self-scan facility for around 2 years and have never once managed to get past the Rottweilers on the till without a 'Controle' involving a full unpack and rescan of all my items. Today - I offered to go into a regular check-out lane when I was informed of my 'Controle' but, I was sternly informed - 'vous n'avez pas le droit' - that ever so endearing and over used French phrase. Anyway, the 'hôtesse' on the till couldn't have cared less when I complained (again!) and told me that it must be because I've had 'anomolies' in the past. I haven't and neither did I today so I told her I wouldn't be back. Again she couldn't have cared less and by this time the rest of the queue were staring at me. No smiling, no apology - but then that's normal.
Hôtesse - why are they all women? Even my bar code scanner told me that certain items would need to be 'controlled by the hôtesse' - pretty sexist.
Speed - i.e. the speed at which my shopping was chucked and pushed down the conveyor belt. Does hack me off so I pack slower and slower.
Packers - there aren't any.
Wrong Prices - happens everywhere I know - it's just that when I cart myself off to the ever helpful 'Accueil' - they also couldn't care less, manage to process the refund without a word being spoken and never, never, never apologise.
Generally I've found that, in this area, all the supermarkets are pretty similar in their offerings and prices - zero competition.
Dull, dull, dull....
Simon :-)
Mike - Stuff the chicken, if you'll pardon the expression, but I have a daughter, son-in-law & grand-daughter there, so have none-chicken-feed reasons for going to Dubai.
As for the mind-altering rays, you're absolutely right. These damned marketing people are fiendish when they get going. What you have to do is to make a list, leave all your plastic at home, & carry only enough cash for the stuff on the list. A very expensive shrink assures me that it actually can overcome the power of the rays.
Long way to go for a chicken, Peter!
I guess there must be different levels of Hell, but with me it's just get in, get it done and get out, so I wouldn't see much difference.
Has anyone else noticed the mind-altering rays that are incorporated in the automatic doors. That's the only explanation I can think of to account for instantly forgetting all the things you actually wanted to buy and coming out with a load of expensive stuff you don't need..........
By comparison with here, you gotta believe it! Perhaps not so much in Tesco, but, as an example, both in Sainsbury's & Morrison's there appears to be a standing staff instruction to offer, when asked, to actually show the customer where a product is to be found. And Tesco UK has lost a lot of market share over the last couple of years ....
Oddly, the one Carrefour I know where there are loads of helpful staff and the chicken fillets don't drown in their own water when cooked, is in Dubai. (I believe that French Carrefour no longer has much ownership there, if any.)
So you had such wonderful experiences chez Asda/Tesco/Sainsbury......?
Yes true Doreen, and the OH says he can pick out English couples because of their clothes. I haven't quite got the knack, but I guess I will learn. He tries to explain to me (nicely) :)
..and..yes Melissa, it would be so good to be able to argue (and swear) well in French, haven't quite got the knack for that either ;-)
Today I went to Casino to buy some pool chemicals x 4. On the bottom shelf was Casino's own brand 5Kg but no price beneath it. On the very top shelf out of most customers' reach was a similar tub but by another brand. Luckily my French is good enough to explain my predicament and get a tall young man (obviously not working at the check out - they never are!) to scan the Casino tub and lift the "other brand" tub down for me - it was 5€ cheaper. My french is quite good now but I find it very difficult to express myself angrily or assertively in French - it just turns into gobbledegoop with some fustrated English words thrown in and the only time I ever want to do this is in a French shop!
Perhaps it’s because you talk in a loud English voice and forget your own manners - when in Rome do as the Romans do! I have lived in the Corrèze (19) for over 10 years and used ‘zappers’ and had no problems - why can’t you pack your own or do you expect to be waited on hand and foot. Please try and be more French, they really are lovely people and helpful if you are friendly.
Rub too much Vic & there will be sparks flying ;-) (I'll spare you the boy-scout jokes)
Sorry Catharine. I thought my "we seem to rub along quite nicely" comment was very SFN like. Want to join me in a chorus of "Come by Yah"? :-)
Can we all please stop being so un SFN like and generally unpleasant?
For all you/ we know, Simon could be busy / unavailable today for one and for two, it's been suggested (quite rightly) that we all move on.
So please, revert to dinner party protocol and if you don't like "the cut of your 'neighbour's' jib", turn to the person on your other side and start a new conversation.
Seems like your right on both counts Peter. I've never heard the FIFO phrase before here. It seems to me that few of us completely "Fit" but we seem to rub along quite nicely none the less.
Looks like you're flogging a dead horse Vic - he isn't going to answer your questions so forget it !
I've already given my response regarding his attitude
BTW I still can't see the difference between FIFO & WTF !
OK for you people to say. Would you think differently if the shoe was on the other foot. Brian, I was trying to "dispose" of it by asking "Why?". Is that too much to ask? A simple honest answer would have finished it but no answer inflames it! Why are you involved? I have already agreed with Doreen.
Absolutely correct Doreen. I'm giving it one last shot. I wondered how long it would take for somebody else to get involved in this thing. A simple answer would have done it but none is forthcoming despite me asking umpteen times.
Good point, that dinner has gone cold, been infested by flies and has mildew on it already. Best off forgotten and disposed of.
"Well Simon. As instructed I've moderated my post. Any chance of a reply so we can put this to bed?"
15 hrs on & no reply so I can only assume you prefer to leave me without the benefit of an explanation for the innuendos in your post. In case they have slipped your mind I copy them here:-
"Permalink Reply by Simon Armstrong on Tuesday
Oh Yes Vic I remember you!
So, to summarise, it's a bit like the old FIFO method is is? Fit In or F O
Well I'm not really into that...
Have you heard the term Smiling Assasin ?
Simon :-)"