to expect the Sainsbury's checkout girl

For free? Wow- our little village supermarket will do that for the very aged and 1 handicapped lady. She phones them and tells them what she needs and they box it and drive to her- but no supermarkets.

All branches?

Elegran Waitrose offer that service - you shop in store, they deliver.

As others say, supermarkets abroad are not as good as here, the stuff comes rattling at you too quickly to pack, and no staff help either.
in the U.S. They often have packers at the end of the tills, and do carry outs to the car, a bit like it used to be here.Tesco ask everyone if they need help packing, but often look very put out if you say yes.I find that Waitrose is the best customer experience, although I rarely go there, and Sainsburys the next best.

Actually, reading some of these threads made me think how things have changed. The first 'supermarket' I used for my weekly shop was really small and had very small trolleys with no child seats so I had to push the 'carrycot on wheels' with baby daughter inside, an 18 month old sitting on one of those appalling baby seats on the pram and the three year old had to be cajoled round, moaning all the while and I pulled the supermarket trolley. That was in the days when people tutted if babies cried in public - it was really stressful!!

Then it and they all had to be shoe-horned into my 2CV! I don't think I did it very many times. Then we got a Safeway - the bliss of a proper trolley, wide aisles etc etc!

I just slow down when I'm packing the goods and they have to wait for me to put it all in bags before I then get my cards out of my bag and check what coupons I've got in there that I can use! All done with a sweet smile of course!

Here in FRance (live in Switzerland, but very close to border) they really are fast at the tills - and I just cannot cope. I've several times asked them to slow down, and they've explained that they are timed and get told off of wages docked, if they are slow. The one nearest to me (DIA, as Spanish chain) which I've stopped using for this reason- having discussed it twice with the store manager- who said instructions come from Head Office, and his job is on the block if his staff do not check out as fast.

There is no packing service and no help available at all, in any of the large stores to get stuff to the car and lifting heavy stuff (Leclerc, HyperU, Lidl, Géant, Atac, etc). The other day I bought a huge bag fo wood pellets for the cat litter- and could not lift it out of trolley and into car- I had to beg a young chap to help me in the car-park).

I do like the self scan zapper thing at Waitrose. You pack it as you go so no problem with heavy things on top of "soft" items (I can't bear squished bread!)

I have just realised this is something that I forgot about happens in the UK. Here in Australia the checkout girls actually pack your shopping into bags as they scan it and then lift the bag to the end of the belt so you just need to lift into the trolley. I think we take it for granted now.

We used to live in Dubai and there would be one person taking the shopping out of the trolley and putting it on the belt and another at the other end packing it into bags. They would then carry it out to your car and pack it into the car for you. It was a shock coming back to the UK and trying to juggle shopping and two toddlers!

I can remember our Co- op doing that when I was a child Gracesgran I didn't realise they still did.

The Co-op near my mother do that Elegran. I noticed when I popped in last time and thought how useful that must be. I must admit I order on-line and choose hand selected items from the veg and meat bit. They select them but they are not pre-packed items. The items are always of excellent so I don't worry about ordering them. I do go into town for some fresh items during the week but all this is planning for when I can't drive.

I don't find the till operators too bad kittylester; all our local supermarkets ask if you want help with your packing and I have said "yes, but give me time to pack it carefully" when I have seen one speedily and carelessly push items through for the person in front. I'm afraid I have also said no to small cubs too. I felt a bit rotten but my tomatoes were intact

Waitrose is not expensive unless you wish to buy expensive food. They have a cheap essential range which is good. If you don't like what they pick, you can send it back. They give me a lots of free stuff if the date is up, They give me champagne and chocolates at Christmas and a bottle of wine if they are late. I can have a free coffee if I visit the store. Their employees are a cut-above. But my main reason for giving them business is their policy of co-ownership with a yearly bonus. John Lewis also has most of my household business for the same reason.

granjo39, I know what you mean! And then on top of that they give you a sheaf of small pieces of paper, some telling you how much you would have spent on the same shop elsewhere, others offering you money off on your next shop or whatever. I would put everything except the receipt straight in the bin but DH likes to examine them and see if he can save a bit of cash.

What annoys me is when they give you your change they slap a £5 note in your hand then the loose change on top plus the receipt,it is really difficult trying not to drop coins all over the floor.

Iceland offer that service, Elegran, if you spend over £25!

I know it's not the type of supermarket that you mean, but a lot of people in my area who don't drive find it a boon.

My friend shops at waitrose (I cant afford to), she is disabled and they get her a chair, take her list and do her shopping then help her to put it into the car, that is really good service and she doesn't mind the slightly more expensive items.

I find aldi and lidl checkouts are very quick, they expect you to have shoved everything into the trolley and be off with it to the packing benches in a couple of minutes. Would not like to be disabled or old at one of their checkouts.

Some supermarkets do advertise this service, Elegran. Perhaps not in Edinburgh! I couldn't justify ordering on line since Waitrose is my corner shop.

I wish supermarkets would have a choose-things-in-person-and-have-them-delivered service. I don't drive, but I like to shop in person. The worst part is carrying everything home. Online shopping is useful for heavier and bulkier things, but you can't beat seeing stuff for yourself.

My busy DD orders her shopping on line but as I have more time I like to go and choose my own stuff. In our Morrisons we sometimes have cubs or scouts packing the bags in return for a contribution to their charity or their camping trip. I never like to refuse them but I hate seeing tins of baked beans put on top of my expensive bag of cherries even though I know they mean well.

Come on girls! You are all able to use a computer so order online and have it delivered (Waitrose are wonderful, they would put it away for you if you asked) and use the self-checkouts to go at your own pace.
I know people like the social aspect of shopping but I find it annoying and tiresome. Also, come the day you can't get out, you will find it a godsend.

Our supermarkets all have an empty trolley at the end of the check-out and the check-out people stack the shopping in there as they go. Most of them are very careful not to put heavy items on top of those that can be crushed – a few new ones are still learning. The customer's own trolley, which is then empty, is placed at the end of the check-out to be filled with the next customer's shopping. Customers wheel their trolleys to an area with a long bench where they can pack their bags or directly to their cars. Designated trolley parks in the car park are emptied frequently and the trolleys returned to the supermarket. Not only is this less stressful, but it also allows the customer to keep an eye on the prices being charged in case a mistake is made, such as confusing cheaper button mushrooms with more expensive wild ones.

Ash Tree

I was buying something at PC World once and the young fellow on the till spent the entire time turned away from me, chatting to his mate at the next till (who didn't have a customer at the time). When he reached the end of the process he said, still without looking my way, "£24.99" or whatever the amount was. No please, no smile, nothing. So I did nothing. He said it again. I still did nothing. Eventually he turned to me and repeated the price a little crossly. I said, "Yes, I heard you the first time. I was waiting for you to look at me. But, it's not your fault, you probably haven't had any customer service training, so when we've finished up I'll speak to your manager and suggest he sends you on a course." All said with a bright smile, and met with confused, red-faced stammering. Haha, I do enjoy myself in shops these days - wouldn't have spoken out when I was younger

There's clearly a training issue in certain supermarkets though in my experience, the unhelpful and grumpy attitude is an exception. One thing I have noticed recently is the change in the checkout operators in Lidl who used to be unsmiling and so fast that it was hard to keep up. They are now cheerful and helpful. Charm school? Better training anyway. I agree with Elegran - pack it all into the trolley and organise your bags at a ledge - always available in Lidl. By the way, some of the worst service I have ever encountered has been in France!