OT - Kroger Store bites... RANT!

"Rick & Cyndi" <[email hidden]> deliciously posted in
news:k4QZb.96793$uV3.565815@attbi_s51:

Quoted message said:

"Dog3" <dognospam@adjfkdla;not> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
: [email hidden] (DJS0302) deliciously posted in news:20040221142953.02009.00000122@mb-
: m22.aol.com:
:
: >>...I'll never forget the time a bakery cake was put in the bag upside
down. I
: >>marched in to speak to the manager (I noticed the cake when
putting
: >>the groceries in the car). He was really snotty about it but
did
: >>reimburse me for the cake.
: >
: > I used to work at Kroger's first as a bagger, then a checker,
and then
: > as a baker in the pastry shop. I can't tell you how many
times a
: > bagger would bring back a cake that somehow got messed up
before the
: > customer got it out of the store. The worst part was that we
would
: > have to stop what we were doing and decorate a new cake for
the the
: > customer for free. So not only did we lose the sale of the
first
: > cake, we lost the sale of the second cake too.
:
: That situation would put me in a murderous mood if I was the
baker. I
: can't understand how you could keep from going to the meat
department,
: borrow a giant cleaver, and serve up some cubed bagger 🙂
:
: Michael
: --
======

SNORT!!! Gosh Michael, have I told you lately how much I'm glad that you're back?! Cyndi <Remove a
"b" to reply>

LOL... thanks! I did mean what I said though 😉

Michael

--
"Most of all he liked grilled mutton kidneys which gave to his palate a fine tang of scented
urine." ~~James Joyce, Irish writer (1882-1941)

"Rick & Cyndi" <[email hidden]> deliciously posted in
news:vIQZb.32763$4o.49324@attbi_s52:

Quoted message said:

"Tim Vanhoof" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
: Dog3 <dognospam@adjfkdla;not> wrote:
:
: >
: > The best thing you can do besides complain is to open that
bottle of Vodka
: > and pour up a nice martini to settle the nerves. Provided the
checkout
: > people managed to put it in the bag 🙂
: >
:
: If you were making a martini, why would you need a bottle of
vodka?
: ====

For a Vodka Martini. Seriously. That's one of the drinks I used to drink...

et tu Cyndi? *sigh* I miss the good old days of wandering around in a drunken stupor or sitting
with a nice wine on a bistro patio. I had to give up booze for medication. Naturally I don't have
to but I drank one time while on these meds and I'll never do it again. Ya' could have peeled me
off the ceiling.

Michael
--
"Most of all he liked grilled mutton kidneys which gave to his palate a fine tang of scented
urine." ~~James Joyce, Irish writer (1882-1941)

"Dog3" & Cyndi" <[email hidden]> deliciously posted in
: news:vIQZb.32763$4o.49324@attbi_s52:
:
: > "Tim Vanhoof" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
: > "]news:[email hidden]...
: >: Dog3 <dognospam@adjfkdla;not> wrote:
: >:
: >: >
: >: > The best thing you can do besides complain is to open that
: > bottle of Vodka
: >: > and pour up a nice martini to settle the nerves. Provided
the
: > checkout
: >: > people managed to put it in the bag 🙂
: >: >
: >:
: >: If you were making a martini, why would you need a bottle of
: > vodka?
: >: ====
: >
: > For a Vodka Martini. Seriously. That's one of the drinks I
used
: > to drink...
:
: et tu Cyndi? *sigh* I miss the good old days of wandering
around in a
: drunken stupor or sitting with a nice wine on a bistro patio.
I had to
: give up booze for medication. Naturally I don't have to but I
drank one
: time while on these meds and I'll never do it again. Ya' could
have peeled
: me off the ceiling.
:
: Michael
========

Well.... luckily I haven't needed to "give it up" but I also don't hang in the same circles that I
used to. <VBG> Actually, it was in your neck of the woods that I used to imbibe in the occasional
V.M.. There used to be a very lovely restaurant "Cartier's". At least, that's the name I remember it
to be... It opened in the mid to late 80s. Had a lot of brass railing in it and according to the
owners, it was there contribution to the memory of when they were in New Orleans. <shrug> Excellent
food... the veal was sublime.

Prior to hanging out in STL I used to spend more time closer to home, in Belleville, and basically
paid for the remodeling at the VFW, right outside of the base...<G> Oh my gosh... Kahlua and Cream
(okay, milk!), the blackberry brandies.... even a few beers... Endless hours of shooting pool and
dancing to "Amanda" and giggling at "Velcro Fly" and "Pearl Necklace"... I think I'm getting old....

--
Cyndi <Remove a "b" to reply

"Rick & Cyndi" <[email hidden]> deliciously posted in
news:CmRZb.363393$I06.3800841@attbi_s01:

Quoted message said:

Well.... luckily I haven't needed to "give it up" but I also don't hang in the same circles that I
used to. <VBG> Actually, it was in your neck of the woods that I used to imbibe in the occasional
V.M.. There used to be a very lovely restaurant "Cartier's". At least, that's the name I remember
it to be... It opened in the mid to late 80s. Had a lot of brass railing in it and according to
the owners, it was there contribution to the memory of when they were in New Orleans. <shrug>
Excellent food... the veal was sublime.

Prior to hanging out in STL I used to spend more time closer to home, in Belleville, and
basically paid for the remodeling at the VFW, right outside of the base...<G> Oh my gosh...
Kahlua and Cream (okay, milk!), the blackberry brandies.... even a few beers... Endless hours of
shooting pool and dancing to "Amanda" and giggling at "Velcro Fly" and "Pearl Necklace"... I
think I'm getting old....

I've never been to Cartier's and I don't think I've heard of a restaurant by that name. Doesn't mean
it does/did not exist. I just never tied one on there. Do you remember which part of town it was in?

Our mis-spent youth... LOL... In those days I could party until dawn and be at work by 8am and go
out and do it all over again the next night.

Michael

--
"Most of all he liked grilled mutton kidneys which gave to his palate a fine tang of scented
urine." ~~James Joyce, Irish writer (1882-1941)

"Dog3" & Cyndi" <[email hidden]> deliciously posted in

<snip>
: I've never been to Cartier's and I don't think I've heard of a
restaurant
: by that name. Doesn't mean it does/did not exist. I just
never tied one
: on there. Do you remember which part of town it was in?
:
: Our mis-spent youth... LOL... In those days I could party
until dawn and
: be at work by 8am and go out and do it all over again the next
night.
:
: Michael
:=========

I'm guessing that they probably only lasted a couple of years... 89 was the last time I was there.
Yummy, yummy veal!

I want to say it was on Lindburgh (yeah, I know, very long street...!) and it has been so long and
I've lived in and drove through so many towns since then.

Oh my... yep, back then, I was married and in the Air Force and had a waitress job... Get up at 6
take spouse to work, get into waitress outfit, work 7:30-2:30, shower, get into uniform, work
3:30-12m, party at VFW 12:08-3:00a, go to bed, get up at 6a.... Yep, I was definitely younger back
then to be able to do that 5 and 6 days a week. Then my spouse couldn't understand why I wanted to
sleep all day on my 1 day off a week.

Go figure.

--
Cyndi <Remove a "b" to reply

Saerah said:

i went to a superkmart a few months ago to get some shallots on sale. they have this look up screen
with *pictures* on it to help them identify the produce. i couldnt belive it. i told her the code
and the checker snarled at me and told me it would only take her a minute to locate my item. i was
surprised because where i work, we are expected to *memorize* produce codes, and identify the
organic produce from the conventional produce without looking at stickers. we have tests on these
things. and parsely and cilantro look quite different. if you're ever in doubt, you can always
smell it 🙂

No kidding! I'd say every other time I buy an artichoke, the register clerk asks what it is. The
produce clerk didn't know what avocados were for. Not that I expect every supermarket clerk to be
Joe Carcione. Or Julia Child. How *do* you recognize 'organic' vs. non?

Frogleg wrote in message <[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Saerah said:

i went to a superkmart a few months ago to get some shallots on sale. they have this look up
screen with *pictures* on it to help them identify the produce. i couldnt belive it. i told her
the code and the checker snarled

at

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

me and told me it would only take her a minute to locate my item. i was surprised because where i
work, we are expected to *memorize* produce

codes,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and identify the organic produce from the conventional produce without looking at stickers. we
have tests on these things. and parsely and

cilantro

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

look quite different. if you're ever in doubt, you can always smell it 🙂

No kidding! I'd say every other time I buy an artichoke, the register clerk asks what it is. The
produce clerk didn't know what avocados were for. Not that I expect every supermarket clerk to be
Joe Carcione. Or Julia Child. How *do* you recognize 'organic' vs. non?

we do 'produce walks' every morning, to see whats out that day. in actual practise, i look at the
stickers, though, when we have both organic and non-organic of a certain item that day. when i
started, the girl who was training me was glad that i knew what all of the veggies and fruits were
already 🙂 the only thing i had trouble with was jicama- which, i knew *what* it was, but had never
seen it or cooked with it, so i wasnt able to identify it that time 🙁

--
Saerah

TANSTAAFL

"Strange women lying in ponds distributing
swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive
power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some
farcical aquatic ceremony."

Frogleg said:

Saerah said:

i went to a superkmart a few months ago to get some shallots on sale. they have this look up
screen with *pictures* on it to help them identify the produce. i couldnt belive it. i told her
the code and the checker snarled at me and told me it would only take her a minute to locate my
item. i was surprised because where i work, we are expected to *memorize* produce codes, and
identify the organic produce from the conventional produce without looking at stickers. we have
tests on these things. and parsely and cilantro look quite different. if you're ever in doubt,
you can always smell it 🙂

No kidding! I'd say every other time I buy an artichoke, the register clerk asks what it is. The
produce clerk didn't know what avocados were for.

I hope know you've just reinforced what I think about most non-coastal big cities? Unfortunately, I
think you live on the E. Coast... so let's reiterate "big city".

Quoted message said:

Not that I expect every supermarket clerk to be Joe Carcione. Or Julia Child. How *do* you
recognize 'organic' vs. non?

You don't! They need to be labeled.

Practice safe eating - always use condiments

Nathalie Chiva said:

Frogleg a écrit :

Quoted message said:

Bagging your own stuff (common in Europe, I believe) can reduce these problems.

Not only common - it's the only way. Reading this thread, I don't regret it....

There was, briefly, a discount grocery store here which had self-bagging and the same arrangement I
remember from Norway -- a sort of shunt that sent A's groceries one way, and B's (next customer)
another, so that B was being checked out while A was finishing up gathering its purchases. Seemed to
work very well.

sf said:

On Sun, 22 Feb 2004 14:21:15 GMT, Frogleg <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I'd say every other time I buy an artichoke, the register clerk asks what it is. The produce
clerk didn't know what avocados were for.

I hope know you've just reinforced what I think about most non-coastal big cities? Unfortunately, I
think you live on the E. Coast... so let's reiterate "big city".

Not 'big city' -- sprawling SE Virginia coastal 'metropolitan' area with considerable variation. I
live in an under-served area, as far as groceries are concerned. My days shopping at Draegers are
long over.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

How *do* you recognize 'organic' vs. non?

You don't! They need to be labeled.

But Saerah said she takes a walk 'round (to labeled bins, one assumes) and can distinguish the
difference by look later.

Rick & Cyndi said:

"Anthony" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

: Also the OP should think about whether it's worth
getting this
: upset over a little bump in the road of life. If she does then
maybe
: medication would help.

Quoted message said:

Humph! Yes I do and no it hasn't!

This pisses me off. There is NO excuse for most of their baggers to REPEATEDLY bag groceries
improperly. I'd bag my own but the do it yourself lanes are for 15 items or less and I do not
intend on going up and down the aisles, check out, load my car, repeat, repeat, repeat,
repeat, repeat.

There *is* an excuse. Grocery baggers are not rocket scientists, nor are they paid to be. If the
store gives them no training, or trains contrary to your expectations (like me not wanting all the
similar heavy things bagged together), you can register a complaint. As I said re:heavy -- maybe
more people like similar items together more than balanced weight. I don't know about your store,
but there's no prohibition against 'bagging your own' in either the express or snail checkout lines
at my supermarket.

Yes, it seems pretty basic not to put the tomatoes or bananas at the bottom and the canned goods on
top. Truly worth a complaint. Of course, a little tough to identify the miscreant and get a minimum-
wage (if that) worker fired. It might be kinder to all the next time you're in the store to say to
the manager, "I don't remember exactly which person did it, but can't you train baggers not to put a
gallon of juice on top of the bread?"

Quoted message said:

On the other hand - my original post was marked "OT" and "Rant" therefore... well...uhhh... back
off, please. I wasn't looking for negative comments especially since I already dealt with enough
[censored] today.

OT and Rant should give you a lot of slack. :-) But we're an argumentative bunch. I mean, you can be
criticized for using lettuce, f'r heaven's sake!

One of *my* complaints is that people don't complain enough. And that there are so few entities that
can actually change the situation. My supermarket manager may be sympathetic to my wants and needs,
but if HQ allows no time for training, nor incentives for superior performance, there's not a lot
he/she can do. Modern life is *not* what I expected. :-)

Frogleg wrote in message ...

Quoted message said:

sf said:

On Sun, 22 Feb 2004 14:21:15 GMT, Frogleg <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I'd say every other time I buy an artichoke, the register clerk asks what it is. The produce
clerk didn't know what avocados were for.

I hope know you've just reinforced what I think about most non-coastal big cities? Unfortunately,
I think you live on the E. Coast... so let's reiterate "big city".

Not 'big city' -- sprawling SE Virginia coastal 'metropolitan' area with considerable variation. I
live in an under-served area, as far as groceries are concerned. My days shopping at Draegers are
long over.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

How *do* you recognize 'organic' vs. non?

You don't! They need to be labeled.

But Saerah said she takes a walk 'round (to labeled bins, one assumes) and can distinguish the
difference by look later.

also, for things liek cucumbers and zuchinni, that get waxed if conventional, they are not waxed if
they are organic. since the organic produce and the conventional produce come from different farms,
usually the grapefruits are diffeent shades or shapes, etc.

--
Saerah

TANSTAAFL

"Strange women lying in ponds distributing
swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive
power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some
farcical aquatic ceremony."

Quoted message said:

: Well then, as you start loading the belt, tell both, the
cashier and bagger, that
: *you want them to ring up and bag the items in the -exact-
order you are placing
: them on the belt* and say it loud enough so that the other
people around you can
: hear. Don't worry about sounding like a [censored]; it's your money
and your time,
: don't let anybody waste them.
===========

Ummmm... noooooo... I don't think that would work. I don't know of any way to do as you propose
without it coming out bit%&y or aggressive...

Of course! What was I thinking! How could you come across as [censored] or aggressive to those who
"REPEATEDLY" ruin your groceries and waste your time.

"Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result each time. If something doesn't
work the way you do it, try changing how you do it! Don't rant because every time you do it the way
you do it, it doesn't do what you want." Siobhan Perricone dixit.

Frogleg said:

Saerah said:

i went to a superkmart a few months ago to get some shallots on sale. they have this look up
screen with *pictures* on it to help them identify the produce. i couldnt belive it. i told her
the code and the checker snarled at me and told me it would only take her a minute to locate my
item. i was surprised because where i work, we are expected to *memorize* produce codes, and
identify the organic produce from the conventional produce without looking at stickers. we have
tests on these things. and parsely and cilantro look quite different. if you're ever in doubt, you
can always smell it 🙂

No kidding! I'd say every other time I buy an artichoke, the register clerk asks what it is. The
produce clerk didn't know what avocados were for. Not that I expect every supermarket clerk to be
Joe Carcione. Or Julia Child. How *do* you recognize 'organic' vs. non?

Several years ago I worked in the IT department of a local grocery chain, now defunct, Food Barn, a
buy out of the Safeway chain in KC. In my management position I attended the weekly managers staff
meeting and my usual seat was directly behind the President of the company, probably because
everyone else was looking for face time.

The subject came up that the cashiers were not recognizing the difference between large and small
avacados, charging for the small ones more often than not. So to encourage the cashier to be more
attentive the President thought that they should be given a 25 cent per hour raise. As he polled the
other managers getting rave aggrements, under my breath too loud for my own good, I exclained that
$500 per year probably wouldn't make a lick of difference. The room got silent as Mr. Wilson turned
and asked my opinion. I offered a Nation Retail Merchants Association Study that showed employees
forget the monetary raises within a fews days to weeks. Training and education worked far better
than to gain such desired results.

Later in my office he commended me for taking a differing stand, they got their raise anyway, but
not being a yes man didn't hurt me

John W

[email hidden]

Frogleg a écrit :

Quoted message said:

Nathalie Chiva said:

Frogleg a écrit :

Quoted message said:

Bagging your own stuff (common in Europe, I believe) can reduce these problems.

Not only common - it's the only way. Reading this thread, I don't regret it....

There was, briefly, a discount grocery store here which had self-bagging and the same arrangement
I remember from Norway -- a sort of shunt that sent A's groceries one way, and B's (next customer)
another, so that B was being checked out while A was finishing up gathering its purchases. Seemed
to work very well.

Yep, that's what we have here (the shunt thingie). And yes, it works well.

Nathalie in Switzerland