Do you miss every day ordinary service?

[Anonymous]

I remember when there were not only people who worked as cashiers at the grocery store. There were people, usually young men, who sacked the groceries. Then they would ask and carry your groceries to your car.

I remember when a department store had people working in it, who would ask if you wanted to start a dressing room. They would carry the clothes for you, hang them on the door, check on you, ask if you wanted a different size or color. I hardly ever saw clothes piled up in the dressing rooms.

I remember the sound ding ding at the gas station. Fill 'er up. A gas station attendant would pump the gas, clean the windshield, and check the oil.

When I ate dinner at a higher end restaurant, the servers would actually put your napkin on your lap, serve water without asking, serve bread, not try to rush people, and up sell people on dessert, wine, and cocktails.

That was just normal everyday service with a smile. Now I wouldn't even get that level of service at a platinum card carrying VIP extra special table.

Did I miss anything?

[Anonymous]

I’m temporarily living in another country where labor is cheaper. We have all of that still. I am so appreciative of it!

[Anonymous]

I'm pushing 50 and you're either from a different place than me, or a couple decades older. I was pumping gas before I was old enough to drive. While the gas tank was filling I'd clean my parents' windshield.

At 14 I worked at a grocery store as a cashier and we didn't have baggers or anyone who pushed the cart to the car for you.

I've never taken anyone up on an offer to start a dressing room for me. I want to hold everything I'm considering so I can put back what won't work.

All the high end restaurants I go to involve offering wine, dessert, etc., and they automatically offer water (except when we're in a drought) and put bread on the table. I don't want anyone putting anything in my lap. My hands work, and I'll invite you to touch my body if I want you to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm pushing 50 and you're either from a different place than me, or a couple decades older. I was pumping gas before I was old enough to drive. While the gas tank was filling I'd clean my parents' windshield.

At 14 I worked at a grocery store as a cashier and we didn't have baggers or anyone who pushed the cart to the car for you.

I've never taken anyone up on an offer to start a dressing room for me. I want to hold everything I'm considering so I can put back what won't work.

All the high end restaurants I go to involve offering wine, dessert, etc., and they automatically offer water (except when we're in a drought) and put bread on the table. I don't want anyone putting anything in my lap. My hands work, and I'll invite you to touch my body if I want you to.

[Anonymous]

I am 38. I vividly remember shopping with my mother, even at low end stores like Kohls, and being bombarded with helpful employees. "I'm just browsing" my mother would repeat. I don't think I've had to turn away an employee in maybe 9 or 10 years!
Many times I have been in a store looking for something specific and wished I had someone to ask. The one or two employees staffing the whole store are at the cash register and can't really be interrupted. If you do catch them at a free moment you get a pained expression in return.

[Anonymous]

Oh and I worked as a bag/cart girl at a grocery store. It was one of the few jobs that employed under 16s so there was a whole crew of 14 and 15 year olds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm pushing 50 and you're either from a different place than me, or a couple decades older. I was pumping gas before I was old enough to drive. While the gas tank was filling I'd clean my parents' windshield.

At 14 I worked at a grocery store as a cashier and we didn't have baggers or anyone who pushed the cart to the car for you.

I've never taken anyone up on an offer to start a dressing room for me. I want to hold everything I'm considering so I can put back what won't work.

All the high end restaurants I go to involve offering wine, dessert, etc., and they automatically offer water (except when we're in a drought) and put bread on the table. I don't want anyone putting anything in my lap. My hands work, and I'll invite you to touch my body if I want you to.

New poster here

I’m your age (born in 1975) and I remember all the things OP said. I worked in a grocery store from 1994-1996 and I started as a bagger. We even had to wear uniforms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm pushing 50 and you're either from a different place than me, or a couple decades older. I was pumping gas before I was old enough to drive. While the gas tank was filling I'd clean my parents' windshield.

At 14 I worked at a grocery store as a cashier and we didn't have baggers or anyone who pushed the cart to the car for you.

I've never taken anyone up on an offer to start a dressing room for me. I want to hold everything I'm considering so I can put back what won't work.

All the high end restaurants I go to involve offering wine, dessert, etc., and they automatically offer water (except when we're in a drought) and put bread on the table. I don't want anyone putting anything in my lap. My hands work, and I'll invite you to touch my body if I want you to.

New poster here

I’m your age (born in 1975) and I remember all the things OP said. I worked in a grocery store from 1994-1996 and I started as a bagger. We even had to wear uniforms.

Ah, so it must be a regional thing. I worked in a grocery store from 1991-92, and there were no baggers. I started as a cashier. Maybe if it was slow a cashier would go to the person next to them and help with bagging for a while. But that wasn't their job. And, no uniforms, just a little name tag.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm pushing 50 and you're either from a different place than me, or a couple decades older. I was pumping gas before I was old enough to drive. While the gas tank was filling I'd clean my parents' windshield.

At 14 I worked at a grocery store as a cashier and we didn't have baggers or anyone who pushed the cart to the car for you.

I've never taken anyone up on an offer to start a dressing room for me. I want to hold everything I'm considering so I can put back what won't work.

All the high end restaurants I go to involve offering wine, dessert, etc., and they automatically offer water (except when we're in a drought) and put bread on the table. I don't want anyone putting anything in my lap. My hands work, and I'll invite you to touch my body if I want you to.

New poster here

I’m your age (born in 1975) and I remember all the things OP said. I worked in a grocery store from 1994-1996 and I started as a bagger. We even had to wear uniforms.

Ah, so it must be a regional thing. I worked in a grocery store from 1991-92, and there were no baggers. I started as a cashier. Maybe if it was slow a cashier would go to the person next to them and help with bagging for a while. But that wasn't their job. And, no uniforms, just a little name tag.

Yes, probably regional. The grocery store I worked at was in Orange County, California.
Everyone in that store had to start as a bagger. A lady in her 30’s was hired around the same time as me, and even she was started as a bagger; but she was really nice and a hard worker and they promoted her to service desk within a couple months.

We were a union shop and the various positions had very specific levels of pay. Baggers were at the lowest level. Seevice desk, bakery, service deli, and meat clerks were middle. Cashiers, produce, dairy, and a few others were the highest. Butchers had their own union.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm pushing 50 and you're either from a different place than me, or a couple decades older. I was pumping gas before I was old enough to drive. While the gas tank was filling I'd clean my parents' windshield.

At 14 I worked at a grocery store as a cashier and we didn't have baggers or anyone who pushed the cart to the car for you.

I've never taken anyone up on an offer to start a dressing room for me. I want to hold everything I'm considering so I can put back what won't work.

All the high end restaurants I go to involve offering wine, dessert, etc., and they automatically offer water (except when we're in a drought) and put bread on the table. I don't want anyone putting anything in my lap. My hands work, and I'll invite you to touch my body if I want you to.

New poster here

I’m your age (born in 1975) and I remember all the things OP said. I worked in a grocery store from 1994-1996 and I started as a bagger. We even had to wear uniforms.

Ah, so it must be a regional thing. I worked in a grocery store from 1991-92, and there were no baggers. I started as a cashier. Maybe if it was slow a cashier would go to the person next to them and help with bagging for a while. But that wasn't their job. And, no uniforms, just a little name tag.

Yes, probably regional. The grocery store I worked at was in Orange County, California.
Everyone in that store had to start as a bagger. A lady in her 30’s was hired around the same time as me, and even she was started as a bagger; but she was really nice and a hard worker and they promoted her to service desk within a couple months.

We were a union shop and the various positions had very specific levels of pay. Baggers were at the lowest level. Seevice desk, bakery, service deli, and meat clerks were middle. Cashiers, produce, dairy, and a few others were the highest. Butchers had their own union.

Ours was the exact same but in suburban Detroit circa 2000. Maybe it was the same parent company. We had to bag groceries, collect carts, take care of the recycling machines and clean the bathrooms (by far the worst job, rotated among us.) We wore hideous one size fits all polo shirts with the store logo. They got rid of the baggers around 2010 I think.

[Anonymous]

I don’t want anyone placing a napkin in my lap. Creepy. That said, I find the employees in Trader Joe’s very helpful. When you are looking for a specific item, they don’t point you to an aisle, they walk you to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t want anyone placing a napkin in my lap. Creepy. That said, I find the employees in Trader Joe’s very helpful. When you are looking for a specific item, they don’t point you to an aisle, they walk you to it.

I agree. A stranger's hand has no business that close to my upper thighs and crotch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm pushing 50 and you're either from a different place than me, or a couple decades older. I was pumping gas before I was old enough to drive. While the gas tank was filling I'd clean my parents' windshield.

At 14 I worked at a grocery store as a cashier and we didn't have baggers or anyone who pushed the cart to the car for you.

I've never taken anyone up on an offer to start a dressing room for me. I want to hold everything I'm considering so I can put back what won't work.

All the high end restaurants I go to involve offering wine, dessert, etc., and they automatically offer water (except when we're in a drought) and put bread on the table. I don't want anyone putting anything in my lap. My hands work, and I'll invite you to touch my body if I want you to.

Weird post, because most 50 year olds would know what the op is talking about.

[Anonymous]

I remember many of those things. I understand and appreciate how some of it has shifted. But while I don’t need someone to take my clothes to the dressing room, I wish the dressing rooms were clean from extra clothes and hangers. I wish employees could answer basic customer service questions knowledgeably and politely.

[Anonymous]

You must be ancient‼️👵🏼

Just kidding OP - I am in my fifties & I remember everything you just mentioned and then some.

For instance, I remember going shoe shopping as a kid and the shoe salesman would measure my foot, then go into the “back” while I sat in a chair waiting to try on a new pair of shoes.
The salesman would press the front top of the shoes to see how well the shoes fit.

I also remember in Elementary school….on picture day all of us kids were each given a free comb to keep.

And my personal favorite:
Going to cheese shops in the mall and getting tons of free samples!