Now I'm A Very Easy Going Guy But..........

For those of you who use French supermarket checkouts, you will be very aware of Madame Le Cheque who has an overloaded trolley but determinedly repacks everything into it's allocated shopping bag and will not be rushed. The scanned items pile up next to her but she still fusses to put things in the correct bag. Then, eventually, out comes the cheque book with all that entails. You might smile when it happens once but 2 days running is a bit much.
Yesterday, having patiently stood in the queue behind such a lady, I then called in for some supermarket diesel. I couldn't believe my eyes when the driver (90ish) in front of me at the cash kiosk decided to pay by cheque - from the seat of his car.
Oh well c'est la vie.
Vive La France

The wine is very nice

 

Relax.... you are on holiday. Gives you more time to check out the checkout girl.

 

Hmm, well I agree, some of the check out girls are dressed to kill - very Oo La La - not your average Asda
Image (no disrespect to any MHF Asda girls!)

 

Just out of curiosity, did you notice how much she spent ?

Last time I was queuing behind such a lady (yes, they are a common sight) she spent nearly 300euros on groceries...

I did feel a little inadequate for a moment, I don't recall doing a shop that big in my entire life !

 

Yes, it was a sizeable trolley full including a dozen bottles of Pastis.

 

I am a woman who won't be rushed when packing my bags too. I'm a dab hand at doing it quickly though. I place my stand up bags in the bottom of the trolly. Put heavy things through first, so they don't squash other items.
It's an art :BigGrin:
I refuse to chuck everything in willy nilly.
But then I put it on the conveyer belt in order of packing , so it goes through easier to pack. I don't let anyone make me feel rushed when I'm spending well over £100 on groceries.
I don't pay by cheque though. Either cash or switch card. So that saves some time

 

Fair enough, I do the same. However it is ever so slightly annoying when the person in front is completely surprised when they realise that they have to pay. Then spend 10 minutes fishing out money, card and the dreaded vouchers, most of which will not scan........

 

Another things that annoys us and not just in France but also Spain & Portugal is the checkout lady chatting away to the customer in front and generally dawdling about.

When it's our turn the floodgates open and we don't have time to get the stuff into the trolley let alone bags but we have a strategy.......go slow and do as the locals do

 

This week I did a shop at Sainsburies online. £10 off and free delivery. Plus there's a 25% off wine prosecco and champagne.
So I got 18 bottles of my fave ! Which were already 2 for £14 instead of £10 each.
I bought all the bubble baths , shower gels, shampoos , washing powder, fabric conditioner our 5x6 pint cartons of milk we go through a week and all the other heavy things I get like potatoes etc. I took advantage of the half price freezer offers and 2 for 1 's etc.
Very easy. Delivered to my kitchen door.
I always do it when they send me the £10 off and free delivery codes.
Daft not to.

 

As Mr Matamoros says, it is all a matter of "tuning in" to the local culture.

I now expect a wait at a Portuguese check out. The girls often have a chat even after everything is packed away and paid for... especially if a baby is present!

In the larger supermarkets I choose my checkout carefully.

I always go to the one with the most attractive young lady at the till.

JJ

 

French banks charge for a debit card---about €4 a month I think.
A lot of French people don't want to or can't pay this so cheque use is widespread (I.D card used with cheque and also your home address is printed on French cheques)
I used to listen to audio books on an iPod in the supermarket, helped pass the time in the queue.

 

Easily found as well. It's the one with the longest queue and it's full of slobbering old men!

 

French person paying by cheque at a French supermarket is usually quicker than a card, they only have to sign it & the cashier pops it in her machine that prints the payee & amount.

 

Last year in France I definitely noticed the slow progress at tills. We wanted to get to the next Aire before it filled up and I was so frustrated when the check out operator in the supermarket chatted pleasantly for what seemed like ages. Off then to get diesel and the same thing happened. Decided eventually that the French have a more laid back attitude to time and it's probably healthy - unless you're in a hurry, then it's bad for the blood pressure.

 

Exactly the same as here. Except that we are spoilt for choice as they are normally all stunners.
Another is never use the one nearest entrance/exit as anyone coming in wanting info/exchange etc; makes straight for it & enters into a conversation with the girl who is just as likely then to have to ring someone on the internal phone..................
Beware the trolley /basket on its own.......it's saving a place in the queue.
Another speciality practiced by all is remembering you've forgotten something whilst it is all being scanned & trotting off to get it.

Then there is the older persons favourite of bypassing the queue as they've "only a loaf & milk/one egg" etc.lol
It's all good for a laugh , except when you are in a rush!!

 

I have come to the conclusion that I have a split personality.
If my better half is with me in a UK supermarket checkout queue she disowns me completely as I stand there tutting and muttering as the lady in front faffs about. They often wait for everything to have been passed the magic beam, then start getting bags opened, then slowly load the trolley back up, then decide to look for the supermarket vouchers, the loyalty card and eventually the bit of plastic to pay with.
It may sound sexist but I have always been led to believe that women can multi-task and men cannot. Well as far as I am concerned that theory goes out the window in a supermarket.
BUT when we are in our local supermarket in France I will happily wait while exactly the same shenanigans take place, including waiting while their fruit and veg are taken back to the fruit and veg area to be weighed and ticketed on the machine there you're supposed to use - and it's usually the furthest point from the check-outs - and while they go to look for the item they forgot to pick up earlier.
I usually avoid the check-out manned by Veronique as she knows everyone entering the store and has to check up on their health and that of their family but sometimes I forget or they do a change of personnel after I have joined the queue. I think they wait until I am there before they play that one. She also has a habit of glancing through the newspaper or magazine if they are buying one.
But other than an occasional sigh I just wait patiently and keep smiling.
It must be something in the air that brings on this change in me.
That does all change however when we shop in Lidl. There it's a race to get stuff back in the trolley as they are the fastest check-outers in Europe and they add to the delight by having just one check-out open most of the time. And their check-outs have the smallest area after the magic panel on which to put the scanned items.
No time for dawdling in Lidl.
My apologies to you ladies who are efficient at the check-out but you're in a very small minority in my experience.

 

The usual scenario in France is to get in the shop and the person on the till is busy chatting to everybody in front of you for 10 minutes each, it seems to be the done thing in smaller villages. You just learn to chill and get used to it

 

You obviously never shop at Aldi or Lidle then Bev.

 

That's nuffin try Spain........nuf said!

 

we could learn a lot from the French with their lack of living off credit!

can you just imagine living within your means catching on over here? hell will freeze over first