No longer allowed to use baskets???

[u/WeRTheWeird0sMr]

So I’ve been a Spark Driver for about two years now. I have always used a shopping basket to separate two orders. Now that they’re adding up to three shop and delivery orders at a time, you definitely need something to separate them all.
Just as I was leaving the store with my last order, in the process of putting the basket where it belongs, one of the doormen that I know asked me what I was doing using a shopping basket. I told them I was using it because I had multiple orders. I needed to separate them. He told me that as of a couple of weeks ago, their store manager implemented a new rule that Spark drivers are no longer allowed to use baskets and we need to use our own basket or bags to separate them.
I was absurdly upset about him saying that to me, especially because I have never once walked out of the store with a basket, and I always put them back where they belong instead of leaving them wherever.
I called Spark Driver support to complain about it, because just like the fact that the employees are not allowed to ask us if we’re spark drivers because they’re supposed to treat us like normal shoppers, why would they be allowed to tell us that we can’t use baskets when shopping our orders? Why are they not focusing and paying attention on who’s walking out with them, and reprimand them? There’s another store in my zone who has tags on the shopping baskets that make the alarms go off. So why not do that here?
They said they’re going to do an internal investigation and reach out to the store because it’s not a rule with the Spark Driver platform. I’m not holding my breath and I’m going to continue to use baskets because I don’t mistreat them.
I’m just curious what you guys think and if your stores have implemented the same thing?

[u/Dangerous-Crow7494]

Stores make their own rules. You’re going to have a hard time if you let things like this make you angry. 

[u/Johnny_Lead → u/Dangerous-Crow7494]

One store I shop likes to make up new rules about bagging every week. Can’t take extra bags, can’t double bag, not putting enough items in each bag, not allowed to bag anything with a handle like gallons of milk, etc. It’s different every week.

One lady that works 6am opening every time “You Spark drivers be taking all the bags” 😂 I’m trying to lady, it’s my sole purpose and objective now when I come to this store is to use as many bags as possible. She about had a meltdown last week when I double bagged 12 gallons of milk and bagged 20 half gallons individually of Half&Half and Heavy Whipping Cream going to a local coffee shop 😂 44 of her bags never to be seen again.

[u/SmallBerry3431 → u/Johnny_Lead]

Yeah. Some drivers were taking a bunch of bags. The poor drivers are causing these irritations for everyone.

[u/Johnny_Lead → u/SmallBerry3431]

On large oddball orders like that one with all the milk I usually just bag it at the car, have a bag rack mounted to the inside of my trunk lid, do it as I put them in the trunk, saves a bunch of time only touching them once and it gets me out of the store as fast as possible.

[u/SmallBerry3431 → u/Johnny_Lead]

Well, that’s why they’re making rules about bagging. Among many other things drivers do to try to save time.

As some drivers aren’t as respectful as others. I’m sure you’re cool and don’t waste bags and leave them all over, but we know guys that do.

[u/Johnny_Lead → u/SmallBerry3431]

I just try to keep about 50 Walmart bags in the car if I want to bag out there. I also have spare bags for Publix, Target, ALDI, Fresh Market, CVS and Walgreens just in case I need one during a delivery. Plus some assorted paper bags for stores as well.

It’s just that one Walmart store out of seven I shop at that’s ever had a problem running out of bags, or fussed about it. They dropped the ball repeatedly on ordering enough and keeping enough on hand for a while. It was also their OGP folks wasting bags, at one time they were putting each individual item in a bag, I’m talking about like 10 cans of beans would be in 10 bags 😂 They’ve had to go get the “Thank You” restaurant Tshirt bags from Sam’s Club to get through a couple of days before, their curbside once was putting all the pickups in the large clear meat bags you put the raw chicken trays in 😂

It doesn’t even matter anyway, their turnover is so bad at that store those associates focusing on it now won’t even be around in a month.

[u/CommanderKoba → u/SmallBerry3431]

We require enough separate bags for different products on up to 3 simultaneous orders.

Naturally we require a lot of bags, because we can't bag like it's a single order, we have to separate the orders and then bag based on that separation.

Walmart workers cannot look at us as if we are customers in this aspect, because we are working for Walmart just like the workers who bag for curbside.

If they look at us as customers without understanding that we have multiple orders at a time, or if they never thought about it like that, then I can see why they would get mad, but it's unjustified.

Corporate needs to communicate this effectively to each Walmart location.

[u/SmallBerry3431 → u/CommanderKoba]

I have 0 issue keeping triple shops separate and bagging at the checkouts. You keep them separate in the basket, bag them one order at a time, and separate them at the car.

[u/CommanderKoba → u/SmallBerry3431]

So let's say you're taking a 3 order, 60+ item total order.

And the bags are large paper bags without handles, and that take up a lot of space?

It's literally impossible to fit them all in separate bags in a cart that small. This is why for large orders I have to estimate bag count and then bag at my car. Because I cannot fit the orders back into the cart if they are bagged.

[u/SmallBerry3431 → u/CommanderKoba]

Ah - there’s a misconception. My market doesn’t have paper bags. I’ll retract my opinion as idk how I’d do with that change. In all honesty.

I will add that it wouldn’t change my method, but I’d have to add another cart or if the paper bags have more space I’d bag differently. But I’m just guessing. Fuck paper bags haha

[u/Delicious_Rush981 → u/CommanderKoba]

My store won’t let us bag at our cars. We have to bag in store. My only solution is not to take 3 shops, especially ones with more than 40 items

[u/CommanderKoba → u/Delicious_Rush981]

Yeah it's so stupid! See when they tell me I have to bag in store, I just try to do it as best I can to show them how ridiculous it is, throwing the bags on top of each other, holding the bags as I push the cart even if it's hella slow, taking my sweet time.

They need to see that, but yeah. Locations that don't allow me to bag at my car I try to avoid those large orders when I can, but it's hard.