Grocery Store Etiquette

[Syrse]

And Barb answered my question which was how people knew/proved a dog was a service animal.  I know the use of service animals has broadened over the years so they are not just leader dogs anymore.  I have also seen malls with lots of stores that allow pets so I am not sure about helath codes regarding that  - I believe some of those stores do have food.

If they sell food, pets are still allowed in? Well I suppose laws are different all over, but in this country, that's grounds for closing the store.

And I already did voice my surprise over the dog stealing. Yes, I didn't know, and it was not meant dismissive at all: I promise you dog stealing is not a thing over here. If I lived in a country where that was a problem, I would never suggest the customer tie up the dog. But again, over here that is common practice.

*edit* benefit of the doubt is not the same as letting people walk all over you... If your dog is licensed, you have paperwork to prove it. Why should I let a tiny little poodle who is riding in a purse into my store, if said store could have to close because of it? I don't want to lose my job.
And there was no insult intended.

[Sharnita]

Like I say, I wasn't insulted. I see it as rather positive if anuthong so the assumption that only the US does it might actually insult posters from non US countries where they do it and are happy with it.

As far as the poodle in a - as a customer it doesn't strike me as any bigger a,threat tjan the preschooler who is whining that they have to go to the bathroom probably less. If I saw the owner let the dog lick produce I would let a worker know bit tjen I would do the same if I saw a preschooler licking the produce which would probably be more likely. The thing is, maube tje poodle is there to detect seizures or ease anxiety or meet some other need.

[Syrse]

Then there is probably paperwork to prove the poodle is in fact a service dog, no?

Our boss told us that any pet in the store = store has to close down if inspection walks in.

I guess I can tweak it to 'please listen to the employees when they tell you the store rules.' 

[mmswm]

Then there was the big-box super store near me who got into a boat load of trouble for refusing to allow a service dog into the building. The person at the door didn't believe that the dog was a service animal because the owner wasn't blind, in spite of the fact that the owner had the dog wearing the proper harness and identification tags and the owner had all the appropriate paperwork.  The store employee told the customer that she must have stolen the harness and faked the paperwork because everybody knows that service dogs only help the blind.  I don't recall what the dog was for, but the dog was legitimately a service animal.

It's stories like this that cause store management to put in a blanket policy not to question a customer who claims that their animal is a service animal. Sure, some people will abuse that policy, but it protects the stores from lawsuits in the event they hire idiot employees.

[Sharnita]

No, you don't have to show paperwork

As I think about it birds seem to make it into many grocery stores from loading docks and fly around so if any animal presented a concern ...

[Barb3000]

" Because you know, the customer isn't always right. Sometimes they're just idiots   "

I think this should be embroidered on a sampler.

[JeseC]

Don't make assumptions about the people around you.  I know that I can look like a teenager, but I am in fact shopping for myself and need to compare prices.  You don't get to complain that people who are actually shopping are "in your way" - and if I moved, you'd be in my way, so get over it.

I actually had this happen to me recently.  Once because I was comparing prices and trying to see the different lotions on the shelf she apparently wanted something from.  Same woman, later that day, was trying to push past me while I loaded stuff into my bag from the self check-out.  She complained to the store employee that I kept getting in her way.  Said employee waited until she was out of sight and then looked at me and just shrugged.  I should note that in no case did she ever say something like "excuse me" - I think she did say something like "you're in my way" in the first case, to which I responded "I'll be done looking in a moment."

[TeamBhakta]

Coming from the sample lady grocery store perspective:
- Don't leave your empty sample cups on store shelves. We have large, obvious trash cans all over the store.
- Don't rearrange samples on my tray. They're all the same product. I'm required to throw out every sample you've touched, whether you ate it or not.
- Don't stick your finger into a sample cup, cherry pick a piece and leave the remaining sample on the tray. Just throw the remaining sample out or eat it.
- Don't run past, grab a sample, remark "too busy to chat, gotta run" and then come back whining "Eww, you didn't tell me (whatever ingredient) was in this!"
- No, I cannot reuse your fork, napkin, plate or cup. I  cannot go along with "Oh, I don't want you to waste a plate. Just put the food in my hand."Also, putting a used toothpick on my tray = I have to dump the whole tray of samples out, wash and sanitize the tray and make a new batch of samples.
- Please don't give me a lecture on "This product is s***. It's bad for the environment and for your health. You should only buy the version that comes from Shangri-La and is made by tiny singing animals from Snow White. Let me read the ingredient list to you and tell you what I think of each one...."
- I cannot leave my sample table to pick up a heavy item for you or climb a ladder for something you want on a shelf
- Mistaking me for a store employee is an okay mistake. I'm willing to direct you to the correct person. But walking up behind me and just blurting out "The price ? I said what's the price of this aspirin" is not a good idea. I do not know if you're talking to me or someone else. Moving next to or in front of me and asking "Excuse me, ma'am, can you help me" is much better.
- Yes, sometimes I have to sell pet food, feminine hygiene products or high fiber cereal. The joke you'd like to blurt out at the time isn't clever. You'll either be the 20th person to say it today ("har har, I'm on a diet. No dog food for me") or your comment will be so offensive that I'll think you're a very crude, ill mannered person.
- If you want to spit food out, put it in a napkin and throw it away. Don't stand over my trash can and try to drool out your chewing gum. Or dramatically fountain spit it into my trash can (true story). I had to toss out samples and sanitize my cart because of that customer 

[Piratelvr1121]

Coming from the sample lady grocery store perspective:
- Don't leave your empty sample cups on store shelves. We have large, obvious trash cans all over the store.
- Don't rearrange samples on my tray. They're all the same product. I'm required to throw out every sample you've touched, whether you at it or not.
- Don't stick your finger into a sample cup, cherry pick a piece and leave the remaining sample on the tray. Just throw the remaining sample out or eat it.
- Don't run past, grab a sample, remark "too busy to chat, gotta run" and then come back whining "Eww, you didn't tell me (whatever ingredient) was in this!"
- No, I cannot reuse your fork, napkin, plate or cup. I  cannot go along with "Oh, I don't want you to waste a plate. Just put the food in my hand."Also, putting a used toothpick on my tray = I have to dump the whole tray of samples out, wash and sanitize the tray and make a new batch of samples.
- Please don't give me a lecture on "This product is s***. It's bad for the environment and for your health. You should only buy the version that comes from Shangri-La and is made by tiny singing animals from Snow White. Let me read the ingredient list to you and tell you what I think of each one...."
- I cannot leave my sample table to pick up a heavy item for you or climb a ladder for something you want on a shelf
- Mistaking me for a store employee is an okay mistake. I'm willing to direct you to the correct person. But walking up behind me and just blurting out "The price ? I said what's the price of this aspirin" is not a good idea. I do not know if you're talking to me or someone else. Moving next to or in front of me and asking "Excuse me, ma'am, can you help me" is much better.
- Yes, sometimes I have to sell pet food, feminine hygiene products or high fiber cereal. The joke you'd like to blurt out at the time isn't clever. You'll either be the 20th person to say it today ("har har, I'm on a diet. No dog food for me") or your comment will be so offensive that I'll think you're a very crude, ill mannered person.
- If you want to spit food out, put it in a napkin and throw it away. Don't stand over my trash can and try to drool out your chewing gum. Or dramatically fountain spit it into my trash can (true story). I had to toss out samples and sanitize my cart because of that customer 

Wow, they're all awful but I think that one would require the most restraint to not slap the box out of their hand and tell them to get away from me. 

[RebeccainGA]

Actually, the "dogs in stores" question is a moot point, at least in the US. All you have to do is say it is a service animal. That's it. Store is not allowed to question you about what kind, documentation, nothing.

Please, don't do this if your animal is NOT a service animal. Not only is it illegal, and rude, it's the reason it's hard for legitimate non-seeing eye dog service animals to be taken seriously.

My DP has a 'medical alert' dog - he is trained to find help if she gets unbalanced, and alerts when she's got breathing trouble as well. He's a seven pound poodle (all he needs are working legs and a loud bark to function - and his small size and non-allergenic nature make him perfect for this work). However, even though he's a real, legitimate working dog, we get hassled regularly because he LOOKS like a pet. Yes, we love him. Yes, he cuddles with me on the couch in the evening because if I'm in the room, he's 'off duty', since I'm present to see what's going on. No, he's not just a pet.

[Piratelvr1121]

I have to wonder, where would someone get a service dog harness if their dog isn't one?  I guess I always thought they were given to the dog by the organization training them. 

But while I don't have a service dog of any sort, I've heard of them being used for many purposes beyond assisting the blind.  I've learned they can be used for diabetics, epileptics, disabled veterans, etc.  There's a black lab pup at our church being trained for that last one, they're training him to brace himself so the veteran can lean on him to get up, and they bring him to church to get used to being around a lot of people of varying ages. 

[kherbert05]

I have to wonder, where would someone get a service dog harness if their dog isn't one?  I guess I always thought they were given to the dog by the organization training them. 

But while I don't have a service dog of any sort, I've heard of them being used for many purposes beyond assisting the blind.  I've learned they can be used for diabetics, epileptics, disabled veterans, etc.  There's a black lab pup at our church being trained for that last one, they're training him to brace himself so the veteran can lean on him to get up, and they bring him to church to get used to being around a lot of people of varying ages. 

I have harnesses for Abby and Andi that other people have mistaken for a service dog harness. I did NOT do it on purpose. I hate hooking leashes to collars. The first 2 harnesses I got Abby - the escape artist was able to slip out of. The one I have now looks complicated. For some people that = service animal for some reason. It is a black harness no markings no vest.

[Piratelvr1121]

Not that I've come across many service dogs, but the one I've seen did have markings on their harness to show that they are a service dog.

[RebeccainGA]

Not that I've come across many service dogs, but the one I've seen did have markings on their harness to show that they are a service dog.

Many service dogs are privately trained (ours is - and it's more common than you'd think, for non-seeing eye dogs. There just aren't many training organizations for some specialties.) and so don't have an 'organization' that gives them a harness. Also, harnesses do wear out. We have a service dog 'cape' that he wears, but he doesn't always (it's warm, and in Southern summers, can make him overheat). FYI.

[Syrse]

Coming from the sample lady grocery store perspective:
- Don't leave your empty sample cups on store shelves. We have large, obvious trash cans all over the store.

This, so much this!
We have taste tables all around our store, and you wouldn't believe the mess people make!
So I would like to add:

- If you make a mess, please call someone over. Don't run away and leave it for us to find. We don't mind cleaning up, and no, you won't have to pay for it. We do mind finding out the leaking has ruined other products, or has been a slipping hazard, etc.
- Please don't fill your cup to the brim, decide you don't like it, and leave it there for me to clean up. Would it kill you to try a small sip first?
- Do not open a new bottle/bag of chips, etc... by yourself. Yes, I know the bottle/bowl is empty. Just flag someone down, and we will gladly fill it up. For one, we are supposed to wear gloves, and food really isn't supposed to be touched with bare hands. Second, if you take an item and open it, that puts our stock at minus one, because our computer has no way of knowing what you just did. Call someone over and we will gladly help you, and then enter the used items into the computer later.

And a bit more random
- Do not ask me if your child/spouse/uncle can eat this gluten free bread when he has a corn allergy. Or ask me what would cure your stomach pains. I am not a food specialist, nor am I a doctor. It would be highly illegal for any of us to give you our opinion on the matter. Please go see your doctor, and ask what you're allowed to have.