I have been browsing the web, again, and to my delight I found an article on grocery stores; 'Best And Worst Supermarkets- shoppers tell all'. Now that my attention was aroused, I took to reading the article that provided an in depth consumer report which, not only rated grocery stores but, provided a list of complaints. There were five stores listed; all of the stores that ranked highest on the list I was not familiar with, but the one store at the bottom of the list, I was - Walmart. The top store is more familiar with the New York and east coast areas, but Walmart is noted nationwide. These survey results were compiled from over 24,000 responses. The stores that held the top positions were given high marks for service and cleanliness, while the lowest ranking store was credited with lower prices.
The survey went on to list the complaints that shoppers have with grocery stores; shortage of checkout lanes, cluttered aisles, out of stock sale items and bagging. Even though these complaints are quite common, what I did find interesting, however, is that the last three of the complaints were listed as customer service. I would never have thought that.
Customer service covers a wide range, as noted in the above survey, which makes not only employees responsible for 'good customer service' but the companies as well. Because how a store provides its patrons is a reflection on the company, just like how a customer is treated is a reflection on the employees. In this respect, everything goes hand in hand in order to be successful.
Provided at the end of the article was a chart with the complaints listed along with the percentage of reviews:
Long lines - 22.5%
Lack of freshness (perishables) - 13%
High prices - 29.4%
Dirty conditions - 25.8%
(cluttered aisles)
Customer Service - 9.3%
There are so many things that go into the making of a grocery store that in order to understand it, you have to work it. And though I am not familiar with most of the departments in a grocery store there are some things that I have picked up on. So, in reviewing the above complaint list, I decided to compare our store with the list;
Long lines - this is just as much of a problem for the employees as it is for the customers. The situation is due to lack of staff which is something that employees have no control over. However, at our store, when lines appear it is a common practice to page Flex, which is a call to all employees and managers, who know how to operate a cash register, to come up to the registers and help check out the customers. And those managers that cannot run a register are available to bag.
Lack of freshness - This is where a staff that is dedicated is of the utmost importance. Not all perishable items come in looking great and it takes a keen eye to be able to depict as to what should go out as compared to what should be sent back to the supplier. And it takes consistent culling of fruits and vegetables, in order to maintain freshness. This is where management and staff make the difference, and our Produce and Meat Departments are exceptional at this.
High prices - Sorry, we have no control. Talk to the company.
Dirty conditions and cluttered aisles - There again, it takes dedicated employees to not only maintain cleanliness but also take the time to take care of any situation that arises. It's a matter of pride. As for aisles, well we have a store manager that is a stickler for wide aisles. He wants aisles open and clutter free and all displays are done accordingly.
Customer Service - Another category that demands dedicated employees in order to succeed. I have often thought that true customer service cannot be taught, it is something that comes from within and the people that I work with demonstrate this every day.
In comparing our store with the complaint list, the one thing that I noticed most was that our strengths lie in the employees that carry out these jobs. This is what makes the difference. And as this survey shows, not all stores have a staff that take pride in what they do or, are dedicated to what they are in charge of. Our store/company is small and not known for heading any list. However, in the particular store in which I work, we demonstrate all of the strengths needed to carry out our jobs successfully and our dedicated shoppers have made that known to us.
So in conclusion, not all grocery stores are developed equally. Be it clutter free aisles, fresh products or more checkout lanes - whatever impresses the shopper the most, is where they will shop. Everything that a shopper wants can be achieved but, it has to be up to the companies to make this choice. The employees job is to take it to the next level with their dedication and service. And when all is said and done, our store may not achieve everything on a shopper's wish list, but when it comes to the employees, they excel at whatever they have control over. HIGH FIVE!
Talk at ya later!
The survey went on to list the complaints that shoppers have with grocery stores; shortage of checkout lanes, cluttered aisles, out of stock sale items and bagging. Even though these complaints are quite common, what I did find interesting, however, is that the last three of the complaints were listed as customer service. I would never have thought that.
Customer service covers a wide range, as noted in the above survey, which makes not only employees responsible for 'good customer service' but the companies as well. Because how a store provides its patrons is a reflection on the company, just like how a customer is treated is a reflection on the employees. In this respect, everything goes hand in hand in order to be successful.
Provided at the end of the article was a chart with the complaints listed along with the percentage of reviews:
Long lines - 22.5%
Lack of freshness (perishables) - 13%
High prices - 29.4%
Dirty conditions - 25.8%
(cluttered aisles)
Customer Service - 9.3%
There are so many things that go into the making of a grocery store that in order to understand it, you have to work it. And though I am not familiar with most of the departments in a grocery store there are some things that I have picked up on. So, in reviewing the above complaint list, I decided to compare our store with the list;
Long lines - this is just as much of a problem for the employees as it is for the customers. The situation is due to lack of staff which is something that employees have no control over. However, at our store, when lines appear it is a common practice to page Flex, which is a call to all employees and managers, who know how to operate a cash register, to come up to the registers and help check out the customers. And those managers that cannot run a register are available to bag.
Lack of freshness - This is where a staff that is dedicated is of the utmost importance. Not all perishable items come in looking great and it takes a keen eye to be able to depict as to what should go out as compared to what should be sent back to the supplier. And it takes consistent culling of fruits and vegetables, in order to maintain freshness. This is where management and staff make the difference, and our Produce and Meat Departments are exceptional at this.
High prices - Sorry, we have no control. Talk to the company.
Dirty conditions and cluttered aisles - There again, it takes dedicated employees to not only maintain cleanliness but also take the time to take care of any situation that arises. It's a matter of pride. As for aisles, well we have a store manager that is a stickler for wide aisles. He wants aisles open and clutter free and all displays are done accordingly.
Customer Service - Another category that demands dedicated employees in order to succeed. I have often thought that true customer service cannot be taught, it is something that comes from within and the people that I work with demonstrate this every day.
In comparing our store with the complaint list, the one thing that I noticed most was that our strengths lie in the employees that carry out these jobs. This is what makes the difference. And as this survey shows, not all stores have a staff that take pride in what they do or, are dedicated to what they are in charge of. Our store/company is small and not known for heading any list. However, in the particular store in which I work, we demonstrate all of the strengths needed to carry out our jobs successfully and our dedicated shoppers have made that known to us.
So in conclusion, not all grocery stores are developed equally. Be it clutter free aisles, fresh products or more checkout lanes - whatever impresses the shopper the most, is where they will shop. Everything that a shopper wants can be achieved but, it has to be up to the companies to make this choice. The employees job is to take it to the next level with their dedication and service. And when all is said and done, our store may not achieve everything on a shopper's wish list, but when it comes to the employees, they excel at whatever they have control over. HIGH FIVE!
Talk at ya later!
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