Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - FROM CHINA TO AMERICA

Until three years ago, there was a certain customer that would come into the store three to five times a week.  His shopping list was simple; hot peppers, a jug of tea.  Hot peppers, he would tell me, was for his heart condition and the tea was just a mere enjoyment.

With each trip to the store, he would stop and visit with me.  Our conversations, I will always remember.

This gentleman, was from China.  Throughout the years, I learned of the Japanese invasion into China, when he was a young man, and of his life in a concentration camp.  It was in the camp where he met his future wife.  It was a meeting that ultimately saved her from the hands of the Japanese soldiers. 

Upon leaving the camp they made their way to the Netherlands.  He would tell me that, it was the Chinese that taught the Dutch to eat three meals a day instead of two.

From the Netherlands, these two Chinese immigrants made their way to America.  It was here that they planted their roots.  He worked as a Janitor, bought a home and raised a family.

He was now eighty-five years old and his wife was suffering from Dementia.  His doctor was pleased with the improvement of his heart condition, to which he was quick to tell the doctor. "It's the peppers."  He often told me about the peppers and to also remember that the cure for what ails one, is in the foods.  Advice which I have taken to heart.

His tidy, brick home sits on one of the main thoroughfares and every day I pass it while on my way to work.  On the porch sit two statues;  Dutch Girl, Dutch Boy.

Today, as I passed his house, there stood a For Sale sign.

One of the problems with this job is that there are some customers you become very attached to and, he was one of them.  Having not seen him, the last three years, I presumed that his health must be failing but I kept looking for him.

Why this customer chose me to talk to, I don't know.  But, I am very glad that he did.  Through him, I got a look inside history and the two lives that survived it.

I will miss him.

Talk at ya later!

Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - THE PRIDE THING

There was an employee, yesterday, that kind of made a big difference for his department, for the store.  And well, I just thought we might sing his praises.

A very large order had come through for two different departments.  Each department had a sizable amount of preparation to do, in order to fulfill this order.  In the meantime, the departments printed out the necessary UPCs for the customer, who took them to a clerk to be rung up.

Once the preparation, for the order, was done each department boxed, and put the prepared orders into the coolers to await the pickup. 

Having given some thought to this order, an employee suggested that I might want to double check that receipt and make sure that everything from his department was listed.  There had been four orders, each in the same amount, but only one UPC had been printed out.  And even though he had marked it as the total times four - well, you get the idea.

So, I heeded his suggestion and sure enough he was right. 

When examining the receipt, of the suspended order, I found that the customer had provided the UPCs to the clerk to be scanned but had failed to tell her that there were four items, to one of the UPCs, so the clerk only scanned the UPC once.  Once the oversight was caught, the clerk added the other three items to the suspended order.

Now this made a considerable amount of difference in the sale.

What made the department clerk think of this happening?  And why would he even give it any consideration? 

After all, he was the employee who had allegedly failed to greet a Mystery Shopper and naturally, this was brought to his attention. 

So, here you have an employee who had failed to greet a customer but was able to successfully fill a large order and had the common sense to double check the final sale; without being told to.

Why go to so much extra trouble? 

Most of the employees are diligent about their jobs.  They work these jobs, as if they were working for themselves.  And the other reason is, their store manager.   The employees not only like him but respect him and this calls for dedicated employees.  It makes all of the difference.

Our clerk did a great job.  He pleased a customer and 'thought outside the box'.

And even though his actions will go unnoticed, unlike the Mystery Shopper, he can take pride in a job well done.

And the company can take pride, in knowing the kind of employees they have working for them.

Talk at ya later!




 

Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - THERE'S A NEW GIRL IN TOWN

Well, I have waited a few months before writing a post about the new manager - actually, she is not new anymore.  But now that the votes are in and everyone is giving a THUMBS UP, I feel it is safe to say, Welcome!

Managers are the ultimate role models.  They set the pace for their departments and have the hardest job in this line of work.  To be blunt about it, I will have to quote a previous manager; he said, "I am the shit wall."  "I take whatever is thrown at me from one side, role it up and throw it to the other side."  Which might explain why management has never appealed to me;  I don't have good aim.

But, even though these managers have a difficult position, it is the true personality of a manager
that will lay the foundation for how their department manages to cope with the every day life of retail.

For one department, it was rough going for about four years.  Murder, was a word often used and tears were often shed.   In fact, a walk out would not have been a surprise. Truth is, one employee did transfer and a portion of business was lost.  But this is often the outlook of employees when they are forced to contend with a manager that is more involved with themselves and how they appear to corporate.  Alas, unhappy employees which doesn't help much when working with the public.

But all of that has changed now.  The cloud has been lifted and employees are smiling.  Everything in this department has taken on a better appearance;  displays, product and the employees themselves.  There is a relaxed atmosphere and they seem to be even working harder - if that's possible.

We are taught that our attitude towards customers can change their shopping experience.  It is one of the factors involved in Customer Service.  But no one has ever commented on what the attitude of a manager can do to the employees.

So now we watch as this new manager lays a new foundation for her employees.

This new manager is a hard worker and works right beside her staff.  Her personality is funny, up beat and genuinely nice.  She understands customers and knows her way around her department.

Having come from a very nice, newly remodeled store, I am sure this move to our store was a culture shock.  But, she moved in gracefully and rolled up her sleeves.

And if she didn't really want to be here, well, she has kept that thought to herself.

But speaking on behalf of the employees, we're damn glad she's here.

Talk at ya later!

Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - CUSTOMER SERVCE; THE DEBATE CONTINUES

One day, last week, I engaged in an on-line discussion on Customer Service.  The entry into the discussion was led by the fact that the majority of customers want good Customer Service.   This is  understandable.  This factor was also used to support the idea that businesses need this service in order to succeed.  That is where I jumped in.

Although I am a big supporter of Customer Service, and there has been much debate on this topic in journalism, I am not one to support the idea that a company should 'hang their hat' on this service in order to maintain customers.

In the area where I live, there are three major retailers and each of these retailers are associated in the grocery business; one, is a grocery company.  When shopping in these stores, one finds that Customer Service is not exactly a proposed feature for these establishments.

The majority of employees do not smile and are not outgoing or supportive.  In fact, finding an employee can sometimes be a venture in itself.

But there is a reason for this, and one that very seldom gets any notoriety.

The vast majority of the employees are over worked, must contend with fewer hours, less pay and at the same time tolerate the negativity of so many consumers.  All in a days work.

Customer Service, in my opinion, is a two way street.  It is just as much the responsibility of the company as it is the employees on the floor.  How a company treats it's employees, shows on the faces and actions of their employees.  And how a business projects itself is, the ultimate as to if they will succeed or not.

And even though Customer Service is not a main objective of these three companies they do, however, continue to grow and expand nationwide.  Kind of makes one wonder.

The discussion was ended, and although I did not have the last word, my point was made quite well and I got a Thumbs Up.

Being an employee that provides Customer Service, I find that I am lucky.  The people that I am surrounded by give exceptional service but, that is basically their personality.  It is just who they are.

But when you get down to the nitty-gritty of it all, it is how a business projects itself to the customer that defines how it will succeed; prices, selection, services.  Giving the customers what they want.

Because, if Customer Service were the main reason for the success of a business then the competition would not be number one - we would be.


Talk at ya later!


 

Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - WE GOT EACH OTHER

"Nancy, can you help me?" asked Barb, as she stood there holding a pint of Strawberries, some Blueberries and the like.  With arms full, she turned and headed back to the Produce prep area.

I was just coming back from break when I came upon this scene, so I immediately headed to the time clock and clocked back in.  With a hair net in place, and pulling on my gloves, I walked into a scene that would look familiar on the Food Network.  There Barb and Debbie were busy, frantically washing and cutting up fruit in preparation of a large fruit tray.

It seems that while I was out, a customer came in to pick up her order; an order that had been called in, but Produce never received.  And instead of waiting for me, these two ladies jumped in to take care of the customer's request.  There they were, one from the Deli and one from Frontlines - each determined to get the job done.

Now you have to keep in mind that none of us had ever done a tray before; but, we managed to do it this time.

The customer was happy and couldn't stop thanking us.  And she went on to tell us how wonderful the tray looked.  Mmm, perhaps we may have a new calling.

When things occur, as they do from time to time, the employees in this store have always been known for jumping in to help take care of a situation.  Only once, over the years, have I ever heard an employee say, "That's not my job."

And it has never mattered if an employee knew how to proceed, they just always jump in and 'play it by ear.'

That has always been one of the great things about this store - it's people.  They use to call it Team Work, what they call it now - I don't know.  But that doesn't matter.  What matters, is that we can always count on each other and we always get the customer taken care of.

Now there was no one in management to see what we did and, I am sure that this would not even rate with a Mystery Shopper.  But at the end of the day, that didn't matter to us.

Our only aim was to please the customer.

And if we have made them happy well, that's enough for us.

Talk at ya later! 

Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - BET YA!

So, once again someone has come through our store and rated us and - we flunked; or, so I am told. 

"How can this be, who was it?" asked an employee.  Good question.

This store is known for being the friendliest, most helpful and most dedicated to their job, so say the customers.  We are told, by the customers, that we rank higher than at least two other stores.; one store is considered the number one in sales, while the other is located just a matter of miles away.

And to back up this claim, all one has to do is to read the different posts on this Blog.

So, how did someone go unnoticed, as they made their way through the store?  Being the realist, that I am, I would say that many of the employees were probably stocking and helping customers.  One has to take into consideration that employees have to contend with less hours and less staff which adds up to more work.  Not to mention the other departments they have to assist in.  And yet, even with this overload, employees still seem to make it work.

These Mystery Shopper reports have been going on for years. And the one thing that I have noticed is that this is, almost always, the one thing that provides companies the excuse that they need for why sales are down; fingers are pointed.  That is a shame.

And during this time, I have also noticed that companies do not seem to take note of what their employees are up against while maintaining their businesses.

Over these last ten years I have witnessed employees being yelled at, cussed out, grabbed, swatted, hit with carts, called various names and humiliated.  But never have I witnessed anyone, in management, come to their aid.  Much less, thank them for their tolerance.  And the funny thing is, these outbursts never had anything to do with the employees, themselves.

And if that were not enough, employees today face a far bigger dilemma than unhappy customers - crime.  And yet, no extra measures are taken for their protection.

So when you take all of this into consideration, I think that it is safe to assume that employees are probably doing a very good job; with customers, as well as keeping up with their work load.

And the one thing about these employees, that you might not find at other stores, is that they like their store and take pride in their work.  Their outgoing personalities keep many local shoppers coming back and their customer service is consistent and never falters.

So, if a company wants to find out what the customers think of their store - just hang out at the entrance, or exit, and ask the customers.  One will find that customers are very straight forward and eager to tell you.

And whats more, one will probably find that any problems which may exist generally have nothing to do with the employees.

I'ld bet my paycheck on it!

Talk at ya later!
 

Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - I HEAR VOICES

"Do you have any more Cilantro in the back?" the voice asked. 

Voices, voices that you hear coming from behind you.  Not in front of you - face to face.  Not beside you, but behind you.  And I have always noticed that you hear these voices while you are in the process of doing something else; most generally stocking or walking away.

And what is even more surprising is that, you hear voices in the far distance behind you.  Far, far away - like two aisles away.

And even though you hear these voices coming from behind you, you know that they know that you know that they are directing a question to YOU!!

Even when you don't see them.

So, I have compiled a list of the voices which I have heard, over the last ten years:

"Hey you!."
"Hey grocery lady."
"Hey, I"m talking to you."
"Hey, I guess you didn't hear me."
"Do you work here?"
"EXCUSE ME!", Where's the ______?"
"Where's the ______."
"Hey, you got a bathroom in here?"

Voices, all coming from behind you.  No faces, just voices.

And most generally when you stop, turn in the direction that you hear the voice coming from, you accommodate the person that has either spoken or screamed the request; depending on the distance the voice has traveled.

So throughout the day, you hear these voices.  And sometimes, you will hear these voices even when there is actually no one there.

In turning to address the voice you provide the answer the voice is seeking.

"All you have is Parsley, no Cilantro, I know what Parsley looks like and that is all that you have out."  So, I go over to the wet rack for a look. 

I put in my hand and pull out a bunch of Cilantro and hand it to the customer with the voice.

"No, that is Parsley - I know what Parsley looks like." said the voice.

Lucky for me, the band wrapping the bunch says, Cilantro.

The voice takes the bunch from my hand and turning to leave, says, "Guess you came over here for nothing."

Voices - now if they could just say, "Thank you!"

Talk at ya later!



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Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - YOUR CHOICE

So with all of the  happenings going on in the world, journalists/columnists still find time to write about grocery stores.  And what I find surprising is that, it is considered news.  Why?

Well, I guess, for one thing it is the outcry of the consumers.

There is an article circulating on the web that gives the impression that consumers are unhappy with the products being sold at one of the major retailers who,  has added a full line of groceries to their business.  You know, that one-stop shopping craze.

The main topic to this article centers around the perishable departments, more to the point - Produce.

It seems that shoppers are upset with the fact that the produce they purchase is going bad within a day or two; cost increases were also mentioned. 

With all due respect, this should not be a surprise at all.  Perishable product; product that continues to perish over a short period of time.

When you work in a perishable department, such as Produce, you find that not all product that comes in, is fresh.  After all, imagine the time from harvesting to the time of delivery.  And even though that case of apples just arrived, you might just find a bad one in the case when stocking.  The same holds true for all produce.  Each case of product has to be checked and when stocking, the product has to be rotated.  And the work doesn't stop there.  Every day, the displays have to be culled in order to pull any of the produce that might be going bad.

The leaf lettuces have to be crisped prior to being stocked on the floor and it takes a keen eye to notice when the produce may be looking a little wilted (Broccoli, Celery, Greens etc.) ; a sure sign that the coolers are not working properly.

Then there are the dated products; fruit cups, bagged salads etc..

When you take everything into consideration these perishable departments take a lot of work.  And in order to maintain the work load, it takes a staff to not only do the work but care about the work that they are doing. 

So when grocery shopping, here are some things to take into consideration:

1. Is the store understaffed; remember companies look at the bottom line.
2. Do the employees take pride in their job;  this is hard for a company to attain if their employees
    are not earning enough wages to sustain or getting enough hours to make it worth their while.
3. Is groceries a business that the company is known for;  or is it just an after thought?

Keep in mind that nothing is perfect and try as we may, some things get over looked.  And the other thing to take into consideration is that prices will continue to go up.  This is something that is out of every one's control.  So, we need to tighten up on the spending habits and take advantage of the sales because complaining won't help a thing.

But, one of the smartest things a consumer can do is to shop at a grocery store when getting groceries.

As in our store, the manager has knowledge on the products, knowledge attained after many years of working in a grocery store.  And the guys who work the department, not only work hard at maintaining the department but take a personal interest in the product as well as the customers.

So, as consumers, what do we want?  Do we want something we can count on or would we prefer to take a chance on the products that we purchase every time we shop?

The choice is ours!

Talk at ya later!