Just Give Me The BAG!!!!!
As long as I am back to my curmudgeony self, I feel compelled by forces greater than myself to relate yet another customer service experience I had this morning while foraging for food at Home Plus. As with all customer experiences I relate, this entire conversation was in Korean.
Me: (placing my cheese, cucumbers and diet coke on the counter) Can you ring these up for me?
Clerk Gal: Hello, do you have any discount or bonus cards with you?
Me: No. I left my bonus card at home today.
Clerk: Oh well, if you bring it in together with the receipt within the next month, we will credit it to your bonus mileage.
Me: Ok.
Clerk:(while ringing up the first item) Would you like a plastic bag?
Me: Yes.
Clerk: (while ringing up the second item) Ok.
Me: Thank you
As I reach for the bag, she begins waving the bag frantically in her left hand and pointing to the bin where all of the plastic bags are kept.
Clerk: Do you need a bag?
Me: (Thinking she meant ANOTHER bag) No thank you. (I reach for the bag)
Clerk: (Jerking the bag away from me before I could grab it) You don’t need a bag??
Me: (getting a little frustrated that it is taking a long time to right up three items.) I do need a bag. You already asked that question once, and I answered yes. I said no because I thought you were offering another bag. You only need to ask once. Please finish ringing up the food so I can get to the office. I’m late.
Manager Woman: (Standing close at hand, she comes over) What’s going on. Why did you ask him again if he wanted bag?
Clerk: I didn’t know he could speak Korean, so I thought he didn’t understand and answered incorrectly. I was making sure.
Me: Huh? Didn’t we talk about bonus cards and mileage and other things before you offered me the bag. If I can understand that, then i can probably understand “Do you need a plastic bag? Will you PLEASE ring up my coke so I can leave?