Several years ago, I was shopping for groceries while living out in Palm Springs, California at an over-priced, gourmet grocery store--Jenson's. I was standing in line to go through the checkout and all of sudden I'm almost being pushed down by a cart...and, it ran over my foot. I was, of course startled, and turned to see what was happening behind me. This {elderly and very mean and grouchy-looking} man said to me, "Well, get out of my way and I won't bump into you again!" I just gave him the "Miss Janice look." {That's the look "husband" says I get when I look like I'm gonna hurt you.} I didn't say a word, but I thought..Oh my, your mama didn't raise you right Mister! In today's world, there are sooooo many people who were not raised right. So yes, there is etiquette to be followed, even at the grocery store!
~Don't ride the heels of another shopper with your shopping cart.
~Don't leave your cart in the middle of the aisle--stay to the right.
~I believe that it is dishonest to taste-test loose candy/peanuts--like they have in the bins at The Fresh Market. I see people doing it all the time and at the very least, it's just plain tacky!
~'Ten items or less' means just that y'all!
~It looks real tacky when you rush to get ahead of someone in line...real tacky!
~Don't ask to get in front of someone, "because you have to make an appointment" {I hear this excuse all the time!}
~If I were working as a checkout clerk, I would think that you are THE MOST rudest person evah if you talked on your cell phone during the entire transaction! Haven't y'all seen people do this? They talk on their cell phones, while swiping their debit cards and making gestures at the checkout clerk to communicate. This is soooo rude and the cell phone madness has got to stop!
~Don't abandon your cart in the parking lot...it's so trashy! I love that The Fresh Market will not allow you to take a cart outside of the store--smart, very smart! They don't want their parking lot looking all junky-fied!
~Try not to go to the grocery store looking like something the cat drug out! Years ago, I was totally embarrassed to be seen by one of my mama's best friends, Jeannie Pryor at the grocery store in Augusta, Georgia. Mrs. Pryor always looked like a million dollars. She had not seen me for some time, and that day I looked...well, not my best; basically, I looked like I had gotten ready to leave the house in no time at all! {Y'all know Southern ladies believe that if you can get ready to leave the house in less than 30 minutes, you probably shouldn't be leaving the house at all!} Even when you're rushed, put yourself together!
"Here's What I'm Wearing" to the grocery store today...Comfy, but stylish black pants and the matching hoodie from Ralph Lauren. I'm pairing it up with a hot pink tee shirt, also from Ralph Lauren. Y'all, this is my go-to-last-minute outfit--you know, the outfit you wear when you don't feel like wearing fitted clothes or something fancy! This says, "Okay, I'm dressed very casual, but, I took the time and definitely accessorized it!
The black mules are from Lilly Pulitzer {worn with hot pink socks}. I'll wear the silver choker with the monogrammed drop pendant and the matching monogrammed ring and earrings. Along with my rollring wedding band from Cartier and my 'Oyster Perpetual' watch, by Rolex, I'll be wearing my 'Pink Polo' cap, by Ralph Lauren and a pink grosgrain ribbon on my ponytail.
I'll tote my cute little pink 'Le Pliage' pocketbook, by Longchamp.
I think mama' s friend, Mrs. Pryor would think this outfit was okay! Bless her heart, she's not well and is living at Brandon Wilde, a swanky retirement place in Evans, Georgia. I don't think people will notice that I'm in a rush and that I'm super-tired when they spot me in this outfit...it's so very preppy!
35 comments:
Thank you for this post. I may post it at my local Kroger.
Confession ~ Once at a department store and waiting forever for someone to help me, another customer rushed in and demanded service because of the appointment reason. I turned to her calmly and asked her why she thought her life and time was more important than mine since I had been waiting longer than she. Shut her right up.
I also cannot stand when in the market the cashier and bagger decide to have their own private conversation as if I'm not even there. Usually it's to complain about work or hours. I have been to the market where I am not even greeted or given a 'thank you' at the end of spending hundreds of dollars. Best piece of advice I was given when I was a teenager by my employer who told us 'Hallmark girls' were never to talk amongst ourselves about boys or anything else when a customer was present as they deserved our full attention. If only employers would do this today perhaps those impatient in line would pick up on some manners and not feel so entitled.
Keep spreading the good word, Miss Janice! :) xoxo
Oh gracious...I'm afraid Mrs. Pryor might get on to me if she could see how dreadful I looked yesterday morning when I ran to the Piggly Wiggly.
I wish I could post this on the doors of the grocery store I shop at! Miss Janice I have LITERALLY said out loud to my Mom whilst we were shopping together, "Miss Janice would be horrified..." because of some of the things that happen. People always blame the younger generation for not having manners. However I, like you, have encountered elderly folk who either never learned manners or believe they get a pass on using them. Who will teach our children if not for our older generations? I am always so pleased when a polite elderly gentleman holds the door for myself & my double stroller. I make a big deal out of it & tell the Twincesses to say thank you. (They usually just smile...)Everyone is in a hurry these days at the grocery store, but it shouldn't be so unpleasant to shop! Thanks for this post.
Love your post, but love your outfit even more! I want one of everything you were wearing today. :)
It drives me crazy when the cashier lollygags around taking her sweet old time. I realize she is being paid to be there for a set amount of hours, but I don't want to spend half my day in the grocery store. There is friendly chatter and then there is, I don't need to know your life story, please just give me my groceries now. :)
Love this post! I worked as a manager for a grocery store for 9 years and can completely identify with everything you wrote.
A few others had mentioned with the conversation between checkers and baggers...it horrifies me to see this when I am being waited on in the grocery store (or any other retail establishment) and I assure you the management would take feedback about this very seriously. That is such poor customer service and just plain rude.
But just as rude, as Miss Janice noted, is the cell phone conversation in line. Nothing is more irritating than a slow poke distracted by their cell phone conversation...taking 3 times as long to unload their cart and find their wallet to pay, etc. Meanwhile your line starts backing up and people assume it is the checker's fault. And you feel like it is bad manners to interrupt their conversation to tell them the total or ask questions like debit or credit? And the cherry on top is when the cell phone customer gets angry for not being acknowledged by the checker with a friendly verbal greeting after THEY put the checker in the awkward situation of a silent game of gestures to communicate. Yes, folks, I've seen it all at the grocery store. haha :)
On a side note... Miss Janice, you always have the cutest outfits put together! AND, I lived in Palm Springs, too, in 2004!
Wonderful post, Miss Janice. You put my thoughts into words!:-)
I love how you have a Miss Janice look! My sister always says that I have a "Brittany look" that I give her when she does something wrong or embarrassing :)
Love this post!!
I wrote a post last summer similar to this... but it was more about what people wore and how appalling it was. Seriously, what has happened to us?
Don't y'all miss phone booths? Cell phones are from satan.
Yes! Thanks for this post. It is so important. I am constantly shocked by the bad behavior of people I see in public. The way parents interact with their children in the grocery store also is scary.
Oh sooooo many people need to read this! I was nearly mowed down yesterday trying to leave the self-checkout lane at Wal-Mart...I was still bagging, grabbing change and trying to get my receipt when the shopper behind me was already scanning items...seriously!!!! (and I swear she was wearing her pajamas....)
I so agree about the snack bins at Fresh Market. I n.e.v.e.r. purchase food from them as I just know many have been rooting their little hands through the nuts and candies. Yuch. One more suggestion...it is not okay to open shampoos, liquid soap, hand cream, etc. to sniff the scent before purchasing! Great posting.
Thank you, thank you, a million times thank you. I agree 100% on every single point. I'll even go one step further. I get completely dressed to go to the grocery store. Even if it's just for eggs. No sweat pants, no pj bottoms, no workout clothes because people take it to such extremes. It's just gross.
One day my daughter called me while I was at the cashier. I excused myself to the cashier, "Please forgive me I need to take this call because my duaghter is due to have her baby any time." When I found out she was just calling to chat I told her I couldn't talk because I was at the checkout. The cashier looked at me and said, 'thank you.' Ladies, everyone needs to feel significant and if we are talking on our phones I feel that we are de-humanizing the person that is in front of us.
Miss Janice, I wish you could take out a full page ad in every major newspaper in America and run these etiquette rules.
Kathie
My pet peeve is when people bump you or cut in front of you at the grocery store without a simple "excuse me" it makes me want to scream!
Hello! My daughter will be graduating high school soon and I am trying to decide on a gift. I was trying to get ideas and she suggested money or gift cards. UGH! She just doesnt "get" that this is an occasion that warrants something special. I was hoping that you could give me some ideas in the "under $500" range".
Thank you Miss Janice. People generally seem to be unaware and self involved.
Today I went to the garden center and the lady at the checkout counter was rude to me - and I was the customer! I know it's hard to believe.
I am trying to tell myself, "it's okay, I can be forgiving of her rudeness, it's a hard time of year (winter) for a lot of people".
I'm trying really hard not to call and report her to their (local) headquarters. I'm trying to not perpetuate the meanness.
My parents raised me to try to be thoughtful of others.
Many people from the South seem to be much better at this for some reason?
The other day I was also thinking that (although I'm a city girl) people from the country (or small towns) seem more thoughtful and considerate than city people. Is this because city folk have an out-of-proportion idea of how important they are?
Whatever the reasons I think your mission of:
1. Helping us all be more beautiful on the outside (will work harder on this).
and
2. More thoughtful (in the grocery or wherever we go)
is important!
I completely enjoy all of your posts.
I'm glad that there are people like you in the world.
This was a much needed post! People are so rude these days. I work at a hotel part time while I'm in school and people are so unbelieveably unkind to people who work in customer service these days. I think you should do a piece about hotel etiquette. I could certainly use some types about dealing with rude customers as politely as possible.
Thank you Miss Janice!
Now you need to school us on cell phone etiquette. Oh my! I guess some people believe that others can't actually HEAR them talk about their hemorrhoid creme. I mean really. It has just gotten ridiculous.
I remember about 13 years ago as a young 7 or 8 year old girl, a lady dropped a canned good on the floor and I went to pick it up to hand it to her and she grabbed it out of my hand like I was stealing it from her.. How rude? No one has ever tried to cut line in front of me but people do let me go in front of them when they have a cart full of groceries and I only have a couple of items. And I agree, it annoys me when someone with clearly more than 10 items checks out in the express lane. My mom used to do that it was very embarassing.
I very much agree with most of this post except leaving the cart in the parking lot. I return it when I am alone but with two kids I find the parking lot to be a pretty dangerous place especially when you are competing with people on cell phones!
Agreed! Nothing makes me feel like our society is in dire straits like a trip to the grocery store! All the more reason to do and be our best in hopes that it speaks to someone.
You so made me giggle at your grocery store ensemble! I did have on yoga pants and a monogrammed white t-shirt. Because of you, I threw on a light pink Masters vest to "dress it up"!
I cannot believe someone would just run over your foot like that! I do have to admit that I have snuck into the store with a baseball cap looking rather nasty on several occasions, but I try, and I appreciate your list of other items that I hope some of my fellow shoppers will abide by!
thank you for this! I just read it to my 5 year old, and we agree! We actually saw a man "saving" a place in line at the checkout while his wife did the shopping because the store was so busy -- RUDE! And I agree with the dressing the part -- you can still look good AND casual. My mama would say, "I hope you at leaste put lipstick on before you left the house!"
Morning Miss Janice! You'll look like you OWN the store in this outfit! I love love this, color combo is one of my very favorites! I agree with everything on your list and I'll add that if in line and the person behind only has a couple items let them go ahead of you! I do this all the time and enjoy the look on their faces!!! Yes the cell phone thing drives me nuts too!so does the "testing" of the food! Great post!!! Sincerely, Jeannette
Your list definitely conforms with my list. People just don't have any consideration for others nowadays and it's just everyone for themselves. I work as a grocery store clerk and we get battered down every single day and its the same thing over and over. We have our very own list as well.. ugh
-Paul
http://www.mostlygrocery.com
"Grocery Clerk Stories"
Hope you will...Check my blog... I'm having a 1000th Post Give Away!!! I always love my visits with you... to revel in the essence of true beauty that proper etiquette instills! Bless your heart!!
Thank you for this post. You are so right. There are many rude folks who get in a hurry while shopping. Yikes!
LOVE your beautiful clothes Miss Janice. You are so very stylish and classic. :)
love you for this post!
not only is it tacky to taste the candy/peanuts, but talk about unsanitary, especially in our Swine-flu ridden society this time of the year!
and the cell phones have just got to stay put in one's purse. unless you're supposed to drive someone to a hospital to give birth (in which case, why are you at the store and not with them?), keep it away.
The buggy-in-the-middle-of-the-aisle thing is absolutely the worst. And after you say, "Excuse me!" for the millionth time, the offender looks up, startled, as if it hadn't occurred to them that anyone else could be shopping that day. Rude, self-centered...wake up, people!!!
I do love my cell phone...it keeps me in touch with my adult children, grandchildren or if I am at the store...a last minute shopping question or decision...but, at no time will I talk on my cell phone at the register or have a private conversation while doing my shopping. Don't you just love the ones that are having a huge argument with colorful language???? I also have experienced cash register employees on their cell phones..excuse me??? I do believe you are working for me at this minute please. (smiling sweetly of course)
Janie, I don't have a contact address for you, so I hope you are checking here for my response. I would definitely give a gift of pearls...a necklace or earrings. If not pearls, then anything monogrammed! You can always slip some cash in a gift envelope {on the side, please!}
Thank you Miss Janice for this wonderful post! I HATE, HATE, HATE when people talk on their cells while checking out. I would also add another point. My friend Kathleen, another true southern lady, sells meats to grocery stores. She has been known to send people home from the store when they come in sick! She says, why do people think it is ok to come to a store when they are too sick to go to work? They just infect the rest of us not to mention the food!
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