Do you guys have specific times throughout the day that you throw things in the compactor? We have "code oscars" (how stupid?) 3-4 times at day at scheduled times. I'm assuming they're worried about people stealing. How in the hell is someone going to steal with cameras everywhere? Customers can walk right out the front door with product without being noticed, but a worker might try to steal TRASH from the compactor and that'd be the time they'd get caught and fired. The stupidity of this place is astounding. They really need to focus on the bigger picture.
Code Oscars? Oh my gosh that is the funniest thing I have read in a long time. But yes, our trash compactor is always locked. And even when it's not there is always some smart ass from another department, closing/locking the damn thing before bakery or deli can get back there and we are forced to page somebody in management to open it up for us again. And then wait while they track down the damn keys for it, as they are always losing them somewhere.
And yea, the struggle is very real with regards to even getting them to even call a blue line often enough during the day. And given the fact that managers are always all over the sales floor telling us what to condition and what is running low. They never stop and take a look at the trash situation that is damn near crawling out the door.
OMG, I can't even imagine if our baler was locked. There is already not enough time to do stuff. If I had to just stand around and wait for some key, I would most likely just quit. I'm already going ballistic when a vendor doesn't waits his turn and puts his cardboard in there while I'm bailing, so my stuff doesn't fit on one go, and I have to stand there and wait till it compacts.
Every day I learn a new way how this company can make our lives more miserable with more and more stupid crap they pull. Amazing.
Btw, which store are you in, OP? I'm coming for your trash, haha.
yeah i think its stupid. they started locking the door right by our compactor too, so we have to go out the bay door and walk about 200 feet to the compactor. it's complete horsepoop. they announce "all departments sanitation check" over the intercom and then you get to watch every department stride towards the back room with mountains of garbage bags.
I have the key so it doesn't bother me. I usually compact everything left sitting around the chute when the previous shifts can't find a key.
Make the receivers' day go easier when they get there in the morning.
The purpose is to keep vendors from stealing. We have a chute access from inside the building. Someone told me there was a video from the 1980s showing a vendor
throwing all his product into the trash chute. Once vendor products are in the building, they are paid for them. The vendor doesn't care if it sells, gets stocked, gets thrown away or gets stolen.
Second reason would be safety hazard. I could see courtesy clerks playing around and one getting pushed down the chute....
I came in one night and a co manager was trying to unclog the chute. He was furious. Shirt all dirty, sweaty and swearing. Saying, "these fukin people don't know how to use a damn trash chute." That's why he thinks we keep it locked... I unclogged it for him. Yes, it is a daily routine to unclog the trash chute. Fukin idiots.... Close the door and push the damn button to start it.
I thought ALL Krogers were supposed to use the phrase "CODE GREEN" to mean "TIME TO BRING YOUR GARBAGE TO THE COMPACTER". (Hey, OSCAR THE GROUCH is GREEN, right???)
Our managers are supposed to keep it locked at all times, although in practice, as long as the regular DSD/backroom person is there, they may have it unlocked and accessible, or at least have the key nearby so we can use it when we need to, with him/her watching.
And yes, the "stated reason" is because of an instance of a vendor throwing perfectly good product into the compacter, or at least I have heard that story at my store also. I strongly doubt that it occurs much, but Kroger 'has' to have some goofy reason why they do things, right??
Yes. I am told it's not about us but about the venders.
They are apparently being shady, throwing things out at a loss to Kroger's instead of doing returns properly.
Just another program implemented by kroger to penny pinch everything. They want u to separate everything before u throw it in the trash, card board, plastic, perishable for compost, and stuff that can be marked down before throwing it away
Yes. I am told it's not about us but about the venders. They are apparently being shady, throwing things out at a loss to Kroger's instead of doing returns properly.
this makes the most sense to me. The vendor doesn't care, in fact, they'd be saving money by not doing a credit ticket. Good thinking Darling!
ps are you named for the company that makes the trashcans? The ones that say "inedible"...as if something in a trashcan would be edible!
Sanitation Check? Code 7? The first one just doesn't sound like the best choice for customers to hear at all. Would make me think if the whole store isn't clean or worse yet, Ecolab is coming through. And Code 7 sounds like something you would hear at a hospital.
That is interesting about the story with vendors. My store just says it's a safety thing for us. As if someone is going to crawl up through all the nastiness of a trash chute and come and get us all.
And speaking of someone nearly falling down the chute. I did the week before last, cause someone left one of those black collapsible black crates right BY the damn compactor. And wrestling with a particularly heavy bag one night, my foot caught in that damn thing and I nearly went down with the trash bag. I don't know who our safety person is for back there but they definitely were not on the ball with taking care of that.
my store usually only locks it when company's coming through, leaving it unlocked to not get in everybody's way any other time. unfortunately our store manager is currently recovering from surgery, and the "rent-a-manager" as he calls himself is a stickler for policy so he locks it.
My Kroger has all the keys on a big old deli spoon theyd keep on the desk in the computer office in back. So while they do lock them, we can easily get the spoon and do trash and boxes whenever.
