Customer comment of the day

I'm checking out an older (but not that old) woman. She has a bunch of stuff that fits nicely in one bag, plus a huge plastic container of salad greens and two six packs of beer (in bottles).

Me: Do you want your salad in a bag?

Her: Yes.

Me: *putting salad in a bag* And would you like your beer in bags?

Her: Yes. That's a lot to carry, don't you think?

Me: *smile* Well, I guess that's up to you. (which I meant to indicate: I'm not judging you by your bag choice)

Her: Well, as long as you're going to use bags, I might as well...you know in Germany they don't have bags in stores?

I'm thoroughly confused at this point: she seems offended that I asked her about bag preference, but was also implying that we're inferior to German stores and shouldn't give out bags. So...

Me: Well, they also have incentives for solar power and aren't crazy.

Which, I probably shouldn't have said. Though I said it with a smile and shrug, sort of like, "Yeah, Germany is probably right about this one, but whatever, right?" And she looked fine when I said that, and not offended at all. But then, the best part: she finishes paying, I hand her the bags and she looks at me and says:

"I'm surprised. Does management know about your outspoken views?" in this super-condescending tone of voice implying that if management did know, then they would fire me on the spot for having opinions and wanting to not use as many bags. And then she just looked at me disapprovingly for a minute and walked off.

And I was really pissed that she couldn't seem to decide if I was a) a customer service provider who should keep her mouth shut, which doesn't explain why she brought up Germany or asked my opinion about how much stuff she had, or b) a real person, who is entitled to opinions and voicing them, which doesn't explain the last comment at all. Because more than anything else, I find it frustrating when people try to be all nice and cozy but then get really touchy if you don't act like the kind of person they want you to be. I can be a classy, understanding customer service person to you, as long as you're nice. And I can be casual and chat and make snide comments about when I get to go home if that's what you want to do. But you have to pick one, because I can't do both in the same transaction.

Also, really? That whole thing just sounds like she's asking someone to come manage me, because I'm displaying dangerous behavior more commonly known as thinking for myself.

Also mostly, I was just really, really confused by this encounter. And as a result, I reflexively cringed for the rest of the day whenever I asked anyone if they wanted a bag for their two items. But I kept asking. Because if we give people bags when they don't need them, then THE TERRORISTS WIN OMGYOUGUYS.