When we employees in FE ask if a customer found everything alright, one customer review told us they don't like it and that it annoys them. Then we get another comment saying that because there wasn't any help, a customer felt ignored on the floor. Before we were even under Kroger before the buyout, we are trained to be alert to customers and act with a sense of customer first and urgency of their request, such as out of stocks. (get supervisor after confirming it is out in the back, proceed to follow up with Manager on Duty / Receiver if available as to when the next shipment is coming in, or to advise them to order it)
I really don't understand how that can flip flop like that. But alas, this is retail we are talking about. (Sighs) I know when I am on shift, I will always be alert to a customer as I am walking the floor or am interacting with them to see if they need help, even if walking to the break room on break. I will still get help for them by either going to a near phone an announcing overhead or bumping into an on the clock coworker. There is never any end to the idiocy!!!
I only ask people if they need help if they look like they're lost and can't find something. Otherwise, I leave them alone. If they're on a cell phone, I ignore them completely, even if they're standing right in front of the counter.
One of the (many) reasons I shop elsewhere is because I hate the fake/persistent friendliness in Kroger stores. I don't need/want/desperately crave the attention of Every. Single. Freaking. Employee. In. The. Whole. Damn. Store. I want to shop in peace while I get what I need in order to get out, and if I need help, my God, it's not that hard to figure out where to find it, although one might think it is while watching some of these helpless, clueless customers wander around like lost souls.
The whole conspiracy of saying hi to everyone is really just to save money on loss prevention. They dont care about customers otherwise they wouldn't go skeleton crew all the time. They want the customer paranoid to steal at Kroger.