I do not want to turn this thread into a bash fest but let's have an open and honest discussion revisited about minority customers. I was hired almost five years ago and very few came into the store. Now with more of them in the area, incidents of shoplifting, harassment of cashiers and customer service people have dramatically increased, in fact one of our CS clerks who works the Western Union transactions tells me that people try to rip her off all the time. What can be done to minimize these incidents and make the store a more pleasant place for customers as well as employees?
If they're foreigners and here illegally, deport them back to their own country. If they're Black, just give it time. They'll either shoot each other or end up in jail for doing the shooting.
Minorities do tend to have certain behavioral patterns.
My store used to be relatively tame 3 years ago but theft has been on the rise at my store since two specific demographics have moved to the area. We have the shrink numbers to prove it.
Even other groups of people tend to display the same traits as another person with a similar heritage to them. Couponers, stingy penny pinching deal hunters, all typically tend to be of similar races / ethnicities .
Some people may only have two produce items but still refuse to go to self-checkout because they don't speak the English language and therefore never learn self-checkout. I find that Spanish speakers do this too even though our self-checkouts have a Spanish option.
Some of my grievances with minority customers are quite benign but still annoying, others could eventually lead to the degradation of the area and therefore safety of the area.
How do you stop it? You never will stop it entirely.
To slow the bleeding however, Kroger and it's subsidiaries need to staff more workers to properly get more customers out in an efficient manner. No more under-staffing and stretching current workers thin. Stores need to staff a full security team. What constitutes full? Maybe 2-3 security guards per store in addition to 1 person is loss prevention manning the cameras. My store only seems to have a loss prevention person once every few months.
Kroger will never do this however because it costs too much money. Take out the partnership with security companies and just having a fully Kroger employed staff will never happen.
Wow, to read the OP talk about "minority customers" ruining the community, you'd think it was Mayberry before those gosh darned brownies moved in.
I'd like for you to have been at my last job (clothing retail, in an upper class white community) entitled geriatric white women throwing loud tantrums, abusing clerks and shoplifting all day everyday. I've been there 9 months so I know.
But getting back to the topic at hand, many races have always shopped at my store, but most of them are white. Specifically, low-income, trailer-dwelling hicks, who are usually harmless and friendly, and some middle class whites.
Then we have a lot of black people (usually low-income, kinda ghetto, but mostly harmless and friendly) some middle class black people, and a pretty equal amount of Asian, Latino, Arab and Indian immigrants. Some understand English well, some don't.
I don't feel threatened by any of these groups, nor are certain of them shoplifting. Not that much shoplifting goes on in the store, and when it does the culprit is usually white. The shrink in our store is from my Front Emd coworkers wasting food.
BUT I do cringe internally whenever an Indian or Arab customer is in my line, only because they will argue about prices the most, and keep trying to haggle, lower and lower and lower, even if it's already on Manager's Special.
And the non-English speakers who are on WIC and don't understand the concept of it..Yup, that's always fun.
We have a few extreme couponers (the same people) at my store. Most are white, but there's one black one. They're all a pain in the ass, but I wouldn't call them abusive.
Oh, and the way to "stop it" is to call management directly over when things, get out of hand or you feel abused.
Go to your management team about it. Never mention "minority customers" obviously, but explain to them that some customers are very belligerent, and make you feel threatened or demand that you give them things they are not entitled to.
How a store's customer base treats it's employees, is partially due to the employee's themselves (what they're willing to tolerate, and how often the enable the behavior). At a Kroger I use to work at, the workers had a special code they would page for an out of control customer, so whenever management heard it, they knew to come right over.
Oh, and I meant to say. I'd prefer non-English speakers not use self-checkout at all, than go over there and demand that I scan their items for them whenever they see me pass by (to go to break, lunch, or go home)
I do not want to turn this thread into a bash fest but let's have an open and honest discussion revisited about minority customers. I was hired almost five years ago and very few came into the store. Now with more of them in the area, incidents of shoplifting, harassment of cashiers and customer service people have dramatically increased, in fact one of our CS clerks who works the Western Union transactions tells me that people try to rip her off all the time. What can be done to minimize these incidents and make the store a more pleasant place for customers as well as employees?
UHMMM! What do you mean by minority customers? Are you talking about low income, mentally disabled, a different race? You have me lost here! No customer, no matter what, are minority. We treat them all equal. As for shop lifting and harassment, believe it or not, but most theft and harassment happens by people who have money. Because they believe they can get by with it and be unnoticed. Someone should have a serious sit down with you.
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Get to your department, get off your phone, and do your job!
Our store will give items for free to those who complain for example there was a customer who asked for 12 on a cake but the number 10 was on the cake. Easy fix. Scrape airbrush write correct number.The cake looked like there had never been a mistake, still not satisfied.
"you always mess up my cakes."
Always you say? Is this a pattern? How many friends have you told about this?
The floor supervisor gave this lady a $24 cake because customers were noticing the fit the customer was throwing.
Happens everyday. Raise hell leave with free groceries.
Then we have customers who want to barter. Who goes to a grocery store to barter? Beyond ridiculous!
Not everything...Just cake. Must be cheap to produce?
Still, I once saw them give away 60 dollars worth of sheet cake for FREE to placate some middle aged couple (who were not minorities) which I found pretty ridiculous.
I do not want to turn this thread into a bash fest but let's have an open and honest discussion revisited about minority customers. I was hired almost five years ago and very few came into the store. Now with more of them in the area, incidents of shoplifting, harassment of cashiers and customer service people have dramatically increased, in fact one of our CS clerks who works the Western Union transactions tells me that people try to rip her off all the time. What can be done to minimize these incidents and make the store a more pleasant place for customers as well as employees?
This isn't an honest discussion. This is finger pointing and saying it's all someone else's fault. If you want a truly honest discussion, best to open things up to other customers as well like some of the other posters did. Most especially in regards to said customers that are always wanting money off for a cake cause it's supposedly "NOT" how they said they wanted it. Or clearly pick a cake that they have seen all kinds of melting ice in the lid. Ask for it to be written on. Go walking all over the store and then when they hit the register they want it taken back to get another one cause the melting ice got it just too messy to purchase. Even though they could have asked for another one while in the bakery dept. There are even said customers that come super late at night to the deli and see the marked down lunch meat and cheese and try and lie that it is out of date even though it was cut just that day. Or even the parents that allow their kids to get the doughnuts out of the case and eat it as they go around the store. Those aren't samples that is product that needs to be bought.
And guess what? These are ALL predominantly white middle class customers that I've seen doing this in my area and store. Heck even some when we have pizza samples out, just stand there eating them like its a special meal just for them and nobody else. Even pitching a hissy fit cause it's not the kind they like. But steadily shoving food in their face. Not buying a single thing though.
So yea, I think it's a good idea to paint a wide brush when talking about who is doing this, that, and the other in regards to customers and co-workers. As not every person of a particular culture or background is the same. Hell some of said minorities have actually helped pay for OTHER people's groceries from time to time too. But of course that is never part of the "honest" discussions that occur.
This discussion has come about because as a previous poster on this thread said, certain groups of people have certain behaviours-for example minority customers will: request double-bagging for *one* item (that doesn't weigh much), they spend inordinate amounts of time lining up bags in the cart and tieing them (holding up the next customer in line), they get to the cashier with a cart full of groceries and then realize they don't have enough money and half the stuff goes back, and they constantly try to cheat the employee working Western Union. Those are just a few examples. We are spending a huge amount of time on these people at the expense of our other good customers.
While I agree that certain groups of people can do similar things to someone of similar heritage, white people do stupid stuff at the store to.
Basically, working retail/ customer service sucks and you are going to deal with a whole array of people.
I hate everyone equally. :)
If you hate everyone equally, they can't accuse you of discrimination now, can they, since EVERYONE is on your "hate list", right? No one can say that the other guy is hated more, since ALL are equally hated in your eyes...
But seriously, you see bad behaviors like this in a wide array of people...Poor, rich, white, black, Hispanic, Asian, Arabic, European, etc. It takes all kinds! I've seen just about everything one can throw, including fits, tantrums, and even meat and bagged salads a couple of times!
People in general just need to be more respectful of themselves and the people around them...When I see the way some people act out on the road going home, it doesn't surprise me that they will act up in similar ways in the store...There just needs to be an overall attitude change in general with people!
We were told the other day that when we see theft we should stop the thief as they are going out of the door = LOL! There is no way that is happening and i told the manager I won't. I won't do it and I know others in my store won't either! Where do these managers get off telling us to put ourselves at personal risk?
At my store, most of our comes from the elderly who just look for an argument and also a few (but not all) Mexicans who come in usually these really young girl types (I am beginning to think that they are trying to distract me as they come in with a large group) usually asking for price checks and trying to say I over charge them for various items.
I had a Hispanic family come in I knew they were Mexican when I heard the daughter use the word "Pinche" (Mexican word for the "F" bomb) and they assumed that I didn't know Spanish but they were putting me down and the mother who looked like she was very proper and well to do, she was swearing indirectly at me as she was not looking me in the face or addressing me but she called a "Mother &^%$#*" I just ignored it and was able to close after all of that I worked the closing shift.
I have had some Asian ladies argue with me over the prices of produce but they weren't mean they just didn't seem to understand a lot of things.
These are all a small percentage of people, I get people from all races and walks of life and 99 percent of them are great but there is always one or two that cause problems.
I also used to get problems from the white "Baby Boomers" and when we had "Senior Day" it was really bad!
Ok.. I will say this, the store i work in has a high amount of shoplifting. Quite a bit of it is not from the minority customers, but from the white ones. I've seen several odd instances, from the possible druggies going into the restroom to shoot up (white), the shoplifter who fought with an employee (white), etc.
However... this isn't racist, it's just true... SOME... not all... of the foreign people who shop here get an attitude like it's our fault if we can't understand them, or don't do things "the way it was in their country".
Others are really nice and friendly! There's one arab lady I just love because she always has a smile on her face and loves to stop and talk to us.
I will say this though... people in my store no matter what race they are, can be freaking lazy as hell. there are reshops all over the store every single day. Including gallons of milk left out on tables in the bakery. I'd never seen so many reshops before I came to this store.
As long as they are paying customers, I don't really care what race they are. I've worked in both extremely upscale Kroger stores and those in the very poor part of town. Maybe it's just because I don't work front end and have to deal with the rude attitudes poorer people tend to have, but in Produce, all I care about is if the customer is paying for the product, ESPECIALLY fresh organic. And keeping the product fresh and proving friendly service equally, because poorer areas have a lot of competition, like Aldi/Wal Mart/etc. and if you rub people the wrong way, they'll spend their money on produce elsewhere.
But there are customers who pick fights REGARDLESS of how you approach them. Just a couple of days ago some woman got rude with me simply after telling her the price of a certain product. I just looked the other way but I know she was dying for a response. Those kind of customers can shop elsewhere.
This discussion has come about because as a previous poster on this thread said, certain groups of people have certain behaviours-for example minority customers will: request double-bagging for *one* item (that doesn't weigh much), they spend inordinate amounts of time lining up bags in the cart and tieing them (holding up the next customer in line), they get to the cashier with a cart full of groceries and then realize they don't have enough money and half the stuff goes back, and they constantly try to cheat the employee working Western Union. Those are just a few examples. We are spending a huge amount of time on these people at the expense of our other good customers.
So asking for a double bag for an item, in case it might rip is that big a deal? As well as tying up your bags to make sure you don't lose your groceries all over the place and have employees have to track down your **** rolling away or getting smashed all over the place? I mean at the very least you could ask them if they could please pull up and out of the way of the next customer if they are tying their bags. But it's still not world ending. Nor is really having something sent back. If they won't buy it, someone else will. There is definitely a serious prob with the world if these are the biggest issues rubbing people the wrong way.
And lets not forget PEOPLE have these behaviors. Certain or not. If someone wants to commit a crime they will regardless if they are black, white, purple, zebra, what have you. If they want to give you lip they are going to give it to you cause guess what? They might actually feel like YOU are the dumbest person in the room and take it out on you. Been there, done that, and actually could own several t-shirt shops on that one since working in the deli/dealing with people in general. People always think you are dumb as hell for having to actually work with the products that are ALREADY open and not in the display window. Regardless of how many times you tell them, that we only pull from the display as a last resort if the product isn't open, in the case behind us, or in the back. But that is the world we live in now. The only thing you can do about it, is to ensure YOU are being a better person. That's all you can ask for, as finger pointing does not cut it.
The "cellphone" customers at my store are 65% white, 35% black.
Bakerchick's "sample" comment made me think of last summer : where every Memorial Day, Father's Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day weekend, one of the Deli Guys would grill up ribs in front of the store and offer samples.
Well, this one lady kept coming back in 20 minute intervals. Didn't even set foot in the store, much less buy anything.
Well, on the fifth interval she came back with 4 of her kids....She was met with the store manager who told her to f**k off, in so many words.
She was white.
DocJ, I've had similar issues with Asian customers arguing about produce. It's because they're not understanding the difference between "by pound" and "each".
Bakerchick, depending on the time of day, how many baggers you have, the KIND of baggers you have, having half of a cart of mostly perishable go-backs actually is a big deal and quite infuriating.
Some of these baggers, you have to twist their arm to take a perishable item back, or they're just too busy/understaffed. And if your customer voids off a bunch of raw chicken, beef, cheese, eggs, milk, and ice cream late at night, YOU THE CASH
SIGH, I hate this phone....I meant "YOU the cashier" must take that all back before you go home.
Both black and white customers do that at my store, but please, please don't be that person.
I'll concede the point about the go backs. But I can for say for damn sure, as not only a customer, but an AFRICAN AMERICAN customer, I have never got too much stuff that had to be sent back at the register. If I can't afford it at that time, I put it back myself. And I'm sure there are still other customers that do the same. So I just resent the fact that it is sounding like only select groups of peeps are problematic in stores. When half the time that is not even the case.
And yes, that is major BS on the cellphone comment. Hell I've had to ask customers 12 different times "Can I help you with that? Do you have a question?" etc. And have actually had most WHITE customers hold a finger up in my face as they kept on yacking. Or worse yet, they are so wrapped up in the conversation they are asking things that don't even make much sense. Like had one chick was clearly in such a rush, trying to pick out a cake real quick. And she kept saying something like "Is this how it comes?" And I was like they yea, they come in that way. She was getting annoyed and frustrated, and was like "No, I mean like is it always round like that?" All while yea, uh huhing, "I don't know if he likes chocolate, or white", etc. And even though I showed her all of what we had she went with one of the 1/8 inch cakes. And I told her I could write on it for her. But she was rolling her eyes and all whatever-ing and raced out of my dept. Still talking into the phone.
So yea, there are losers in all walks of life. Just work on being a better YOU(meaning this generally), than those that are out there mucking it up for the rest of us. And take situations on a case by case scenario. But not the standardized norm. That's how misconceptions and other things get started.
"And I'm sure there are still other customers that do the same."
Just...NO.
Maybe if it's one loaf of bread or one box of cookies, they will. But when it's 50 plus dollars of raw chicken, frozen shrimp and ice cream, that's on us.
Things like this happen in "waves" during the beginning of EBT and WIC rushes. These are the times when I sometimes don't make the 95% goal, as when customers do this, our CCGs plummet. Otherwise, I exceed the goal.
I am (half) black also, so a part of me felt bad about the Indian/Arab comment, but it was just me speaking from experience.
The OP's experience really sounds exaggerated though. Like everyone who shopped there before the "invasion" was a ray of sunshine and made his day.
Anyone with over a year retail experience knows that that's not reality.
Thieves will always be thieves no color involved; Some people are just better at doing so than others. As for shoplifting put an idea in to your manager to hire a person for security only because the front at my store is extremely busy and we have had run outs before, It would almost be impossible for someone that's working on the front (cashier,bagger, supervisor) at my store to watch everything if assigned to do so because 95% of the time a customer needs assistance. Also suggest putting soft tags on all Meat and Baby Formula because that's what a lot of people down here in Georgia. Customers come first not thieves and the minority doesn't matter, I've seen white people steal big ass cartons of cigarettes, beer, tricked cashiers out of money, place extra items in bags, and the list goes on !
"And I'm sure there are still other customers that do the same."
Just...NO.
Maybe if it's one loaf of bread or one box of cookies, they will. But when it's 50 plus dollars of raw chicken, frozen shrimp and ice cream, that's on us.
Things like this happen in "waves" during the beginning of EBT and WIC rushes. These are the times when I sometimes don't make the 95% goal, as when customers do this, our CCGs plummet. Otherwise, I exceed the goal.
I am (half) black also, so a part of me felt bad about the Indian/Arab comment, but it was just me speaking from experience.
The OP's experience really sounds exaggerated though. Like everyone who shopped there before the "invasion" was a ray of sunshine and made his day.
Anyone with over a year retail experience knows that that's not reality.
But again, there is the implication that this is solely a person of color issue. To which it is not. There are plenty of WIC folks and EBT peeps of different colors out there. Not my place to judge where and what got them there. But still no reason to to paint a wide brush stroke on peeps, when said OP doesn't know every person of color. As I can count on both hands, toes, and anything else the number of people of color I have in my life that do NOT consistently send stuff back. But that is also just my experience as well.
And I would agree on the exaggeration part. Til every person of color is met and can be VERIFIED as doing the things that are being claimed. Then I still standby, my statements about these sort of things happen across the board with ALL customers to some extent. Not to mention, all my life I've heard that working with people in general, is NEVER going to be easy. As there are folks that thrive on giving you a difficult time. Up to you how you choose to react to it.
I agree with the black people on the phone comment. They do this a lot at my current Kroger. At mybprecious store I didn't see this a lot. So a lot of it also has to dive the not just race, but t class as well.
I agree with the black people on the phone comment. They do this a lot at my current Kroger. At mybprecious store I didn't see this a lot. So a lot of it also has to dive the not just race, but t class as well.
And hispanic couponers are annoying.
Correction. At my previous store this did not happen a lot. Has to do with class as well as race. I've also seen how minority customers stereotype other minorities as well.
I never implied people of color are the ones most responsible for go-backs.
I said earlier that POOR white people are the dominant customers at my store. They are on EBT and WIC also, and are guilty of sending stuff back during our "rushes".
I almost never do this with the foreign, non-English speakers though. Most of them will buy primarily whole foods and fresh produce. An order completely bereft of luxury items and impulse buys.
It's the white and black fellow Americans who have to have their diabetes fuel, and will take off the fruit first when they've gone over.
I agree with the black people on the phone comment. They do this a lot at my current Kroger. At mybprecious store I didn't see this a lot. So a lot of it also has to dive the not just race, but t class as well.
And hispanic couponers are annoying.
Correction. At my previous store this did not happen a lot. Has to do with class as well as race. I've also seen how minority customers stereotype other minorities as well.
Clearly, your correction happens amongst all people. *cough* look at the thread on that one or the world at large *cough*.
I never implied people of color are the ones most responsible for go-backs.
I said earlier that POOR white people are the dominant customers at my store. They are on EBT and WIC also, and are guilty of sending stuff back during our "rushes".
I almost never do this with the foreign, non-English speakers though. Most of them will buy primarily whole foods and fresh produce. An order completely bereft of luxury items and impulse buys.
It's the white and black fellow Americans who have to have their diabetes fuel, and will take off the fruit first when they've gone over.
Stating a neutral observation here.
All I can say, is once race is involved then things get sticky and judgy. Factually speaking or not. And eventually it's more about the negatives than realizing someone is just different than who you are.
Our floral shoppe sold orchids in a glass container. A customer purchased one and came back several days later said the glass broke and cut her finger. We gave her another.
The next year we had same orchids and she comes in A Year Later, I cut my finger on the glass I want another orchid. Gave her another one.
Third year she comes in with an old scar claiming she was cut by the glass and my manager said I remember you this will not happen again. Gave her another one. Really?
