Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - WHEN IT'S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

There have been many times when I have witnessed employees take leave and I have often wondered, when does one know when it is time to go?  When does that one moment come when an employee knows that it is time to say, 'good bye'?

The other day, one of our employee decided it was time.  After more than seven years with the company, he had decided that it was time to move on.

While listening to the reasons given for his departure, this employee also spoke of what he was leaving behind;  "Good people,'  he said.  And even though he said he would miss these people, he was ready to go.

Companies lose out when good employees take leave. 

With their departure goes dedication, dependability, work ethic, knowledge, pride and creativity.  Most of these employees have the ability to work more than one department so when they leave, so goes the much needed extra hand. 

But if they should stay, what would be their gain? 

Talk at ya later!

 

Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - THE GOOD EMPLOYEE

While reading an article, regarding employers and employees, I was reminded of  a previous job which I held for quite a few years.  During those years of employment, I was privileged to work for a sole proprietor who treated me as a valuable employee. It was through this employer's mentoring that I was able to achieve the abilities of what makes a successful employee, which I became.  It was through dedication, initiative and hard work that a partnership developed.

This employer believed, that 'good employees are hard to find and once you find one, treat them well.'

Although I no longer work in the same capacity, as I did, I found that the lessons provided me during that time have followed me throughout my employment history.

'Good employees', today, however, take on a different position.  No longer do the same rules apply. 

Being dependable, on time and trustworthy are still the main objectives of employment, but that seems to be the extent of what is expected today. 

It use to be that initiative, hard work, dedication and teamwork were a plus. 

Quite a few years ago, at one of our stores, there was an employee who use to work in a floral department.  The store was new and the department was large and developed to fit the floral needs of the customer.  There is no other person, I can think of , that could have taken this department and made it grow as what she did.   Her ideas were simple enough;  serve the customer.  With every aspect of this department, and customer service, taken into consideration the department earned a good reputation and gained quite a following; proven in the sales.  Her initiative, dedication and talent, that she provided to her job, brought in repeat business,  customer satisfaction and increased sales.

But in a matter of time, the company decided to make changes to the store, which ended up downsizing this once  busy department.  With less stock and loss of services, the department lost the clientele that had been built up.  In no time, business began to slack off and our employee was left with no recourse but to follow the company's lead. 

Everything that had been gained was now becoming a thing of the past.

This employee would speak of those days often, referring to the specialties that she had created for the customers and would glow, knowing that she was the one responsible for all of those sales.  It was not long, after the change, that she took a leave from the company due to disappointment of where the company was heading.

Our former employee had dedicated herself to her job.  She had used her talents to fill a need for the customers and her initiative to make the department successful; she scored high in both categories.  Today, the department is hardly noticeable and there was no improvement for the store itself.

I have thought of her often and know how she must have felt as she witnessed her hard work and dedication slipping away.

A 'good employee',  as noted above, takes on a partnership with their employer. 

Employees can provide much to the business world, once given the opportunity.  So many times, it is the employees that have the insight of what customers want in order to provide growth for the business.

As to why companies do not take advantage of this, is a question, I guess, for a CEO.

So, in reading the article and reflecting on my previous job - I have discovered that I am glad that I believe in hard work, initiative and dedication when working a job. 

And even though these abilities may not be noticed by an employer, and  perhaps not even taken into consideration when making suggestions, it does, however, make me feel more worthwhile - be it when helping customers with a service or when working on my own, personal  goals.

Talk at ya later!

 

Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - AND SO IT GOES!

Quite a few Blog posts ago, I wrote one titled, 'Wearing Many Hats'.  In this post, I described the many different jobs that grocery employees take on and how yet, they still only get paid for one job.

Well, this particular post came to mind as I was reading an article on my Linkedin page.  The article stressed as to how the job market has changed and what corporations are now looking for in the  workforce that they now hire.

In the article, the author stresses that flexibility and the ability of being able to do more than one job are the key points to acquiring many jobs in the corporate workplace as is the ability to be able to, 'think outside the box'.  The article was interesting and brought forth the key factors one needs to take into consideration, when venturing out into this job market.

But what was more interesting was the fact that we, in the common workplace, have been already doing  this for quite a few years now.  And how amusing, I found it to be, that Corporate America is just now beginning.

These people, that I work with are very use to this type of job performance.  They may work 1,2 or 3 departments; all within the same shift.  The amount of knowledge and skills that they possess, from doing these jobs, is acquired on the job. 

There is a lot more to these jobs than having physical abilities, one also has to have the mental capabilities to understand and perform all of the different programs associated with the business.  And thinking 'outside the box'?  That's a must, all of the time.  It kind of goes hand in hand with creativity and having the ability to apply common sense on a routine basis.

And if you are going to talk about flexibility, well the hours are irregular and these people can jump from one position to another in just a matter of seconds. 

There are a few positions, performed in a grocery store, that are well paid jobs out in the professional workforce.  Consider the person who works the Customer Service desk; from the legal responsibility of Money Grams, to the knowledge of all the various programs and procedures.  Then there is the talent of a cake decorator, florist and the knowledge of the perishable departments; these abilities come from years of experience.

So when you look at it like this, I guess you might say that we have a lot in common with the corporate workforce.

Our positions are different, as is the pay scale, and the type of education may not be mandatory as it is in the professional sector.  And let's admit it, they dress better than we do. 

But in the long run,  it is the workforce itself that has the similarities; flexibility, being able to do more than one job and 'thinking outside the box'.

And what is really funny?  There are people out there getting paid to speak on these very issues.

Mmm, now this might be a job opportunity!

Talk at ya later!



 

Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - 'A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE'

There's a phrase, that I have been hearing quite a bit lately;  'There's a lot of good people here.'  That's the opinion going around.  This week, it seemed, every time I turned around I was hearing this phrase.  Why?  Not sure.

The first time I heard it, was from an employee.

Another employee was making an exit and as he left, he stated how much he was going to miss some of  his fellow co-workers.  "There's a lot of good people here." he said.

Then, while I was stocking a bin in Produce, a customer came strolling through - one that I had not seen for quite awhile.  She stopped to visit and, during the conversation, she filled me in on what had been going on in her life.   Apparently she had moved and was no longer living within blocks of the store.  Since relocating, she had started shopping at another store that was closer to her residence.  Having gotten tired of this particular store, she decided to go the extra miles and shop with us.  "I'm sorry, I just couldn't handle it anymore." she said.  "I had gotten to the point that I dreaded going to the store; they are rude,  no service and hey, the prices are the same."

"So, I am back." she said.  "I like coming here, there's good people here."

"It's good seeing you." I said.  "It's good to be back." she responded.

The average opinion of the employees, that I work with, is that they are friendly; be it from the customers or management.  And when speaking of these people, there is generally a catchphrase used, 'lot of good people'.

So, even if we are a small store, don't carry the biggest selection and perhaps our building is a little dated, we seem to have a bigger value - 'a lot of good people'.


Talk at ya later!

Nancy Gifford's Artshow

Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - JUST SAYIN

There are many posts on this Blog, where I have discussed the subject of Customer Service.  And there have been many articles written, covering this very subject, along with research on the matter.  Through it all, over time, Customer Service has been shown to be giving way to cheaper prices in order to attract the every day consumer.  Especially now, when consumers are changing the way they shop.

And what could be more evident about the change, then shopping on the Internet.

Where I work, we are customer oriented.  It is just not the fact of smiling at customers, or helping them locate something, it is the matter in which we do it. 

It is the personalities of these employees that makes good Customer Service.  It is who they are, that is what makes the difference.

But when you are shopping on the Internet, well it's a whole new ball game.

My week of searching for my auto part, taught me a lot.  As a consumer I found that I had to trust the sites as to if they really had what I needed and without that personal contact, I was pretty much on my own.  My emails didn't provide me with any assistance and the one return email, I did receive, wouldn't answer my questions.

My search was coming up empty handed.

But lucky for me, Jacqui and Tim (customers) put together a list to help me in my search.  Their list took me down a different avenue which ultimately led me to Rod at the website, Samurai Salvage.

Needless to say, my search has had a happy ending.

But the only reason for my success was because Rod took the time to email, call and talked to my mechanic.  Through his efforts, I discovered that it is the business itself that projects Customer Service.

Now chances are, I will never meet Rod personally - since his business is in Iowa.  But, it is guaranteed that I will always go back to Samurai Salvage for anything else I might want for my little Suz.

The Customer Service, which Rod demonstrated, has made me a patron of his establishment.

So say what you will about Customer Service - in my book, you just can't beat it.

Talk at ya later!

Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - CUSTOMER SERVICE.....PLEASE?

Customer Service - These two words say it all for a retail business.  This is what retailers rely on, in order to obtain the consumers' patronage; or, at least it use to be.

Over the last week, I have been diligently shopping for an auto part for my little buggy.  Unfortunately the part, which I have been searching for, seems to have become an obsolete item in the auto industry.  But I have pressed on and in the process, I have learned a lot about the technique of shopping today - via the Internet.

The two things which I have learned are;
1) it was easier to go from store to store, and
2)Customer Service is slowly becoming a thing of the past. 

Now how does this relate to a grocery store?  I found myself longing for the same kind of Customer Service, which the customers in our store receive.  Especially, since I really had no knowledge of what I was looking for.

In all of my surfing the sites, calling the 800 numbers, talking to real people and sending emails to companies - I came up with only one party that took the time to not only assist me with my search but, provide me the necessary information of what I was in need of.  And the party was very nice, patient and thoughtful when assisting a person who had absolutely no clue of what they were talking about.

This is when I realized that retailers do not have to rely on this thing called, Customer Service in order to gain the consumer market. 

One person told me, not too long ago, that they shop wherever they can get the best deals.
"Now don't get me wrong, I like to shop where people are nice to me." she said.  " But if I can get what I want at a good price at _________, then I could care less if the cashier thanks me or tells me to have a nice day."

Customer Service is not regarded, anymore, as  the big ticket item to attract customers; that is becoming evident in today's market.  And we have only ourselves, the consumers, to blame because we don't demand it anymore from the retailers.  That, in itself, is a shame.

And if we were to examine the retail market without Customer Service, we would find shopping to be frustrating and become more of a dreaded chore then it already is.

In other words, Customer Service plays an important part in the social aspect of shopping.  This service makes shopping easier and less frustrating.

As in all things that come along to improve our daily lives, we lose something along the way. 

And unfortunately, we do not realize it until years down the road.

My lesson from all of this is that, Customer Service is a valuable tool in the retail industry; whether we recognize it or not. And without this service, we can only look forward to a society filled with grumpy, frustrated shoppers.

I hope that we, the consumers, come to our senses before it is too late.  And perhaps, we will recognise how retailers are taking advantage of us by taking away from us the niceties and assistance, we so deserve, when spending our money in their establishments.

Talk at ya later!