Grocery Store Clerk - SHOPPING FRUSTRATIONS

When we become customers, our approach to shopping becomes a little cloudy.  We see only what we want to see, understand only what will benefit us and we never  acknowledge when we are wrong.  In other words, we have a tendency to become a different person.  Our perception of reality, in the world of grocery land, definitely leaves something to be desired.  And the one thing which I have noticed, is that when we are proven wrong we either become defensive or merely make a quick exit. 

But in defense of the shoppers today, the role of the grocery shopper has changed.  What once was a simple chore, has now become that of a business transaction.  Before, the biggest concerns were what to get for dinner, what to pack for the kids' lunches and how many mouths will be fed at the weekend cookout.  And gone are the days of just running into the store to pick up a few items on your way home from work.  Instead, the grocery shopper has to read those sale signs (which includes the 'fine print'), one must make sure that they have their store card available (or at least be able to remember what phone number it is registered under), and shoppers have to be able to decipher that receipt, so that they know if they received the savings which they feel they are entitled to.   So, not only are grocery shoppers' mental capacities being taxed but, the amount of time that it takes to shop will depend on how quick of a learner one is. 

As complicated as shopping has become, for the everyday shopper, so goes it for the cashier.  The cashier not only faces all of the regular responsibilities but has now become a teacher, as well.  And in order to be a teacher you must first be a student, which I have, and have gone through all of the trials that shoppers are faced with so, I understand.  But sometimes there will be orders come through that will seem to defy simple logic.  Perhaps this is because, for a shopper, there are so many different things to remember and reading those sale signs, at times, does seem a bit complicated.  Such was a sale which I had last night.

The items, being purchased, were four for ten dollars with card.  The customer's card was scanned, as were the four sale items, and the sale came up correctly; $2.50 each:

"Uh-huh." said the customer.
"What is wrong?"
"They should be $2.25 each." she replied.
"I'm sorry, but it is $2.50 each."
"No, I can multiply and it is $2.25 for each one ." "Go ahead, you do the math." she commanded.
"I did."
"And what did you come up with?" she asked.
"$2.50 each."

The customer wanted four of the items for ten dollars, but seeing the $2.50 each, apparently made her feel like she would be paying more than $10.00, since she thought four of them would be $2.25 each.   Seeing that there was no reasoning with her, and the line was growing, I simply asked if she would like me to void the items, to which I got a resounding, "YES."

At some point between my handing her a receipt, for her other purchases, and her leaving the register - it dawned on her.  While looking at the receipt, she stopped, turned and looked at me with a 'Oops' look.  Finally, she had realized that she was wrong and I was right.  I just smiled at her and then turned to the next customer in line.

The customer had spent approximately three minutes, trying to teach me her form of math.   She had been loud in her approach and very sarcastic when trying to make me believe that I could not multiply, or divide.  This did not anger me, nor did it make me become defensive - she did, however, put on a good show for the other customers who were chuckling.  I guess she thought that they were laughing at me.  But with all due respect, I have to come to this customer's defense.  She had taken the time to read the sale sign and was glad to see that the item she wanted was on sale.  Probably the sign posted big black numbers, 4 FOR 10, and it was the fine print that would have given her the exact cost of each, instead of leaving her to do the math herself. 

Gone are the days of just popping into a store for a gallon of milk, we now have to read the signs to see which gives us a better deal; don't forget the fine print.  And it seems that everywhere we go, our abilities are being tested, leaving us to question our capabilities of knowledge and understanding.  Which, in the long run, can make a customer feel inadequate and frustrated.

Maybe someday, shopping will revert back to a more simplistic way and once again we will be able to look upon grocery shopping as a mere chore instead of a lesson in life.  But until then, please follow these rules;  always read the fine print, bring a calculator and always smile at your cashier.

Talk at ya later!

Grocery Store Clerk - CHANGE

For all of the time which I have worked in retail, there is an expression which I have often heard and it goes something like this, 'Change is good.'  And having been through quite a few changes, my response has always been, 'For whom?'  But the one thing which I have noticed, with each change made,  is that another change follows- customer reaction.  Unfortunately, customer reaction most generally will be negative.  And when this happens, sales begin to decline.  And yet, changes continue to be made.

The way it appears, is that companies seem to have control over the customers.  They tell the customers what they will buy (selection), how they will buy it (company card) and how much they have to buy (sale items).  Now with that in mind, the customers' reactions (as depicted in sales) is a big, resounding, "No', and off they will go to another store.  Understanding this concept is fairly easy and yet, for some reason, companies just never catch on. Instead of looking at the whole picture, as to why sales continue to slide, they will most generally implement more changes in an attempt to win back a consumer's patronage.  However, the employees, who have been through these changes, are very good at depicting the outcome of changes.  In fact, they will usually score a 100%.  The reason, is that employees know the customers, not to mention that they too are consumers.   This thing called, Customer Service is what provides them with the incite needed to be successful with their jobs.  Companies, on the other hand, don't have this advantage and are thus, uninformed of how they are perceived by the public.

Recently my department has been going through changes and, I am sorry to say, it is not going well.  And due to the attachment that I have with the customers, it has become rather depressing. You see, I am not use to getting complaints- actually, I can't remember ever having had a complaint.  But now, well, that has all changed.  A couple of months ago, the company switched to a new floral supplier and through this supplier I have been unable to order certain flowers that I normally carried.  Now, even though I have substituted, the customers have not accepted the change.  One gentleman has been buying a bouquet of Asian Lillies every week, for eight years, and  can no longer get them from me.  Then there is a certain arrangement which I made with mini white Carnations, which I can't get anymore and consequently had to turn down two orders.  And the list goes on.

Then today,  while I was working on Frontlines, a customer came to me and asked,  'what's going on with the flowers?'  The customer had come to the store especially for flowers and was so disappointed at not only the lack of selection, but the department was now smaller and had less stock.  I apologized.  This may not mean much to some, but to me this has all been so disheartening.  Over the years, I have taken such pride in what I did and relished the praises that I received from the customers.  So, to see this department dwindle and have to watch the customers go elsewhere is very frustrating.  I guess what is even more disheartening, is that there is nothing that I can do to change it.

I will miss the customers that I have come to know over these last nine years.   Their compliments, "You always have the freshest flowers.",  their orders, "Gee, I didn't think that you could out do the last arrangement, it was so beautiful, but you have - it's gorgeous."  And their remarks, "I just love going through your department, it is always so beautiful; you do such a good job." 

So, for nine years I have been on an ego trip; that's true.  But for nine years, the department was a good representation of the company and it provided that little something extra for the customers.  And no matter how it will go in the future, there is one thing that will remain - the memory of it.  And that, I am proud of. 

Change is inevitable, that is a known fact, but how change is implemented is what becomes the deciding factor.

Talk at ya later!

Grocery Store Clerk - THANKS OPRAH!

In a couple of months, I will have been writing this Blog for one year.  I can remember every detail, and reasoning, as to why I decided to do this and what I hoped to accomplish.  Well, actually the accomplishment part of all of this was not really taken into consideration, at that time.  For you see, I didn't have the faintest idea on how to  start a Blog much less how to even get around the world of cyberspace.  So, actually, there was only reasoning.  As to accomplishment, well, that was yet to be seen.

The employment scene is what drove me.  Ever since this recession began, and the job market started declining, I always noticed that it was the professional sector of the employment world that got all of the attention;  the high heeled, business suits of the workforce.  With degrees and resumes of accomplishments in hand, this workforce took center stage.  There were television broadcasts which followed their journeys, almost like a reality show, while there were other programs that kept these people in the know of what to do and what not to do.  Articles sprung up in magazines and newspapers, providing information, and  there were polls that gave the latest surveys while cyberspace, was filled with reference sites and stories of accomplishments. 

Still, nothing about the other workforce; these people were undergoing loss of hours, pay cuts and loss of jobs.

Then one day my friend emailed me that Oprah was looking for ideas for a new show. Having seen the programs that follow the 'white collared' workforce, I came up with an idea and followed through with getting my idea to Oprah; a program portraying the workforce that provides services. Well, you can't get a hold of Oprah by email so my friend supplied me with two mailing addresses for her company and a letter was sent via snail mail. That was in June, 2011, and to date there has been no reply.

By the following August, it was quite apparent that I would not be receiving an answer from Oprah.

So, one day I announced that I was going to start a Blog and put out there in cyberspace all of these wonderful things that I see these employees do every day. Now as excited as what I was, there was clearly a problem with this idea; I had no clue on how to accomplish this task so, I immediately began to research, how to start a Blog.

Now lucky for me, there is a guy at work that is very savvy at this technology thing.  I would go to work every day with a list of questions and he would provide the answers.  He even knew how to put these answers  into terms that I would understand.  By using terminology such as 'thingies' and giving me the exact location of placement, I came to learn about URLs and 'whatnots'.  

I was beginning to feel quite accomplished.

Ehow became my favorite site and week by week, day by day, I began to put the pieces together.  Then, there it was - the Blog.  I went to work and boasted to my co-workers of my accomplishment, but there ended up being a problem;  it could not be found.  So, I went back to researching about Blogs and trouble shooting which is how I found out about search engines and 'worms'.   In the meantime, I kept typing away night after night. 

Then finally, it appeared for all the world to see.

So, thanks to Oprah, I have learned my way around cyberspace and have accomplished a Blog that portrays this unnoticed workforce.  Perhaps this Blog doesn't get much attention, and these workers still go unnoticed, but at least this workforce now has a footprint in cyberspace and will live on forever.

 Thanks Oprah!

Talk at ya later!

Note:  A special thanks goes to my cousin, for getting me the Laptop and to Ben, for his technical support.  Without them, there would be no Blog/Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk

Grocery Store Clerk - HIGHS AND LOWS

At work, most days are enjoyable; from the time I park my car and report for work, till I clock back out and head for home.  Even before I get in the building, I will hear my name called and will turn around to a smile and a wave from a customer who is loading their car up with their groceries.  And as I make my way through the store, on my way to the time clock, I will be waving and greeting as I pass through.  But then there are days, which start out on a high note, only to spiral downward.

Sometimes it is like a gathering, a group of customers, that all come in at the same time and their mission is to make the employees feel as lousy as they can.  Their reasons will vary and there is no preference - they are bent on making someone feel miserable.  And before they leave the store, their mission has been accomplished.  Now why this happens, I am not sure.  The only reason, which I have been able to come up with, is that a grocery store is about one  of the only places which allows people to exhibit this behaviour - and get away with it.  I mean, what are these employees really going to do?   Nothing!  If a customer wants a reaction, then they should go to the leading competitor.  I understand that they really know how to dish it out.

The other night, I worked on Frontlines and we got hit with such a group.  Like a domino effect, employees took a hit; one by one.  First to get this treatment, was me.  A customer came through with an order of about $12, to which she paid with a $50 bill.  As a cashier should do, I inspected the currency for authenticity.  The customer made a comment, which I couldn't understand, and I said, "I'm sorry?" "I'M NOT TALKING TO YOU!" was her response, accompanied with a frown.  Upon handing the customer her receipt, she grabbed it from my hand and stomped off.  Apparently, she felt I was questioning her honesty by inspecting the $50 bill.  Or so the CSM said. 

Behind me was another cashier, having to tolerate two customers.  The sale consisted of alcohol, to which the cashier requested to see their ID.   As the customers produced the IDs, they began to mock the cashier and laugh at her.  Why?  Haven't a clue, the cashier was only doing what the law requires on these sales.  The cashier remained polite and ended the sale.  As the customers left, the cashier's head went down and she simply asked, "Why do people act like that?"  You have to understand, that this cashier is one of the nicest people you could ever meet and is very popular with the local customers. 

Further down the line, another cashier was hit but this time it was by a 'quick change artist'.   Posing as a customer, he requested change for a $50 bill.  The cashier politely declined which encouraged the party to be persistent with their request.  But, the cashier stood his ground - politely.  Realizing nothing was going to happen, the guy made his way out the door.  Then another cashier took a hit over coupons, then there was the one who was not happy with a price and, still yet,someone got defensive when a check was denied as payment.

These incidences were nothing, compared to some of the things that I have witnessed. Yet, they still have a tendency to make you feel down.  And with what these grocery store employees have to tolerate would be considered a 'drop in the bucket', when compared to what others go through in fields such as law enforcement and the medical profession.  But when you consider the pay scale, the social outlook on this type of employment and what corporations expect out of these employees, it is rather surprising that anyone would do these jobs with such grace and tolerance. 

But, there is another side.  Sometimes, when these scenes take place there will be other customers in line that, not only witness the displays but, will make a comment on the matter.  They are encouraging to the cashier and a reminder that these incidences do not represent the majority of the customers.  It is like a reality check.  I find that I am always grateful for these customers. 

So, as the evening wears on and the shift comes to a close, you make your way upstairs to the time clock and as you leave the building you hear your name and see a wave.  Nine times out of ten, you leave feeling like you did when you came in.

Talk at ya later!

Grocery Store Clerk - HELLO!!!!

Amidst the headlines of war and world violence is the caption, 'Americas Least Favorite Supermarkets.'  Are you serious?  Apparently, we Americans take our grocery shopping experiences very seriously.  So much, in fact, that it has become a contender for headline space in world news.  Now even though I find this to be comical (how many times can grocery stores be surveyed?) there is a serious underlining factor; the economy.  Because, loss of sales produces loss of jobs which ultimately gives way to communities suffering by loss of revenue, which produces more job layoffs, and lack of community services.  And don't forget bank foreclosures.  Who would've thought?  So when you look at it that way, I guess these companies play a big part in this economical merry-go-round.

For the last six months I have seen more and more articles on this subject popping up.  Each facet of the business is researched, surveyed and commented on.  But apparently these companies are not listening, because more articles continue to weigh in on the dissatisfaction of the everyday consumer. This most recent article, referenced ten grocery chains.  Fifty percent of the companies were originated in the Nineteenth Century while the remaining opened their doors between the years 1957 to 1962.  Now the complaints of the consumers are simple enough;' long lines, rude employees, unsanitary conditions along with prices and selection.'  Sounds like easy fixes to me, so what's the problem? 

As a consumer, myself, I find that all grocery stores seem to be alike.  Each company seems to mirror the other company;  what one does, they will all end up doing.  Customers are now card carriers, prices are more or less comparative and no one seems to have enough employees to help the customers anymore.   And, yet, with all of the business experience that these companies should have acquired, over the 100 plus years of being in business, they remain just carbon copies of each other.

So I got to thinking about what it would have been like opening a grocery store over a hundred years ago, well even fifty years ago for that matter.  The first thing, that popped into my mind, would have been pride.  A new business owner would have been proud and made sure that the customer was offered the best products; freshest produce.  Employees would have been respectful and worked hard for their meager wages.  And as time went on, they probably would have remained and grown with the business.  Each new store would have offered something special to their customers; cuts of meat, certain types of baked goods.  Whatever the specialty, it is that one thing which would have made the customers want to come back.  At that time the customers seemed to have been in charge.  It was their patronage that was a priority to a new, upcoming business.  Today, it is a little backward; companies dictate as to how the consumer will shop.

From what I can see, bigger is not better and wisdom (business) does not come with age;  consumers will continue to hunt for that grocery store haven while surveys and studies will continue to provide us, the consumer, with what we already know.  And will grocery stores ever change?  Probably not these companies, for there are new stores coming onto the scene that could turn out to be contenders for the consumer dollar. And it is with this change that old companies just might become a mere memory.

As an employee, of a grocery store, I see where we exhibit one thing that other grocery stores do not; our people.  Like the stores that opened over one hundred years ago, we seem to carry on the trend of trying to provide the customers with the best service, working hard for their patronage alas, making that our trademark.

After all, it's just a matter of pride.

Talk at ya later!

Grocery Store Clerk - ROLE MODELS

In this line of business, transferring managers from store to store is a common practice.  Here today - gone tomorrow.  Some managers will remain, maybe, two years while others have been known to take flight in just a matter of months. And it will not be until a manager leaves the store that the employees will cast their vote as to thumbs up or thumbs down.  Most managers walk out the door with a heartfelt, 'We'll miss you.'  While only a few have departed without much notice.  Unless you consider a sigh of relief or the expression,  'about damn time,' as  a heartfelt send off.  Either way, the one thing all managers have in common is that they will all be talked about - forever. 

Even today, I hear employees talking about managers that haven't been in the building for over ten years. Various topics are brought up when reminiscing about managers.  There are those that made us laugh, were kind and accepting, treated staff with respect and were just basically real nice guys.  Yeah, that's right, they have all been guys.  But the one thing that they all had in common was that they were workers.  They worked hard for their store and right along side of their employees.   Along with other attributes, such as being dependable and gracious, they set a fine example for us to follow.  Now I am sure there are reasons as to why companies do this.  Reasons, for which, mere employees are not privileged to.  But,  I have noticed that each time this great migration takes place, things have a tendency to change.

The changes sometimes have an affect on the employees.  Where once they were up beat, I have witnessed them hit rock bottom.  Then there are times when the store would have an almost perfect crew only to be let down when management changed.    And, even the customers have been known to cast their votes from time to time.  But no matter what, we always keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.

So now, we are about to go through it again.  This week we learned that our Assistant Store Manager will be leaving and going to another store.  I guess he has been with us for about one year and during that time he has made some accomplishments - us.  He came in quiet and kind of under the radar, but he demonstrated more then I would have thought.  Along with the ability to get along with us, he worked with us and was always there to answer our questions and in some cases, listen to our griefs.  He managed to make us feel comfortable and could even get a laugh out of us, from time to time .  But more important, he provided us with a good role model.  And many of us are glad that we had the opportunity to work with him.

From what I can tell, respect is one of the most important things that a manager can hope to achieve.  Unlike margins and sales, that change constantly, it is the respect that remains with us.  Because if a manager can accomplish this, then it reflects in their employees and the services they provide.

So Jim, 'revoir vous allez nous manguer'
Goodbye we will miss you

Talk at ya later!

Grocery Store Clerk - TO BE MISSED

Most generally when an employee is no longer around, they become missed.   It makes no difference if they have left for another job or transferred to another store, if they were liked then they are missed.  And when you stop to think about it, it is like bestowing an honor;  to have a group of people that think that much of you.  Because if we are lucky enough to be liked that much then it means that we are respected  and our friendship is revered.  Next to love, what more can we ask for out of life?

So goes it for one of our employees.  This young woman was faced with a family emergency which left her, and her family, in dire straights both financially and medically.  The stress must have been unbearable at times, not knowing what the future would bring.  And to have three young children to care for as well, would have pushed a lot of us over the top.  But, she hung in there and five months later has returned to work.

There were hugs and smiles all around when she walked back into the building.  People clamored to see her, and she them.  As she approached each employee, she thanked them for their support during those months and said, that she didn't know what she would have done without them.  She acted like these employees had been her salvation.  There were employees who bought necessities for the children, groceries, gave financially and some, that had the knowledge, helped her through the process of getting needed assistance.

Now that this employee has returned, she will find out just how much she has been missed.  There will be many customers who will be glad to see her, because they have never stopped asking about her.  As for her future, should she need an ear, or  a shoulder, there will be plenty  to go around.  And if she needs any direction, well that will be available too.

These things that just happen in our lives, make us stronger - or, so I have heard said.  If this is true, I do not know.  But the one thing that I have noticed is that when people go through these hardships, it makes them more understanding.  It gives us incite and most generally, I find that, these are the very people who turn around and help others through their times of need. 

So, as our employee has found out, she is much liked and was very much missed.  Her co-workers demonstrated  how much they thought of her and through their respect for her, they helped her through a tough time.

When I was in school, being liked that much meant that you were 'popular'.  Now that I am an adult, I realize that it is a gift.

Talk at ya later!