Sharon Gayle | Who’s left holding the bag?

The plastic ban that took effect on January 1 of this year was monumental in separating the men from the boys and the ‘pros’ from the ‘cons’.

Consumers were given a shocking glimpse into the kaleidoscope of the true colours of their service providers. Some business places immediately ceased making provision of bags for their customers, while others took the opportunity to ‘cash in’ and soon had reusable bags of various colours, sizes and prices on sale as soon as the ban took effect.

Supermarkets have always been major contributors to the distribution of plastic bags over the years, and it was left to be seen what provision these businesses would make for their customers.

From the outset, some supermarkets in the booming metropolis of Mandeville made it clear that consumers were on their own. There was no provision made for the distribution or even purchase of bags for the goods customers bought and cashiers simply cashed your items and shifted them to the end of the counter; the rest was up to you. So if you didn’t have a bag, you either had to leave the goods and go elsewhere or carry your purchases out for all to see.

Mind you, though, a few supermarkets were kind enough to provide newspaper to wrap your goods in.

There is one supermarket, however, that did not drop the standard for even a second!

The Urvill’s Supermarket continued to provide its customers with plastic bags that exceeded the size of those that had been banned, and if your purchases were sizeable enough, you were given sturdy cardboard boxes. Male workers were also available to assist you to your private vehicle or taxi park for a small fee.

TAKE CARE OF CUSTOMERS

Urvill’s has never failed to take care of their customers. Besides being undoubtedly the cleanest, most organised supermarket in the town centre, Urvill’s cashiers and workers are by far the most courteous, helpful, polite and dependable.

They were also careful to inform their customers when they finally ran out of bags and still made sure they had reusable shopping bags of various sizes on sale. In addition, boxes were still free and brown paper bags of all sizes were available, so no matter what you purchased, you could be sure you were not going to walk out without a bag.

This supermarket deserves recognition for their unwavering exemplary service, their cleanliness, their care and commitment to their customers and their warm and inviting atmosphere. Shopping has always been, and continues to be, a breeze with Urvill’s, and it is my sincere hope that other supermarkets will begin to follow suit.

I, Sharon Gayle, am a satisfied customer and am proud to be part of the Urvill’s supermarket family. The men have been separated from the boys. Urvill’s has left us holding a different kind of bag!

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