My home dryer is on the fritz. Needs a new heating coil. I had someone come over and examine it, which is how we (this person and myself) determined it was a heating coil issue.
Well. If anyone working at Kroger knows Front End -- and you have my sympathy if you do -- you know that the parking lot duty is hot, sweaty, dirty work. If you throw in bagging, gobacks and all the other fast movement we have to do as part of our jobs (as so-called "courtesy clerks") then you are aware that the shirts that we are provided -- polyester, by the way, according to the tag on mine -- don't breathe well, absorb sweat easily and just plain out stink after awhile.
So. Anyway. I was bi-tc-hing / ranting / joking / talking to the guy whom was with me as we examined my home dryer. This person knows me through the Internet, though he's not a good friend or anything, he's aware of me and my work at Kroger.
I basically mentioned how I have only the single shirt. Ours are blue. And since they work us courtesy clerks in the parking lot multiple hours now (due to us not having enough CCs on Front End -- people keep quitting, gee I wonder why) then I have to wash my shirt (along with the black pants which I provide) each night.
For instance. I may end up working, say, 4 - 9 p.m. one day and, oh, let's throw in something random (since that seems to be how Kroger scheduling works), I work 2-6 p.m. the next day. That's plenty of time to do the wash. But I still have to do it because coming home I have a dirty 'work shirt'. Only one of them.
Finally, here is my point of this post. This guy apparently called the store manager -- the big dude, the boss of the bosses -- and mentioned to him about what I said. About how I have only one shirt, and how mine has a hole in the sleeve, it's got a mild bleach stain on back, and how it's tough to have to wash it all the time. Since my dryer is currently out of order, it's even more difficult to get the laundry done, especially if I have to be there the next day. Heck, yesterday I worked 8 p.m. - midnight and had to be back at 12:45 p.m. today!
So apparently this person called the boss's boss and talked to him. I don't know the conversation. But the day after, the boss's boss approached me after I arrived and said "I hear you might need a new shirt." Well at the time I thought nothing of it. A bit strange, but what the hell, this is Kroger, they are all about stupid stuff and strange stuff on a daily basis. I showed the hole, showed the stain, off-handedly mentioned it would be nice to have a second shirt to change into once I was off the parking lot.
Today when I arrived at work the HR person -- whom handles our shirts and hats -- basically chewed me out. She didn't use foul language or anything, but she got on to me about the shirt. Said one of my family members had called and complained. Well I know it wasn't one of my family members. At least, I'm almost 100% sure it was this guy. It MIGHT have been a family member, since I posted a Facebook status talking about the dryer and the shirt situation. But the point of WHOM it was really didn't matter to me.
This person was chewing me out because our store manager had gotten on to her (or at least mentioned to her??) about my shirt situation. She said to me that the last time we had 'talked' that she would give me one when she got the opportunity. That the shirts are on back order. Well guess what, the last time I recall talking to her about shirt situation was more than ONE MONTH AGO.
The only other times I have talked to her have been to get a spare black Kroger hat and then about two weeks ago inquiring about how holidays are scheduled.
Point is, she is pissed at me because of something that was out of my control. I tried to be polite (although in my head I was just flabbergasted) and told her "Well, I apologize if you were inconvenienced, but I can not control the actions of others. That is like someone calling the newspaper and complaining about an article that was written."
She didn't want to hear it. Oh, did I mention this was a double-team because it was right after the woman whom I have posted about "Miss B-i-t-c-h" I believe I have called her, also chewed me out about something that happened yesterday, and said "You don't know it all" then threatened to suspend me? *sigh*
edit: This was supposed to be my day off, too. I only came in to work for someone whom had already quit. Don't think I am going to be making that mistake again...
edit #2: I guess what really bothers me is I really can't control what others do. If someone calls the store manager and complains about me not having a second shirt and I am posting online about the difficulties involved with getting it cleaned or whatever, that's something that the person chooses to do. They dont' tell me that they did it, they just do it. It's like if a customer complains about something I do or did, I don't always know about it or hear about it, but that customer chooses to do it on their own. Or it's like someone choosing to shop at Ingles rather than our Kroger because all of our electric carts are broken down or in use. That's their choice, there is nothing I can to control or contribute to it if the ones in the lobby don't work and the working ones are in usage because our store won't get the broken ones fixed.
Basically an "I didn't do it" situation where this HR person is saying in so many words "Yea you did".
-- Edited by FrontEndSlave on Wednesday 15th of October 2014 07:32:54 PM
My home dryer is on the fritz. Needs a new heating coil. I had someone come over and examine it, which is how we (this person and myself) determined it was a heating coil issue.
Well. If anyone working at Kroger knows Front End -- and you have my sympathy if you do -- you know that the parking lot duty is hot, sweaty, dirty work. If you throw in bagging, gobacks and all the other fast movement we have to do as part of our jobs (as so-called "courtesy clerks") then you are aware that the shirts that we are provided -- polyester, by the way, according to the tag on mine -- don't breathe well, absorb sweat easily and just plain out stink after awhile.
So. Anyway. I was bi-tc-hing / ranting / joking / talking to the guy whom was with me as we examined my home dryer. This person knows me through the Internet, though he's not a good friend or anything, he's aware of me and my work at Kroger.
I basically mentioned how I have only the single shirt. Ours are blue. And since they work us courtesy clerks in the parking lot multiple hours now (due to us not having enough CCs on Front End -- people keep quitting, gee I wonder why) then I have to wash my shirt (along with the black pants which I provide) each night.
For instance. I may end up working, say, 4 - 9 p.m. one day and, oh, let's throw in something random (since that seems to be how Kroger scheduling works), I work 2-6 p.m. the next day. That's plenty of time to do the wash. But I still have to do it because coming home I have a dirty 'work shirt'. Only one of them.
Finally, here is my point of this post. This guy apparently called the store manager -- the big dude, the boss of the bosses -- and mentioned to him about what I said. About how I have only one shirt, and how mine has a hole in the sleeve, it's got a mild bleach stain on back, and how it's tough to have to wash it all the time. Since my dryer is currently out of order, it's even more difficult to get the laundry done, especially if I have to be there the next day. Heck, yesterday I worked 8 p.m. - midnight and had to be back at 12:45 p.m. today!
So apparently this person called the boss's boss and talked to him. I don't know the conversation. But the day after, the boss's boss approached me after I arrived and said "I hear you might need a new shirt." Well at the time I thought nothing of it. A bit strange, but what the hell, this is Kroger, they are all about stupid stuff and strange stuff on a daily basis. I showed the hole, showed the stain, off-handedly mentioned it would be nice to have a second shirt to change into once I was off the parking lot.
Today when I arrived at work the HR person -- whom handles our shirts and hats -- basically chewed me out. She didn't use foul language or anything, but she got on to me about the shirt. Said one of my family members had called and complained. Well I know it wasn't one of my family members. At least, I'm almost 100% sure it was this guy. It MIGHT have been a family member, since I posted a Facebook status talking about the dryer and the shirt situation. But the point of WHOM it was really didn't matter to me.
This person was chewing me out because our store manager had gotten on to her (or at least mentioned to her??) about my shirt situation. She said to me that the last time we had 'talked' that she would give me one when she got the opportunity. That the shirts are on back order. Well guess what, the last time I recall talking to her about shirt situation was more than ONE MONTH AGO.
The only other times I have talked to her have been to get a spare black Kroger hat and then about two weeks ago inquiring about how holidays are scheduled.
Point is, she is pissed at me because of something that was out of my control. I tried to be polite (although in my head I was just flabbergasted) and told her "Well, I apologize if you were inconvenienced, but I can not control the actions of others. That is like someone calling the newspaper and complaining about an article that was written."
She didn't want to hear it. Oh, did I mention this was a double-team because it was right after the woman whom I have posted about "Miss B-i-t-c-h" I believe I have called her, also chewed me out about something that happened yesterday, and said "You don't know it all" then threatened to suspend me? *sigh*
edit: This was supposed to be my day off, too. I only came in to work for someone whom had already quit. Don't think I am going to be making that mistake again...
edit #2: I guess what really bothers me is I really can't control what others do. If someone calls the store manager and complains about me not having a second shirt and I am posting online about the difficulties involved with getting it cleaned or whatever, that's something that the person chooses to do. They dont' tell me that they did it, they just do it. It's like if a customer complains about something I do or did, I don't always know about it or hear about it, but that customer chooses to do it on their own. Or it's like someone choosing to shop at Ingles rather than our Kroger because all of our electric carts are broken down or in use. That's their choice, there is nothing I can to control or contribute to it if the ones in the lobby don't work and the working ones are in usage because our store won't get the broken ones fixed.
Basically an "I didn't do it" situation where this HR person is saying in so many words "Yea you did".
-- Edited by FrontEndSlave on Wednesday 15th of October 2014 07:32:54 PM
My home dryer is on the fritz. Needs a new heating coil. I had someone come over and examine it, which is how we (this person and myself) determined it was a heating coil issue.
Well. If anyone working at Kroger knows Front End -- and you have my sympathy if you do -- you know that the parking lot duty is hot, sweaty, dirty work. If you throw in bagging, gobacks and all the other fast movement we have to do as part of our jobs (as so-called "courtesy clerks") then you are aware that the shirts that we are provided -- polyester, by the way, according to the tag on mine -- don't breathe well, absorb sweat easily and just plain out stink after awhile.
So. Anyway. I was bi-tc-hing / ranting / joking / talking to the guy whom was with me as we examined my home dryer. This person knows me through the Internet, though he's not a good friend or anything, he's aware of me and my work at Kroger.
I basically mentioned how I have only the single shirt. Ours are blue. And since they work us courtesy clerks in the parking lot multiple hours now (due to us not having enough CCs on Front End -- people keep quitting, gee I wonder why) then I have to wash my shirt (along with the black pants which I provide) each night.
For instance. I may end up working, say, 4 - 9 p.m. one day and, oh, let's throw in something random (since that seems to be how Kroger scheduling works), I work 2-6 p.m. the next day. That's plenty of time to do the wash. But I still have to do it because coming home I have a dirty 'work shirt'. Only one of them.
Finally, here is my point of this post. This guy apparently called the store manager -- the big dude, the boss of the bosses -- and mentioned to him about what I said. About how I have only one shirt, and how mine has a hole in the sleeve, it's got a mild bleach stain on back, and how it's tough to have to wash it all the time. Since my dryer is currently out of order, it's even more difficult to get the laundry done, especially if I have to be there the next day. Heck, yesterday I worked 8 p.m. - midnight and had to be back at 12:45 p.m. today!
So apparently this person called the boss's boss and talked to him. I don't know the conversation. But the day after, the boss's boss approached me after I arrived and said "I hear you might need a new shirt." Well at the time I thought nothing of it. A bit strange, but what the hell, this is Kroger, they are all about stupid stuff and strange stuff on a daily basis. I showed the hole, showed the stain, off-handedly mentioned it would be nice to have a second shirt to change into once I was off the parking lot.
Today when I arrived at work the HR person -- whom handles our shirts and hats -- basically chewed me out. She didn't use foul language or anything, but she got on to me about the shirt. Said one of my family members had called and complained. Well I know it wasn't one of my family members. At least, I'm almost 100% sure it was this guy. It MIGHT have been a family member, since I posted a Facebook status talking about the dryer and the shirt situation. But the point of WHOM it was really didn't matter to me.
This person was chewing me out because our store manager had gotten on to her (or at least mentioned to her??) about my shirt situation. She said to me that the last time we had 'talked' that she would give me one when she got the opportunity. That the shirts are on back order. Well guess what, the last time I recall talking to her about shirt situation was more than ONE MONTH AGO.
The only other times I have talked to her have been to get a spare black Kroger hat and then about two weeks ago inquiring about how holidays are scheduled.
Point is, she is pissed at me because of something that was out of my control. I tried to be polite (although in my head I was just flabbergasted) and told her "Well, I apologize if you were inconvenienced, but I can not control the actions of others. That is like someone calling the newspaper and complaining about an article that was written."
She didn't want to hear it. Oh, did I mention this was a double-team because it was right after the woman whom I have posted about "Miss B-i-t-c-h" I believe I have called her, also chewed me out about something that happened yesterday, and said "You don't know it all" then threatened to suspend me? *sigh*
edit: This was supposed to be my day off, too. I only came in to work for someone whom had already quit. Don't think I am going to be making that mistake again...
edit #2: I guess what really bothers me is I really can't control what others do. If someone calls the store manager and complains about me not having a second shirt and I am posting online about the difficulties involved with getting it cleaned or whatever, that's something that the person chooses to do. They dont' tell me that they did it, they just do it. It's like if a customer complains about something I do or did, I don't always know about it or hear about it, but that customer chooses to do it on their own. Or it's like someone choosing to shop at Ingles rather than our Kroger because all of our electric carts are broken down or in use. That's their choice, there is nothing I can to control or contribute to it if the ones in the lobby don't work and the working ones are in usage because our store won't get the broken ones fixed.
Basically an "I didn't do it" situation where this HR person is saying in so many words "Yea you did".
-- Edited by FrontEndSlave on Wednesday 15th of October 2014 07:32:54 PM
...talking to the guy who was with me...
...the HR person who handles our shirts...
...the point of who it was...
...someone who had already quit...
Thank you Grammar Nazi, now after we are done saluting, can you contribute something better or a bit more credible? Should I just march into the Kroger gas chamber now after committing such an atrocious offense, or should I just stand still and let you shoot me in the skull?
/has been a really crap day //I also had a good point - not my fault others are complaining - fix your crap and get the shirts off back order, that's *part of your job*.
-- Edited by FrontEndSlave on Wednesday 15th of October 2014 07:56:42 PM
It's no wonder the shirts are on back order. Most of the new employees that are hired on quit after a week or less, and there goes another shirt, and that adds up to A LOT of shirts considering the high turnover rate.
Kroger though should want its employees looking presentable in front of customers and make it a point to provide everyone with more than one shirt and if one gets torn/stained, have the ability to sell/give another one to the employee. I once had a cool co-manager that had no problem giving me as many shirts as I wanted. That's why I have four hanging in my closet.
Unless you really need the money or really like your fellow employees on the front end, I wouldn't do the store any more "favors" because management obviously doesn't appreciate the fact you were willing to come in on your day off.
There really isn't much you can do about them being stingy with the shirts. It might be best to just choose not to say anything so they don't have anything to come at you with.
My home dryer is on the fritz. Needs a new heating coil. I had someone come over and examine it, which is how we (this person and myself) determined it was a heating coil issue.
Well. If anyone working at Kroger knows Front End -- and you have my sympathy if you do -- you know that the parking lot duty is hot, sweaty, dirty work. If you throw in bagging, gobacks and all the other fast movement we have to do as part of our jobs (as so-called "courtesy clerks") then you are aware that the shirts that we are provided -- polyester, by the way, according to the tag on mine -- don't breathe well, absorb sweat easily and just plain out stink after awhile.
So. Anyway. I was bi-tc-hing / ranting / joking / talking to the guy whom was with me as we examined my home dryer. This person knows me through the Internet, though he's not a good friend or anything, he's aware of me and my work at Kroger.
I basically mentioned how I have only the single shirt. Ours are blue. And since they work us courtesy clerks in the parking lot multiple hours now (due to us not having enough CCs on Front End -- people keep quitting, gee I wonder why) then I have to wash my shirt (along with the black pants which I provide) each night.
For instance. I may end up working, say, 4 - 9 p.m. one day and, oh, let's throw in something random (since that seems to be how Kroger scheduling works), I work 2-6 p.m. the next day. That's plenty of time to do the wash. But I still have to do it because coming home I have a dirty 'work shirt'. Only one of them.
Finally, here is my point of this post. This guy apparently called the store manager -- the big dude, the boss of the bosses -- and mentioned to him about what I said. About how I have only one shirt, and how mine has a hole in the sleeve, it's got a mild bleach stain on back, and how it's tough to have to wash it all the time. Since my dryer is currently out of order, it's even more difficult to get the laundry done, especially if I have to be there the next day. Heck, yesterday I worked 8 p.m. - midnight and had to be back at 12:45 p.m. today!
So apparently this person called the boss's boss and talked to him. I don't know the conversation. But the day after, the boss's boss approached me after I arrived and said "I hear you might need a new shirt." Well at the time I thought nothing of it. A bit strange, but what the hell, this is Kroger, they are all about stupid stuff and strange stuff on a daily basis. I showed the hole, showed the stain, off-handedly mentioned it would be nice to have a second shirt to change into once I was off the parking lot.
Today when I arrived at work the HR person -- whom handles our shirts and hats -- basically chewed me out. She didn't use foul language or anything, but she got on to me about the shirt. Said one of my family members had called and complained. Well I know it wasn't one of my family members. At least, I'm almost 100% sure it was this guy. It MIGHT have been a family member, since I posted a Facebook status talking about the dryer and the shirt situation. But the point of WHOM it was really didn't matter to me.
This person was chewing me out because our store manager had gotten on to her (or at least mentioned to her??) about my shirt situation. She said to me that the last time we had 'talked' that she would give me one when she got the opportunity. That the shirts are on back order. Well guess what, the last time I recall talking to her about shirt situation was more than ONE MONTH AGO.
The only other times I have talked to her have been to get a spare black Kroger hat and then about two weeks ago inquiring about how holidays are scheduled.
Point is, she is pissed at me because of something that was out of my control. I tried to be polite (although in my head I was just flabbergasted) and told her "Well, I apologize if you were inconvenienced, but I can not control the actions of others. That is like someone calling the newspaper and complaining about an article that was written."
She didn't want to hear it. Oh, did I mention this was a double-team because it was right after the woman whom I have posted about "Miss B-i-t-c-h" I believe I have called her, also chewed me out about something that happened yesterday, and said "You don't know it all" then threatened to suspend me? *sigh*
edit: This was supposed to be my day off, too. I only came in to work for someone whom had already quit. Don't think I am going to be making that mistake again...
edit #2: I guess what really bothers me is I really can't control what others do. If someone calls the store manager and complains about me not having a second shirt and I am posting online about the difficulties involved with getting it cleaned or whatever, that's something that the person chooses to do. They dont' tell me that they did it, they just do it. It's like if a customer complains about something I do or did, I don't always know about it or hear about it, but that customer chooses to do it on their own. Or it's like someone choosing to shop at Ingles rather than our Kroger because all of our electric carts are broken down or in use. That's their choice, there is nothing I can to control or contribute to it if the ones in the lobby don't work and the working ones are in usage because our store won't get the broken ones fixed.
Basically an "I didn't do it" situation where this HR person is saying in so many words "Yea you did".
-- Edited by FrontEndSlave on Wednesday 15th of October 2014 07:32:54 PM
It's no wonder the shirts are on back order. Most of the new employees that are hired on quit after a week or less, and there goes another shirt, and that adds up to A LOT of shirts considering the high turnover rate.
(I'll be honest -- never thought of that. And our store has a pretty high turn over rate, at least for Front End. The guy I came in to work for yesterday when all this happened, he had just been hired about two weeks ago. He ended up finding a better job with better pay and better hours. Think in the eight months I have worked as courtesy clerk I have seen at least six or seven Front End CCs quit. And at least 1/4 of the CCs we have on Front End at my store right now have been there less than one month.)
Kroger though should want its employees looking presentable in front of customers
(If they did, they would give us courtesy clerks at LEAST five minutes to rest after coming off the parking lot before going back to bagging. Yea yea yea I'm a courtesy clerk so I bring in carts which means I have a stake in it, but so what? You know the times I try this, I usually use an excuse of going to the restroom. But when I am in the restroom I splash my face a little bit, comb my hair ((wind, hat, sweat, etc .)), brush off my shirt and pants, just try to spiff up at best I can with the conditions that I can. MY argument is that if I had a second shirt and got too sweaty or too dirty -- or both -- I could just change into the 'new' shirt. A month or two back I had a co-worker ask me if it was raining outside. I had to tell her no, that was sweat on my back and front.)
and make it a point to provide everyone with more than one shirt and if one gets torn/stained, have the ability to sell/give another one to the employee.
(Not sure I am cool with the sell idea BUT I think I would be okay with it if the price was kept to a decent level. I make minimum wage and lose around $30 per paycheck to taxes and the government. Heck over the summer with the high schoolers at work I was lucky to get 15 hours and pull $80 a week! If I am going to pay for a second shirt it had damn well better be worth the very little money I make for the troubles I go through to make it...not sure what I would consider that as a price, maybe $10, $15? How much does the shirt I wear go for? Although if they made it an option to pay in cash rather than take direct from paycheck, that would also help me to agree with such a policy.)
I once had a cool co-manager that had no problem giving me as many shirts as I wanted. That's why I have four hanging in my closet.
(What size are you, I could use another large :P )
Unless you really need the money or really like your fellow employees on the front end, I wouldn't do the store any more "favors" because management obviously doesn't appreciate the fact you were willing to come in on your day off.
(Oh they appreciate it. Provided I keep my mouth shut and be a good little drone. But understand, the confrontation from-with my Front End Manager first, then the HR rep immediately after, took place BEFORE I was even given an override to clock in. AND THEN to make it a FUN day, I was so flustered and thrown off guard that I FORGOT to clock in. I had to go to the other FEM on duty and get her to override me into the computer system. God I hope I get the full hours from yesterday, for all the crap that I went through...what really bugs me, well a lot bugs me about that store, is that the FEM whom confronted me doesn't like me talking in front of customers but has no problem at all telling me how bad I have been in front of them.)
There really isn't much you can do about them being stingy with the shirts. It might be best to just choose not to say anything so they don't have anything to come at you with.
(Dude, that's the deal. I *haven't* been saying anything. The last time I brought up the subject was like five or six weeks ago. SOMEONE ELSE brought it up WITH THEM after I mentioned it on my Facebook page and to this person. The HR rep claimed it was a family member. That's possible but I'm not going to drag it out by asking family. I still think it was the dude who came over and diagnosed the problem with my dryer. But regardless of WHO it was, it WASN'T ME who did it. The HR lady was basically telling me "Shut up about it to everyone" in so many words. I was basically telling her "Sorry you went through that, but I can't control the brains or behaviors of others." I mean, what the hell -- this is PART OF YOUR JOB. Maybe if you made a phone call and FOUND OUT what was going on, then at least bothered to INFORM ME, well, I wouldn't be complaining to others outside of my work.
But AS IT IS OUTSIDE OF MY WORK AND NOT AT THE STORE TO A CUSTOMER there is nothing that the HR lady or FEM can do about it. If I complain about the continued conditions of my work that make it difficult to do my work and the public is calling in support for me to management as a result which in turn causes other positions of management to be confronted or feel uncomfortable, THAT IS HOW THE SYSTEM IS SUPPOSED TO WORK. Or at least in a perfect world it would work that way. At Kroger, they don't live in a perfect world --- or the real world, for that matter. Which is what happened, the real world caught up to the HR lady and she took it out on me. I'm maybe making it out to be more than it was (mountain out of mole hill, as it stands...) but my point is valid. It's THEIR job to get this done, NOT my own. I am an EMPLOYEE and they do not make it easy for me to do my job. If they take crap from the public for it, GOOD. Maybe something will be done. And I can't be terminated for it because, again, it's not my fault. Plus I have valid points (at least in this situation) that apparently some people just do not want to address.
I do agree with you that the problem probably lays with them having a high turn over rate. But maybe if they ran the store a little better they would be able to keep persons like myself (in the sense that I have a strong work ethic). It's difficult to do a Front End job when we don't have the labor when we need it, and a huge part of that is because the conditions that we are required to work underneath and the demands that we have to meet just don't add up to a positive, constructive working environment.
Wear a t-shirt underneath your uniform shirt. Then, when you come in from outside, simply change into a new t-shirt.
I tried that a few times, and it helped a little bit, but not too much. I may take your advice and try it again, now that the weather is starting to turn colder. It was rough enough in the summer months with near 100-degree temps coming off that parking lot. I sometimes drank two Gator-Ades in a single hour. The cold weather, do I freeze or do I do my job?
So at least I would have an excuse. Maybe a long-sleeved shirt underneath the Kroger one, at least for the hour or however long I'm on 'lot duty. Don't think they would say anything if I feigned innocence and claimed cold temperatures. Especially if the shirt was black or blue or some dark color like that. Although I don't look good in purple. :P
But as for your HR - sucks to be them. They have had it coming for a long time if your shirts are on back order (yeah right what a lie) then the next shipment should have given you a new shirt even if it was a trade-in or w/e.
You should have gotten at least one by now.
__________________
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