"Would You Like A Bag?"

This isn't a post about me ranting about how stupid it is that after spending money in a store, I then have to pay to carry my items out of the store in a bag.  It's not about how I think the store should pay that bag charge as a courtesy to their costumers, especially after someone spent $500 in their store, sheesh give the customer a few 10 cent bags!!

What it is about is how the Customer Service Representative / Cashiers are "selling" these bags.  The Target near my home, when that bag fee started, would ask you, "would you like to buy a bag for 10 cent?"  You then made an informed decision on if you really want that bag.  I personally say no, I have bags in the car that I always forget to bring in, so I bag at my car.

But now they no longer tell you of the charge, all they say is "would you like a bag?"  A few months ago I was behind a gentleman who was here from out of state, when he was asked if he wanted a bag he said Yes...  He then turned to me and said, "That's an odd question, she can see I didn't bring in any reusable bags."  I explained to him that she asked him because the bags cost 10 cent each.  He was shocked, he ask the Cashier why she didn't tell him it wasn't free, she just shrugged and said "I thought everyone already knew."

Sunday I went to a Safeway in Fremont, and the lady asked if I wanted a bag, I asked her "do you charged for them?"  she said "yes".  The couple who had just bought a bunch of things before me, and were, for some reason just standing at the end of the isle, looked up and said "You didn't tell us we had to pay for these bags".  Turns out they weren't from around here, and had never heard of being charged for bags.

I feel if the stores aren't going to pay the bag fee for their customers, at least tell them the price so they know if they want to pay for one, two, or six of them!!!