I hope everyone here has the three A's memorized and ready to put them into practice, because come July, you had better be acknowledging Every. Single. Customer. You need to be assisting Every. Single. Customer. You need to be appreciating Every. Single. Customer. If you don't? Those visitors conducting the "Customer Connection" shops (disguised as customers) will be writing down your name and sending it along with the names of others that fail to acknowledge, assist and appreciate all customers to your store manager. These people will be watching you as they walk through your store and they will make more than one walk around the store. Whether it's a weekday or a weekend, they will potentially be there, during essentially prime time hours.
Be prepared to get even less work done as corporate squanders away even more of the money that could be better put to use properly staffing stores. Forget the fact that properly staffing a store means better looking departments, a true faster check out and more employees to assist customers. Forget the fact that's actually putting the customer first and that's how you actually win over customers so that they're highly satisfied. No, it's obvious hiring a bunch of people to watch employees like a hawk in order to ensure they are practicing the three A's is definitely the way to go and is a surefire way to lead to a more prosperous tomorrow for Kroger.
Add that to the list of dumb ideas Kroger has come up with. Did you take that stupid test? I like the one where they show a picture of an employee texting, a picture of the same employee putting product on the shelf, and then the same employee just standing there with a stupid smile on his face. You're suppose to select the one that represents the best employee. The correct answer was number three. You're not suppose to do any work. You're just suppose to stand there with a big smile on your face and wait for someone to walk up. Also, if a customer asks me where the ice cream is, I'll show him but I'm not going to strike up a conversation with him about what flavors I like.
We all had to go to a meeting about that and several of us in my group said when we go shopping, we don't want to carry on a personal conversation with every person we deal with. To me, this is what good service is:
1. Say, "May I help you?"
2. Get the customer what they ask for. Only ask necessary question, such as "How do you want it sliced?" What flavor cake do you want?" etc.
I hope everyone here has the three A's memorized and ready to put them into practice, because come July, you had better be acknowledging Every. Single. Customer. You need to be assisting Every. Single. Customer. You need to be appreciating Every. Single. Customer. If you don't? Those visitors conducting the "Customer Connection" shops (disguised as customers) will be writing down your name and sending it along with the names of others that fail to acknowledge, assist and appreciate all customers to your store manager. These people will be watching you as they walk through your store and they will make more than one walk around the store. Whether it's a weekday or a weekend, they will potentially be there, during essentially prime time hours.
Be prepared to get even less work done as corporate squanders away even more of the money that could be better put to use properly staffing stores. Forget the fact that properly staffing a store means better looking departments, a true faster check out and more employees to assist customers. Forget the fact that's actually putting the customer first and that's how you actually win over customers so that they're highly satisfied. No, it's obvious hiring a bunch of people to watch employees like a hawk in order to ensure they are practicing the three A's is definitely the way to go and is a surefire way to lead to a more prosperous tomorrow for Kroger.
In the video that we had to watch the other day (as courtesy clerks) I could swear that it said that the 'mystery shoppers' would show up between 4 - 8 p.m.
So basically we shouldn't be stocking groceries or preparing foods. We all need to walk around like robots and assist customers, who, more than often, think our inquiries are condescending. Anyone in your store doing actual work will probably be fired since they can't carry on a 7 minute conversation with every. single. customer. Your store manager will enjoy this too, because then she can hire high schoolers to stock lunch meat at $7.40 an hour with zero benefits. And frankly if I had people skills I would've applied to work in a comission environment like a department store or a cell phone shop. Why drain your energy convincing customers that cereal X is better than cereal Y when you aren't getting anything extra out of it? Maybe they should be like Walmart and hire 'sales associates' instead of day stock. Because who cares about ordering gaps when you have a 19 year old 'expert' to make recommendations? Personally I think it's ridiculous that Kroger expects its employees to strike up meaningful conversations with every customer they come within 15 feet of. The best customers are the ones who come in the store, grab what they need, and pay you their honest-earned money. It makes me sick whenever Kroger tries to upsell patio sets to people who are on welfare. But as Lucifer has taught us, money is money. There are no such things as blood diamonds to Kroger.
Add that to the list of dumb ideas Kroger has come up with. Did you take that stupid test? I like the one where they show a picture of an employee texting, a picture of the same employee putting product on the shelf, and then the same employee just standing there with a stupid smile on his face. You're suppose to select the one that represents the best employee. The correct answer was number three. You're not suppose to do any work. You're just suppose to stand there with a big smile on your face and wait for someone to walk up. Also, if a customer asks me where the ice cream is, I'll show him but I'm not going to strike up a conversation with him about what flavors I like.
We all had to go to a meeting about that and several of us in my group said when we go shopping, we don't want to carry on a personal conversation with every person we deal with. To me, this is what good service is:
1. Say, "May I help you?"
2. Get the customer what they ask for. Only ask necessary question, such as "How do you want it sliced?" What flavor cake do you want?" etc.
3. Give the item to the customer.
4. Say, "Thank you."
That's all one needs to do.
Well, I guess you need to brush up on your conversationalist skills then. They want us "engaging" the customer as we "assist" the customer, so don't be shy... be personable, be sincere! Make that customer and every customer your new best friend. Chat it up!
I would had loved to see the expression on employees' faces for those that clicked on the employee stocking shelves, thinking that was the right answer. Not in Kroger's upside down world, it isn't! Oh well... smiling is easier on the back and body than stocking, so let's all just stand around smiling... at angry customers who are mad because the item they're looking for isn't stocked on the shelf...
Anonymous wrote:
In the video that we had to watch the other day (as courtesy clerks) I could swear that it said that the 'mystery shoppers' would show up between 4 - 8 p.m.
Or something like that.
It's only going to happen during certain parts of the day, although on weekends, the "window" in which one of these shops may occur is wider, I believe. I mainly recall it being prime time, but the hours you listed are about right.
Anonymous wrote:
So basically we shouldn't be stocking groceries or preparing foods. We all need to walk around like robots and assist customers, who, more than often, think our inquiries are condescending. Anyone in your store doing actual work will probably be fired since they can't carry on a 7 minute conversation with every. single. customer. Your store manager will enjoy this too, because then she can hire high schoolers to stock lunch meat at $7.40 an hour with zero benefits. And frankly if I had people skills I would've applied to work in a comission environment like a department store or a cell phone shop. Why drain your energy convincing customers that cereal X is better than cereal Y when you aren't getting anything extra out of it? Maybe they should be like Walmart and hire 'sales associates' instead of day stock. Because who cares about ordering gaps when you have a 19 year old 'expert' to make recommendations? Personally I think it's ridiculous that Kroger expects its employees to strike up meaningful conversations with every customer they come within 15 feet of. The best customers are the ones who come in the store, grab what they need, and pay you their honest-earned money. It makes me sick whenever Kroger tries to upsell patio sets to people who are on welfare. But as Lucifer has taught us, money is money. There are no such things as blood diamonds to Kroger.
Management/department heads shouldn't be able to reprimand you if your work doesn't get done/if you can't respond to come to the front to check/bag/get carts, because you're just doing what corporate is instructing all employees to do. If you're with a customer, no matter how long, that's supposed to be your focus. Of course, it wouldn't surprise me if employees still get yelled at for stuff not getting done/dips even when doing what corporate wants done...
We all better start carrying bottles of water around with us because our mouths are going to get awful dry really quick asking customers about their pets (if they're looking for pet products), weekend plans (if they're buying for a cook-out), what's the occasion (if they're looking for greeting cards), what their personal hygiene needs are (when looking for personal care products) and so on. What doesn't get done in a department doesn't get done... oh well! Meaningful conversation is clearly of paramount importance!
Add that to the list of dumb ideas Kroger has come up with. Did you take that stupid test? I like the one where they show a picture of an employee texting, a picture of the same employee putting product on the shelf, and then the same employee just standing there with a stupid smile on his face. You're suppose to select the one that represents the best employee. The correct answer was number three. You're not suppose to do any work. You're just suppose to stand there with a big smile on your face and wait for someone to walk up. Also, if a customer asks me where the ice cream is, I'll show him but I'm not going to strike up a conversation with him about what flavors I like.
We all had to go to a meeting about that and several of us in my group said when we go shopping, we don't want to carry on a personal conversation with every person we deal with. To me, this is what good service is:
1. Say, "May I help you?"
2. Get the customer what they ask for. Only ask necessary question, such as "How do you want it sliced?" What flavor cake do you want?" etc.
3. Give the item to the customer.
4. Say, "Thank you."
That's all one needs to do.
Well, I guess you need to brush up on your conversationalist skills then. They want us "engaging" the customer as we "assist" the customer, so don't be shy... be personable, be sincere! Make that customer and every customer your new best friend. Chat it up!
I would had loved to see the expression on employees' faces for those that clicked on the employee stocking shelves, thinking that was the right answer. Not in Kroger's upside down world, it isn't! Oh well... smiling is easier on the back and body than stocking, so let's all just stand around smiling... at angry customers who are mad because the item they're looking for isn't stocked on the shelf...
Anonymous wrote:
In the video that we had to watch the other day (as courtesy clerks) I could swear that it said that the 'mystery shoppers' would show up between 4 - 8 p.m.
Or something like that.
It's only going to happen during certain parts of the day, although on weekends, the "window" in which one of these shops may occur is wider, I believe. I mainly recall it being prime time, but the hours you listed are about right.
Anonymous wrote:
So basically we shouldn't be stocking groceries or preparing foods. We all need to walk around like robots and assist customers, who, more than often, think our inquiries are condescending. Anyone in your store doing actual work will probably be fired since they can't carry on a 7 minute conversation with every. single. customer. Your store manager will enjoy this too, because then she can hire high schoolers to stock lunch meat at $7.40 an hour with zero benefits. And frankly if I had people skills I would've applied to work in a comission environment like a department store or a cell phone shop. Why drain your energy convincing customers that cereal X is better than cereal Y when you aren't getting anything extra out of it? Maybe they should be like Walmart and hire 'sales associates' instead of day stock. Because who cares about ordering gaps when you have a 19 year old 'expert' to make recommendations? Personally I think it's ridiculous that Kroger expects its employees to strike up meaningful conversations with every customer they come within 15 feet of. The best customers are the ones who come in the store, grab what they need, and pay you their honest-earned money. It makes me sick whenever Kroger tries to upsell patio sets to people who are on welfare. But as Lucifer has taught us, money is money. There are no such things as blood diamonds to Kroger.
Management/department heads shouldn't be able to reprimand you if your work doesn't get done/if you can't respond to come to the front to check/bag/get carts, because you're just doing what corporate is instructing all employees to do. If you're with a customer, no matter how long, that's supposed to be your focus. Of course, it wouldn't surprise me if employees still get yelled at for stuff not getting done/dips even when doing what corporate wants done...
We all better start carrying bottles of water around with us because our mouths are going to get awful dry really quick asking customers about their pets (if they're looking for pet products), weekend plans (if they're buying for a cook-out), what's the occasion (if they're looking for greeting cards), what their personal hygiene needs are (when looking for personal care products) and so on. What doesn't get done in a department doesn't get done... oh well! Meaningful conversation is clearly of paramount importance!
No ****ing joke. Our managers chewed out the dairy for having holes. Riiiight before they demanded that they should be talking more and stocking less. I don't know how they phrased it, something like "The customer will come back tomorrow if you had a hole, as long as you engage them." Well actually that seems pretty unrealistic. Many of my neighbors avoid our Walmart like the plague because their out of stock is something near 20% of items. And I know many of you are biased as ****, but Walmart has some very friendly employees. They can't help it that their corporate office told them to stand around and smile instead of stocking during off-peak hours. Maybe we should hire 'sales specialists' who know departments like the back of their hand. Say one for grocery/dairy/frozen, one for HBA, and one for meat/seafood/produce. We could pay them an extra quarter an hour for learning what a chuck roast is versus a watermelon. This would let stockers... well... stock. Which is smarter? Having a meat clerk earning $15 an hour stock for 8 hours, or having that same clerk stock for 4 hours and hiring a $7.50 sales associate to answer the customers' questions? Well I guess Kroger would rather pay someone $15 to make small talk while slinging sausages. My head hurts so badly from this lack of logic, that I'm not even going to venture into the territory of the overuse of grocery clerks to collect carts.
Holy hell, and I thought I had it bad when I was working there. Forget that noise. When I'm in the store, I know what I want, and where it is. I want to get in and out as quickly as possible. I don't want to talk to you, so leave me alone!
__________________
My views don't reflect those of anyone, not even me. I may not have even made this statement. It's all lies, all of it!
What if we're on our break or lunch, or off the clock entirely, and ignore the Mystery shopper (because we want to you know, not spend all of our break time on the floor)? Can we get in trouble for this? Should we be taking off our name badge then?
-- Edited by Going 4011 on Tuesday 24th of June 2014 07:47:39 AM
Despite what the videos and CBT modules might imply, reams of A+ secret shopper reports won't mean a damned thing if orders go unmade, trucks sit unprocessed and shelves lay empty.
Just be reasonably courteous and available to customers. Most store-level managers, silly as they might be, ultimately have to deal with day to day, in the trenches reality and aren't going to give a **** if you neglect to accost every single passerby or fail to make sufficiently insipid chatter while directing grandma to the prunes.
What if we're on our break or lunch, or off the clock entirely, and ignore the Mystery shopper (because we want to you know, not spend all of our break time on the floor)? Can we get in trouble for this? Should we be taking off our name badge then?
-- Edited by Going 4011 on Tuesday 24th of June 2014 07:47:39 AM
ugh one snow panic today (the day before the polar vortex hit the south), it was customer madness (bread and milk!!!) and I got my break 6 hours into my shift and customers stopped me on the way back to the breakroom because I had my name tag on and I actually tried to help (I paged the dairy guy but he was on a register). He couldn't come right away, so I apologized and said I couldn't go look for the milk because I was on break. "You really should take your name tag off."
no one got in trouble for anything that day
unfortunately winter is over, so we shouldn't be swamped like that, no one says "get the bread and milk! I heard thunder!"
anyway this sounds horrible. When I want help finding something in a store, I look for someone and ask. We had to watch some news footage out of Florida where this news anchor just stood in the store and waited until someone greeted him and it took soooooo long and that was unacceptable etc etc. Also, when we're out of something we're supposed to give them a raincheck and suggest some other product that's more expensive and give it to them at that price (or even for free if we offer store brand cheerios because we're out of the real thing). I said a raincheck and he was like the customer doesn't want to grill a raincheck, they want a steak. well they could grow up and accept disappointment is a part of life and move on. sometimes we're out of stuff and it's no one's fault. (ground beef gets snapped up on senior day for example)
I work in customer service and yesterday someone called the store from within the store to ask where something was! while on the phone with her (she kept saying hold on as she walked to where I said to go, but I didn't know that), my phones started ringing and I had customers lining up. she couldn't have asked someone in person??
also - so my coworker that asked someone getting a money order what bill he was going to pay was actually doing his job? well the customer didn't think so and called to complain
We had to watch the three A's video. I learned a lot about avocados. Guess that's the secret fourth A - avocados!
Oh gosh... that segment with the produce guy and the avocados was just so painfully bad... not to mention incredibly unrealistic. The Kroger executives are truly off their rockers if they expect that kind of engagement with customers. How many produce clerks that work for Kroger would be capable of giving that kind of detailed information? I guess if you work in produce, you had better be a produce pro and fully capable of charismatically and informatively answering all customer inquiries regarding the various kinds of produce in your department, and all with a smile, too!
Time to start studying up on all the produce in the produce department!
We've had secret shoppers for years, you folks never have?
It's been done before, but what's different now is the Three A's are the focus of the shops. That's what I've read, heard and been told. Employees are only going to be checked on the Three A's, supposedly, and nothing else.
unfortunately winter is over, so we shouldn't be swamped like that, no one says "get the bread and milk! I heard thunder!"
Dude are you absolutely sure you work for a store in the South?
I am in the Atlanta market -- not dumb enough to reveal my actual store number but let's say we are less than an hour's drive from downtown ATL -- and here in Georgia whenever ANYTHING is mentioned about severe weather, our dumbass residents panic. And when I say 'our dumbass residents' I don't mean only our local ones, I mean the entire state seems to freak the heck out like Godzilla is about to rise from the Atlantic and stomp across the state. It's terrible when it is in winter but it can be just as bad in summer if the meteorologists mention severe weather. God help us when hurricane season hits its peak this year. I hope that I have quit this store or have been killed in the parking lot by someone texting instead of watching ahead before we have cold weather again. I have talked to some of my co-workers who were there earlier this year and it sounds like it was pure hell.
That being said I do what I can to talk to customers but if I am out in the parking lot, don't bother. I'm not going to acknowledge you if I do not have to because I am covered in sweat, have a single shirt to wear to soak up the sweat (so don't complain if I stink-I put on as much deodorant as the human body can allow without killing myself), am pushing 150 - 200 pounds up an incline and, oh yea --- I'M MAKING MINIMUM WAGE FOR IT. So one of the few times I won't talk to a customer is when I pull 'lot duty. Well sometimes when I am bagging too and we are really busy. I will finish bagging on one lane and jump to another as soon as I can, if that means I dont' acknowledge the customer, whoopsie doo, silly me for trying to push work first and not sound condescending or rushed to our clientele.
We had to watch the three A's video. I learned a lot about avocados. Guess that's the secret fourth A - avocados!
Oh gosh... that segment with the produce guy and the avocados was just so painfully bad... not to mention incredibly unrealistic. The Kroger executives are truly off their rockers if they expect that kind of engagement with customers. How many produce clerks that work for Kroger would be capable of giving that kind of detailed information? I guess if you work in produce, you had better be a produce pro and fully capable of charismatically and informatively answering all customer inquiries regarding the various kinds of produce in your department, and all with a smile, too!
Time to start studying up on all the produce in the produce department!
Yea I remember that part of the video.
If I ever found an employee that cheerful and with that creepy of a smile, I would go to the aisle with the cookware, find a frying pan, and use it to defend myself against his evilness.
I kept waiting for the video to turn parody and he would ask if you needed help with melons, then he would make squeezing motions and say 'HONK HONK'. No such luck.
Another "brilliant" idea by kroger. In my department when I get there for my shift there is usually alot of stuff to put up and i dont have time to have drawn out conversations with customers. If someone ask me a question i will help them but to talk to every customer that comes by that means product wont be put on the shelves. With the work load many of us have we cant sacrifice too much time or things wont get done. I dont see this ending on a good note for many employees!
unfortunately winter is over, so we shouldn't be swamped like that, no one says "get the bread and milk! I heard thunder!"
Dude are you absolutely sure you work for a store in the South?
lol yeah, I was in the Atlanta division, now Nashville
a couple weeks ago when the power went out, it was about 5:45 and we were swamped and not even ten minutes before, I asked what was going on, and someone did mention a bad storm coming
but why would you get refrigerated stuff if you're going to lose power?
What if we're on our break or lunch, or off the clock entirely, and ignore the Mystery shopper (because we want to you know, not spend all of our break time on the floor)? Can we get in trouble for this? Should we be taking off our name badge then?
-- Edited by Going 4011 on Tuesday 24th of June 2014 07:47:39 AM
HELL NO!! you can NOT get into trouble for not "socializing" with said customet on YOUR break, lunch, off the clock. That is YOUR time. My ears ALWAYS "break down" when on break, lunch, off the clock UNLESS it's a BONAFIDE EMERGENCY And someone needs help. Just remove your name tag, apron and your golden.
HELL NO!! you can NOT get into trouble for not "socializing" with said customet on YOUR break, lunch, off the clock. That is YOUR time. My ears ALWAYS "break down" when on break, lunch, off the clock UNLESS it's a BONAFIDE EMERGENCY And someone needs help. Just remove your name tag, apron and your golden.
HELL NO!! you can NOT get into trouble for not "socializing" with said customet on YOUR break, lunch, off the clock. That is YOUR time. My ears ALWAYS "break down" when on break, lunch, off the clock UNLESS it's a BONAFIDE EMERGENCY And someone needs help. Just remove your name tag, apron and your golden.
My golden what?
Meaning your all good. In the clear. The shopper cannot get you if your off the clock on your own time.
HELL NO!! you can NOT get into trouble for not "socializing" with said customet on YOUR break, lunch, off the clock. That is YOUR time. My ears ALWAYS "break down" when on break, lunch, off the clock UNLESS it's a BONAFIDE EMERGENCY And someone needs help. Just remove your name tag, apron and your golden.
My golden what?
Meaning your all good. In the clear. The shopper cannot get you if your off the clock on your own time.
He was being an ass because you spelled "you're" incorrectly.
__________________
Would you like fries with th... I mean, your milk in a bag?
also - so my coworker that asked someone getting a money order what bill he was going to pay was actually doing his job? well the customer didn't think so and called to complain
Yes we're supposed to ask that stuff so we can suggest western union or some other bill paying service. We're supposed to be looking for opportunities to pimp the stuff of the week. i'm sorry but i can't do that if my line is eight people deep with three checks to cash and two western unions each. but by all means please call me about how many dips they're having up front, don't have any supervisor on the floor so panicked cashiers have to ask me for help my customers be damned. it's crap. then i'll have customers stacked deep, no relief help and management won't let me on a register because i have to be at the desk. i can bag but nothing else except i've got 2 baggers for each cashiers some days for no good reason. and how am i supposed to walk a customer to a product every time they ask me something? I've started yelling at management who page me to help at the service desk while i'm off with a customer or tracking down a pricing issue. they'll just look at me and say well i didn't know where you were. ASK THE CUSTOMER before you get on that phone. Is that so damn hard? There are times I think they need anothre A for Asshat
also - so my coworker that asked someone getting a money order what bill he was going to pay was actually doing his job? well the customer didn't think so and called to complain
Yes we're supposed to ask that stuff so we can suggest western union or some other bill paying service. We're supposed to be looking for opportunities to pimp the stuff of the week. i'm sorry but i can't do that if my line is eight people deep with three checks to cash and two western unions each. but by all means please call me about how many dips they're having up front, don't have any supervisor on the floor so panicked cashiers have to ask me for help my customers be damned. it's crap. then i'll have customers stacked deep, no relief help and management won't let me on a register because i have to be at the desk. i can bag but nothing else except i've got 2 baggers for each cashiers some days for no good reason. and how am i supposed to walk a customer to a product every time they ask me something? I've started yelling at management who page me to help at the service desk while i'm off with a customer or tracking down a pricing issue. they'll just look at me and say well i didn't know where you were. ASK THE CUSTOMER before you get on that phone. Is that so damn hard? There are times I think they need anothre A for Asshat
So if they're getting the money order to pay their electric bill and spending 69 cents, we should be like hey pay 1.50 and pay it with western union bill pay and it will get there the second business day. oh what you don't want to do that?
and i know about running off to get **** - we have some phones at customer service, but most out on the floor so here's my long line, let me go look for a phone we either won't have or the person won't get
i'll bag when there's no one at customer service but i'm not getting on a register because i can't get off and one night the FE supervisor was like get on a register get on a register. then the power went out. pfft never again while customer service is open
so good customer service involves helping one while inconveniencing ten others
HELL NO!! you can NOT get into trouble for not "socializing" with said customet on YOUR break, lunch, off the clock. That is YOUR time. My ears ALWAYS "break down" when on break, lunch, off the clock UNLESS it's a BONAFIDE EMERGENCY And someone needs help. Just remove your name tag, apron and your golden.
My golden what?
Meaning your all good. In the clear. The shopper cannot get you if your off the clock on your own time.
He was being an ass because you spelled "you're" incorrectly.
Ahhhh... Spelling nazi. I don't even pay attention to them. ;)
