Teen working at local grocery store shows their boss why they don't "always" offer to take people's groceries out to their car: 'He emphasized it was the store policy and I need to offer help to EVERYONE'

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Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Apr 11, 2025 6:00 PM EDT

When you're starting off in a job you're often taught a procedure and told that that procedure needs to be strictly followed each and every time—no exceptions. You quickly learn, however, that "strictly" and "every time" are not only inconvenient but ill-suited to handling the abnormal situations that quite obviously need to be handled as exceptions to what the handbook has outlined.

In fact, not only are there a whole bunch of fringe situations that take some critical thinking, but the process itself is horrifically ineffective and inefficient, and there are way better ways to do things. Of course, especially early on in your career, you're not being paid to make these decisions, and everyone seems to rather that you just didn't. Especially when you encounter one of these managers who is a stickler for the rules and needs to see a process followed to the letter. It seems like they're not paying attention every time you make suggestions, but they somewhat perplexingly have no problem paying attention once they see you going off script.

This teen who worked bagging groceries at a supermarket showed their boss a thing or two about the nonsensicality of "always" following the rules as written.

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  • 01

    "My manager told me I needed to offer to help everyone carry their groceries to the car. Sounds good!"

    This is probably super mild compared to most things posted here, but I just remembered it and it made me laugh so here goes. When I was in high school, far longer ago than I care to admit, I was a bagger at a local grocery store. One of the policies of the store was that we had to offer to help everyone take their groceries out to their car. Anytime someone elderly, or someone with a lot of bags, came through the line, I
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    Cheezburger Image 10492998656
    via Sasha Matveeva

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 03
    would offer to help, and many of them accepted. There were a lot of parents with kids that turned down the help because they would make their clones help instead. I quickly learned who was going to accept the offer and who wasn't, so if they fit the criteria for not being interested in help, I didn't bother to ask. They always refused, so why keep asking?
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  • 04
    Well, one day my manager is hovering while I'm bagging, and a lady bought a carton of eggs and a loaf of bread. I smiled and wished her a nice day, handing her the single, featherweight bag, and she smiled and returned the greeting, and was on her way. My manager noticed I didn't offer to help her out and scolded me, and I just pointed out she had one partially filled bag that was super light, so probably wouldn't have needed help. He emphasized it was the store policy and I need to offer help t
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  • 05
    The next guy in the line was definitely a gym rat. A foot taller than me, biceps as big as my head, a tight tank top and basketball shorts. It's been so long I can't remember what he bought but it occupied a single bag, and wasn't heavy. I double bagged it, still in front of my hovering manager, and said "Sir would you like me to help you carry all of your groceries out to your car?"
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  • 06
    He laughed, saw I wasn't also laughing, and his expression. changed to utter confusion. He looked at me like I'd just asked him what shampoo he used on his armpit hair. It was 95% confusion, 5% suspicion at what game I could be playing with him. He looked at my manager with a new look that said "Is this kid okay?" then turned back to me, still chuckling a little bit in confusion, and said "Uhh, nah man I think I got it...." He took his bag of protein powder and eggs or whatever it actually was a
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  • 07
    I looked at my manager and shrugged. His expression read as "Yeah, alright, fine." And he went back to the office. He never hovered or enforced the policy again after that. Like I said, super mild and short compared to a lot of posts on here but it was my first case of malicious compliance so hopefully you guys got a laugh out of it as well.
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    Cheezburger Image 10492998912
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    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 09
    kipsterdude It never dawned on me for some reason that it might be store policy. I used to wonder why grocery store baggers. would offer to help me bring a gallon of milk to the car.
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  • 10
    MoonDogg98 similar, I was working as a cashier... Person comes through I knew, I did not card them... (I knew they was old enough) Manager all ped yelling and screaming. I said no problem. 20mins later... 80yr old comes with beer. I card him. He was amused.. same manager comes yelling and screaming because he knew this person. I said its store policy to card everyone. Never told me anything about it again.
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  • 11
    pinkduckling I would have kept asking everyone until he had to tell all 5ft of me to stop trying to help 6ft bodybuilders carry their candy bar to the car.
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    LaciePauline Perfectly Petty. It's great when things work out perfectly (to the detriment of overly nosey supervisors)
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    Varnigma I remember being in college and having a dude bagging offer to carry my groceries. I'm a dude as well so was very confused. Someone later told me it was a way for baggers to get a break. From them on I always accepted with a smile and made sure to walk slowly to my car.
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  • 14
    buzz8588 I worked at a department store and they made me ask about their department credit card. I hated it, because the script they made us say seemed like it was a loyalty. card, but it was a full on credit card with a hard pull on your credit score. I knew who would decline, but I still had to ask.
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  • 15
    powdered_dognut Would you like me to carry your groceries to your car? If you'd like to go outside, yes, if not, no.
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