Forum Topic

Service with a smile!

Not at the greengrocers outside Sainsburys! I approached today with a cheery "good morning!" and a smile. I was met with a stony face. I asked for a bag ."Wot for?" "Erm, I just want to buy some produce". "Wot for?" he repeated with the same stony glare. I asked if a smile would not go amiss? Obviously not. Still the same unfriendly stony face. So, I said "Oh, just forget it" and walked away. All the other greengrocers along the High Road are lovely. "Alright, darlin? Wot can I getcha?" Whilst engaging in congenial conversation and a friendly smile.Just wondering if anyone else finds them rude and unfriendly?

Jill Merrett ● 220d14 Comments

Berwick Street or the two fruit and veg stalls on Strutton Ground when I worked in Westminster. Word got around very quickly if the produce was anything other than top notch.

N V Brooks ● 217d

Ha,fruit and veg,my worst enemywhen shopping.If inside say Sainsbury's I always lift the crates to getthe fresher stuff frombelow and sometimes someone will see and say something butI'm the buyer with the money.No longer around but one shopI refused to return asI felt cheeted. Nicepyramid of big peaches outsidebut he went inside andtook them. Got home and allthe bottoms were bruisedand going off.Nevertook them back,just boycottedthe place.Lemon and limes is not cheapbut you do get qualityfruit and veg.When I lived in soho in the mid 89s Berwick street market was thriving and many stall holders would be setting up around 7ish polishing es very apple,pear and orange. Sadly aspeople passed on tatt took over andit never recovered. Like many parts of Soho,just not the same anymore but a few parts have improved and thrived.Now many pubs struggle with trade on a Friday night as Thursday is now the new Friday and khan has killed off much that existed over the weekend,except the main tourist traps in the big locations.Not sure about the stalk in question but I'm always put off when I see bargain bowls full of second rate fruit being sold for a pound,but maybe that's just me being a bitsnobby. Think I get that from my mum 😀

Julian Pavey ● 217d

I doubt whether you'll find marrows on sale at the moment, Jill. And I'm told by the chaps on the stall opposite the George IV that the first ones to arrive will come from Portugal!You could also have shoved a fiery hot chilli pepper up his fundament, instead of a harmless marrow.

Roger Talbot ● 217d

I think the rotten fruit is returned and recycled, i.e. Compost or soldto farmers.

Janice Evans ● 218d

“ I was aggressively confronted by the older guy (who still works there and is just as miserable a git and unfriendly) asking me what I was doing, whilst wielding a huge umbrella in a threatening manner as he approached me. “I’m surprised you ever went back there.

Steve Taylor ● 218d

There's that other overpriced, miserable fruit and veg stall near Campbell's.

Stewart Jones ● 218d

Roger! How very rude of you! But not a bad idea, though I think my vegetable of choice would be a marrow, preferably inserted sideways!I'd also like to add that a few years back I was rummaging around in the rotten fruit that had been left out at the back of their stall and had the temerity to take a couple of rotten apples to feed to the birds in my garden. I was aggressively confronted by the older guy (who still works there and is just as miserable a git and unfriendly) asking me what I was doing, whilst wielding a huge umbrella in a threatening manner as he approached me. I dropped my Sainsbury's bag, breaking a wine bottle (luckily only a cheap Wollemi Chardonnay) and beat a hasty retreat!I wasn't also too impressed by witnessing the gobbing and hawking by what I would assume to be another member of this delightful family.

Jill Merrett ● 218d

I wouldn't get too upset about it, Jill. We all have our bad bad days, and perhaps it was one of his.You should have asked him for a cucumber, and then told him to stick it up his arse.

Roger Talbot ● 218d

The South African mentions are well timed.Yesterday was NELSON MANDELA DAY ..."to encourage people to help Communities"The Chiswick greengrocer chap Jill encountered outside SAINSBURYS may be typical of the unpleasant whites who dished out nasty treatment to the coloured/indiginous people of South Africa.Well reported Jill.

Jim Lawes ● 219d

Long story,but my family emigrated as a second choice to South Africa in 1964 just before my fifth birthday,Australia having rejected us because my eldest sister had epilepsy.We had a maid who we treated like one of the family but who refused to eat with us at mealtimes because she said if she was to be seen by police or anyone likely to report it,she would be in trouble as would my father and mother.My old Dad was a bit of a firebrand and had a few 'philosophical'discussions with the police a couple of times,this in the day when waving a British passport  seemed to have some currency.We came back 4 years later,my parents not wishing to bring us up in such a place any longer.Ancient history I suppose.

Keith Iddon ● 219d

Good anecdote from Keith. Made me remember an excellent occasion when we had some dreadful cousins visiting from South Africa. One of them was moaning about how much time she had to spend cooking, so my Granny asked why they didn't get a cook alongside all the gardeners, footmen, cleaners and so on. "Oh!" says cousin Elspeth, "I couldn't bear the thought of those blek hands touching my food"! Granny, with a completely straight face (bless her) then said "Oh! I didn't know it came off!" Elspeth didn't know what to make of that, but kind of gathered that our part of the family had a different take on such matters!

Davey Harris ● 219d

The stall that I refer to is the one nearest to Shearer's tobacconist.It was a good few years ago,hopefully attitudes have changed for the better there by now.

Keith Iddon ● 219d

it's true that they are bit rude. The friendliest on CHR is Liam at the flower stand a bit further along

Davey Harris ● 219d

Many years ago I went to buy something at one of those stalls and noticed that they were advertising that they had South African oranges.I said that although they looked good I would not buy goods from there.The berk behind the jump said 'It's not our fault it's had black hands on it'.Needless to say,I told him what he could do with his fruit and veg.in no uncertain terms.

Keith Iddon ● 220d