Saturday, September 28, 2013
Friday, September 27, 2013
Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - IN THE COMFORT ZONE
No doubt about it, we get a lot of compliments. And yet there are many times when we don't feel as though anyone notices, just how valuable we are. Sad, but true.
Take for instance, the latest Mystery Shopper's Report. Yep, it's the same old song and dance routine.
First on the list was a department that didn't have anyone on the floor - that would be me. Perhaps I was not. Instead, I could have been in the back prep-room bagging broccoli or green beans or maybe I was crisping lettuce or traying potatoes to put out on the floor. Or, just maybe, I was flexing on a register or helping a customer locate a product. Next, there were two people that did not look up from what they were doing to greet the customer; one was hanging price tags on the shelves. Oh yeah, and the pop machines were out of order.
Now even though we know that there are logical explanations as to what was going on when this Mystery Shopper strolled our way, it still has an affect on us; kind of like being hit over the head. Because no matter how hard you try or how much you do, it always comes down to what that one person wrote down on a report.
But I have discovered, on many occasions, that when I am feeling down about these things it is ultimately the customers who lift me. And today was no exception.
"Do you know why I shop here?" a customer asked.
"You people make me feel comfortable when I come here." she said.
Ironic, isn't it?
Talk at ya later!
Take for instance, the latest Mystery Shopper's Report. Yep, it's the same old song and dance routine.
First on the list was a department that didn't have anyone on the floor - that would be me. Perhaps I was not. Instead, I could have been in the back prep-room bagging broccoli or green beans or maybe I was crisping lettuce or traying potatoes to put out on the floor. Or, just maybe, I was flexing on a register or helping a customer locate a product. Next, there were two people that did not look up from what they were doing to greet the customer; one was hanging price tags on the shelves. Oh yeah, and the pop machines were out of order.
Now even though we know that there are logical explanations as to what was going on when this Mystery Shopper strolled our way, it still has an affect on us; kind of like being hit over the head. Because no matter how hard you try or how much you do, it always comes down to what that one person wrote down on a report.
But I have discovered, on many occasions, that when I am feeling down about these things it is ultimately the customers who lift me. And today was no exception.
"Do you know why I shop here?" a customer asked.
"You people make me feel comfortable when I come here." she said.
Ironic, isn't it?
Talk at ya later!
Friday, September 20, 2013
Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - JOINING THE MASSES
When I came to work at the store, eleven years ago, I was very surprised at the pay scale; it was definitely one that you could live with. And before long I found that with hard work and a demonstration of good old fashioned team work, one would receive a raise. Quickly, my earnings began to rise.
In fact, I started making more then at the legal office downtown where I had worked for a short time. With that job one was required to have knowledge, background and education of law - this job, there was no requirement.
Over time I not only tried to apply myself, since I hadn't a clue of what I was doing, but I basically fell in love with the whole store. The employees, many of the customers and the job itself provided me a life, a different one perhaps, but a good life none the less.
As time went on I witnessed many changes take place, changes that slowly started to unravel this new world in which I worked.
The first thing I found to be true was that when dealing with customers you don't make changes, customers hate change. Puts a whole new slant on the saying, 'Change is good.'
The second thing I learned is that if customers don't like the changes, guess what - they go elsewhere and no amount of good Customer Service will stop them; Business 101 - Customers have the upper hand.
And the third thing, which I learned, that despite the first and second things, companies never learn and continue to make changes. And customers continue to react negatively.
But amidst all of this there is another side - the employees. The very people that go out of their way to work the business of companies are only left, in the end, with the sad result of the changes that did not work.
So move over American retail workers, we are now joining the crowd. With news that hours are being cut, we have now joined the ranks of other retail employees that we have read about for the last year or so.
Now here we are amongst another 'CHANGE'. And this change, like so many others, is doomed.
Companies always look at the bottom line and when sales drop, they react - like this - instead of trying to figure out why sales are dropping. And in this reaction, that so many companies have taken, we will see that bottom line continue to fall.
Why?
Because the very people that support these companies are losing their spending power.
Talk at ya later!
In fact, I started making more then at the legal office downtown where I had worked for a short time. With that job one was required to have knowledge, background and education of law - this job, there was no requirement.
Over time I not only tried to apply myself, since I hadn't a clue of what I was doing, but I basically fell in love with the whole store. The employees, many of the customers and the job itself provided me a life, a different one perhaps, but a good life none the less.
As time went on I witnessed many changes take place, changes that slowly started to unravel this new world in which I worked.
The first thing I found to be true was that when dealing with customers you don't make changes, customers hate change. Puts a whole new slant on the saying, 'Change is good.'
The second thing I learned is that if customers don't like the changes, guess what - they go elsewhere and no amount of good Customer Service will stop them; Business 101 - Customers have the upper hand.
And the third thing, which I learned, that despite the first and second things, companies never learn and continue to make changes. And customers continue to react negatively.
But amidst all of this there is another side - the employees. The very people that go out of their way to work the business of companies are only left, in the end, with the sad result of the changes that did not work.
So move over American retail workers, we are now joining the crowd. With news that hours are being cut, we have now joined the ranks of other retail employees that we have read about for the last year or so.
Now here we are amongst another 'CHANGE'. And this change, like so many others, is doomed.
Companies always look at the bottom line and when sales drop, they react - like this - instead of trying to figure out why sales are dropping. And in this reaction, that so many companies have taken, we will see that bottom line continue to fall.
Why?
Because the very people that support these companies are losing their spending power.
Talk at ya later!
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - LUCKY US!
"It just makes you feel happy!" commented one of the employees. And he was right, it does.
Once again the corporate office has decided to start moving managers around. We haven't decided, yet, if there is a particular reason for this action or if corporate just seems to get bored every now and then and decides to shake things up a bit. But as for us well, it just doesn't seem to faze us anymore.
We just kind of 'go with the flow', so to speak.
What we have found to be true, is that there are different categories for managers. Not all managers are equal.
Some managers are good, while some are not so good. And in order to define the difference, between these two categories, I have provided a list of qualities that depict a good manager;
1) Being a good person
2) Being a reliable person
3) Hard worker
4) Team player
5) Providing a good working atmosphere
6) Being respectful to the staff
7) Showing appreciation
8) And being able to provide a laugh or two sure helps.
So, why are the employees happy? Well, last week we lost a manager that we really liked - a lot! But, at the same time, we received the good news that a former manager that we really like, a lot, was returning.
Managers make all of the difference in how employees perform. I have seen the morale of the store go up under one management, only to come crashing down under a different management. This morale change can happen as a single department or as a whole store.
Whatever, managers are the key factor and I guess you might say that we just got lucky.
So, like the employee said - "It just makes you feel happy!"
You bet it does.
Talk at ya later!
Once again the corporate office has decided to start moving managers around. We haven't decided, yet, if there is a particular reason for this action or if corporate just seems to get bored every now and then and decides to shake things up a bit. But as for us well, it just doesn't seem to faze us anymore.
We just kind of 'go with the flow', so to speak.
What we have found to be true, is that there are different categories for managers. Not all managers are equal.
Some managers are good, while some are not so good. And in order to define the difference, between these two categories, I have provided a list of qualities that depict a good manager;
1) Being a good person
2) Being a reliable person
3) Hard worker
4) Team player
5) Providing a good working atmosphere
6) Being respectful to the staff
7) Showing appreciation
8) And being able to provide a laugh or two sure helps.
So, why are the employees happy? Well, last week we lost a manager that we really liked - a lot! But, at the same time, we received the good news that a former manager that we really like, a lot, was returning.
Managers make all of the difference in how employees perform. I have seen the morale of the store go up under one management, only to come crashing down under a different management. This morale change can happen as a single department or as a whole store.
Whatever, managers are the key factor and I guess you might say that we just got lucky.
So, like the employee said - "It just makes you feel happy!"
You bet it does.
Talk at ya later!
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - A SURPRISE OR TWO
Every once in awhile, you can have a day that is uplifting with a surprise or two. Such was the case this last holiday weekend.
As with all holidays, customers were busy shopping for the weekend festivities. Everyone preparing to celebrate the last hurrah of summer. Everyone but us, of course. Be that as it may, everyone seemed to be in a good mood.
Unfortunately, there was one customer that didn't quite see it that way.
This was a busy weekend for the Deli and the waiting lines did have a tendency to grow. One of the big ticket items, for the weekend, was fried chicken. The fryer and Deli employees were constantly busy trying to keep up with the demand of this highly popular item. No sooner was one batch of chicken done, then another batch would be put in the fryer and the prepared chicken would end up selling quickly before the next batch was done. A never ending cycle.
Even though the employees went nonstop there was a customer who felt that that was not enough. Disgruntled that the new batch of chicken was not ready, a customer voiced their opinion as to what was needed in order to keep up with the demand; more employees/more fryers. And with their opinion (demand) being given to an employee, the customer wanted to take it a step further and see a manager. Okay.
By now the customer has received so many apologies and the attempts to please the customer were ignored - the customer stomped out of the store. Thus leaving one poor Deli employee, who had taken the brunt of the complaint, worn down after so many attempts to take care of the situation.
A little later I happened to walk by the Deli and saw that very same customer, she was back and standing in line in front of the Deli counter.
The Deli employee, being professional, greeted the customer and the two exchanged words. And here's the good part of all of this, the customer apologized to the employee. By now, the chicken was done, the customer's order was filled and everybody went away happy.
I guess that we all talked about that for the rest of the afternoon.
Later in the evening things had quieted down and it was my turn to go home. I happened to be walking out the door the same time as another customer was leaving. The customer, holding her shopping bags, stopped and asked me if I would mind doing her a favor. In one of her bags was a box of ice cream bars which she pulled out and opened.
According to the customer this ice cream is the best and having had a discussion with the cashier, who had not tasted this yet, she wanted to send her an ice cream bar. So, the customer gave me two ice cream bars, one for each cashier, and I was more then happy to be the bearer of such a tasty treat.
The cashiers were surprised and delighted.
Even though we did not get to celebrate the holiday weekend like others did, we did, however, have a day that was uplifting with a surprise or two.
Talk at ya later!
As with all holidays, customers were busy shopping for the weekend festivities. Everyone preparing to celebrate the last hurrah of summer. Everyone but us, of course. Be that as it may, everyone seemed to be in a good mood.
Unfortunately, there was one customer that didn't quite see it that way.
This was a busy weekend for the Deli and the waiting lines did have a tendency to grow. One of the big ticket items, for the weekend, was fried chicken. The fryer and Deli employees were constantly busy trying to keep up with the demand of this highly popular item. No sooner was one batch of chicken done, then another batch would be put in the fryer and the prepared chicken would end up selling quickly before the next batch was done. A never ending cycle.
Even though the employees went nonstop there was a customer who felt that that was not enough. Disgruntled that the new batch of chicken was not ready, a customer voiced their opinion as to what was needed in order to keep up with the demand; more employees/more fryers. And with their opinion (demand) being given to an employee, the customer wanted to take it a step further and see a manager. Okay.
By now the customer has received so many apologies and the attempts to please the customer were ignored - the customer stomped out of the store. Thus leaving one poor Deli employee, who had taken the brunt of the complaint, worn down after so many attempts to take care of the situation.
A little later I happened to walk by the Deli and saw that very same customer, she was back and standing in line in front of the Deli counter.
The Deli employee, being professional, greeted the customer and the two exchanged words. And here's the good part of all of this, the customer apologized to the employee. By now, the chicken was done, the customer's order was filled and everybody went away happy.
I guess that we all talked about that for the rest of the afternoon.
Later in the evening things had quieted down and it was my turn to go home. I happened to be walking out the door the same time as another customer was leaving. The customer, holding her shopping bags, stopped and asked me if I would mind doing her a favor. In one of her bags was a box of ice cream bars which she pulled out and opened.
According to the customer this ice cream is the best and having had a discussion with the cashier, who had not tasted this yet, she wanted to send her an ice cream bar. So, the customer gave me two ice cream bars, one for each cashier, and I was more then happy to be the bearer of such a tasty treat.
The cashiers were surprised and delighted.
Even though we did not get to celebrate the holiday weekend like others did, we did, however, have a day that was uplifting with a surprise or two.
Talk at ya later!
Monday, September 2, 2013
Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - IN CELEBRATION
This is the day that we celebrate the American workforce. A day that has been set aside to honor us.
With more of the public working less, earning less and worried more, it is safe to say that we need a moment just to chill.
It is the workforce that has always been called, the middle class. This is the public that financially supports the nation, communities and businesses alike. They, in fact, are the life of the economy.
But with the latest threat of health care reform costs, etc., businesses are cutting that very livelihood in half. Without thought as to how these cuts will affect the very nature of their own businesses, they are depleting the spending power of the workforce in order to save costs. Ironic isn't it?
Last week a long time customer, while shopping, said that he wouldn't be coming in anymore to shop. Having worked two part-time jobs, in order to maintain 35 hours, he had just been laid off from one of the part-time jobs. He would have no choice now but to patronize one of the local food pantries since he would not be able to collect very much in assistance.
"I'm so sorry." was all that I could say. This left such a sad feeling in me, one I still feel, unable to help in any way and yet, also feeling a fear of my own future and those of my fellow co-workers.
When, or if, things will turn around has yet to be seen and what will be done in the meantime, is any one's guess.
So, go on and celebrate.
You have worked for it and deserve it. In fact, you are possibly working harder now, then ever before. And while you celebrate, remember that you are the staple of the economy and that your very existence is needed in order for this country, community and businesses, alike, to survive.
Talk at ya later!
With more of the public working less, earning less and worried more, it is safe to say that we need a moment just to chill.
It is the workforce that has always been called, the middle class. This is the public that financially supports the nation, communities and businesses alike. They, in fact, are the life of the economy.
But with the latest threat of health care reform costs, etc., businesses are cutting that very livelihood in half. Without thought as to how these cuts will affect the very nature of their own businesses, they are depleting the spending power of the workforce in order to save costs. Ironic isn't it?
Last week a long time customer, while shopping, said that he wouldn't be coming in anymore to shop. Having worked two part-time jobs, in order to maintain 35 hours, he had just been laid off from one of the part-time jobs. He would have no choice now but to patronize one of the local food pantries since he would not be able to collect very much in assistance.
"I'm so sorry." was all that I could say. This left such a sad feeling in me, one I still feel, unable to help in any way and yet, also feeling a fear of my own future and those of my fellow co-workers.
When, or if, things will turn around has yet to be seen and what will be done in the meantime, is any one's guess.
So, go on and celebrate.
You have worked for it and deserve it. In fact, you are possibly working harder now, then ever before. And while you celebrate, remember that you are the staple of the economy and that your very existence is needed in order for this country, community and businesses, alike, to survive.
Talk at ya later!
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