So, I feel that I need to vent here...thanks in advance for listening, lol!
I recently had my first night as a cashier on my own, without training. Now, I've worked in grocery before, YEARS ago, so it's not like I don't know what I'm doing, I just basically needed training on Kroger's policies.
So, I get a customer and she has her own bags. One of them is a VERY sturdy bag, like, they can hold a lot of heavy items right? And she has some cardboard boxes of sparkling water and I asked her if she wanted me to put them in in that bag. I thought it was a valid question, because the bag could hold it, and sometimes I'll bring a bag sturdy enough to hold things like that. She says "yes, please!" and mentions that she has to walk up a few flights of stairs. I have the same living situation so I said, "I completely understand!" and we start having a conversation about living on the top floor in an apartment complex.
So, she's got more food, some produce, and a bottle of Clorox bathroom spray cleaner. When I get to scanning the bathroom spray, she says to me without me prompting her, "Oh, and you don't even need to worry about separating my cleaning supplies from my food". I said "Are you sure? I can wrap it in plastic for you?" She says "Nope, don't even worry about it". So I'm like "Ok, no problem". But I'm still careful to put it in with the boxes of food, rather than next to the produce.
It was a great transaction, she was a great customer. Towards the end of the transaction, my FES comes over to help place her bags in her cart. I tell her thanks so much for coming in, have a good night, and then she's off on her way.
My FES then decides to shut off my light, because he said it looked like a good time to give me some coaching. He says, have you worked in retail before? I'm like yes, I have, but it's been a few years. He tells me I'm doing great at the cashiering part, scanning, greeting customers, etc. but that I needed to work on my bagging. I'm thinking, oh, ok, maybe he wants me to go faster?
No, he does not. He was concerned that I put the boxes of sparkling water in the lady's bag, rather than not bag them at all, and that I needed to ask if they want things like that, and jugs of milk, etc., in bags or not, so the bags don't get super heavy. I said to my FES that I *DID* ask her, and she wanted them in the bag because she has to walk up a flights of stairs and it was easier for her that way. He was also very concerned that I had put the Clorox in the same bag as her food. Again, I said that *SHE* told that I didn't even need to worry about separating it, but I still made sure not to put it in with the produce. He says "OK", but still proceeds to coach me on how to bag properly, despite me telling him that that's what the customer wanted.
What the hell? It pissed me off because I was doing exactly what the customer wanted and I had a great conversation with that customer, she was happy with my service. My FES basically ruined that experience for me completely.
Ugh!!
-- Edited by SpamCod on Tuesday 6th of June 2017 10:50:33 AM
So, I feel that I need to vent here...thanks in advance for listening, lol!
I recently had my first night as a cashier on my own, without training. Now, I've worked in grocery before, YEARS ago, so it's not like I don't know what I'm doing, I just basically needed training on Kroger's policies.
So, I get a customer and she has her own bags. One of them is a VERY sturdy bag, like, they can hold a lot of heavy items right? And she has some cardboard boxes of sparkling water and I asked her if she wanted me to put them in in that bag. I thought it was a valid question, because the bag could hold it, and sometimes I'll bring a bag sturdy enough to hold things like that. She says "yes, please!" and mentions that she has to walk up a few flights of stairs. I have the same living situation so I said, "I completely understand!" and we start having a conversation about living on the top floor in an apartment complex.
So, she's got more food, some produce, and a bottle of Clorox bathroom spray cleaner. When I get to scanning the bathroom spray, she says to me without me prompting her, "Oh, and you don't even need to worry about separating my cleaning supplies from my food". I said "Are you sure? I can wrap it in plastic for you?" She says "Nope, don't even worry about it". So I'm like "Ok, no problem". But I'm still careful to put it in with the boxes of food, rather than next to the produce.
It was a great transaction, she was a great customer. Towards the end of the transaction, my FES comes over to help place her bags in her cart. I tell her thanks so much for coming in, have a good night, and then she's off on her way.
My FES then decides to shut off my light, because he said it looked like a good time to give me some coaching. He says, have you worked in retail before? I'm like yes, I have, but it's been a few years. He tells me I'm doing great at the cashiering part, scanning, greeting customers, etc. but that I needed to work on my bagging. I'm thinking, oh, ok, maybe he wants me to go faster?
No, he does not. He was concerned that I put the boxes of sparkling water in the lady's bag, rather than not bag them at all, and that I needed to ask if they want things like that, and jugs of milk, etc., in bags or not, so the bags don't get super heavy. I said to my FES that I *DID* ask her, and she wanted them in the bag because she has to walk up a flights of stairs and it was easier for her that way. He was also very concerned that I had put the Clorox in the same bag as her food. Again, I said that *SHE* told that I didn't even need to worry about separating it, but I still made sure not to put it in with the produce. He says "OK", but still proceeds to coach me on how to bag properly, despite me telling him that that's what the customer wanted.
What the hell? It pissed me off because I was doing exactly what the customer wanted and I had a great conversation with that customer, she was happy with my service. My FES basically ruined that experience for me completely.
Ugh!!
-- Edited by SpamCod on Tuesday 6th of June 2017 10:50:33 AM
Ah, now you know my struggle in my dept. I mean we don't bag things other than bread and so forth before it goes out to the sales floor or before the customer picks them up if it's a special order. But what I really mean, is when you are trying to explain and talk to your supervisor or even co-workers about a particular thing. They totally act like they DON'T hear you at all! It totally frustrates me to no end, most especially when I ask them a question about something and they totally don't take a second to listen to what you are saying and just continue on with what they were talking about like you never said anything.
Like for instance, we have this new system and new images to put on cakes. Well I had a customer call and ask if a particular Mickey Mouse image was still available or not. Because she had called Wal-mart and they said it was no longer available. So okay, I looked up the image and thankfully it had the phone number with the image on the computer as I didn't know it off hand as I don't decorate anything in the department, to already have that number in mind.
Long story short, I called they said the image was no longer available to us either and I relayed that info to the customer. Next day, I come in and ask the back up decorator if there is a way we can find out how long a particular image is available for if it's marked as a limited time option. Well guess what? Instead of answering my question other than saying I don't know anything about that. But goes right into when we take orders make sure to write down the name and number of it on the cake order so they can find it(which I've been doing in the first place since they told us at the old store). And she was going over that for a good 15 mins. Like, since I'm the only person she can witch about it for the time being, she was going to take out all her annoyance out on me over this one issue. And it's like dude, calm down. And listen to what I asked you before your rant session, please! As my question might be relevant to other images that happen in the future.
But nope, after her rant she goes about her way like nothing had happened. Question is still unanswered and still nobody else seems to give a diddly that we might have a future issue with limited availability images in the future. And I've also learned don't even ask my ding bat co-workers anything. Cause it's all about hearing themselves speak vs. actually learning something themselves half the time.
I'm glad someone else understands, because I was so ready to go off on my FES.
So frustrating!
Or, something else that happened...when I needed an override because a gift card that a customer wanted to pay with isn't scanning, so I have to type in the gift card number, well, apparently that required a manager override. Instead of just giving me the override and letting the customer go, the manager basically re-did ALL the steps that I took (swiped the gift card, "hmm doesn't work", scanned the gift card, "OH LOOK it doesn't work again", typed in the number, "hey look, override needed") right in front of the customers who are already waiting to pay for their groceries.
" But what I really mean, is when you are trying to explain and talk to your supervisor or even co-workers about a particular thing. They totally act like they DON'T hear you at all! It totally frustrates me to no end, most especially when I ask them a question about something and they totally don't take a second to listen to what you are saying and just continue on with what they were talking about like you never said anything."
That is SO common at my store. I try to explain exactly why/how something happened, or why I did something, or why I didn't have time to get such and such accomplished, and they go right on with their speech. I think it might be because they (manager or dept lead) have already decided what they will say, and don't want to hear anything you say that might contradict or interrupt their rehearsed speech or "talking points".
I think some of our store managers would be better off starting a new career as a politician...........they can just read their TELEprompter, or stay with the established talking points.......... for heaven's sake, they MUST NOT deviate from the "SCRIPT" that Kroger has provided them with!
The part of bagging certain items together or into a separate but same bag is exactly why I get good comments as a UC / bagger. from both custys and fellow co workers. Because I'd rather treat your groceries like they were my own and be careful with them. BUT other times, customers get huffy with me and throw a fit. "The bread can't be with anything else. Don't you know that!" Well excuse me for rying to save you a bag by putting your very light chips (the small snack ones) in with your bread neatly and nicely. Geezus!
I feel your pain SpamCod, i feel it.
-- Edited by UC151 on Thursday 8th of June 2017 01:45:52 AM
