Ann Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 If you are in the grocery store, at the bakery counter, and the clerk sneezes as he/she is putting your donuts in the little box, what would you do? PS....This question provided by our dear friend, Muriel, who's lives in Orlando. She's just a hop, skip and a jump from me (that translates to just over an hour) but yet we've never met !!! Muriel....we have to correct this situation and get together soon. Thanks for the question, Muriel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilyjohn Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 That is a tough question. I wouldn't want to hurt anyones feelings but it is too easy to get sick nowadays. I think I would ask her to please start over. I would try to explain that I am not being upity but I am very aware of all of the strange new diseases that are going around and don't want to take the slightest chance. If I were on the other end of this question I would ask the customer to excuse me and put her box aside and start over. Later I would get rid of the ones I sneezed on just in case. If I had to I would pay for them and take them home. After all I don't think any of us worry about our own germs cantaminating us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted July 31, 2009 Author Share Posted July 31, 2009 In a very nice voice, I would ask the salesperson to please fix me another box of donuts. If she acted surprised, I would explain that I have been trying very hard to avoid catching a cold or "bug" and hope she would understand. One would think that the person would understand, without even being asked, but unfortunately, there are many food handlers that just don't seem to have a clue about food and germs. If the person had a bad attitude about my request, I would simply not take the donuts and would go directly to the manager and issue a complaint. There are two fast food chains here that I absolutely refuse to go to any longer because their workers don't wear gloves. One night, while waiting on an order, I actually watched a kid go outside, puff a cigarette and blow his nose and come right back in ....without gloves....and start making a sandwich. Unfortunately, that sandwich was mine and I refused it. There were some pretty rough looking kids working that night and I felt very intimidated, so I never went back in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carleen Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 I agree with Ann and Lily. I thnk there are very polite and friendly ways of saying "I don't want the Swine Flu special please". I would most likely try and gently request a new box of donuts using humor. I find that people have a hard time getting defensive and upset when they are laughing. I've had something similar happen at an ice cream parlor. I orders a hot fudge sundae, with lots of whipped cream, cherry and nuts... mmmm.... But as I watched the kid behind the counter prepare my order, while at the same time tending the grill for some burger orders that were also in process I noticed that he was sweating profusely. As his head was bent over my sundae intently decorating my treat with beautiful spirals of whipped cream, I watched in horror as sweat droplets which were hanging perilously from the end of his nosed dropped directly on top in leiu of a cherry. I didn't want to embarrass the kid about his excessive sweating, but I also didn't ask for the body fluid Sundae. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shineladysue Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 I would probably be timid , buy the donuts and toss them when I got home. Lord knows what goes on with food we get, no matter where it comes from. Don't think I want to know.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstdzy Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 I truthfully don't know what I would do. I might just say "Excuse me I don't know if you noticed but you just sneezed all over my donuts and the box. I would like a do over on those" or I might just say, "I changed my mind". Hopefully it would be the first so the next customer didn't get her cooties! Dana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brokenarrow Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Having grown more impatient with modern attitude and ignorance, I believe I would stare at the clerk and give them an opportunity to realize and solve the problem. Upon their failure to do so, I'd probaby walk away from the counter, leaving the clerk to work out why they were still holding the box of donuts. The down side of that is that some poor unsuspecting customer will come along and buy them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muriel Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Well, Ann, we could always meet at the bakery counter, but not at my grocery store. I raised this question because I had this experience yesterday. I'll wait a while to tell you what I did and how I felt about it. In the meantime, I'd love to read more responses. Muriel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowflake Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 At our grocery, the customer boxes their own, so if you're at the store at 8:00, you never know if a 6:00 customer held the door open and sneezed into the whole doughnut closet...good thing I don't eat doughnuts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muriel Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 You never know how many people sneezed on the whole tray of items while working with them or putting them in the counter case. Maybe it really doesn't make a difference. This is what I did and I don't know if it was a good way to handle it or not. I really wanted to scream at her and tell (not ask) her to throw the donuts away and wash her hands and arms. (It was a big sneeze.) I didn't do that. I took the box of donuts and thanked her. Then I set it in the basket and got a couple of those wet towelettes for cleaning off the cart and used them to hold the box. (The box was plastic.) Before I checked out I went to the service counter and explained that I didn't want the donuts because the clerk had sneezed on them. The woman was happy to take and said she'd speak to the head of that dept. She also asked if the clerk had washed her hands before she continued or before she served the next customer. She hadn't. So, if I get sick in the next few days it will be from something other than the donuts. Muriel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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