Retail rant (not Walmart)

[SpacemanSpiff]

This is a rant warning. Skip if you see fit.

There is a grocery store locally that used to be one of the top ones here, but being that it was a family-owned business, and no one in the family wanted to continue it, they sold it to one of the grocery conglomerates a few years ago. I know that's the way of the world (in fact, that's why I'm working where I am now), and know that things change when it happens, but this one still has me steamed 24 hours later.

Mrs. Spiff and I often will do our grocery shopping at this store on Sunday mornings. Now, it's officially open 6am to 12m seven days a week, but we know that if we get in there when we do, maybe some things aren't fully up and running -- occasionally, the deli isn't manned yet, or they're still stocking some things. That's understandable. And, of course, the new owners do what most grocery stores do. They keep staffing to a minimum to save money. This seems to be more so at the store near us than others, although that was usually the case even before the chain was sold*. But yesterday was beyond the pale.

What isn't understandable is when we finished shopping, and went to check out at 8:45am -- only to find no one at the cash register. The self-checkout was open, but I'm not keen on running a basketload of items through that, especially when it's ornery as hell if you don't put things on just right into the bagging area, and downright shuts down if you dare to take anything out of it (which would be necessary with the amount of goods that we had). I went to the nearby Customer Service desk, figuring maybe they could page someone, except there was nobody there, either (sign, prominently posted, says "Customer Service Open 8am to 9pm" even though it was 8:45am).

At that point, we asked the lady overseeing the self checkout about it, and she said "We don't have any cashiers. You'll have to check out through self-checkout."

Mrs. Spiff said "you're #@$$%( kidding me." Before I totally blew my stack (it wasn't the attendant's fault they didn't staff properly, and I was so miffed that I might have done something unseemly or, worse still, jailworthy), I told Mrs. Spiff just to leave the cart there, and we promptly left the store. Of course, I feel badly about the amount of refrigerated and frozen items in there. Then again, the loss of those items to the store probably is more than the money they saved from not having a cashier.

We went home, and I finally wrote an email to the grocer's parent company (interestingly, they had a check-down menu of why you're writing. "Complements" is one of the options; "Complaints" is not.). It took me over an hour to tone the letter down to basic civility.

We'll see where this goes. But I'm still steamed about it.

----
* Mrs. Spiff worked as a cashier at this store when she first moved down for some extra dollars, which was under the old owners, so she knows from the inside how much this unit has changed.

[littlebeast13]

Wow. That makes even my Mecca look like an efficient, well staffed store!

At that point, we asked the lady overseeing the self checkout about it, and she said "We don't have any cashiers. You'll have to check out through self-checkout."

My guess is the lady overseeing the self checkouts is/was a cashier... unless they let the janitor do those duties as well. Why she would be sitting on her ass manning the self checkout post instead of picking up a scanner and running a register is beyond me...

lb13

[goongas]

Any business that makes it hard for you to give them your money should not be supported.

[themanintheseersuckersuit]

I am never disappointed with the customer service at ALDI.

(Since it doesn't exist)

[BackInTex]

My guess is the lady overseeing the self checkouts is/was a cashier... unless they let the janitor do those duties as well. Why she would be sitting on her ass manning the self checkout post instead of picking up a scanner and running a register is beyond me...

lb13

Because someone has to oversee the self-checkout to make sure people don't 'skip' items, key in overrides for alcohol and tobacco products, to clear the 'lockup' when someone moves something on the "completed items" shelf and the machine says "unexpected item in the bagging area". Or to simply assist the folks who don't know or can't figure out how to operate those lanes.

But if the traffic was light enough to have only those lanes, then it was probably light enough to only have a single manned lane like they used to.

But, back to Spiff's story, I'm with him. I would have left the basket and walked away. That is ridiculous. I will guess it is a Safeway or Albertsons as those two seem to be the most "frugal".

[littlebeast13]

My guess is the lady overseeing the self checkouts is/was a cashier... unless they let the janitor do those duties as well. Why she would be sitting on her ass manning the self checkout post instead of picking up a scanner and running a register is beyond me...

lb13

Because someone has to oversee the self-checkout to make sure people don't 'skip' items, key in overrides for alcohol and tobacco products, to clear the 'lockup' when someone moves something on the "completed items" shelf and the machine says "unexpected item in the bagging area". Or to simply assist the folks who don't know or can't figure out how to operate those lanes.

But if the traffic was light enough to have only those lanes, then it was probably light enough to only have a single manned lane like they used to.

A retail store of any kind should not rely solely on self checkout lanes at ANY TIME... even times when there's likely to be few to no customers in the store. There are too many people who are too intimidated by, too stupid to operate, or just don't feel comfortable using them. And since there has to be a watchman over the self checkouts anyway, that person may as well be actually running a register. It wouldn't kill any store to shut down the selfies while nobody else is available to have a real line open. Hell, I could totally see Mecca having one person try to watch over the self checkouts AND run a manual register at the same time. I'm so glad we don't have those evil, sadistic, job killing self checkouts in my store...

lb13

[silverscreenselect]

There are too many people who are too intimidated by, too stupid to operate, or just don't feel comfortable using them.

I'm so glad we don't have those evil, sadistic, job killing self checkouts in my store...

I think your second sentence was answered by your first.

[SpacemanSpiff]

Followup time:

BackinTex - not one of those, but I don't know if they have any East Coast units. This one is owned by Giant Ahold (you think they'd have another name).

Anyway, the manager called me yesterday, verified what I'd sent in the email. I could tell he was getting more steamed with each verification. Anyway, he'd was very nice, asked us to give him another change, would have a small gift card for us, etc.

So, Mrs. Spiff and I went there last night after work -- which reminded us of why we went on Sunday mornings. Busy post-work crowd (groceries plus prepared food, a hallmark of the prior company). And two cashiers (+ express + self checkout).

And no baggers. That's something that's been hit-or-miss since the takeover. And it only serves to slow things down. Usually Mrs. Spiff bags, because she know how to from working there, and knows not to put a hot roasted chicken in the same bag as the ice cream and frozen dinners. But it always gets her miffed that the baggers aren't around.

Plus... "we don't have any paper bags. We'll have to wait until the warehouse ships them to us." That really got her steamed. It's not like that's something you don't know you need routinely. That and she hates using the plastic bags for mass groceries.

(I think she gets miffed at the store because she used to work there; I was the same way for about 15 years with Burger King, having worked there in my teens and basically memorizing the manuals. I think the BKs in Tuscaloosa hated to see me come in there because it usually meant a Customer Complaint Form was going to corporate about something they were doing wrong.)

---
As a final followup -- I use the self-checkouts when I have a few items. There was a time, though, that I did punch one out at another store (same chain) because apparently the sensor in the bagging area was out of whack, and I kept having to put things in and out of the bagging area. If it had been a pinball machine, it would have been beyond "Tilt". If it wasn't broken before, it certainly was then.

[Bob Juch]

Is that a Stop & Shop, Food Lion or Hannaford? The latter two are from the Delhaize merger.

[SpacemanSpiff]

Is that a Stop & Shop, Food Lion or Hannaford? The latter two are from the Delhaize merger.

Martins.

The merger in the between Delhaize and Giant is still in the works (I don't think it goes live until 2016), and Richmond is the nexus of some merger issues (as it was when Delhaize/Food Lion acquired Hannaford). It seems we're the only area where there's a major overlap of stores, some virtually next to each other -- the two stores of each of these nearest to my house are two blocks apart, for example -- and how those are dealt with ultimately will affect the merger. Martins has 22 local stores, FL has 45.

http://www.richmond.com/business/local/ ... 613fe.html

[SportsFan68]

I put myself through college working summers at Safeway, and stories like this make me cringe. The employees at our store loathed our manager, but the customers loved him, and rightfully so. He ran a tight ship and knew who was behind the number on his paycheck no matter who signed it.

[Bob Juch]

TUCSON - All Haggen stores will be shut down in the Tucson area after the company filed for bankruptcy protection.

Haggen had been struggling since buying out stores from Albertson's, Safeway and several other chains.

[BackInTex]

I put myself through college working summers at Safeway, and stories like this make me cringe. The employees at our store loathed our manager, but the customers loved him, and rightfully so. He ran a tight ship and knew who was behind the number on his paycheck no matter who signed it.

I put myself through college twice working at Kroger. I worked there in high school and transferred to the store in Bryan/College Station when I started college. The manager there knew me from when he was an assistant manager in Austin. I worked full time, year round, while in college. And yes, I also get miffed at the lack of energy and customer focus at the current stores I go to. I would re-train or fire most of the employees I run into.

[Bob Juch]

I put myself through college working summers at Safeway, and stories like this make me cringe. The employees at our store loathed our manager, but the customers loved him, and rightfully so. He ran a tight ship and knew who was behind the number on his paycheck no matter who signed it.

I put myself through college twice working at Kroger. I worked there in high school and transferred to the store in Bryan/College Station when I started college. The manager there knew me from when he was an assistant manager in Austin. I worked full time, year round, while in college. And yes, I also get miffed at the lack of energy and customer focus at the current stores I go to. I would re-train or fire most of the employees I run into.

The Kroger-owned Fry's Food down the hill from me has the best employees I've ever seen in a store, even better than the Kroger-owner Harris Teeter we went to in Cary, NC.

[BackInTex]

The Kroger-owned Fry's Food down the hill from me has the best employees I've ever seen in a store, even better than the Kroger-owner Harris Teeter we went to in Cary, NC.

Probably just some carry-over from my days at Kroger.

[TheConfessor]

I put myself through college twice working at Kroger. I worked there in high school and transferred to the store in Bryan/College Station when I started college. The manager there knew me from when he was an assistant manager in Austin. I worked full time, year round, while in college. And yes, I also get miffed at the lack of energy and customer focus at the current stores I go to. I would re-train or fire most of the employees I run into.

I don't know what year that was, but Austin does not have any Kroger stores. I've been here 39 years, and I'm pretty sure there have never been any Kroger stores here during that time. I worked at two Kroger stores in Kentucky when I was in high school and they were a big part of my family's life back then. I hate shopping at Kroger now during my occasional visits to Kentucky. It seems like their whole system is rigged to screw people who aren't members of their Purchase History Tracking Club (or whatever euphemisim they call it). Pretty much everything you buy has dual pricing, like a bag of chips prominently labeled "$1.99 ($4.99 without card)".

[BackInTex]

I don't know what year that was, but Austin does not have any Kroger stores. I've been here 39 years, and I'm pretty sure there have never been any Kroger stores here during that time. I worked at two Kroger stores in Kentucky when I was in high school and they were a big part of my family's life back then.

Kroger had two stores in Austin. I worked at the store on Burnet Rd from '74-'77. According to Google street view, the crappy looking building is still there.
The other store was in south Austin, but I can't remember what street. I think it was one of the east-west running streets, maybe Oltorf.

Both stores were much like a Super Walmart, being about 1/2 grocery, with clothing, automotive, hardware, drugs, a deli and pharmacy. They closed those stores and left Austin for good sometime in '79 or '80. I was in college and thankful I was not relying on them for employment had I gone to Texas.

If you moved to Austin in 1976 (39 years ago) they were there. If you lived near the center of the city you would have had no occasion to know about them. They didn't advertise much except in the paper. They never tried to expand to compete with Safeway or Rylanders for market share. They let those stores get run down and old looking. Eventually they lost money, so they were closed.

I hate shopping at Kroger now during my occasional visits to Kentucky. It seems like their whole system is rigged to screw people who aren't members of their Purchase History Tracking Club (or whatever euphemisim they call it). Pretty much everything you buy has dual pricing, like a bag of chips prominently labeled "$1.99 ($4.99 without card)".

Kroger and Safeway (Randall's in Houston) both have the "purchase tracking" program. HEB doesn't. They are as silly as store coupons printed in the paper. <stepping up on soapbox>If you want to sell me something for $1.99 just sell it to me for $1.99. If you charge the person in front of me less for something because they have a subscription to the newspaper and I don't, how does that benefit you? The intent was to get them to come to the store. We both came. You are not encouraging me to come back to your store if you screw me when I check out.</stepping down from soapbox>

[BackInTex]

The other store was in south Austin, but I can't remember what street. I think it was one of the east-west running streets, maybe Oltorf.

Now I remember. It was on Ben White, near 1st street or S. Lamar.

[TheConfessor]

I don't know what year that was, but Austin does not have any Kroger stores. I've been here 39 years, and I'm pretty sure there have never been any Kroger stores here during that time. I worked at two Kroger stores in Kentucky when I was in high school and they were a big part of my family's life back then.

Kroger had two stores in Austin. I worked at the store on Burnet Rd from '74-'77. According to Google street view, the crappy looking building is still there.
The other store was in south Austin, but I can't remember what street. I think it was one of the east-west running streets, maybe Oltorf.

Both stores were much like a Super Walmart, being about 1/2 grocery, with clothing, automotive, hardware, drugs, a deli and pharmacy. They closed those stores and left Austin for good sometime in '79 or '80. I was in college and thankful I was not relying on them for employment had I gone to Texas.

If you moved to Austin in 1976 (39 years ago) they were there. If you lived near the center of the city you would have had no occasion to know about them. They didn't advertise much except in the paper. They never tried to expand to compete with Safeway or Rylanders for market share. They let those stores get run down and old looking. Eventually they lost money, so they were closed.

I hate shopping at Kroger now during my occasional visits to Kentucky. It seems like their whole system is rigged to screw people who aren't members of their Purchase History Tracking Club (or whatever euphemisim they call it). Pretty much everything you buy has dual pricing, like a bag of chips prominently labeled "$1.99 ($4.99 without card)".

Kroger and Safeway (Randall's in Houston) both have the "purchase tracking" program. HEB doesn't. They are as silly as store coupons printed in the paper. <stepping up on soapbox>If you want to sell me something for $1.99 just sell it to me for $1.99. If you charge the person in front of me less for something because they have a subscription to the newspaper and I don't, how does that benefit you? The intent was to get them to come to the store. We both came. You are not encouraging me to come back to your store if you screw me when I check out.</stepping down from soapbox>

Thanks for the history lesson. Apparently the two Austin Kroger stores were at 8100 Burnet and 502 W. Ben White (near South First). If those both closed in the 1970s, I'm not surprised I don't remember them. I might have even been in the Burnet store once or twice. Most of the time since then, it has been a Ross Dress for Less (now closed). The Ben White store became a Chuck E. Cheese for many years, but is also closed now. One of the reasons HEB dominates around here is their focus on real estate and selecting the best locations with long range staying power.

As for making people get a card to track their purchases and get a fair price, most people pay with credit cards anyway, so why not use that at their tracking system?

[gsabc]

I feel extremely fortunate that I live three miles from the Market Basket warehouse and am surrounded by their stores. And also surrounded by many of their employees, which included HS at one time.

http://www.foodfightfilm.com/

http://www.amazon.com/We-Are-Market-Bas ... 081443665X

I said it at the time - we should all be so fortunate to work for a company where the boss commands such loyalty from the employees that they're willing to risk their jobs in order to preserve his.