There has been a new thing at the store I work.. They are making front end people go into a 3 hour meeting, then If you do not Engage with customers enough for the manager, then you are fired. Can they fire you for not "engaging" enough for their standards?
-- Edited by justme on Sunday 19th of January 2014 03:57:36 PM
Over KTV (Kroger Television) they always have videos on how we should always confront customers and ask if they need assistance. There is even a segment of confronting customers in the ACT (Associate Comprehensive Training) that we all take when we are first hired in. So my guess is yes, they can fire you for it. I know that many managers get yelled at for the OSAT (overall customer satisfaction) scores being low or not moving and then they are forced to put more pressure on the employees to engage the customers more to see if they can get a better OSAT score.
If you're front end then your job is all about engaging with customers. The department head is usually the CUSTOMER Service Manager. Unless you're getting carts or go-backs, then what are you as a front end employee most likely doing? Running a register, bagging, or acting as some sort of customer assistant, whether is be FES, Uscan, service desk, or greeter. If you work "in the back" or even in a service department like the bakery, then your job is still to serve customers, only it is moreso indirectly through stocking, cooking, baking, or receiving the product. Front end doesn't have an excuse for ignoring the customers. You shouldn't be fired for it, but you shouldn't be on the front end if you don't like customers either.
Customers give us our paychecks. Without them we'd have no job. So like it or not we MUST engage more than a simple hello. That is no longer good enough. Now, we must get even more envolved. That way the customer will keep coming back.
I think it depends on what "engage the customer" means.
Does the boss want you to simply acknowledge the customer and ask if they found everything they need or how their day has been. Or, do they want you to chat with the customer as you ring their groceries up? I'd say the managers hope the cashiers talk a bit more while they are ringing up the purchase.
Most of my employment over the years has been in hospitality. I found it funny when I was told I talked too much to the guests. The same has happened since I entered the grocery business. At least I'm consistent!!
As for being fired, I guess they can do whatever they want and the boss will find a way to get rid of anyone, if they want to. The whole corporate system is corrupt.
Part-time, Open Availability is a misnomer.
-- Edited by Yunqi on Sunday 19th of January 2014 10:19:17 PM
Customers give us our paychecks. Without them we'd have no job. So like it or not we MUST engage more than a simple hello. That is no longer good enough. Now, we must get even more envolved. That way the customer will keep coming back.
To me a "Hello, how are you?" and a "Thank you." at the end are more than sufficient. I don't want to have a friendly chat with the cashier. Just ring up the groceries and keep the comments to yourself.
No, not really. If it ever became an issue, you could talk to your rep. I could see them having a case though if you outright ignored customers. Then, you'd be derelict of duty.
Customers give us our paychecks. Without them we'd have no job. So like it or not we MUST engage more than a simple hello. That is no longer good enough. Now, we must get even more envolved. That way the customer will keep coming back.
To me a "Hello, how are you?" and a "Thank you." at the end are more than sufficient. I don't want to have a friendly chat with the cashier. Just ring up the groceries and keep the comments to yourself.
I agree too. I'm like conversing but NOT when I'm forced to be a people person. Most of the customers want to get their groceries and leave. Not stand and chit chat.
I agree too. I'm like conversing but NOT when I'm forced to be a people person. Most of the customers want to get their groceries and leave. Not stand and chit chat.
I agree that most customers just want to get their groceries and move on, especially when they are at the register and want to pay. But, I've encountered more than a few who want to chat.
If standing in line at the register, with people behind them, then it isn't wise to chat with them, but when they are picking apples and feel like telling me how to make a delicious pie, who am I to stop their chatting. I listen and smile until they are finished talking. I've been guilty of keeping the conversation going too.
Of course, at some point I will try to move on if I can. There is work to do!!!
I love engaging with the customers. I always ask lost looking people if they need help as a night grocery clerk. If I don't know the answer, I send them to the seafood lead. She'll leave them laughing whether they find what they are looking for or not.
On occasion, I will ask one spouse looking for the other spouse. If I think they have a sense of humor, I'll reply, "I think we are having a 10 for 10 special on spouses next week".
I imagine corporate sends in mystery shoppers to check out what their employees are doing.
Once, I got such high compliments from a customer to my comanager, he gave me 5 kroger bucks!!
You never really know who the "creepers" are. The ones who look like "creepers" are normal people. The normal ones sometimes are "creepers." You never know unless you engage them (which is company policy)
I love engaging with the customers. I always ask lost looking people if they need help as a night grocery clerk. If I don't know the answer, I send them to the seafood lead. She'll leave them laughing whether they find what they are looking for or not.
On occasion, I will ask one spouse looking for the other spouse. If I think they have a sense of humor, I'll reply, "I think we are having a 10 for 10 special on spouses next week".
I imagine corporate sends in mystery shoppers to check out what their employees are doing.
Once, I got such high compliments from a customer to my comanager, he gave me 5 kroger bucks!!
You have the time to engage with customers? You must not have a tree worth of paper work in Key Retailing to do at your store. Lucky.
I love engaging with the customers. I always ask lost looking people if they need help as a night grocery clerk. If I don't know the answer, I send them to the seafood lead. She'll leave them laughing whether they find what they are looking for or not.
On occasion, I will ask one spouse looking for the other spouse. If I think they have a sense of humor, I'll reply, "I think we are having a 10 for 10 special on spouses next week".
I imagine corporate sends in mystery shoppers to check out what their employees are doing.
Once, I got such high compliments from a customer to my comanager, he gave me 5 kroger bucks!!
You have the time to engage with customers? You must not have a tree worth of paper work in Key Retailing to do at your store. Lucky.
lol. My day manager is supposed to take care of the key retailing paperwork.
I am not supposed to be in the store after 8:30am. But, since we are so short handed and have a lot of slackers on night crew, I am there many days after that time. I figure as long as the customer is going to stand in my way while I am trying to get the stock caught up, I might as well help them.
Some of the customers I see all the time like they are just there to get out of the house. I am friendly and polite but not a people person.
As a customer, I really hate being engaged. For instance, at the mall, I sometimes won't go into smaller shops if there are no other customers in there, because I know the employees will come rushing over and start talking to me about the deals and stuff I don't care about. Of course a lot of times they get you even if there are other customers, but they're quicker to move on if they get the vibe that you just want to be left alone.
Likewise, I hate being chatted up in grocery stores. I really actually don't even like being asked "anything I can help you with?" I know that's part of their job, but really, I just want to be left alone. I don't know why so many stores think it's a good idea to pester the customers.
