Grocery Store Clerk - THE GIRLS FROM CYBERSPACE

I am off today and my mind is busy with all of these scenes that I captured at work yesterday, so I need to log all of this in, what my friend calls, my 'cyberspace diary.'

Be you a customer, or an employee, have you ever really paid any attention to the U-Scan?  Probably not.  It is just a place where you stand in line and wait in order to check yourself out at the next available station.  I have witnessed some customers stand there with a full cart and wait to check themselves out - and I am talking about a $100 order at the least.  Then again, I have seen where a customer having only one item, will stand in a checkout lane with three orders in front of them waiting to be checked out.  Whatever the case, U-Scan has become a hub. 

There are four stations set up for customers to check themselves out and each of these stations has a name.  Our employees named them, basically because each of them seems to have a personality and causes problems on a daily basis.  Since the recordings are of a female voice, they have been named Deloris, Beatrice, Cloris (I think) and I forget the fourth one.  But whatever the name, there are days that I have heard an employee threaten to pull their plugs if they didn't shape up.  Now I do not know what this says about us, when we begin talking and eventually threatening a machine.  But, it happens.

One night I was in attendance when a customer came through to check out her order.  She would scan the item, drop it in the bag and begin to proceed with the next  item.  For some reason there were countless times when old Beatrice would not cooperate with the customer and I would have to assist.  Finally, the customer looked up at me and said, "Now I know what you people go through when checking us out."  Yep, that's right. 

And does anyone think that it is peculiar that businesses now want you to check yourself out?  The customer does all of the work, puts up with the hassles and when they are unhappy about something there is no communicating with a machine.  No matter how many buttons you push.  Which is precisely why someone is in attendance.

Everyone that works that station is good.  They know all of the ins and outs of the system, the different programs, how to unjam, unhook and if need be unplug - Deloris. This can be at a furious pace one minute and dead silent the next.   The hurdles are many and yet these people seem to get over them all.  HIGH FIVE!!

As for me, well, I do not work it that often. I am usually just the person who, upon seeing a flashing red light, will stop as I am passing and push the little button on the screen in order for the function to continue. That is the extent of my capabilities.  Technology is not my forte nor do I wish it to be. With age, I have noticed that I have become one of those people that I use to call, 'old fashioned'. And, I am learning to live with it.

Now the one thing that can be assured, at the end of every sale at a U-Scan, is that Deloris, Cloris and Beatrice  will thank each customer for choosing the fast lane.  Note the wording.

As for me, well, I prefer the cashier to check me out - for a couple of reasons.  First, like I said, I am old fashioned and second, well I have a fear of how I will be looked upon when the day finally comes that I threaten to beat the 'cyberlinks' out of Deloris.

Talk at ya later!

Grocery Store Clerk - THE SNOWMAN

For me, it was a busy day yesterday.  There's the delivery, prepping, stocking, arranging and watering - and, that's just one department.  Then there was keeping the other department stocked, picked up and pulled.  And then there were the usual nightly duties, like taking out the trash and cleaning up the messes;  plus, we had to Flex to the registers a couple of times.  But everything got done and, all in all, it was a peaceful day.

The day started out on the right foot.  Just as I was getting started, I noticed the girl from HBC busy putting up Christmas displays in her department.  So, I went over to compliment her and we began discussing the previous holidays, through the years, at the store. 

And that just triggered my memory - the Snowman. 

He was a special display created, by the HBC crew, out of paper-mache, with sticks for arms and he wore a hat and muffler and sported a big smile.  He stood tall and they placed him high on a shelf above a cosmetic display.  The Snowman was, originally, created for a contest that was being sponsored by a cosmetic company.  Well, the Snowman won.  There he stood with a big smile, and throughout the season he seemed to watch over us all.

But with that memory, came a little sadness.  You see, the Snowman seems to have disappeared.  And part of the HBC crew, that helped make the Snowman, is no longer with us.  Granted the other party is doing well and we all still stay in touch with each other, but his presence is greatly missed.

With that thought, we each went back to what we were doing.  That simple memory made us smile and laugh.  It brought back memories of times that were good and familiar. 

Times, apparently, that we miss.

So, for the rest of the evening I was busy running back and forth throughout the store and as I passed through HBC, I could not help but look up at the top shelf above the Christmas display.  If I tried real hard, I could envision this tall Snowman smiling down on us all.

Talk at ya later!

Grocery Store Clerk - MY CHECKLIST

Today, I am going to write about myself.  Yep, I am going to put me right out there with everyone else.  I think the reason that I don't write about me, is because of all of the good things that I see my co-workers do on a daily basis.  It always makes me wonder if I would do as good a job if I were in their positions.  In other words, I feel maybe a little intimidated. 

But, all of that has now changed since I have been put under the microscope of the Mystery Shopper. 

A manager recently informed me that I had had a Mystery Shopper come through my checkout lane - and, they got it wrong.  There were two things that I had failed to do, according to the review.  First;  I failed to circle the amount of pump perks on the receipt with a red pen (what red pen?), that the customer receives with their purchase.  Second; I was not wearing my pump perk strip (or whatever you call that long, bright, yellow strip hanging from my name badge), which the manager noticed right away, that I was wearing it.

Okay, so with this in mind I decided to pay particular attention to everything I did at work today.  From the time I pulled in and parked my car, until I left.  Now maybe this sounds a little off beat, but how I perform at my job is important to me.  I care how I am perceived, be it customers, employees or management.

Arriving at work, I pulled into a parking space and noticing a vacated cart, which I grabbed and took it into the store with me.  I lost count as to how many times I was down on my hands and knees cleaning up smashed blueberries and grapes, in order to prevent a fall.  And then there was the smashed bakery item, next to the demo tray, that I happened to stumble into and cleaned it up.  When passing through the store a customer asked me where the carts were  kept and I told him that I would go get him one, which I did.

When coming back from my dinner break, I was making my way through the Produce Department, when a customer stopped me and asked me if I worked in Produce.  Instead of saying, "No, I am a cashier tonight and am currently off of the clock." I said, "How can I help you?"  She wanted a container of Concord Grapes, but each of the containers had so many that didn't look too good and would I condense them and make one container of good ones.  "Sure.", I said.  When I was done, she was happy and thanked me and I said, "Happy to do it."  I then made my way upstairs to the time clock and of course I was late clocking back in.

A couple of hours later, my shift was over.  As I made my way to the time clock I passed through the Produce Department.  On top of the tomatoes were empty produce bags  and I grabbed them as I walked by and shoved them into my pocket (this is a habit I need to stop, I keep finding them in my washer).

Now I would say, it is safe to assume, that there was no Mystery Shopper around to see any of the deeds which I did today.  But, I find that that is okay.  Because when I left work tonight, I felt like I had accomplished a good day.

Talk at ya later!

Grocery Store Clerk - HIGH FIVE!

First, I would like to say that our mandatory meeting, on Customer Service, was entertaining.  The two ladies, who led the meeting, have a significant background in this business and, basically, know what they are talking about.  Their experience, and the amount of years that they have each worked for this company, speaks  volumes on their expertise. 

Of course I was sold the moment I walked into the meeting and saw two, big boxes of chocolate sitting in the middle of the table - much appreciated.  And, I must say, we all laughed a lot.   There was nothing discussed that we didn't already know, although perhaps a couple things came to light that needed to be brought up.  Other then that, these two ladies made it an enjoyable time.

Towards the end of the meeting we were told how we could participate in this High Five program that has been going on for a few months now.  We were each given a piece of paper that displayed a drawing of a hand.  When we see a fellow employee demonstrating  outstanding Customer Service, we write down the employee's name and the description of the deed on the hand and turn it in.  And if chosen, this employee will receive a gift card.

There have been quite a few employees given one of these cards since the time this program was initiated.  We're human and we appreciate being noticed for the good deeds that we do but, we all agree, we are acting no different now then we have acted for years and that we would continue as such even if we didn't receive any acknowledgement.

So in conclusion of last night's meeting I would like to say, good show.    Acknowledging employees is a great idea and much appreciated.  But there is a flip side. 

Putting employees in the right, working atmosphere is a big plus.  As we were told last night, when we come to work we leave our problems outside - no one said anything about the problems we might be facing in the work place.  That is something one cannot escape. 

Talk at ya later!

Grocery Store Clerk - SLACKERS

Recently, a co-worker was describing how the new people should be trained. 

She said, "These people are going to be trained the right way." Meaning, they will be trained to make these statements; 'Hi, how are you?', 'Did you find everything okay?', 'Do you have any coupons?'. She finished the conversation by making this statement, "They will not be slackers."  Meaning, like the rest of us. 

By her definition of the perfect Frontlines employee, I have discovered that I am a 'slacker'.

Since I was on Frontlines last night, I have spent the  morning reflecting on how the normal procedure goes when a customer is checking out.  Well, the majority of customers that come through my line know me.  From the minute they begin unloading their carts they start up this conversation.  It would be about what they did over the weekend to reviewing what was on the ballot this election day.  Throughout the time that they were in line the conversation would continue and there was always laughter involved.  To one customer, I asked how her mother was doing to which I got a complete report.  Another customer is a new grandmother, so she was ever so ready to tell me about her visits with the new baby.  With each customer that came through, I received something as did they; making the job more enjoyable.

Quite simply, it is that human contact that makes their shopping seem more like a visit rather than a chore.  And for me, well it makes those hours I work far more enjoyable. 

As a consumer, I know that these things are important. 

When I bought my house seven years ago, I had absolutely no knowledge of painting walls, sanding floors or even how to change a washer in  a faucet.  So off to the big hardware store on the hill, I did go.  There were not many employees on the floor to help me and, when trying to locate a product, I had to wait in line to ask for directions.  The building was so large that I think I got lost when trying to find the exit.

When I finally did find someone to help me, I explained the project that I was attempting to do.  The sales person sold me so much product that I ended up having to go and get a cart.  Please take note that I had to go get a cart, they did not provide one for me, which took me another ten minutes just trying to find the carts.  Well, in the long run, I ended up taking half of the items back because I did  not need them.  After that shopping excursion, my self esteem as a home owner took a dive.

But, I tried again and this time at my local hardware store.  It is small and the parking is up close to the building.  If you walk around for more than five minutes, someone is quick to ask if you need help.  They ask what kind of project you are working on and if you can't give a complete description, they know what questions to ask and are quick to fill in the blanks.  What is really neat, is that they know what 'doodads' are and what colors they come in. They will give you advice on how to complete your project and never sell you more than what you need.  If it is too big to fit in your vehicle, they will deliver - no charge.  And forget the cart, they carry it out for you. 

These guys took an amateur and made dreams come true.

Seven years later, I am still frequenting the store. From the moment I walk in, to the moment I leave, I am being served like I was an old friend.  There's plenty of conversation and laughter and I always look forward to going back.

This is the way our store functions.  Compared to the other grocery stores, we are just a small neighborhood grocery.  It's a place where the majority of the shoppers will visit while they shop.  And it is not the company that draws the customers, or the type of product that is offered, but instead it is the employees.  I am proud of our store because, much like my community hardware store, we offer something that cannot be found at the bigger stores, real Customer Service.

My conclusion?  There are no 'slackers' here.  Each employee giving physical and personable attention to customers.

It is not the dialogue that makes Customer Service, it is the attention that we give which makes customers keep coming back. 

Talk at ya later!

Grocery Store Clerk - HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW

Recently a friend asked me if I had had my evaluation with my manager yet;  the answer was no.  This is something new for us, we are use to 'One on Ones'. 'One on Ones', is a term used for when managers meet with their staff on a monthly basis to review; work performance, goals and usually notes of what direction the company is going.  Of course all of this depends on the manager, one has, as to how this procedure goes down.  As for me, my experiences have always been pleasant.  But, then again, I have always been lucky as to the managers that I have had.

But, now we are presently learning about evaluations.  Now I understand that most companies do this - just not us.  So this past week we anxiously reviewed, with each other, how we rated ourselves on this evaluation  that we filled out.  The comments have been many and the laughs abundant, and now we are bracing ourselves as to how management will look upon us.

Will they see us, as we see ourselves?  Probably not. 

Whatever, the outcome might be, I believe that this will definitely put a whole new outlook on our jobs.  Not by the company but, instead, by the employees.  Here you have people that, in some cases, work more than one department and, due to the cut in payroll, you have less people doing more work on fewer hours.  

In other words, working more and making less.

This is all understandable during these difficult, economic times when companies are trying to maintain.  And my compliments to the employees that struggle to help these companies stay afloat.  Because that is what these employees are doing, they are struggling. 

So, I hope during these evaluations the company, and management alike, will look favorably and honestly on their staff.  That they will compliment the employees for extending themselves when the need called for it and, patting them on the back for rolling with the punches.

But most important, saying, "Thank you, for helping us stay in business."

Talk at ya later!

Grocery Store Clerk - THE HELPING HAND

Working in this  environment gives me a view of life that, in many ways, makes me a more grateful person.  With each passing day, I will see something that will remind me of just how lucky I am.   You might say that it helps you to put things into perspective, on a daily basis.  Such was the case this weekend. 

While I was running from department to department, I happened to notice one of our employees helping a customer that looked familiar.  As I got closer, I definitely recognised the customer; a lady who has been shopping here longer  than I have worked here.  And now, here she is trying to shop while recovering from a stroke. 

It was the guy from Housekeeping that was helping her.  He was up at the register and while he was talking with her, he was putting her two bags into her cart and when he was done I saw him go to the store phone where he called for her a cab.  Afterwards, he escorted this customer outside to a bench so that she would be comfortable while waiting for her ride. 

What stamina.  If that were me, I am sure that I would be asking people to shop for me and I wouldn't even think about venturing out.  But, there she was making the best of the situation. 

And there he was, ready to help her.

Talk at ya later!