i recently started working at kroger as a cashier about 3 weeks ago. i enjoyed my first few days or so because most people were very friendly and helpful. i get along with the guys very well but the girls seem to be ignoring me. i was fine with it at first but there comes times where i have a customer with 2 carts full of items and the female courtesy clerks dont bother helping me even though they have nothing to do. there has also been times where i hear them argue about who has to help me and in the end none of them do because i started doing it myself. just today, i overheard a courtesy clerk talking in spanish to another clerk, assuming that i didnt understand, about how she decided to FINALLY bag my customers items, so i wouldnt start bitching. what can i do about this situation?
i recently started working at kroger as a cashier about 3 weeks ago. i enjoyed my first few days or so because most people were very friendly and helpful. i get along with the guys very well but the girls seem to be ignoring me. i was fine with it at first but there comes times where i have a customer with 2 carts full of items and the female courtesy clerks dont bother helping me even though they have nothing to do. there has also been times where i hear them argue about who has to help me and in the end none of them do because i started doing it myself. just today, i overheard a courtesy clerk talking in spanish to another clerk, assuming that i didnt understand, about how she decided to FINALLY bag my customers items, so i wouldnt start bitching. what can i do about this situation?
Your day is going well if you only have one rude coworker.
well I am going to mention the opposite approach. just keep doing your job and ignore them back pretending everything is peachy and rosey. if they are not cooperative then they are poor workers. who needs them right. don't feed the fire is my advise. strike it up with the guys and have way more fun with them than with these miserable beings. every once and awhile politely ask one of them to bag. if they do not come over, ask again. when they finish always say thank you. be better than they are.
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I am no longer part of the oppressed, evil workforce of Kroger! Can you say "Hallelujah"
If I had a customer with 2 big carts I would ask them both to come help. If that doesn't work pick up the phone hit the page and say "I need a courtesy clerk on register 6". If they don't come over keep paging. Management might get upset if they have to pull someone from another department to come up front and find they had two courtesy clerks standing around.
unfortunately in todays society we have empowered women so that they can get away with things men cannot and being rude bitches is just one area. If it were a guy acting like that to another guy there would be words with a possible smack down.But alas, it doesn't work that way with women. You remove fear from the equasion and this behavior is what you get. By making all things equal and even you actually tip the playing field in favor of the a- holes wheather mail or female.. If it's gotten that bad for you then you need to make noise about it ala mangment or union. If that doesn't work you need to take a small ball bat to the worst offender..STICK UP FOR YOURSELF...
I'll tell you the same thing I tell other employees that come to me in my store with similar complaints:
1. Write down everything that is happening in detail, dates and times too, as much as possible. If the complaint is not documented, it NEVER happened, as far as management is concerned.
2. Give a copy to your CSM with a copy of your written complaint (KEEP COPIES OF EVERYTHING).
3. If your CSM does nothing, give a copy to your front end co-manager.
4. If your co-manager does nothing, give a copy to your Store Manager.
5. If this person does nothing, give a copy to your union steward who can have a sit-down with you and your manager and address the issues.
6. If nothing gets done still, tell your union steward that you wish to file a grievance for harrassment. Indifference is as much harrassment as is a physical attack.
Keep in mind, if you're not a union member it may take longer to get anything done, but the union policies reflect on EVERYONE and not just members. The bottom line is, you have to be strong.
If you choose not to take the steps above, then the only thing you can do is sit back and wait til management takes notice of whats going on and realizes that something needs to be done. You could wait a VERY long time for this to happen. And if you don't follow through, then the only thing you'll be able to do is suck it up and do all you can to help the customers. Most customers will note what's happening and not blame you at all and eventually one will complain to management that the courtesy clerks are doing nothing while you're doing everything. It's entirely up to you. These things are one of the many reasons for a union contract; my advise is to utilize it.
"Indifference is as much harrassment as is a physical attack"
Really???? Can you explain how you believe that. I am pretty open minded but, for now, I can not get a grip around that statement. If I can not understand how some one can writes such a thing, I have a very hard time understanding the person at all. So here is your chance. Please make it clear to me and to all here how Indifference is as much harassment as is a physical attack.
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I am no longer part of the oppressed, evil workforce of Kroger! Can you say "Hallelujah"
indifference can contribute to a the sense of a hostile work environment. if there's harassment, it's been brought to someone's attention and no action it taken that's indifference.
the other day i realized my store is a hostile work environment. my coworkers talk about their boyfriends or husbands or wives all the time... i'm gay but will not talk about my life because of all the comments i hear about gays and lesbians who work or who had worked in my store. even those just suspected. i get enough grief already. it's not their business and i'm a private person anyway but damn. my 'community' will yell at me for not being out loud but, you know what, they're not paying my bills or doing my job for me so they can just shut up.
hitting me in the face is better than the psychological warfare that goes on in my store. no manger should reduce a grown woman to tears because of his tone and attitude but it's happened.
hmmmm..... OK thanks for explaining. I now need to digest what you said and try to see clearly what you mean. I am still not fully sure I get your point.
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I am no longer part of the oppressed, evil workforce of Kroger! Can you say "Hallelujah"
indifference can contribute to a the sense of a hostile work environment. if there's harassment, it's been brought to someone's attention and no action it taken that's indifference.
the other day i realized my store is a hostile work environment. my coworkers talk about their boyfriends or husbands or wives all the time... i'm gay but will not talk about my life because of all the comments i hear about gays and lesbians who work or who had worked in my store. even those just suspected. i get enough grief already. it's not their business and i'm a private person anyway but damn. my 'community' will yell at me for not being out loud but, you know what, they're not paying my bills or doing my job for me so they can just shut up.
hitting me in the face is better than the psychological warfare that goes on in my store. no manger should reduce a grown woman to tears because of his tone and attitude but it's happened.
I get it. I agree completely.
We had a situation a few years back with a young man who had Tourette's syndrome; nice guy, but he would bark like a seal sometimes. He really had no control over it, and he claimed the medication made him nauseous. Hard worker. But, a lot of people made fun of him......and nobody seemed to care. Some of my management team themselves thought it was funny.
Until one day he pulled a box cutter on a guy he worked with----put the blade to the dude's throat. I blame myself as much as any body for having not taken a more aggressive stance on this.
