Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - THE DREAM

There is one thing that never seems to be discussed, in this line of work, and that is what we, the employees, really want to do with our lives.  Here you are, working in a grocery store where one minute you will be bagging someone's groceries and the next minute you could be down on the floor cleaning up someone's mess.  You spend the day answering countless questions, seeking out products, explaining policies, running to meet demands and just trying to get by.  It's a world where one never knows what to expect and yet, subconsciously, you are ready for anything.

It's a place where a kind word and a smile mean more than words can begin to express and yet, there are moments it seems like a prison and escape is impossible.  Although those doors keep opening and closing, you never get the opportunity to make a run for it until your shift is through.

But there is an alternative side to all of this that is not visible to the public; the dream.  While we run, stoop, carry, talk, assist, clean, direct and cajole we are dreaming.

In this building there are artists, musicians, photographers, writers and students.  Each of these employees has a dream and this job is a background for their future.

At this job they are able to express their future plans with their co-workers.  And when the days are too hectic and nothing seems to go right, it will be this job that will push them harder to succeed at what they want to achieve.

So the next time you are checking out at a grocery store, smile at that cashier.  They could one day be your next elected official.  And that clerk  that assisted you, show your appreciation.  You never know, you just might be talking to a future celebrity.  And always be nice when a clerk helps you with a problem.  One never knows when you might meet up again in the future - medically or legally speaking that is.

One thing is for sure, each of these employees that you pass, every time you shop, has a hidden agenda.  From the cashier that is pursuing a nursing career to the guy getting carts that can strum a guitar, they each have something in common - the dream.

Talk at ya later!   

Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - SAYING GOODBYE TO THE FLOWER GIRL

I guess the first thing I have realized, during this time, is that you just cannot avoid nostalgia.  It can't be helped.  Just a normal part of saying, 'Goodbye'.  And today, I am saying, 'Goodbye' to the Flower Girl; a title I was given by customers.

It's only now that I can see how far I have come, what I have contributed and achieved.  And of course each achievement has a story behind it.

Quite a few years ago, an employee told me that customers were requesting single roses so I got busy and started figuring out how to fill this request.  Well, to order single roses from the wholesaler added more cost to the store and since customers preferred the color red, well this would not be practical since only a percentage of the roses, in a case, were red.  The remainder of the case of single roses would be pastel and pastel does not last as long as red, so that would provide for more shrink and less sales.  So, believe it or not, I remembered a TV series called, The Love Boat and many times single roses were presented to the characters.  The roses were in long clear, single boxes and I thought that that was just so cool.  So, I got with the supplier who found me the boxes and water tubes and the idea became a reality.  And once presented to the customers, the reality became a staple for the floral department.  I lost count as to how many cases we went through over the years but, it was enough that we ended up with a sign.

Back then, when we were the other company, employees were encouraged to think up ideas and well, we were never without ideas - some of them even worked.  This was my first real business idea and since it took off I was ready to try other things.  Making cut arrangements became the next significant idea.  I worked at it and over time, even I was proud of the accomplishment.  By doing this I was using my own stock which cut down on my shrink and cost and I found outlets that sold very nice containers at a fraction of the wholesalers cost giving way to a far better selection.  Gees, I was becoming a real business person.  Each step taken led to another.  From there we went to potted plants.  Since we were the only store in the area that sold 4" potted foliage at a low price, the shelves were being refilled on a regular basis.  It wasn't long before I figured out what to bring in and when. 

Holidays were hectic.  I would normally spend anywhere between 48 -54 hours during a holiday week but, everything sold; bouquets, cut arrangements etc..  And when the flowers came in, the
skids were stacked so high that I would have to get a step ladder to unload. 

Now I go through all of the Thank you notes, the cards of appreciation and the pictures customers brought me of the arrangements I made for them and I will take them home.  With the last single rose having been sold this weekend, I have now removed the stand and sign from the floor.  The only thing in the flower cooler now are bouquets, there are no more cut arrangements.

Kind of hard saying, Goodbye to the Flower Girl.  It was a fun, interesting, frustrating  time filled with hard work and long hours.  And even though it's a little sad, I am glad that I had the chance to do it.

And I figured out why these ideas were such a hit - it was the customers  All I ever did was watch and listen to them and they taught me everything I needed to know.

There's a lesson here.

Talk at ya later!
 

Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - MAKING OUR WAY

 Today the company, that I work for, has decided to close the doors of our store.   In a little more than two months we will, cease to exist.  The store will empty, the doors will close and everyone will head somewhere else. 

Although this has not really been a total shock it has, however, reminded us of how it all began.  So many of the employees, that are left, can recall the day this building opened as a grocery store - that was 20 years ago.  Each change, steps taken, employees and customers can be recalled.  And it is in these next two months that our memories will be sharpened with these thoughts.

Up in the Break-room there is a framed collage of pictures of employees taken throughout the years.  It is a reminder of happier, busier times.  Times that we never thought would come to an end. 

Now that we are heading in a different direction there will be plenty to discuss, quite a few memories to recall and for some a questionable future.  But even though there is change coming there is one thing that will not be changing during this time;

As always, as in the past, we will be there for each other.

Talk at ya later!

 

Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - WHEN CHANGE VS REALITY

For so long now, we have been kind of  'hanging'.  No longer do I look for any one person or one particular change to come in and rescue us from the slump.  Although, it would be nice. 

There are new changes coming, we are told.  With technical support the aim will be to make shopping more convenient and more personal for the customers.  Hey, we are told, it has worked for other companies.  But anymore I am not so sure that anyone really puts any stock into these changes coming, for we have been down this road before.  There have been high hopes on many different changes in the past but, things never turned out as what was expected.  But, it is a new day and age and the changes made are considered progress that follows the paths of many other companies.

But the one thing that I have always noticed is that when changes are made no one ever gives any consideration to the problems that already exist.  There is no question as to what should we do but, more of what we will do.  We just seem to cover things up and keep going forward.  But the problems keep pulling us back, taking us further down.

When a company is not a well known, or a high profile, company then reputation is of the essence.  And that, more or less, is passed on by word of mouth - customers.  So, more so than the high profile companies, a smaller establishment has to work harder at how they represent themselves in order to get noticed.  They have to put more effort into what they do and how they appear to the consumers. 

Over time, I have been through quite a few managers but only two of them showed me what it takes to make sales.  Each, in their own way, knew how to project their department towards the customer.  And really, it was quite simple.  One of the managers was very precise in how his department appeared.  He knew it had to be detailed, organized and selective in what was presented to the customer.  And he was right - I see that now.

Customers look for quality, selection and prices in order to make their decision as to where to shop.  Sorry, but Customer Service is not at the head of the list.

The other factor that these two managers brought with them was teamwork.  Their staff was customer oriented and they took pride in how their department looked and they worked well together putting everyone on the same page - we had a purpose. 

Our managers kept us laughing and it kept up our spirits while we worked so hard to maintain a certain standard. 

But those managers are gone now, as is the original staff, and with them they took what was needed to succeed.  And it took no time at all to see how valuable they had been.

Not too long ago a friend of one of these managers was in the store and upon seeing me, he came over and we chatted.  I asked him how this particular manager was doing and he told me.  I told him how I missed this manager's expertise and definitely his jokes.  He responded by saying, "Oh, he doesn't joke anymore.

I said, "Mmm, that's okay we don't laugh anymore.'

Talk at ya later!



 

Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - 'UP CLOSE & PERSONAL'

On this Blog, I have written quite a few posts which describe the many benefits of good employees.  How they perceive their jobs, their work ethic, their frustrations along with the benefits they provide their employer.  And, on the flip side, I have described what is lost when they decide to leave.  But, no matter how many times I have witnessed this it hasn't been until now that I truly understood the benefits that the majority of these people have provided their employer.

It's only been the last couple of months that I have seen, first hand, what happens and how big a void is left when such an employee leaves.  From the organizational skills to the appearance of a department, each and every step takes a hit.  No longer is their a team effort in promoting a department only the frustration of picking  up the slack.  Not everyone is on the same page when it comes to quality control and no one has the same outlook on function and appearance.  The department becomes a tug of war and finger pointing is rampant.   But the most important issue is that there is no pride and no personal effort being put forth for customer satisfaction.  For an employee there is no satisfaction only frustration leaving a department disconnected and lost. 

What once was an important part of an employee becomes nothing more than a job to be done.

And although there are quite a few steps that lead up to this it is the loss of a good employee that caps it off.

What is more, is that employees hired on to fill the spots cannot begin to fill the void.  All too many do not have the work ethic that was provided by previous employees.

I have often wondered if it is the pride of an employee or the personal investment an employee makes in their job that provides this valuable quality.  Until now I would have chosen, pride.

But now, having been a witness from the beginning to the present, I firmly believe it is the person themselves that renders this quality.

And that, cannot be replaced.

Talk at ya later!

 

Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS AND ROBOTS

"Excuse me, I have a complaint."  "Now I know that it is not your fault but, the bananas look terrible and I found some outdated product over on Aisle# __."  "I just wanted to let you know."  Now the response; a slight smile, nod the head in agreement and give parting words, "Thank you for telling me, I am sorry and will forward your complaint and take care of the outdated product."  She said, I said and well, that was about it.  Yes, I did go over and look for the outdated product which I found, one.  That's the extent of it anymore, mostly complaints and compliments have become a fond memory.  Will it change, probably not.  But, hey, the complaints are mostly of the store itself and not of the employees.

Customer complaints and how they are handled are part of the job. And it is the handling of the complaints that can, and do, become exhausting.  To put it quite simply, complaints most generally are not about an employee but more about the store itself.  And when it is something out of your control then you become the glutton for punishment.  But, that could all change in the future, or so I have read.

With the retail market being hit in different directions, wages and sales, the one thing that remains intact is that of consumer complaints. 

Recently I read an article by John Aziz, The Weekly, that gave a little outlook on what is to come in this job market, and it is not pretty.  With technology going full force there are so many of these jobs that will ultimately end up being replaced with robots.  Well, that is one way to take away the fear of having to pay higher wages which will definitely increase more profit.  And I believe that this move was put as 'revelation of automation' which will really cut into the job market.  But it won't only be the retail market that will feel the effects, this new way of automation will be felt all of the way to Wall Street.  And to compliment this futuristic employment outlook the author provided quite a few changes that could offset the social traumatization that would follow.

When I was done reading the article I found two things that had not been discussed, or probably thought of, and that would be consumer complaints and Customer Service.  This led me to believe that, as a consumer, one will be thanked, 'Thank you for shopping _______."  But should you have a complaint, I don't think that the robot will be of much assistance.  And considering how some customers can react, I don't believe that yelling will be an option. 

And Customer Service?  Well, the robots will probably tell you to have a nice day

There are some pros to this concept.  Employees won't be targets anymore and less employees will call for less benefits and more profit. The Mystery Shoppers will be in a bit of dilemma and theft should hit an all time low, since I am sure there will be a system that will not only tag a thief but, dispense with the crime before it gets out of the door.  And as for the cons - less jobs, more economic woes and the politicians will go crazy - ier.

The history of the job market has always been evolving and the secret to success is to stay one step ahead of the change.  Some businesses will make it while others will fall to the side. And if society can comply, or not, will depend on how the changes are implemented.  Remember the gas station attendants?  By dispensing with that job it allowed the customers to work more, pay more and in the end have little say so.

Customers and complaints go hand in hand and how they are treated in the future will be interesting.  One can imagine all sorts of funny scenarios and even come up with an idea or two but perhaps, like the jobs, the complaints will be fazed out. 

Like that old saying goes, 'Change is good.'

Talk at ya later!

 

Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?

When I got to work yesterday, I passed a customer at the Customer Service Desk that was trying to get a refund for a package of cookies.  The bag she was holding was a bit dilapidated, to say the least.  Not something that you would be putting back on the shelf.  Now the matter of the cookies was slightly amusing.  The customer said that when she bought them they were on sale and yet she was charged full price.  Now there was no receipt to back up this story because, it couldn't be found and there was no memory as to when the purchase was made.  And there was, of course, that expiration date.  Hmm, must have had them for awhile.

This reminded me of a story that a previous store manager once told me.  When this manager worked at another store, and was in training for a certain position, a customer came into the store and wanted a refund for a set of tires.   Now the customer had no receipt and wasn't accepting the employees reasoning as to why there could be no refund.   So the store manager was called to take care of the situation and, that he did.  When all was said and done, the store manager gave the customer the money for the tires.  Now I don't think that you could call it a refund because, you see, the store didn't sell tires.

One of the first impressions I had of retail was how stores will give away money.  Be the reasons justified, or not, stores were quick to hand out refunds or gift cards to appease the public.  In fact, it wasn't too long before I noticed that our store was known to the public for doing this. 

I figured that the reason for this practice was to keep people from bad mouthing the store or in hopes that the party might shop there.  Whatever the reasoning behind this practice, in the end it hadn't worked and yet, it was considered Customer Service.

We have all witnessed these practices throughout time.  Some will bring in products not purchased at our stores while others will attempt a refund for a product not purchased.  And then again, as with the lady with the cookies, should there be question the end result will most generally be determined by "Do they spend money here?" if a manager gets involved.

As for the customer with the cookies, and no receipt, I have no idea how that ended.  But she will be back and will bring in something else, with no receipt, and the quest for a refund will continue.

Talk at ya later!