Grocery store etiquette

[jennielynn1970]

Jenn, I am utterly aghast.. Does this manager NOT expect a cashier to say something like that to a customer who sits on the handrail and puts his feet up by your register.. WHA... ?????

What does he think you SHOULD say to this customer? Or should you just act as if nothing out of the ordinary is happening and keep ringing up the items and then take the payment?

Maybe then you should push the customer OFF the handrail, to leave it free for the next customer.

This front end manager just turned 19. Not that being young means that all young people would behave that way, but he does. He's pretty lax. Which is why many of the younger cashiers like working with him.

Many of our front end managers are in their late teens to early twenties. Right now our store is having an issue of not having enough front end managers. They have to take a test, do all this stuff and earn a pin, and then that earns them the right to wear the "red vest". OOOOH! So impressive, lol.

I'm not impressed with the younger front end managers who curse at eachother, or behave really unprofessionally. There is one who has the same name as me (although spelled differently, with a Y at the end), and she is just beyond inconsiderate and offensive. She'll start harassing a bagger, just teasing really, but she takes things way too far. Or she'll make a really inappropriate comment (the one guy who is a frozen food stocker backed into her by accident at the register, and she made a comment about how he liked it. I had just started there at that time, and I had no idea who the guy was at that point, but I about fell on the floor. Why would you say that when there are other people around, and there are multiple customers in line???).

She's been there for a long time, and she knows what she's doing, so she gets away with a lot. She doesn't give me the time of day really, usually says she forgets my name... um... it's the SAME as yours.

If a customer or their child is doing something that I think will harm them, or is a safety violation/risk, I say something. I know we're not supposed to do anything to tick off the customer, heaven forbid, but I'm not going to have some kid fall off a railing and crack their heads open either.

[kitten645]

"I still think it's bad manners to be eating before you pay. Like I said, it's not a restaurant. There are dining areas in some stores, and they are meant for purchasing food and eating there."

I'm afraid I have to agree here. I spend my days sweeping up crushed goldfish and cheerios all over the store. I was taught there was a time and place for everything. I understand the irritable child thing but still...


"One other thing that drives me completely crazy is when people pick up a perishable product and then change their minds about it and then leave it in some other aisle to rot. The other day I found a roasting chicken, still hot, sitting on a shelf with the dried pasta. I took it back to the deli and gave it to one of the staff. "

I was told by health code law, food that who's whereabouts could not be accounted for and therefore temperture controlled must be disposed of. THAT makes me sick. What a waste! I've tried getting the deli to give me stuff they are disposing of for the ferels but I was told they could get into alot of trouble for doing so. Don't know if it's truly a law but at least that's the practice at my store. It's a toss-up..do I really want to be purchasing food that has been contaminated without my knowing or do I put up with the shameful waste?

I won't start on the people that show up in pajamas And I'm talking about NOON! I had the coutesy to get dressed. You couldn't manage THAT?

Claudia

[jennielynn1970]

"One other thing that drives me completely crazy is when people pick up a perishable product and then change their minds about it and then leave it in some other aisle to rot. The other day I found a roasting chicken, still hot, sitting on a shelf with the dried pasta. I took it back to the deli and gave it to one of the staff. "

I was told by health code law, food that who's whereabouts could not be accounted for and therefore temperture controlled must be disposed of. THAT makes me sick. What a waste! I've tried getting the deli to give me stuff they are disposing of for the ferels but I was told they could get into alot of trouble for doing so. Don't know if it's truly a law but at least that's the practice at my store. It's a toss-up..do I really want to be purchasing food that has been contaminated without my knowing or do I put up with the shameful waste?

At Giant stores, it's called SHRINK. Anything that causes a loss of product or revenue. If something is rung up in the wrong department, if it's keyed in by hand, if something cold is left out and it's now room temp. All that kind of thing.

I hate the word SHRINK, and one of the front end managers I've worked with freaked me out about it really. I was ringing up a customer, and she must have been shopping for hours, seriously, because so much of her stuff was defrosted and the paper packaging was falling apart on the frozen items because they were soggy. It was a mess. Well, she decided she didn't want this block of cheese she had picked up. So, I push the button to get a check out coach, because at this point, the cheese is warm. So, the check out coach on that day comes over, and I'm handing her the block of cheese and saying that the woman didn't want it, and she literally starts shrieking at me! "This is warm! How long has this been on your register? This can't go back on the shelf! THIS IS SHRINK! You know the store loses money on this!!" OMG. I'm standing there, absolutely speechless, because I don't know what to say. I didn't leave it out. I didn't put it in a cart and walk around for 2hrs and let it get warm. I'm trying to tell her that the customer didn't want it any longer, and all she's doing is screaming about SHRINK and marking the package of cheese with a big X.

We do get a lot of damages, we get a lot of packages where they shouldn't be. If anything is perishable, and it's left on our registers after the customer leaves and forgets it, normally it's taken right back to the refrigerated section and if/when the person comes back in, they are told to go and pick out their selections again. Anything that is still frozen is put back. Anything that is the slightest bit warm is marked with an X and is put in damages and is not restocked. At least this is how it is at our store.

SHRINK. The word makes me shiver, and here I always thought it referred to something else, lol.

[RICHARD]

If a customer or their child is doing something that I think will harm them, or is a safety violation/risk, I say something. I know we're not supposed to do anything to tick off the customer, heaven forbid, but I'm not going to have some kid fall off a railing and crack their heads open either.

Oh if they do fall down and get hurt you will get reprimanded for not saying anything to have prevented the whole mess.

About young people having 'positions of power'.

Look at these little Hitlers and think about how long they well last at that job?

Not very. Young people these days -NOT ALL OF THEM SO don't get all BOS, if the undies don't fit don't wear them, you'll save yourself the agony of a wedgie- are way too dumb to end up in POPs.

They intimidate the older, more experienced workers by being incompetent and unable to make decisions that are correct or beneficial to all parties involved.

This goes back to the little AHs who get a degree in Marketing then really go work in a supermarket. They are 12 hours away from learning how to clean their rears and now are able to run a store?

Not quite. I don't mind the money they earn and the perks they have-only if they are level headed, smart, consistent and have the ability and judgement to perform to the level of their titles..

If you want to manage and be a leader, act like one. Don't be the manager/boss that everyone hates, doesn't respect and makes people feel like crap.


I worked with a stupid effing nurse that I was talking to when the overhead paging system called for a CODE BLUE- a heart attack victim. I stopped to listen and then she asked me where the call came from. I told her that it was across the street in another building. All people who are detailed for that day are supposed to show up.

She shrugged and said, "I am not going" or some nonsense like that.

I just smiled and thought, "what an effing slob-she wants to be a boss but she can't get off her arse to go help?"

Why should I respect some slob that doesn't want to do her job or at least show some interest

If you have team meetings, bring that up. Don't mention any names just bring up the subject.
Just explain that you have been given feedback about how unprofessional people who should be in charge at the front of the store are behaving/acting.

Then toss in the I have pride in my work and how the store is run and appears to our customers.

If you can't or feel like you will get dumped on over it, don't bother.


Otherwise, the little shiat should be able to take the critique in stride.

He earns the bucks, let him have to correct his behavior.

moron.

[jennielynn1970]

If you want to manage and be a leader, act like one. Don't be the manager/boss that everyone hates, doesn't respect and makes people feel like crap.

If you have team meetings, bring that up. Don't mention any names just bring up the subject.


He earns the bucks, let him have to correct his behavior.

moron.

Well, to be honest, I'd rather have a manager who knows how to manage and be a leader than have one who wants to be everyone's friend. I have enough peer co-workers, be a boss. I may not like you, but I don't have to. If you are going to act like a putz, and want to be everyone's friend, and have no authority, then you're in the wrong position. Not everyone was meant to be a boss.


Team meetings. I have no idea if they have them at the store. I never heard of them being mentioned.

The only thing I ever had a "meeting" for was for the one higher up manager to corner me and have me do a payroll deduction for United Way. I work here part time. For extra cash. To help pay the bills. My full time job already deals with the United Way and they do a huge campaign for it as well. The only thing that differs is that the paperwork goes in our mailboxes at the full time job and we fill them out and send them in during enrollment time and we are NOT pressured into donating. With this place, it was me and the one big manager, in a room, alone, me in front of the computer and her basically saying "give a dollar a pay". Nice. I love to be pressured to donate.


Oh, and the front end managers.... I doubt they make THAT much extra money an hour for their position.

[Sevaede]

I try to be as polite as possible. Since I live across the street from a grocery store, even though the main one I shop at is a couple of miles from my house, I walk there from time to time for an occasional snack and such. It is also the same strip mall set up in which there is a blockbuster, a used book store, and a few other places. Needless to say, I walk around there from time to time!

ANYWAYS. All of our local stores in this chain are under construction so walking on the sidewalk is not an option right now. I always make it a point to walk on the sidewalks or as close to the edges as possible so I am not blocking the way for vehicles or anything of that nature. I like to bring Spanky with me and she enjoys the walkies. When walking in these areas I keep her as close to me as possible without having the leash so short her front legs are off the ground. HOWEVER, there are STILL people who, even though they have a huge berth to drive through, like to get as close as possible to my tiny little dog and almost run us both over. What is wrong with you?! You have a huge area and it seems like you WANT to piss me off and hurt my dog and me. It has gotten to the point that I just don't bring her as much any more which is a shame. She really loves to go!

One thing that I have noticed, that doesn't really bug me, is a LOT of people have been bringing puppies and kittens into the store with them while they shop. o_O I didn't think that was okay with the store but who knows!

[Medusa]

This didn't take place in a grocery store but it still falls under the category of etiquette, manners or propriety.

I was shopping in a dept. store for a pair of boots. I heard "click click click" of heels on the floor and turned to see a little girl, I'd say probably 3 years old, wearing ladies heels and going up and down the aisles. Now, what little girl doesn't like to play dress-up in her mommy's clothes and shoes? I sure did at that age. However, these weren't mommy's shoes; they belonged to the store. The little girl had her dirty feet (and I'm not being mean here; her feet were dirty) in a fairly expensive pair of shoes and was parading up and down the aisles in them. She tried on several pairs, Mom oblivious the entire time. Apparently, though, wearing them wasn't enough. She would take the shoes off and beat one repeatedly on the counter, Mom still oblivious. I waited a while to see if Mom would do anything and when I realized that she wasn't going to, I left the shoe dept. I know better than to say anything to someone about their parenting skills or lack of them. It would only have caused a scene and I would've looked like the mean lady who doesn't want the little girl to play dress-up.

I found a pair of boots though, bought them and as I was checking out, the woman ahead of me asked "Are shoes returnable?" and the clerk said "As long as they haven't been worn. If they show signs of wear, we can't accept them and they have to be returned w/in 30 days". I thought to myself that maybe someone isn't going to pay attention to the bottom of the shoes, she'll get them home and realize that she doesn't want them but someone had been traipsing around the store w/them on earlier and that may prevent her from getting a refund. I'm appalled at what passes for parenting nowadays.

[caseysmom]

This didn't take place in a grocery store but it still falls under the category of etiquette, manners or propriety.

I was shopping in a dept. store for a pair of boots. I heard "click click click" of heels on the floor and turned to see a little girl, I'd say probably 3 years old, wearing ladies heels and going up and down the aisles. Now, what little girl doesn't like to play dress-up in her mommy's clothes and shoes? I sure did at that age. However, these weren't mommy's shoes; they belonged to the store. The little girl had her dirty feet (and I'm not being mean here; her feet were dirty) in a fairly expensive pair of shoes and was parading up and down the aisles in them. She tried on several pairs, Mom oblivious the entire time. Apparently, though, wearing them wasn't enough. She would take the shoes off and beat one repeatedly on the counter, Mom still oblivious. I waited a while to see if Mom would do anything and when I realized that she wasn't going to, I left the shoe dept. I know better than to say anything to someone about their parenting skills or lack of them. It would only have caused a scene and I would've looked like the mean lady who doesn't want the little girl to play dress-up.

I found a pair of boots though, bought them and as I was checking out, the woman ahead of me asked "Are shoes returnable?" and the clerk said "As long as they haven't been worn. If they show signs of wear, we can't accept them and they have to be returned w/in 30 days". I thought to myself that maybe someone isn't going to pay attention to the bottom of the shoes, she'll get them home and realize that she doesn't want them but someone had been traipsing around the store w/them on earlier and that may prevent her from getting a refund. I'm appalled at what passes for parenting nowadays.

speaking of boots...I just ordered a pair from jcpenney.com, they were regularly 70 on sale for 29.99 or something, I didn't pay attention but they are not leather...not only that the material is like cardboard or something, I can't believe it, the are going back!

[Edwina's Secretary]

I once had a checker call out to someone to "come over here and bag this s%$t." I asked "Bag this what? Doyou think I am paying my money for s*&t? No apology...nothing.

I take my own bags to the grocery. This is a problem in the self checkout lines as my bags don't weight the same as the grocery bags so someone has to come over and recalerbrate. Or I can put in their bags and then repack when I am done.

When I am in a checker line...I hand over my bags. They often proceed to put the groceries in plastic bags and then into my bags. Rather defeats the purpose. I prefer to bag myself.