Grocery store etiquette

[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.

[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.

[sasvermont]

I try not to shop that often. I usually do most of my shopping these days, at Costco.

As some of you may know, I have been working in the retail world for a couple of months now. What horror stories I have already. People are pathetic, at best. I would say at least half of the customers are horrible. They come in every shape and form and have terrrible manners and don't bother to use their brains. Today wasn't so bad, but most days are just one big horror story.

Some of the worst customers come from Montreal. I know that not everyone from Montreal is horrible, but man oh man, we get our share. Sundays are the worst. It doesn't matter the age or sex. I don't know what their stories are or why they are so pushy and ignorant. I suspect it is just a certain group of Canadians, looking for the almighty bargin, but wow, I have never been treated so rudely. Could it be a language barrier? I don't think so. I would say 9 out of 10 are rude.

Children running around..... yes, we have our share of it. I usually compliment the parents and adults when their children are well behaved. I feel sorry for the children.

And stealing.................it is never ending............

I don't know how long I will last with this retail thing. I have never, ever been treated so rudely and dealt with so many ignorant, ill-behaved people.

Have I said enough?

I would like to apologize up front, to any Canadian or person from Montreal, who is sweet and kind and does not shop in the store where I work. I think I am getting goofy over this.

I am goofy!

[jennielynn1970]

Since I'm on sabbatical, medical leave from work, I'm not allowed to work at all. In my contract for it that I had to sign, it said if I worked another job, no matter when or where, I'd be terminated. Since I can't work, I've had to leave my job at Giant. I'm so bored now, I just can't tell you. I miss the mindless chatter and meeting people there and just talking to co-workers.

I don't miss the rude customers, or the rude co-workers. I still think the management needed to actually manage.

I hope I can find some place else to work when I go back to my full time job in January. I miss the weekly paychecks too, lol. They might have been small change, but they paid for more groceries and other small bills. Money is so tight right now... it totally sucks, but yet, I know there are so many others who have it so much worse than I do, so I'm thankful for what I do have.

[RICHARD]

I am goofy!

I beg to differ.

What you are seeing is the collapse of mankind and it's values.

I have to say this because if you think that you have been treated badly, you will get a person that will stun you. I scheduled surgeries for people. And everyone wanted a date when they thought it was good for them. There is nothing worse than person who thinks that they are better than the common man.....

People suck and when they complain about the service they get from companies, they have to remember the AH requests they make and demand.

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This brings me back to a woman who I called to schedule for a surgery-she was to have a shunt done-a place where medications were to be injected- she was a cancer patient. She told me that she had declined the surgery and was planning to spend her holidays baking for her family and the future was in god's hands.

I was effing stunned.

When I ended the call, I had to walk out of the room, big, tough men that cry are sissies.

For every 100 customers/patients/clients that you will have, there will be one that you will remember and that person will make you job worth every hour .

[blue]

big, tough men that cry are sissies.

Thats BS and you know it.

[RICHARD]

Thats BS and you know it.

I was looking for the sympathy vote.