OT: Grocery Greetings



"-L." <[email protected]> wrote in news:1111566343.225508.97120
@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com:


> What I hate worse are the stores who have snot-nosed kids standing at
> the exit door to check your bags and recipts to make sure you don't
> have stolen goods in them (Fry's, best Buy, etc.).


More stores than not here have electronic gates as you go out the doors
that should beep if you're absconding with merchandise (and haven't
figured out how to remove the gizmo that beeps). Even the supermarket I
use has these at each checkout, as do most large chain stores. In
addition, most large chain stores (e.g. Target) have someone standing at
the exit to the store to check bags. The cashiers can also ask to check
bags.

Each state has a bag check code of practice.For NSW it's here -

http://www.ara.com.au/aransw/Bag_Check.pdf

If the store forewarns you that it is a policy to check bags (usually
worded that it is a condition of entry to the store to allow this) then
they can ask to check your bag, and if you refuse they can ask you to
leave the store and not return until you comply with the conditions of
entry. They can't check personal handbags smaller than an A4 sheet of
paper unless they have reason to believe you're concealing something,
they can't touch the bag themselves to move anything etc. The majority of
stores have signs advising it is their policy to check bags.

I've just become used to it and automatically open my bag on the way out
of stores like Target or Big W etc. Much of the time it's a very cursory
glance.


Rhonda Anderson
Cranebrook, NSW, Australia
 
Personally, I like the kind words. We need MORE politeness and kindness in
this world. I was taught to be kind and polite because it is a mark of
character.

I along with my husband own an automotive repair business. We require
politeness, kindness and respect from our employees to each other, to us and
the customer. It does not take that much effort to at least smile and boy do
I know about not being able to please everyone. This business is the worst!

I'm sorry if you misunderstood my intentions of the post. Many people do not
realize that retail employees must be polite to keep their jobs. If the
customer is having a bad day it doesn't make it "right" to take it out on
the employee. My grandmother always told me that if you can not say anything
good, don't say anything at all.

"MJ" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:p%_%[email protected]...
> As an employee of a grocery store i am speaking on behalf of them.
> We are not able to please everyone...if we dont acknowledge you we get
> condemned for not being polite..and if we are having a bad day and look
> miserable we hear "i can tell someone doesnt like her job"
> Therefore we do what we are recommended to do by our employer to save our
> jobs and to try and keep everyone happy. So if all everyone can do is
> think
> about how we make them feel..think about how you make us feel?..when we do
> ask you if you need help with anything (not knowing that you have already
> been asked of course) we get looked at like we are stupid and rude when
> all
> we are trying to do is help.
> Now look at it this way..if you went to a store not knowing what you were
> looking for and not a single person asked you if you needed help. Then
> when
> you do ask for help you come across that one person who is having a bad
> day
> and instead of being phony they let their true colors come through. Now
> you
> tell me if you would go back to that store again?
> So therefore it might just be good that we put on a front for the
> customers
> and try to be nice wether we are in a good mood or not cause trust me you
> wouldnt want to come across me on a bad day.
> So maybe you all just might want to think of the store clerks also and not
> just about how you are being treated by overly nice grocery personal.
> MJ
> "Tina Marrie" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Ions ago, I did "mystery shopping" at a Kroger. The corporate stores

> require
>> their employees to communicate with you if you within so may feet of
>> them.
>> The corporate office then hires "mystery shoppers" to visit the store,

> every
>> department to check up on these requirements. The rules are many and yes
>> annoying. If a mystery shopper comes into the store, and they are not

> spoken
>> to, the "spy" then takes down their name and department (located on name
>> tag) and puts it into the report. Of course the low paid worker then gets
>> called in to the office after the report has been released...
>>
>> So annoying as it may be, many of these workers rely heavily on this job

> to
>> support their families. Take it with a grain of salt.
>> "jmcquown" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:eek:4_%[email protected]...
>> > aem wrote:
>> >> Went to the market today with a longer list than normal so I found
>> >> myself in every section of the store, spending more than twice my
>> >> normal time. No fewer than six employees greeted me: "Hi, how are
>> >> you? How're you doing? How's it going? How are you? Can I help you
>> >> find anything? Is there anything I can help you with?" This is
>> >> before I got to the checkout line where the checker thanks me by name
>> >> (off the receipt) and the bagger asks if I want help out. I am so
>> >> friggin sick of this fake personalizing of what is in fact an
>> >> impersonal business transaction I could barf. I have lived in a
>> >> small town, so I know what genuine personal recognition is, and this
>> >> corporate management-directed bonhomie is not it. So here are my
>> >> questions.
>> >>
>> >> To whom do I express my preference not to be spoken to unless I ask a
>> >> question? And, if enough people stated a similar preference, could we
>> >> get them to stop? -aem
>> >
>> > It's a store policy. They are paid to be polite and greet you. And

> they
>> > aren't paid very much. However, it does get annoying. Just say "hi"

> and
>> > offer me a cart or a basket, then... go away.
>> >
>> > Jill
>> >
>> >

>>
>>

>
>
 
Dave Smith wrote:
> aem wrote:
>
> > Went to the market today with a longer list than normal so I found
> > myself in every section of the store, spending more than twice my
> > normal time. No fewer than six employees greeted me: "Hi, how are
> > you? How're you doing? How's it going? How are you? Can I help

you
> > find anything? Is there anything I can help you with?" This is

before
> > I got to the checkout line where the checker thanks me by name (off

the
> > receipt) and the bagger asks if I want help out. I am so friggin

sick
> > of this fake personalizing of what is in fact an impersonal

business
> > transaction I could barf. I have lived in a small town, so I know

what
> > genuine personal recognition is, and this corporate

management-directed
> > bonhomie is not it. So here are my questions.
> >
> > To whom do I express my preference not to be spoken to unless I ask

a
> > question? And, if enough people stated a similar preference, could

we
> > get them to stop? -aem

>
> It's nice to be genuinely welcomed into a store, but to have someone
> standing at the door with a smiley face pasted on and a superficial

display
> of welcome is meaningless. Don't have some pleasant old retired

person
> welcoming me into the store for minimum wage. Have someone working on

the
> floor who can help me when I need help. Treat me with respect when I

come
> in through the doors, instead of having a phoney smile and want to

staple
> my bags closed with a tag on so that you won't have reason to think I

have
> shoved things into my bags without paying for them. I refuse to

enter a
> store where they take pre-emptive steps to prevent me from

shoplifting when
> I had no intention of stealing anything.


It's easy to keep everyone away, upon entering the store why don't you
just unzip your fly.

Sheldon
 
In article <[email protected]>,
"-L." <[email protected]> wrote:
(snip)
>
> What I hate worse are the stores who have snot-nosed kids standing at
> the exit door to check your bags and recipts to make sure you don't
> have stolen goods in them (Fry's, best Buy, etc.). I hate to believe
> this society has deteriorated to the point where we have to treat
> everybody as a criminal.
>
> -L.


But it has. If they can discourage shoplifting by posting sentries, it
doesn't bother me a bit (unless I'm trying to steal from them). Yeah, a
sad sign of the times.
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> Sweet Potato Follies added 2/24/05.
"I read recipes the way I read science fiction: I get to the end and
say,'Well, that's not going to happen.'" - Comedian Rita Rudner,
performance at New York, New York, January 10, 2005.
 
In article <[email protected]>, Rhonda
Anderson <[email protected]> wrote:
(snip)
> More stores than not here have electronic gates as you go out the doors
> that should beep if you're absconding with merchandise (and haven't
> figured out how to remove the gizmo that beeps). Even the supermarket I
> use has these at each checkout, as do most large chain stores. In
> addition, most large chain stores (e.g. Target)


Is that my red and white bullseye logo Target store? If so, wow! They
don't do that here! They've got the electronic gates, but no one
checking bags at the doors. (They check bags at the baseball stadium on
the way in -- make sure there are no bombs or contraband beverages, I
think).

have someone standing at
> the exit to the store to check bags. The cashiers can also ask to check
> bags.
>
> Each state has a bag check code of practice.For NSW it's here -
>
> http://www.ara.com.au/aransw/Bag_Check.pdf
>
> If the store forewarns you that it is a policy to check bags (usually
> worded that it is a condition of entry to the store to allow this) then
> they can ask to check your bag, and if you refuse they can ask you to
> leave the store and not return until you comply with the conditions of
> entry. They can't check personal handbags smaller than an A4 sheet of
> paper unless they have reason to believe you're concealing something,
> they can't touch the bag themselves to move anything etc. The majority of
> stores have signs advising it is their policy to check bags.
>
> I've just become used to it and automatically open my bag on the way out
> of stores like Target or Big W etc. Much of the time it's a very cursory
> glance.


> Rhonda Anderson
> Cranebrook, NSW, Australia


Interesting. Thanks, Rhonda. Sam's Club counts the number of items in
the cart to match the number shown on the receipt. Also often a cursory
glance.
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> Sweet Potato Follies added 2/24/05.
"I read recipes the way I read science fiction: I get to the end and
say,'Well, that's not going to happen.'" - Comedian Rita Rudner,
performance at New York, New York, January 10, 2005.
 
Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> "-L." <[email protected]> wrote:
> (snip)
> >
> > What I hate worse are the stores who have snot-nosed kids standing

at
> > the exit door to check your bags and recipts to make sure you don't
> > have stolen goods in them (Fry's, best Buy, etc.). I hate to

believe
> > this society has deteriorated to the point where we have to treat
> > everybody as a criminal.
> >
> > -L.

>
> But it has. If they can discourage shoplifting by posting sentries,

it
> doesn't bother me a bit (unless I'm trying to steal from them).

Yeah, a
> sad sign of the times.


Shoplifting has been around a very long time only now with so many
stores adopting a self-serve policy it's become far more prevalent, and
with so many small expensive itmes curtailment has become increasingly
difficult.

Just a month ago I went to Staples for printer ink cartridges, each
cartridge on the rack was locked into a large plastic case requiring a
special key at the check-out. The store employee who helped me locate
the cartridges I needed informed me that printer ink cartridges had
become the most often stolen items in the store... people would remove
the small cartridges from their box, pocket them, and hang the empty
cardboard boxes back on the rack. Before implimenting the plastic lock
boxes inventory indicated that more than 60% of printer ink cartridges
were stolen.

I'm glad that steps are being taken to curtail shoplifting, not only
don't I mind the security checks at the door, I welcome the practice...
things like printer ink cartridges are expensive enough, I don't want
to be forced to also pay for those taken by thieves. The stores call
shoplifting losses "shrinkage", which is paid for by the honest
customers in the form of higher prices... I recently read that average
stupidmarket shrinkage is now at about 25%... which amounts to about a
50% increase over the past 5 years. When you note higher food prices
it's not so much that the items cost more, it's mostly to cover the
cost of shrinkage... each time someone swipes something from the
non-prescription drug asisle the price of bread increases... do you
really think that loaf of bread should cost the same as a toothbrush,
you're paying $3 a loaf to cover the stolen toothbrushes that normally
sell for $3 but actually cost only 10¢. Shrinkage also encompasses
items stolen by store employees, another large segment.

Sheldon
 
"Sheldon" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

<snip>

I'm glad that steps are being taken to curtail shoplifting, not only
don't I mind the security checks at the door, I welcome the practice...
things like printer ink cartridges are expensive enough, I don't want
to be forced to also pay for those taken by thieves. The stores call
shoplifting losses "shrinkage", which is paid for by the honest
customers in the form of higher prices... I recently read that average
stupidmarket shrinkage is now at about 25%... which amounts to about a
50% increase over the past 5 years. When you note higher food prices
it's not so much that the items cost more, it's mostly to cover the
cost of shrinkage... each time someone swipes something from the
non-prescription drug asisle the price of bread increases... do you
really think that loaf of bread should cost the same as a toothbrush,
you're paying $3 a loaf to cover the stolen toothbrushes that normally
sell for $3 but actually cost only 10¢. Shrinkage also encompasses
items stolen by store employees, another large segment.

Sheldon


Amen - its important to remember the companies raise prices to pay for the
losses - Shpolifters are steeling from US not THEM.

Dimitri

The first google hit:

http://www.crimedoctor.com/shoplifting.htm

Theft from stores, including employee and vendor theft, cost retailers many
billions of dollars per year. Independent retail studies* have estimated
theft from retail stores costs the American public 33.21 billion dollars per
year. Depending on the type of retail store, retail inventory shrinkage
ranges from .7% - 2.2% of gross sales with the average falling around 1.70%.
Whole retail store chains have gone out of business due to their inability
to control retail theft losses. And worse yet, the cost of these losses are
passed on to us...the consumer.
Shoplifting losses will vary by store type, but can account for about
one-third of the total inventory shrinkage. It is estimated that
shoplifting occurs 330 - 440 million times per year at a loss of $10 - $13
billion dollars. Nationwide, that equates to 1.0 - 1.2 million shoplift
incidents everyday at a loss rate of $19,000 - $25,300 dollars stolen per
minute. When you factor in employee and vendor theft, this sum skyrockets
to an estimate of over $33 billion dollars stolen per year.
 
Sheldon wrote:
>
> Shoplifting has been around a very long time only now with so many
> stores adopting a self-serve policy it's become far more prevalent,

and
> with so many small expensive itmes curtailment has become

increasingly
> difficult.
>
> Just a month ago I went to Staples for printer ink cartridges, each
> cartridge on the rack was locked into a large plastic case requiring

a
> special key at the check-out. The store employee who helped me

locate
> the cartridges I needed informed me that printer ink cartridges had
> become the most often stolen items in the store... people would

remove
> the small cartridges from their box, pocket them, and hang the empty
> cardboard boxes back on the rack. Before implimenting the plastic

lock
> boxes inventory indicated that more than 60% of printer ink

cartridges
> were stolen.
>
> I'm glad that steps are being taken to curtail shoplifting, not only
> don't I mind the security checks at the door, I welcome the

practice...

It ignores the fact that a large portion of "shrinkage" is due to
employee theft.

-L.
 
[email protected] (Shirley Thebaglady), if that's their real
name, wrote:

>I read in a magazine years ago- It was called " Do you Re-act or Act?
>
>If you meet someone- do you say "hello"; or do you wait for them to
>say "hello".
>
>I alway say "hi" or "hello" even if a person I meet does not. So I Act.
>
>Some people are very moody especially in the morning.


I seek out the "invisible" people of this world, and try to smile and say
hi. Most appreciate it. I know what it's like to feel invisible.

Carol

--
Coming at you live, from beautiful Lake Woebegon
 
Sheldon wrote:
[snip preceding]
>
> It's easy to keep everyone away, upon entering the store why don't

you
> just unzip your fly.
>

No, I was in the Army, not the Navy. -aem
 
Dimitri wrote:
> Amen - its important to remember the companies raise prices to pay

for the
> losses - Shpolifters are steeling from US not THEM.
>
> Dimitri
>
> The first google hit:
>
> http://www.crimedoctor.com/shoplifting.htm
>
> Theft from stores, including employee and vendor theft, cost

retailers many
> billions of dollars per year. Independent retail studies* have

estimated
> theft from retail stores costs the American public 33.21 billion

dollars per
> year. Depending on the type of retail store, retail inventory

shrinkage
> ranges from .7% - 2.2% of gross sales with the average falling around

1.70%.
> Whole retail store chains have gone out of business due to their

inability
> to control retail theft losses. And worse yet, the cost of these

losses are
> passed on to us...the consumer.
> Shoplifting losses will vary by store type, but can account for about


> one-third of the total inventory shrinkage.


Which means 2/3 of the theft (or more) is employee or
vendor-mediated... Seems to me they could be doing something a whole
lot more effective than having some kid look in my bag for two seconds
and mark my receipt with a marker - like, perhaps, addressing where the
real problem lies?

-L.
 
"-L." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

<snip>

>> Shoplifting losses will vary by store type, but can account for about

>
>> one-third of the total inventory shrinkage.

>
> Which means 2/3 of the theft (or more) is employee or
> vendor-mediated... Seems to me they could be doing something a whole
> lot more effective than having some kid look in my bag for two seconds
> and mark my receipt with a marker - like, perhaps, addressing where the
> real problem lies?
>
> -L.


Remember this is a commercial site selling the services and although the
numbers seem good on the surface you have to remember several factors;

1. The are talking about averages.
2. The type of the store is very very important and the loss percentages
vary greatly with the type of store.
3. Inventory Shrinkage is a complex and very broad definition. A grocery
clerk checks out a friend and charges him $1.54 for a $12.00 package of
steak. Is that shrinkage? How about the head chef taking a few fillets
home? The mom and pop store owner that pockets some sales without ringing
them up so he can have some tax free income. The bar owner that buys a good
customer a drink. The deli clerk that hands the kid a slice of bologna.
Which of these are shrinkage? All?

Dimitri
 
In article <[email protected]>,
Melba's Jammin' <[email protected]> wrote:


> checking bags at the doors. (They check bags at the baseball stadium on
> the way in -- make sure there are no bombs or contraband beverages, I
> think).



Sadly enough, they want to make sure that you aren't bringing anything,
like a bottle or can, that could be thrown at the players. Since my wife
and I don't want to spend our life savings or take out a mortgage to buy
tickets, we are so far away from the field that if I could throw something
that far, I wouldn't be in the stands, I'd be on the pitching mound making
millions of bucks. Oddly enough, when I walk around and see people in the
expensive seats, the ones within easy throwing distance of the players,
they are all toting around bottles of beer!

--
Dan Abel
Sonoma State University
AIS
[email protected]
 
x-no-archive: yes

I don't mind store employees talking to me! It's a refreshing change
from stores where employees walk by you holding up a hand to indicate
that they can't be approached. Maybe they're going on break or
something but hey, it's impossible to find things in some of these
stores and there are no employees in sight. I do shop at a supermarket
where one of the checkers is extremely talkative and will comment a lot
on the stuff you're buying. That's weird and intrusive but she doesn't
mean any harm and it doesn't seem to slow her down much; she's a quick,
efficient checker. If it keeps her from getting bored, whatever.

What I *really* don't like, though, is getting sales pitches. I stopped
going to GNC for vitamins because the employees seemed to be obliged to
try to sell you some stupid "savings" plan; indeed, I got the feeling
there was even a rule that they had to get you to refuse more than
once, maybe three times, before giving up. I went into a new vitamin
store just the other day, and the clerk started following me around
trying to pitch stuff. I finally said politely that I was sorry but I
didn't have time to listen to sales pitches. I will not be going in
there again. Do they really ever increase their business with that
****? And now supermarket checkers are being made to hawk stuff to you
when you're checking out. ("Our Extreme Discount today is blah, blah.
Are you interested?")
 
It is not just a matter of stealing. In out store we have a regular
person or persons that come through and mash the donuts, slit open chip
bags and sugar bags. These vandals have even opened bakery cakes in the
freezer case and ran their fingers through the frosting. Those items
can't be sold. They are a loss for the market.

He is not here, he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place
where he lay. Matthew 28:6
 
In article <[email protected]>,
"Naomi" <[email protected]> wrote:

> What I *really* don't like, though, is getting sales pitches.


That's when I say, "Stop immediately or I'm out of here and you've lost
a customer." It works.
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> Sweet Potato Follies added 2/24/05.
"I read recipes the way I read science fiction: I get to the end and
say,'Well, that's not going to happen.'" - Comedian Rita Rudner,
performance at New York, New York, January 10, 2005.
 
On 23 Mar 2005 07:56:11 -0800, "Sheldon" <[email protected]> wrote:
>Shoplifting has been around a very long time only now with so many
>stores adopting a self-serve policy it's become far more prevalent, and
>with so many small expensive itmes curtailment has become increasingly
>difficult.
>
>Sheldon


One of my favorite pastimes has been "doing inventory"
at the local hardware store.
You browse the shelves, finding all sorts of solutions
present or future house problems.
More often than not, I'd come home with a sack full
of hardware and .... always another screwdriver.

But the local ACE store must have a shoplifter prob.
The employees follow you around..... constantly !
"Can I help you" ? "Looking for something?"
Turn too quickly, and you'll knock one over.

After the second or third visit, I gave up.
I don't go to that ACE store any more.

<rj>
 
I was in Kroger a few days ago, kind of in the back part of the store,
staring at something , sauces or something and this employee goes by me and
I thought she said "get outta here maam" She went on by and I stood there a
minute and kind of peered around thinking about what I should do. I live in
Houston, but in an older outskirt area. So I decided I had misheard. I saw
the lady on the other side of the store a few minuteslater and I told her
what I thought she may have said. She had really said "how are you maam. We
laughed and she said that in the future she was going to slow down her
greeting.
 

>
>I seek out the "invisible" people of this world, and try to smile and say
>hi. Most appreciate it. I know what it's like to feel invisible.
>
>Carol



Carol, over the past few years I've read almost al of your posts and I
say this with all sincerity. You are a very special human being and
we're all lucky to have you around.

Ginny
 
Dimitri wrote:
> "-L." <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
> <snip>
>
> >> Shoplifting losses will vary by store type, but can account for

about
> >
> >> one-third of the total inventory shrinkage.

> >
> > Which means 2/3 of the theft (or more) is employee or
> > vendor-mediated... Seems to me they could be doing something a

whole
> > lot more effective than having some kid look in my bag for two

seconds
> > and mark my receipt with a marker - like, perhaps, addressing where

the
> > real problem lies?
> >
> > -L.

>
> Remember this is a commercial site selling the services and although

the
> numbers seem good on the surface you have to remember several

factors;
>
> 1. The are talking about averages.
> 2. The type of the store is very very important and the loss

percentages
> vary greatly with the type of store.
> 3. Inventory Shrinkage is a complex and very broad definition. A

grocery
> clerk checks out a friend and charges him $1.54 for a $12.00 package

of
> steak. Is that shrinkage? How about the head chef taking a few

fillets
> home? The mom and pop store owner that pockets some sales without

ringing
> them up so he can have some tax free income. The bar owner that buys

a good
> customer a drink. The deli clerk that hands the kid a slice of

bologna.
> Which of these are shrinkage? All?
>
> Dimitri




Yes because they all affect the prices charged the consumer. Still
doesn't give the store owner the right to treat everyone as criminal.
It's part of the slippery slope of the erosion of personal rights in
this country.

-L.