Friday 20 June 2008

Please don't give me another plastic bag!

Ok so it's treated as being slightly odd - but that's precisely the issue.

Just nipped down to my local Sainsbury's for some consumables for my baking-fest that I'm about to embark on for the Hampstead Summer Fayre.

In a fit of greeness I did what I have wanted to do for a while and I asked to see the Manager to ask why, under the refitted store, the provision of plastic bags were so prominent, why the staff always asked me if I want bag (I DON'T!) and why the bag recycling point has gone.

I'm sure Darren (his name IIRC) didn't mean it but I felt like some kind of greeneyed monster asking a really silly thing - anyway we persisted with the conversation and I've asked him to:
  • Consider changing the staff culture so the customer service line is - you don't need a bag do you, have you brought your own bags or can you carry this one item
  • Make contact with the Kilburn Partnership and have the same dialogue with them
  • Push for the restoration of the bag recycling point and
  • Look again at what can be done here locally in Kilburn in hist store at his initiative.

I flagged up the existance of the I love Kilburn bags (I was using mine :-)) and he was interested in stocking them. So it's small dialogue and it was broadly positive.

But I was really struck at just how dififcult it was, from the point at which I made time, including the 'can I see the manager please' - WHY? - through to the can you change your culture, it won't lose you money or customers if you do.

And it saves the environement!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I know from reading a staff bulletin left on a till at my local Sainsburys that it is part of the secret-shopper auditted service that the staff MUST offer bags and offer help with packing. And they get marked-down severely if they don't. There's your problem.

Anonymous said...

Im more impressed that you're a cake maker Ed! Is there an end to your many talents?!

Keep up the good work on the plastic bag front though.

Anonymous said...

i'm annoyed about the removal of the plastic bag recycle point as well. does anyone know where else i can recycle all the plastic bags i have knocking around in kilburn or west hampstead?

Anonymous said...

Please could you tell me where the I love kilburn bags are currently stocked?