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!



"


 

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!



 

Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - JUST A THOUGHT!

There are times when you, as a grocery clerk, wish that the customers could witness what you see every day.  I believe that some would find certain practices shocking.

Among certain things that raise red flags, there is one thing that can rile a clerk more than anything else - discarded food.

Since coming to work as a grocery clerk, I have noticed that food is the most abused and discarded item in society.  Simply put, it is the one thing that we, the public, take for granted; just walk down any aisle on a busy shopping day.

A package of fresh cut Salmon sitting next to the paper towels, a gallon of ice cream placed with the cookies, hot dogs with the chips and the list goes on.  Then there are the abandoned carts with meats and dairy products.  And let us not forget the returns.

Granted there are times when the perishable product might not meet satisfaction and must be returned and the store is always apologetic and eager to please the customer with either a refund or a replacement. 

But, it is amazing how many times perishable items are returned just because a customer decides they do not want it.  Again, the store policy is upheld and the cost is refunded.  And this, along with discarded perishables, is what will rile a clerk.

The reason being is that all perishables, upon being returned, must be discarded; perfectly good food being thrown into the dumpster.

As we should know, by now, the price of food has gone up anywhere from 2% to 10% worldwide.  The factors that cause this increase are out of our control; cost of maintaining livestock, droughts, weather conditions.  And yet, with this knowledge, the public still takes food for granted.

So I wonder, what will we, as a public, do if our food supply should become limited?

Just a thought!

Talk at ya later!


 

Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - MY INSPIRATIONS

Recently, I received an email from an artist that wanted to know if they could interview me for their website.   Well, gee, didn't I feel privileged.  After all, I hadn't been asked that question in years - 1995 to be exact.  Been awhile.

So, once I got over my short ego trip, I responded with a, "Sure!"

Within days the questions, for the interview, were emailed to me.  I quickly scanned the questions and mentally provided the answers and decided to give the piece my full concentration on my next day off.  But in the meantime, my mind continued to review the emailed questions and my responses flooded my brain.

One of the questions asked was 'what inspires' me.

Naturally, as an artist, one would expect responses such as, 'the sun streaking through the trees, fluffy clouds sailing across the sky, shadows cast in midafternoon', and the list goes on.  But while I was trying hard to think of what inspires me, I found that it had nothing to do with art at all.

It's where I work, where I live, and the people I encounter day after day.  For even though I may encounter some people that are real, YOU KNOW WHATS, I find more people that are generous, caring and kind.

It's the smile on a parent's face as they hug their child, the laughter from a person as they share a story, a smile that a person shares with a passerby or the kindness one shows as they help someone.

It's the sense of security one finds in a friendship, the warmth of a hug and a 'thankyou', the gratitude we feel when someone cares and the awesome feeling one gets when a family member says, "I love you."

And last, but not least, the smile that's brought to my face as Miss Gizzy curls up beside me as I sit here typing this post.

Years ago, when I started to paint, I would walk through the mountains that surrounded my home to find inspiration.  Today, I go to a store and clock in for work.

So, what is the answer to that question?

My inspiration is what surrounds me - it is life.

Talk at ya later!

 

Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - PET PEEVES!

No matter how many times I hear a customer say, that they shop a business according to the sales and have no concern on how they are treated by the establishment - I will notice that there are more customers that do care.  It is a never ending cycle.

And for every ten compliments I hear from customers, I find that there will be one customer that will find something that is not quite right; and, it has nothing to do with the service provided by the employees.

Instead, it is the outlook that companies have and the changes that are implemented into their businesses;  changes that companies expect customers to accept and cannot understand when customers do not.

First, and foremost, on the list is the downsizing.  Be it selection, department or staff when downsizing occurs, so do sales.

For instance;  "Where is the ________?"  "I use to always buy it here."  "Now I will have to go to ________ to get it." 

And then you have the customer that is looking for assistance;  "Excuse me, I need some help but I can't find anyone."   "There is never anyone over there when I need to find something, can you help me?"  and  "Is there anyone working this department or do I have to find someone?"

"Hey, what happened?" "There use to be more of a selection."

Now the second thing that customers do not like, is when the products get moved around.  "Where is the ___________, it was here last week?" 

When customers come in to shop, a lot of times they are in a hurry and like to be able to run in, pick up what they are looking for and get out; as quickly as possible.  But when the products get shifted around, shopping becomes more like a treasure hunt, instead of  an errand.

These are problems that seem to plague most retail businesses.  But this is what happens, when businesses are looking at the bottom number; customers are left to fend for themselves.

And even we, who are retail employees, are faced with it when we venture out to shop.

But even though we are faced with these dilemmas, on a daily basis, there is one thing that I hear a lot;  "Thank you, I appreciate your help."

So downsizing staff, departments and moving product around comes at a cost - sales.

But these business moves have provided us with a lesson;  we, as consumers, are creatures of habit.

And when it comes down to the bottom line, no matter what, we want that personal touch.

Just by chance, at our store, that is something that we are very good at.

Talk at ya later!

 

Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - LOOKING GOOD!

So, I'm on the floor stocking an endcap when I hear a lady ask, "Why does your produce always look so much better than ____________?"  I stop and say, "Thank you."

The customer grabbed two lemons, waved and off she went.

There is a reason as to why the produce may look better in our store then it does in other stores, but it really has nothing to do with the produce itself.  It has to do with the employees that  stock it.

From the time the produce is delivered to the time that it is stocked on the tables, the guys have a keen eye and take the time to sort through the produce that they stock.  This is  what makes the difference.

I have seen the guys go through case after case of strawberries that may look too ripe in order to make sure that all of the berries are good.  And when restocking the produce, they try to keep an eye on the freshness of what is already out.  Not an easy task when you consider all of the varieties that are handled in this department.  And once in awhile, something does get overlooked.

But a good staff is what it takes to work a perishable department.  You can always tell what kind of employees work in a perishable department, just by it's appearance.

So, the next time you go shopping in a grocery store take a moment and look around.  If the produce department is neat, the stock looks good and enticing then that means that there is a staff that takes pride in their job and they want customers to shop there.

If, on the other hand, it is just the opposite - well, there is probably a staff that just works at the store in order to get a paycheck. 

Big difference.

Talk at ya later!