topic Re: An Eventful Day At The Grocery Store! in Community Chat

An Eventful Day At The Grocery Store!

ciao_bella — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 14:57:36 GMT

I had a situation at the grocery store yesterday that left me really annoyed. In all my many years grocery shopping, I've never made a complaint about anyone, but this has me wondering if I should say something to a supervisor. This grocery store is a major grocery chain, not an Aldi's or a bag your own store.

I'm just recovering from a nasty muscle pull on the side of my hip, and decided I was feeling well enough to do a little grocery shopping. I purchased some refrigerated items, a few canned items and two cases of seltzer water that I had a stock guy put on the bottom of the shopping cart. He told me the 'helping hands' department would load them in the car for me.

When I got to the checkout, I always put all of my refrigerated items on the belt first followed by the other items, except the two cases of seltzer. As I was putting the items on the belt, I politely asked the cashier to please bag my refrigerated items together as they were first on the belt, as I continued to put the other non-refrigerated items on the belt. I also told her I had two cases of seltzer on the bottom of the cart. When I asked her to please bag the refrigerated items together, she looked at me and said in a sarcastic tone, 'so, I guess I'm doing the bagging??'

I admit, I was taken off guard as I've never had a cashier, especially in that store, say that. In the past, I've always made it my business to help bag but it was never expected. When it came time to ring up the seltzer cases, she used the scanning gun but it didn't work. So, she said to me, 'the scan gun doesn't work, you'll have to lift them and put them on the belt as I have a bad back!' Needless to say, I did not attempt to pick them up and told her 'you have a bad back and I have a sprained side, so no I'm not picking it up. Call for help.

When I got home, I kept thinking about the incident and it bothered me. If I wanted to bag my own groceries I would have gone to a bag your own store like Aldi's or go to the self-check aisle.

So, my question to you is would you have called the store and made a complaint or not?

To Update This Post: I did call the store and spoke with the store manager that same day. She thanked me for calling and said it's never expected for any of their customers to bag their own groceries. If one chooses to, fine it's a bonus for the cashier and they should thank the customer for doing so.

Re: An Eventful Day At The Grocery Store!

CAcableGirl2 — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 13:41:16 GMT

Yes, I would call. One remark could have been overlooked (since we all have a bad day once in a while), but it looks like any kind of request for work from this clerk would have resulted in a snarky comment from her.

If me, I would call and let the manager know, most likely, if she is being rude to you, she is being rude to a lot more customers, and any company would want to know about an employee who is unprofessional to the people that keep it in business.

Re: An Eventful Day At The Grocery Store!

Imaoldhippie — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 13:50:08 GMT

Yes

Re: An Eventful Day At The Grocery Store!

LIndaMJ — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 13:51:57 GMT

Yes.

Re: An Eventful Day At The Grocery Store!

scatcat — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 13:55:22 GMT

I would wait 24 hours as a "cool down" time. Yes you are having issues, but it sounds like she is too. I'm not big into tattling

The problem may not seem such a big deal as it does in the heat of the moment

Re: An Eventful Day At The Grocery Store!

millieshops — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 13:57:49 GMT

@ciao_bellaOne bad egg in one store within a chain can damage hundreds of good employees, so I would let management know you had a problem.

I think you could choose how. One obviously is to describe your incident including time of day and register # or employee involved - or just in case there is more generalized employee poor work in that store, describe the incident and wait to see if the person listening to your call asks you for specific information about the who?

If management doesn't ask- should we think they're not going to act on the complaint? Any managers or former managers know?

Re: An Eventful Day At The Grocery Store!

silkyk — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 13:59:54 GMT

You are way nicer than me. I would have left that full cart there and announced in a loud voice that her rudeness is totally unacceptable and that she just lost a sale for the store (and say it loud enough so the manager or whoever is in charge hears me!). But that's just me and you are way nicer.

Re: An Eventful Day At The Grocery Store!

esmerelda — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 14:17:57 GMT

@ciao_bella I would. I’d tell the story as you told it here. I’d also tell how she was after you spoke to her (surly? helpful? respectful?) and mention the helpful person before you end the conversation.

If I missed it… What was the approximate age of this person?

eta... in the future, I would mention that I usually bag my own things but that I’m not able to do it today day and would she please be so kind….

Re: An Eventful Day At The Grocery Store!

blackhole99 — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 14:14:58 GMT

I don't know what I'd do, I've never had that happen where the cashiers bag the goods. I once had a cashier at Walmart say she was dealing with a bad hip in casual conversation, but she didn't use it as an excuse not to do her job. I think it might just be the cashier you dealt with just has that type of personality. I know they don't get paid much and it's a lousy job so as long as she got someone to lift the water for you, I would just let it go. I would not be able to sleep if I was the cause of anyone losing their job over something like that. Now that you know what she's like just don't get in her check out line.

Re: An Eventful Day At The Grocery Store!

RetRN — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 14:15:38 GMT

A friend of mine was recently treated the same way that OP was. She contacted the manager and he thanked her profusely and said he had had a talk with the employee and that he is watching her closely.

Re: An Eventful Day At The Grocery Store!

Travone — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 14:19:59 GMT

I would definately call. Make sure you have the reciept in front of you so they can trace it back to the right cashier.

I have to admit, when she said "So I guess I'm doing the bagging", I probably would have said something like "Since of the two of us, you are the one getting paid, I would say you guessed right".

Re: An Eventful Day At The Grocery Store!

esmerelda — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 14:20:46 GMT

@blackhole99 wrote:
I don't know what I'd do, I've never had that happen where the cashiers bag the goods. I once had a cashier at Walmart say she was dealing with a bad hip in casual conversation, but she didn't use it as an excuse not to do her job. I think it might just be the cashier you dealt with just has that type of personality. I know they don't get paid much and it's a lousy job so as long as she got someone to lift the water for you, I would just let it go. I would not be able to sleep if I was the cause of anyone losing their job over something like that. Now that you know what she's like just don't get in her check out line.

@blackhole99 @ciao_bella I hope she wouldn’t lose her job over this, unless it’s a pattern of behavior. Of course that will be up to her boss. Maybe she was just having a bad day, caused by her bad back.

Re: An Eventful Day At The Grocery Store!

queendiva — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 14:24:40 GMT

Suffering in silence is no longer my style.

I would have gotten her name (at my store cashiers are required to wear name tags) and asked to have a manager meet me at her register. I would have made the complaint in her presence, right after the occurrence, with the manager present.

Maybe too confrontational for some, but I am no shrinking violet.

I think to complain about a nasty, surly cashier is best and most effectively done on site and immediately following the behavior.

I find too many cashiers wait for me to do the bagging. I actually thank those who do their job and bag for me.

Re: An Eventful Day At The Grocery Store!

cherry — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 14:25:29 GMT

You truthfully reported how you were treated. It is up to her supervisor to sort it out. You did nothing wrong, she did. If it is a pattern, the store needs to know. If she is going through a bad time ,she can explain herself, to them. It is not your fault

Re: An Eventful Day At The Grocery Store!

Trinity11 — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 14:28:36 GMT

I handle things on the spot. I can no longer lift anything and although I used to bag everything, I cannot anymore. I express to the cashier how sorry I am.

I do not report people. I couldn’t sleep nights thinking someone might be fired cause of my reporting them...

Re: An Eventful Day At The Grocery Store!

ciao_bella — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 14:42:24 GMT

@esmerelda I would say the woman was maybe in her 50s.

Re: An Eventful Day At The Grocery Store!

esmerelda — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 14:49:27 GMT

@Travone wrote:
I would definately call. Make sure you have the reciept in front of you so they can trace it back to the right cashier.

I have to admit, when she said "So I guess I'm doing the bagging", I probably would have said something like "Since of the two of us, you are the one getting paid, I would say you guessed right".

@Travone I might say that if I was looking for an argument. Otherwise I would say, “if you don’t mind. I usually do, but today I’m unable to ...” and add whatever reason you want to share...or not.

Re: An Eventful Day At The Grocery Store!

occasionalrain — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 14:48:43 GMT

She doesn't deserve her job and if she's fired, someone more deserving will be hired.

I don't make public scenes. When one does, it makes them look as bad as the offender.

I would email both the store manager and corporate including the information from my receipt, time, transaction number, and employee.

Consider if it were your business, wouldn't you want to know?

Re: An Eventful Day At The Grocery Store!

mspatmac — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 14:49:15 GMT

I would have gone directly to the courtesy counter and ask for a manager to explain the situation. Next day becomes a she said/she said discussion. I do that for employees that give outstanding service too.

Re: An Eventful Day At The Grocery Store!

Allegheny — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 14:52:25 GMT

Yes.