Feb 11
Kroger dopiness
One thing I like about Kroger over Food Lion (one of many, in fact) is the self-service checkout. It may not be faster, but it feels faster because I’m doing something. Also, The Boy loves it. So I use it all the time whether I’m buying one item or 50.
In Roanoke, as here, there were four U-Scan-It stations. But, as I learned when I approached with a cart holding about 20 things, the manager here decided to limit the number of items you could have on two of the machines. A couple of crude magic-marker signs attested to this.
Let’s not get into the fact that "less" is wrong — it should be "fewer." Kroger doesn’t hire people smart enough to know that.
The two "15 or less" scanners were idle; the two others were occupied by people with a handful of items. The woman minding the U-Scans came over right away and counted my items — 17. "You can’t use those," she informed me.
"But there’s no one waiting and they’re empty," I pointed out.
"Sorry."
"So why didn’t you tell those people to use them?" I asked. After all, they only had a few items, so by not using the ‘15 or less’ machines they were forcing me to wait.
She didn’t answer.
So I stood there, incredulously, while the two stations sat idle.
If you’re gonna limit items on those things, you have to enforce it both ways — you have to tell people with fewer than 15 items to use the correct ones, too.
Anyway.
Next time, same deal — I had about 25 items this time and all four scanners were occupied. Luckily, one person was almost done and I had a moment to wait.
Then a manager-type comes over. "Fifteen items or less," he said. No verb.
"I’m waiting for this one," I said, pointing to a station without the sign.
He appeared confused. Then, "Come over here," he said, indicating a register. "No waiting."
OK, that’s cool. I start to move the cart over. Then I see that one customer is being rung up at the register while another is already waiting with the conveyor filled with stuff!
I said — and this is a quote — "You have a different definition of ‘no waiting’ than I do." And I went back to the U-Scan-It, which had just become unoccupied.
From the alternate universe, the manager type said again, "15 items or less." I ignored him. Then — and I kid you not — he pointed again to the register with the two women already in progress and said, "No waiting."
"No waiting here, either," I said. And he stood there, watching me, for a good minute. I have no clue what, if anything, was going through his mind. Or, for that matter, what color the sky was on his homeworld.
February 11th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
People with “15 items or less” can use any line they want, just like handicapped people can use any parking space they want. If you don’t have the patience to wait behind one person then please just stay home and stop bothering people.
February 11th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
Hmm… and how would you say I was bothering anyone? Unless “daring to question the rules” counts as bothering people in your book. Baa.
February 11th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Further, in a crowded parking lot, if you have a handicapped plate the polite thing to do is to use a handicapped spot, rather than take a space that someone without a plate could use.
Sure, they don’t have to — it’s about being polite.
February 11th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
You’re about retarded, and that’s about it.
“Kroger doesn’t hire people smart enough to know that.”
This quote hints at the fact that you suck.
“if you have a handicapped plate the polite thing to do is to use a handicapped spot, rather than take a space that someone without a plate could use.”
This quote confirms it.
Do the right thing and put the boy up for adoption.
February 11th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Wow, you sure get some classy folks here, doncha? Thanks for your comments, “Steve.” I’m sure your mother would be proud. Or are you “Gram J,” which is the name you used last time you posted. At least I don’t hide behind anonymity.
February 12th, 2008 at 10:27 am
15 or 50 items, I should only self checkout if they’re gonna pay me to do it. Cashiers are hired for a reason, if I’m gonna save them money and put someone out of a job they should save me some money for it.
February 12th, 2008 at 10:33 am
Oh, believe me, when I’m alone and have that much I let the cashier handle it. Ditto if I have more than, say, 25 or 30 things or if there’s a big line by the self-checkout. But otherwise The Boy really enjoys the scanner — for a five year old, it’s way cool.
February 12th, 2008 at 11:51 am
I don’t know what Kroger you are using, but I’ve never had to put up with stupid stuff like this at the one I go to. Next time ask for the managers name and the store number and call or email the corporate HQ. I’m pretty sure being rude to customers isn’t thier corporate policy. Or find another store to shop at - I don’t know why people go back to places that treat them like this.
And the self serv lines aren’t like handicapped spaces. There is a law about parking in these spaces. Who can shop in what lane is a policy - perhaps corporate, more likely not - that can and should be ignored as the customer is generally right.
If it happens again, leave everything right there and walk out. Let them deal with the mess.
I agree with you Andrew, they are idiots if they treat thier custoemrs that way. There is absolutly no reason to enforce these rules if the lanes aren’t busy. Personnally, I prefer to go through the lines.
February 12th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Personally, I think all the u-scan machines should be 15 items or less. Waiting behind someone with 300$ worth of groceries (and usually scans a single item every 30 seconds) while I stand there with my single milk drives me absolutely insane.
February 12th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Gnomic — I don’t think they were being rude per se. It was more that they were being stupid (or, as “Steve,” the resident 12-year-old would say, retarded).
It was the lack of flexibility that ticked me off. It was obvious to anyone with half a brain that having me wait was just stupid. If they want to limit some of the self-serve machines to 15 items or fewer, they should at least realize when that doesn’t make sense.
I’ve stood on long cashier lines with a cartful of groceries and had the (idle) cashier at the 15-or-fewer line wave me over. Flexibility is the key.
And Bryan, I agree completely. If the U-Scan is crowded I won’t use it if I have more than a handful of things. I don’t want to make people wait. On the other hand, I don’t want to be punished for having more than 15 items when there’s no line.
February 13th, 2008 at 9:53 am
While I agree with you Andrew, the point of all businesses is to make the customer happy. And if they are hasseling you for no good reason - such as the situation you described - then you should call them on it so that they change thier behavior. That is, if you want to continue doing business with them. Otherwise, you should walk out and not return.
The problem is that too many customers put up with this kind of non-sense which is why we get such crappy service from everyone these days.
While I may sound like the worst customer in the world, I’m quite happy to help businesses solve thier problems if they will work with me. But when they quote that “its policy” cr*p to me, I point out that its not good policy to do things that annoy your custoemrs. And at least a half-dozen companies have changed thier policies based on my input. I’m not hostile, rude, or combative about it; I simply challenge them and insist that they follow up with me. You would be surprised how effective it can be.
Changing the wworld, one bad transaction at a time…
February 20th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
I can’t help wondering if Steve is one of those “not smart enough” Kroger employees. It’s nice to know they can count to 15, though. Gives me hope they can be taught other tricks.