Frontendslave

Anon Fan · Veteran Member

Frontendslave

Lord_Uboat · Guru

Send him a private message instead of making a whole damn thread.

NutritionWhore · Guru

FrontEndSlave still doesn't have as many fans as I do. :P

GenesisOne · Guru

NutritionWhore wrote:
FrontEndSlave still doesn't have as many fans as I do. :P

He seems to be catching up though rather quickly... this competition could get intense, lol.

FrontEndSlave · Guru

Anon Fan wrote:
I would really like to know why you deserve extra pay.

I would really like for you to push carts for an hour in the pouring rain or in 100 degree temperatures.
Even Wal-Mart with its screwed up internal workings has separated its parking lot into an entire pay scale, department and responsibility.

In other words, do as I suggested and go find the GiveADamn brand of products on aisle 25.
Maybe if you eat enough of them, you will stop posting here.

FrontEndSlave · Guru

NutritionWhore wrote:
FrontEndSlave still doesn't have as many fans as I do. :P

"I'd love to stay and chat, but you're a total bitch." - Stewie, Family Guy

wink wink wink wink wink wink wink smile smile smile smile smile smile smile doh doh doh doh doh doh confuse confuse confuse confuse confuse confuse confuse

Date: Nov 24, 2014

FES is no different than any other long time cart pusher. Constant complaints about respect, nobody works as hard as they do, etc. No interest in doing something else or has such a bad attitude that no other department will take them on. Seen it a few times before. Sooner or later he will quit, either by exploding in the middle of a shift and stomping out. Or coming in and leaving behind some three page note that gets thrown in the can. More stressed out than folks who have to do more than bag or push carts.

FES you're better than pushing carts at kroger or wal mart.

NutritionWhore · Guru

GenesisOne wrote:
NutritionWhore wrote:
FrontEndSlave still doesn't have as many fans as I do. :P
He seems to be catching up though rather quickly... this competition could get intense, lol.

Pshhhhhh, it'll take him quite a while to get halfway to my level.

Date: Nov 24, 2014

FrontEndSlave wrote:
Anon Fan wrote:
I would really like to know why you deserve extra pay.

I would really like for you to push carts for an hour in the pouring rain or in 100 degree temperatures.
Even Wal-Mart with its screwed up internal workings has separated its parking lot into an entire pay scale, department and responsibility.
In other words, do as I suggested and go find the GiveADamn brand of products on aisle 25.
Maybe if you eat enough of them, you will stop posting here.

I was a cross trained bagger that was recently promoted to cashier. I understand that you think you're working harder than everyone else but pushing carts even in rain, cold, heat whatever is easy as crap. I've almost gotten run over numerous times, gotten frustrated with closing the lot because the previous person just sat around the entire time, actually got a compliant about a woman pushing carts even though I do more than the men (although they can pull more than me if they wanted to). It sucks. But I also notice my other co workers who work just as hard if not harder being a customer service lacky, ulitity and floor supervisior. They really deserve an extra pay. They do more work than anyone in the store and have to deal with a lot more BS then pushing some damn carts in the rain.

I personally like doing carts because it's exercise. Obviously you don't so you think you're entitled to more. I do think kroger should pay every employee more but I do NOT think a CC deserve more than anyone else at front end.

Date: Nov 24, 2014

Batty wrote:
FrontEndSlave wrote:
Anon Fan wrote:
I would really like to know why you deserve extra pay.

I would really like for you to push carts for an hour in the pouring rain or in 100 degree temperatures.
Even Wal-Mart with its screwed up internal workings has separated its parking lot into an entire pay scale, department and responsibility.
In other words, do as I suggested and go find the GiveADamn brand of products on aisle 25.
Maybe if you eat enough of them, you will stop posting here.
I was a cross trained bagger that was recently promoted to cashier. I understand that you think you're working harder than everyone else but pushing carts even in rain, cold, heat whatever is easy as crap. I've almost gotten run over numerous times, gotten frustrated with closing the lot because the previous person just sat around the entire time, actually got a compliant about a woman pushing carts even though I do more than the men (although they can pull more than me if they wanted to). It sucks. But I also notice my other co workers who work just as hard if not harder being a customer service lacky, ulitity and floor supervisior. They really deserve an extra pay. They do more work than anyone in the store and have to deal with a lot more BS then pushing some damn carts in the rain.
I personally like doing carts because it's exercise. Obviously you don't so you think you're entitled to more. I do think kroger should pay every employee more but I do NOT think a CC deserve more than anyone else at front end.

Since I cant edit I mean they do more work than anyone at front end, not the store.

GenesisOne · Guru

I do think courtesy clerks deserve to at least be on the same pay scale as cashiers. A hard working courtesy clerk does a lot, being responsible for bagging a customer's groceries with care, assisting a customer with the unloading of his or her groceries both at the check out lane and into the customer's car, aiding with the loading of heavy seasonal items such as patio furniture, Christmas trees and etc... into a customer's vehicle, doing price checks as well as go backs, light ad/or heavy cleaning depending on whether or not a utility clerk is scheduled/available, pushing in carts and performing any other tasks that fall under customer service. Courtesy clerks that are trained well and are responsible are a crucial part of providing Customer 1st Service and deserve more than minimum wage and no raises (or one or two small raises, depending on the contract). Simply because one is a courtesy clerk doesn't mean he or she does less work than a cashier, grocery clerk or so on. If it was up to me, I'd pay everyone more, but expect more at the same time. If you don't perform to expectations, then you're gone. Raise the bar and the pay at the same time and you'll attract a higher caliber of potential employees.

-- Edited by GenesisOne on Monday 24th of November 2014 02:30:05 PM

NutritionWhore · Guru

GenesisOne wrote:
I do think courtesy clerks deserve to at least be on the same pay scale as cashiers.

-- Edited by GenesisOne on Monday 24th of November 2014 02:30:05 PM

^This.

I've worked both as cashier and courtesy clerk. Cashiers don't have to be out during a snowstorm playing "dodge the pick-up trucks" while collecting carts. At the very least, allow clerks to get the same pay scale and increments as their cubical colleagues.

FrontEndSlave · Guru

NutritionWhore wrote:
GenesisOne wrote:
I do think courtesy clerks deserve to at least be on the same pay scale as cashiers.

-- Edited by GenesisOne on Monday 24th of November 2014 02:30:05 PM

^This.

I've worked both as cashier and courtesy clerk. Cashiers don't have to be out during a snowstorm playing "dodge the pick-up trucks" while collecting carts. At the very least, allow clerks to get the same pay scale and increments as their cubical colleagues.

aW, now please don't write that, you are going to go and make my Anon fan and his supporters angry.

Date: Nov 24, 2014

in my store cashiers and CCs have the same payrate and have the same raises so idk about what you are talking about.

NutritionWhore · Guru

FrontEndSlave wrote:
NutritionWhore wrote:
GenesisOne wrote:
I do think courtesy clerks deserve to at least be on the same pay scale as cashiers.

-- Edited by GenesisOne on Monday 24th of November 2014 02:30:05 PM

^This.

I've worked both as cashier and courtesy clerk. Cashiers don't have to be out during a snowstorm playing "dodge the pick-up trucks" while collecting carts. At the very least, allow clerks to get the same pay scale and increments as their cubical colleagues.

aW, now please don't write that, you are going to go and make my Anon fan and his supporters angry.

Don't care. They're not my fans.

GenesisOne · Guru

Anonymous wrote:
in my store cashiers and CCs have the same payrate and have the same raises so idk about what you are talking about.

I suppose it varies from division to division and contract to contract, just as where I work, front end supervisors get no extra money for running the floor, whereas in other parts of the country, there may be more money involved. What I do know for a fact is where I'm at, courtesy clerks make minimum wage and are never eligible for raises.

techelite · Guru

CCs may not get the same pay, and I'm not saying they shouldn't, but they never will. It may be difficult in many ways, but it is no way considered skilled labor. Cashiering pays better because it is at least a moderately skilled labor. Cashiering is also difficult in its own way.

snailshell · Veteran Member

Ok... why DOESN'T he deserve extra pay? Aren't we all in this together here? We're all cruelly underpaid by Kroger Inc. We ALL deserve a raise if you ask me! No justification needed.

I've always felt that courtesy clerks are underappreciated. They're at the bottom of the pay scale at my store. Courtesy clerks are pretty much given all the jobs no one else wants to do and treated like crap for it. CCs at my store don't bag for cashiers (we get to bag those $800 orders ourselves!), instead CCs clean the bathrooms, take care of carts, and do all the other odd jobs in the front end. It's kind of the grocery store way of life that courtesy clerks are everyone's lackeys, and it DEFINITELY sucks for them. Would not trade being a cashier for a CC any day, even though cashiering is faaaaaaaar from perfect.

Of course since I'm a cashier I think cashiers should be paid more (heh). If I could choose rates for each position, I'd say cashiers get $18-20/hr or so and courtesy clerks get like $15-16/hr. $7.25 is not acceptable.

Ms White · Guru

snailshell wrote:
Ok... why DOESN'T he deserve extra pay? Aren't we all in this together here? We're all cruelly underpaid by Kroger Inc. We ALL deserve a raise if you ask me! No justification needed.

I've always felt that courtesy clerks are underappreciated. They're at the bottom of the pay scale at my store. Courtesy clerks are pretty much given all the jobs no one else wants to do and treated like crap for it. CCs at my store don't bag for cashiers (we get to bag those $800 orders ourselves!), instead CCs clean the bathrooms, take care of carts, and do all the other odd jobs in the front end. It's kind of the grocery store way of life that courtesy clerks are everyone's lackeys, and it DEFINITELY sucks for them. Would not trade being a cashier for a CC any day, even though cashiering is faaaaaaaar from perfect.

Of course since I'm a cashier I think cashiers should be paid more (heh). If I could choose rates for each position, I'd say cashiers get $18-20/hr or so and courtesy clerks get like $15-16/hr. $7.25 is not acceptable.

Cashiers at $18 an hour? How old are you?

BagBoy · Guru

I'd like to get $18 an hour. (That's what my stores GM dept head makes.)

Date: Nov 25, 2014

snailshell wrote:

Ok... why DOESN'T he deserve extra pay? Aren't we all in this together here? We're all cruelly underpaid by Kroger Inc. We ALL deserve a raise if you ask me! No justification needed.

I've always felt that courtesy clerks are underappreciated. They're at the bottom of the pay scale at my store. Courtesy clerks are pretty much given all the jobs no one else wants to do and treated like crap for it. CCs at my store don't bag for cashiers (we get to bag those $800 orders ourselves!), instead CCs clean the bathrooms, take care of carts, and do all the other odd jobs in the front end. It's kind of the grocery store way of life that courtesy clerks are everyone's lackeys, and it DEFINITELY sucks for them. Would not trade being a cashier for a CC any day, even though cashiering is faaaaaaaar from perfect.

Of course since I'm a cashier I think cashiers should be paid more (heh). If I could choose rates for each position, I'd say cashiers get $18-20/hr or so and courtesy clerks get like $15-16/hr. $7.25 is not acceptable.

Why shouldn't he get extra pay?
1. When he was hired he was told his pay rate.
2. When he was hired he was told his job requirements.
3. He agreed to work under these conditions.
4. End of story.

GenesisOne · Guru

BagBoy wrote:
I'd like to get $18 an hour. (That's what my stores GM dept head makes.)

If Kroger had to pay cashiers $18.00, you'd see nothing but self check out along the front end, one courtesy clerk for parking lot duty from 7:00AM-3:00PM and another from 3:00PM-11:00PM and no front end supervisors outside of the CSM. What would happen is if the federal minimum wage was raised significantly, Kroger and other companies would immediately look at how they could cut down on labor first and foremost, and then the price spikes would come. A dramatic increase in minimum wage and those making slightly above minimum wage would hurt far more people than it would help.

I know you were half-joking (we'd all love to make that kind of money) and don't realistically expect $18.00, but Kroger and other retail chains would be dead serious about making the labor force suffer first and foremost for pushing and succeeding in getting any substantial increase in the federal minimum wage law.

Lord_Uboat · Guru

techelite wrote:
CCs may not get the same pay, and I'm not saying they shouldn't, but they never will. It may be difficult in many ways, but it is no way considered skilled labor. Cashiering pays better because it is at least a moderately skilled labor. Cashiering is also difficult in its own way.

This. And plus, what would be the CCs' incentive to move up to a register if they got paid the same amount of money for a simpler job? Wage equality demolishes the incentive to move up.

4hourrush · Guru

by that logic though, the people in the outer departments should make more than the cashiers.

It takes more skill to decorate a cake than move objects across a conveyor belt and give change back. My store doesn't have a "cake decorator" per se, we have several people who can do cakes but we have no full time decorator. we've just all kind of been trained to do it.

-- Edited by 4hourrush on Tuesday 25th of November 2014 07:36:47 PM

BagBoy · Guru

GenesisOne wrote:
BagBoy wrote:
I'd like to get $18 an hour. (That's what my stores GM dept head makes.)
If Kroger had to pay cashiers $18.00, you'd see nothing but self check out along the front end, one courtesy clerk for parking lot duty from 7:00AM-3:00PM and another from 3:00PM-11:00PM and no front end supervisors outside of the CSM. What would happen is if the federal minimum wage was raised significantly, Kroger and other companies would immediately look at how they could cut down on labor first and foremost, and then the price spikes would come. A dramatic increase in minimum wage and those making slightly above minimum wage would hurt far more people than it would help.
I know you were half-joking (we'd all love to make that kind of money) and don't realistically expect $18.00, but Kroger and other retail chains would be dead serious about making the labor force suffer first and foremost for pushing and succeeding in getting any substantial increase in the federal minimum wage law.

the federal min is going up at the beginning of the year(2015). by 2018 it's going to be around $10 from what i've heard.

Lord_Uboat wrote:
techelite wrote:
CCs may not get the same pay, and I'm not saying they shouldn't, but they never will. It may be difficult in many ways, but it is no way considered skilled labor. Cashiering pays better because it is at least a moderately skilled labor. Cashiering is also difficult in its own way.
This. And plus, what would be the CCs' incentive to move up to a register if they got paid the same amount of money for a simpler job? Wage equality demolishes the incentive to move up.

This is completely wrong. The incentive to move up is more power over your fellow co-workers. People also find fulfillment in doing certain things if the line were smoothed out a bit then the people at the bottom would be happier and the people at the top would be doing it because they like it and not because of the pay increase. Money isn't everything.

-- Edited by BagBoy on Tuesday 25th of November 2014 11:39:16 PM

GenesisOne · Guru

BagBoy wrote:
GenesisOne wrote:
BagBoy wrote:
I'd like to get $18 an hour. (That's what my stores GM dept head makes.)
If Kroger had to pay cashiers $18.00, you'd see nothing but self check out along the front end, one courtesy clerk for parking lot duty from 7:00AM-3:00PM and another from 3:00PM-11:00PM and no front end supervisors outside of the CSM. What would happen is if the federal minimum wage was raised significantly, Kroger and other companies would immediately look at how they could cut down on labor first and foremost, and then the price spikes would come. A dramatic increase in minimum wage and those making slightly above minimum wage would hurt far more people than it would help.
I know you were half-joking (we'd all love to make that kind of money) and don't realistically expect $18.00, but Kroger and other retail chains would be dead serious about making the labor force suffer first and foremost for pushing and succeeding in getting any substantial increase in the federal minimum wage law.
the federal min is going up at the beginning of the year(2015). by 2018 it's going to be around $10 from what i've heard.

Lord_Uboat wrote:
techelite wrote:
CCs may not get the same pay, and I'm not saying they shouldn't, but they never will. It may be difficult in many ways, but it is no way considered skilled labor. Cashiering pays better because it is at least a moderately skilled labor. Cashiering is also difficult in its own way.
This. And plus, what would be the CCs' incentive to move up to a register if they got paid the same amount of money for a simpler job? Wage equality demolishes the incentive to move up.
This is completely wrong. The incentive to move up is more power over your fellow co-workers. People also find fulfillment in doing certain things if the line were smoothed out a bit then the people at the bottom would be happier and the people at the top would be doing it because they like it and not because of the pay increase. Money isn't everything.

-- Edited by BagBoy on Tuesday 25th of November 2014 11:39:16 PM

Not all states are increasing minimum wage in 2015. Now Federal Contract Workers get bumped up to $10.10 next year, but if you look at the map on this page: http://hr.blr.com/HR-news/Compensation/Minimum-Wage/State-minimum-wage-increases-for-2015-map# you'll see a good portion of the country will see no increase in minimum wage come 2015.

I also have to disagree that courtesy clerks should be denied raises as a means to serve as an incentive to become a cashier. Some employees remain cashiers for years and that's "okay" but if an employee remains a courtesy clerk for more than a year, that person is looked down upon and deemed either lazy or lacking in motivation. If an employee enjoys bagging, interacting with customers at check out and while assisting them outside, why should that employee be excluded from being eligible for a raise, should he or she prefer to remain a courtesy clerk? I''ll reiterate my belief that courtesy clerks are just as important to the Customer 1st experience as any other person in the store, with all the various customer service tasks they provide. Often times, the courtesy clerk is the first and last person a customer sees when shopping at Kroger, and that can set the tone for how the customer's visit goes as well conclude the customer's visit on a positive note. I know there are people here that will disagree with me and I know Kroger as a company disagrees with me as well, but I stand by my belief that if you have a good crew of courtesy clerks working on the front end, customers will leave the store happier and be more likely to shop there often and speak well of the store to family and friends. Hard working courtesy clerks deserve raises, just as any other hard working individual does.

NutritionWhore · Guru

That "Federal wage increase" ONLY applies to new federal contracts in 2015.

No one has mandated a wage increase for the general public outside of $7.25.

Yes, your state can set higher wages.

No, not all of them will.

You want higher wages? Move to DC and Oregon.

AnonymousCutter · Guru

FrontEndSlave wrote:
Anon Fan wrote:
I would really like to know why you deserve extra pay.

I would really like for you to push carts for an hour in the pouring rain or in 100 degree temperatures.
Even Wal-Mart with its screwed up internal workings has separated its parking lot into an entire pay scale, department and responsibility.
In other words, do as I suggested and go find the GiveADamn brand of products on aisle 25.
Maybe if you eat enough of them, you will stop posting here.

Its not that I don't think that you deserve a raise, but it brings up that of a courtesy clerk. I mean to me a courtesy clerk should make around $8.50 / hr and cashiers at least $10.00 / hr starting out. What gets me though is if you were paid more what incentive would it get you to take on higher responsibilities? The fact is the job you do is very low skilled and requires very little effort. Believe me, I know because I've been there too. I use to sack groceries, get carts, do go backs, and cashier too. I wouldn't stand around and talk to other people nearby. If I was done sacking my lane I would go to the next lane and sack it real quick and get back to my lane. My manager noticed this too where I was making high efforts to be productive and I ended up being moved into meat.

FrontEndSlave · Guru

AnonymousCutter wrote:
FrontEndSlave wrote:
Anon Fan wrote:
I would really like to know why you deserve extra pay.

I would really like for you to push carts for an hour in the pouring rain or in 100 degree temperatures.
Even Wal-Mart with its screwed up internal workings has separated its parking lot into an entire pay scale, department and responsibility.
In other words, do as I suggested and go find the GiveADamn brand of products on aisle 25.
Maybe if you eat enough of them, you will stop posting here.
Its not that I don't think that you deserve a raise, but it brings up that of a courtesy clerk. I mean to me a courtesy clerk should make around $8.50 / hr and cashiers at least $10.00 / hr starting out. What gets me though is if you were paid more what incentive would it get you to take on higher responsibilities? The fact is the job you do is very low skilled and requires very little effort. Believe me, I know because I've been there too. I use to sack groceries, get carts, do go backs, and cashier too. I wouldn't stand around and talk to other people nearby. If I was done sacking my lane I would go to the next lane and sack it real quick and get back to my lane. My manager noticed this too where I was making high efforts to be productive and I ended up being moved into meat.

I don't know where this BS started where anon thinks I am saying I should be paid in gold coins or anything.
All I am saying from my point of view is that the parking lot should be separated as Wal-Mart has done for its business.
You make absolutely nothing more for doing that job and you do it underneath all conditions. Heck a few days ago there was lighting AND thunder AND it wouldn't stop raining AND we still brought in carts. My $9 rain suit from Wal-Mart, the rain pants tore but the jacket held up and the $14 galoshes boots held up well too. But those were paid for my own money, also the company doesn't provide any sort of hand wear at all and we find all kinds of nasty things in carts from used tissues to coffee cups to those damn sample cups.

Overall I would pay a bagger (courtesy clerk) at least $8 an hour minimum but even with its faults Wal-Mart had it right to create its parking lot as a separate internal entity. If Kroger were to do this it would allow Front End to run smoother because the baggers could stay bagging and concentrate on bagging, do gobacks when needed which would keep the shrink level down (for bread, produce and frozen at least...) and keep products on the shelf. Sure I don't mind the parking lot sometimes because it's better than bagging for four damn hours but at the same time the labor is more intensive and dangerous. Yes dangerous, I have been nearly hit about ten times since I started working at Kroger. And I can't tell you how many damn times I have been pushing carts toward the store yet there has been customers that simply drive so that if they hit you they would T-bone the front carts. They see you coming and don't care. Then you have the ones that drive inches off of your side when you ARE pushing toward the store, that's always fun, sometimes I just want to reach over and smack their doors. And add that to all the cars pulling in and out of spaces, the gasoline and muffler fumes, cigarette smoke, trash, weather conditions......all I want / am proposing is that the parking lot be separate or somehow be additional pay.

I think some of the anon pansies have never pushed the carts through these conditions, never had to have close calls with morons on their cell phones, or not paying attention, or driving through the stop signs in the parking lot, or parking in the NO PARKING or FIRE LINE zones. Or doing like me, finding an entire dead rooster in a plastic bag outside. Some of the disgusting stuff I have seen and had to handle...

My store already won't provide a second shirt and mine is already getting holes. So perhaps my store in Front End is unique in that our management sucks, I dunno. I do know that today, the day before Thanksgiving, I have to work 5:30 p.m. - midnight AND be back at 1 p.m. on Thursday Thanksgiving day working 1-5, missing Thanksgiving with my family and having 13 hours to do laundry and hopefully get some sleep.

GenesisOne · Guru

Some front ends are worse than others. The fact that you've been there for eight months and with a shirt that has holes in it yet still only have that one shirt is ridiculous. Corporate expects employees to be "presentable" and "professional" in appearance, yet you're denied a second shirt. I've had co-managers that would give me a new shirt whenever I asked for one and right now have four (used to have five, but that one tore). I suspect if you ever work when there's a store walk going on, you'll be given a new one. That's what happened one time when my store had company from corporate. One of the district manager's instructed management to hand out new shirts to some of the employees because these employees had shirts that were starting to fade in color.

Working Thanksgiving isn't any fun, but that's the nature of retail. I work every holiday, major and minor, so I'm used to it by now.

-- Edited by GenesisOne on Wednesday 26th of November 2014 03:02:38 PM

Anon Fan · Veteran Member

I started as a bagger. I pushed carts in high heat and high snow.
It was the easiest job I've had in 32 years with Kroger.

FrontEndSlave · Guru

GenesisOne wrote:
Some front ends are worse than others. The fact that you've been there for eight months and with a shirt that has holes in it yet still only have that one shirt is ridiculous. Corporate expects employees to be "presentable" and "professional" in appearance, yet you're denied a second shirt. I've had co-managers that would give me a new shirt whenever I asked for one and right now have four (used to have five, but that one tore). I suspect if you ever work when there's a store walk going on, you'll be given a new one. That's what happened one time when my store had company from corporate. One of the district manager's instructed management to hand out new shirts to some of the employees because these employees had shirts that were starting to fade in color.
Working Thanksgiving isn't any fun, but that's the nature of retail. I work every holiday, major and minor, so I'm used to it by now.

-- Edited by GenesisOne on Wednesday 26th of November 2014 03:02:38 PM

I posted about it when it happened, but basically when our dryer at home messed up, and it took longer for the clothing to dry (since it was essentially air drying everything in a centrifuge rather than putting out any kind of heat) --- well, I whined about it on Facebook. Someone made a comment, I made another comment saying (paraphrased) "It's rough on me because I have only one shirt for work, and have to do laundry each day when I come home if I work the next day".

Well someone contacted the store manager -- as in, the guy whose name is on the bottom of all receipts -- and told him about that.
So I come in on a Saturday and he comes up to me saying "I hear you need another shirt".
I showed him the rip on the sleeve, about an inch or two, showed him the small bleach stains on the collar and back, and said "it would help".
He responds with "We'll see what we can do".

Our HR person is currently the one who is She Who Has The Shirts. So, long story short, she came up to me a few days later after I came in to the store. Said to me (paraphrased) "One of your family members called. I told you that the shirts were on back order and we would get you one when we could".

At the time, the last time I had mentioned my shirt difficulties to her was three months prior.
Essentially, store manager went to her, asked her about the situation, she got mad and took it out on me through personal confrontation.

My response to her, officially, in-person, without insubordination, was "Well, I apologize if you encountered any stress about the situation, but I can not stop outside parties from contacting this store". Still don't think it was a family member. Never asked.

My UNofficial response, not to her, and with complete insubordination, was and still is "You are the one in charge of that crap, maybe you should find out why it's been on back order for three months".

As far as I can tell, the reason I do not have two shirts (or more?) is because I started out part time on Front End, and Front End at our store is such a crappy job that even before I came in they couldn't keep a good count on courtesy clerks. That turn over in our store in Front End is among the highest of all departments. So why bother to give a person two shirts if they are going to leave you a month or two later? Heck we had one guy hired as courtesy clerk, he left ten days later when he found a job with better pay, more stable hours and definite more respect.

So if I am going to rant or whine or just out right relieve stress about writing "I need more money for this" and some anon is going to say "No you don't" I am going to tell anon to go to Hell. Front End at our store sucks. I really enjoy having a cashier or U-scan person become angry or frustrated with me when they come up to me and ask "Can you take this back" and I have to tell them "No". If they ask "why" I tell them "Because I can't get away from the register (bagging)". Several times when this has happened and I have tried, I have gotten reprimanded verbally or asked by immediate supervisors to stay bagging. For christ's sake, I can't tell you how many times I have informed a Front End Floor Supervisor that we needed - or may need - help bringing in carts because of being so busy and I am told "We need baggers inside". Sure you do but you also need something for your customers to put their crap IN. Usually it takes a manager - store manager or co-manager - to order these Floor Supervisors with such unique perspectives to put additional courtesy clerks out.

I am about to leave for a 5:30 p.m. - midnight shift today.
I only pray that we have our Front End Floor Supervisors / Floor Managers with enough common sense to recognize that we need more than two courtesy clerks in the parking lot today. Yesterday I volunteered my time to go out and help from 5:30 - 7:00 and we barely made a dent until around 8:00 p.m.

*sighs*

Ms White · Guru

FrontEndSlave wrote:
AnonymousCutter wrote:
FrontEndSlave wrote:
Anon Fan wrote:
I would really like to know why you deserve extra pay.

I would really like for you to push carts for an hour in the pouring rain or in 100 degree temperatures.
Even Wal-Mart with its screwed up internal workings has separated its parking lot into an entire pay scale, department and responsibility.
In other words, do as I suggested and go find the GiveADamn brand of products on aisle 25.
Maybe if you eat enough of them, you will stop posting here.
Its not that I don't think that you deserve a raise, but it brings up that of a courtesy clerk. I mean to me a courtesy clerk should make around $8.50 / hr and cashiers at least $10.00 / hr starting out. What gets me though is if you were paid more what incentive would it get you to take on higher responsibilities? The fact is the job you do is very low skilled and requires very little effort. Believe me, I know because I've been there too. I use to sack groceries, get carts, do go backs, and cashier too. I wouldn't stand around and talk to other people nearby. If I was done sacking my lane I would go to the next lane and sack it real quick and get back to my lane. My manager noticed this too where I was making high efforts to be productive and I ended up being moved into meat.

I don't know where this BS started where anon thinks I am saying I should be paid in gold coins or anything.
All I am saying from my point of view is that the parking lot should be separated as Wal-Mart has done for its business.
You make absolutely nothing more for doing that job and you do it underneath all conditions. Heck a few days ago there was lighting AND thunder AND it wouldn't stop raining AND we still brought in carts. My $9 rain suit from Wal-Mart, the rain pants tore but the jacket held up and the $14 galoshes boots held up well too. But those were paid for my own money, also the company doesn't provide any sort of hand wear at all and we find all kinds of nasty things in carts from used tissues to coffee cups to those damn sample cups.

Overall I would pay a bagger (courtesy clerk) at least $8 an hour minimum but even with its faults Wal-Mart had it right to create its parking lot as a separate internal entity. If Kroger were to do this it would allow Front End to run smoother because the baggers could stay bagging and concentrate on bagging, do gobacks when needed which would keep the shrink level down (for bread, produce and frozen at least...) and keep products on the shelf. Sure I don't mind the parking lot sometimes because it's better than bagging for four damn hours but at the same time the labor is more intensive and dangerous. Yes dangerous, I have been nearly hit about ten times since I started working at Kroger. And I can't tell you how many damn times I have been pushing carts toward the store yet there has been customers that simply drive so that if they hit you they would T-bone the front carts. They see you coming and don't care. Then you have the ones that drive inches off of your side when you ARE pushing toward the store, that's always fun, sometimes I just want to reach over and smack their doors. And add that to all the cars pulling in and out of spaces, the gasoline and muffler fumes, cigarette smoke, trash, weather conditions......all I want / am proposing is that the parking lot be separate or somehow be additional pay.

I think some of the anon pansies have never pushed the carts through these conditions, never had to have close calls with morons on their cell phones, or not paying attention, or driving through the stop signs in the parking lot, or parking in the NO PARKING or FIRE LINE zones. Or doing like me, finding an entire dead rooster in a plastic bag outside. Some of the disgusting stuff I have seen and had to handle...
My store already won't provide a second shirt and mine is already getting holes. So perhaps my store in Front End is unique in that our management sucks, I dunno. I do know that today, the day before Thanksgiving, I have to work 5:30 p.m. - midnight AND be back at 1 p.m. on Thursday Thanksgiving day working 1-5, missing Thanksgiving with my family and having 13 hours to do laundry and hopefully get some sleep.

Well if your shirt has holes in it, shouldn't take that long to dry!!! Wash it, put it in the dryer, go to sleep. Not that hard to do. As far as trash in the carts, get some rubber gloves from the deli or the bakery or the utility cart. Think of ways to make your job easier. I also work Thanksgiving day, 9 to 5. I miss all of it. Can't you eat before you go or when you get home? Visit with them in the morning and when you get off work. Next year request the day off. Back to your workshirt, my employee handbook states I we can have a replacement shirt if ours gets damaged so check your handbook.

As far as garbage in the carts, our store is next to a Chuck E Cheese. Vomit and dirty diapers everywhere beats your dead rooster hands down! Then there is the once a month fight in the parking lot involving the drunk parents, ex girlfriends or whatever it is they do over there. Push some carts through that!!!

snailshell · Veteran Member

Ms White wrote:
snailshell wrote:
Ok... why DOESN'T he deserve extra pay? Aren't we all in this together here? We're all cruelly underpaid by Kroger Inc. We ALL deserve a raise if you ask me! No justification needed.

I've always felt that courtesy clerks are underappreciated. They're at the bottom of the pay scale at my store. Courtesy clerks are pretty much given all the jobs no one else wants to do and treated like crap for it. CCs at my store don't bag for cashiers (we get to bag those $800 orders ourselves!), instead CCs clean the bathrooms, take care of carts, and do all the other odd jobs in the front end. It's kind of the grocery store way of life that courtesy clerks are everyone's lackeys, and it DEFINITELY sucks for them. Would not trade being a cashier for a CC any day, even though cashiering is faaaaaaaar from perfect.

Of course since I'm a cashier I think cashiers should be paid more (heh). If I could choose rates for each position, I'd say cashiers get $18-20/hr or so and courtesy clerks get like $15-16/hr. $7.25 is not acceptable.
Cashiers at $18 an hour? How old are you?

Ok first of all no need to be a jerk. Second of all I live in an area where after 1520 hours, cashiers get a raise to $17.21/hr. This rate goes up with inflation AFAIK so I am sure that $18/hr will be in my future soon enough. :)

You guys seem to be content with poverty and food stamps. Why the hell don't we, as grocery store workers, deserve $18/hr? That's around the median American wage and that still isn't enough to pay the bills where I'm from. If you don't think you and your fellow coworkers are entitled to a living wage then I honestly don't even know what to say. You're probably the same people who hate unions.

-- Edited by snailshell on Friday 28th of November 2014 05:12:06 PM

snailshell · Veteran Member

GenesisOne wrote:
BagBoy wrote:
I'd like to get $18 an hour. (That's what my stores GM dept head makes.)
If Kroger had to pay cashiers $18.00, you'd see nothing but self check out along the front end, one courtesy clerk for parking lot duty from 7:00AM-3:00PM and another from 3:00PM-11:00PM and no front end supervisors outside of the CSM. What would happen is if the federal minimum wage was raised significantly, Kroger and other companies would immediately look at how they could cut down on labor first and foremost, and then the price spikes would come. A dramatic increase in minimum wage and those making slightly above minimum wage would hurt far more people than it would help.
I know you were half-joking (we'd all love to make that kind of money) and don't realistically expect $18.00, but Kroger and other retail chains would be dead serious about making the labor force suffer first and foremost for pushing and succeeding in getting any substantial increase in the federal minimum wage law.

In my area Kroger DOES pay their senior cashiers damn near $18/hr. What you're describing is certainly not the case. Managers of course make even more. Also in my area minimum wage is scheduled to increase to $15/hr within the next couple of years. I'm not 100% sure how that will be phased in to my work place but I can assure you that all hell won't break loose as plenty of workers are already paid over $15/hr.

I don't understand how you, in good faith, can fight against you and your coworkers having a better quality of life. Kroger CAN AFFORD to pay their workers a living wage. You deserve better than 10 cents above minimum wage. Just because some people view our work as "unskilled" doesn't mean that we don't deserve to live well.

By the way, you'd have to be an idiot to think that Kroger would ever convert all the checkstands to self-checkout. Everyone knows that Uscan is one of the biggest sources of shrink because of how ridiculously easy it is to steal. Uscan supervisors can't ensure that every customer is, say, putting in their organic apples as 94131 rather than 4131. Plus, it would be chaos from the customer service side of things. I wonder if the amount of shrink caused by having only Uscan would be just as much loss as having to pay cashiers an extra few bucks an hour?

Remember folks the PURPOSE of the minimum wage when it was enacted was not to pay workers the lowest possible wage that companies can pay their workers while still maintaining millions of $ in bonuses for the CEO. The purpose of the minimum wage was to ensure that every worker can have a home and a family no matter what job they have.

-- Edited by snailshell on Friday 28th of November 2014 05:17:38 PM

-- Edited by snailshell on Friday 28th of November 2014 05:18:38 PM

GenesisOne · Guru

snailshell wrote:
GenesisOne wrote:
BagBoy wrote:
I'd like to get $18 an hour. (That's what my stores GM dept head makes.)
If Kroger had to pay cashiers $18.00, you'd see nothing but self check out along the front end, one courtesy clerk for parking lot duty from 7:00AM-3:00PM and another from 3:00PM-11:00PM and no front end supervisors outside of the CSM. What would happen is if the federal minimum wage was raised significantly, Kroger and other companies would immediately look at how they could cut down on labor first and foremost, and then the price spikes would come. A dramatic increase in minimum wage and those making slightly above minimum wage would hurt far more people than it would help.
I know you were half-joking (we'd all love to make that kind of money) and don't realistically expect $18.00, but Kroger and other retail chains would be dead serious about making the labor force suffer first and foremost for pushing and succeeding in getting any substantial increase in the federal minimum wage law.
In my area Kroger DOES pay their senior cashiers damn near $18/hr. What you're describing is certainly not the case. Managers of course make even more. Also in my area minimum wage is scheduled to increase to $15/hr within the next couple of years. I'm not 100% sure how that will be phased in to my work place but I can assure you that all hell won't break loose as plenty of workers are already paid over $15/hr.
I don't understand how you, in good faith, can fight against you and your coworkers having a better quality of life. Kroger CAN AFFORD to pay their workers a living wage. You deserve better than 10 cents above minimum wage. Just because some people view our work as "unskilled" doesn't mean that we don't deserve to live well.
By the way, you'd have to be an idiot to think that Kroger would ever convert all the checkstands to self-checkout. Everyone knows that Uscan is one of the biggest sources of shrink because of how ridiculously easy it is to steal. Uscan supervisors can't ensure that every customer is, say, putting in their organic apples as 94131 rather than 4131. Plus, it would be chaos from the customer service side of things. I wonder if the amount of shrink caused by having only Uscan would be just as much loss as having to pay cashiers an extra few bucks an hour?
Remember folks the PURPOSE of the minimum wage when it was enacted was not to pay workers the lowest possible wage that companies can pay their workers while still maintaining millions of $ in bonuses for the CEO. The purpose of the minimum wage was to ensure that every worker can have a home and a family no matter what job they have.

-- Edited by snailshell on Friday 28th of November 2014 05:17:38 PM

-- Edited by snailshell on Friday 28th of November 2014 05:18:38 PM

Kroger is installing more and more self scan units in stores. Most stores started out with four, and many of them have had at least two additional units installed. Some stores, especially Marketplaces, have more than six units. Kroger wants self scan attendants to be pulling customers away from express registers. Kroger wants more and more customers to use self scan. That's why there are self check out utilization reports done daily. The more customers willing and wanting to use self check out, the fewer cashiers and baggers that are needed to be on the payroll. The trend is Kroger wants self check out to play a bigger and bigger role in the check out process. That's why the company wants a certain percentage of customers to use self check out on a daily basis and that's why the company is spending money installing additional units in stores. In the future, it's not unreasonable to see Kroger exploring the idea of further expanding the role of self check out in checking customers out, especially as the number of customers comfortable with the technology continues to grow.

Kroger wants to pay the lowest wages possible. That's why new cashiers in my district start out at $7.45 an hour (used to be $7.35, but a new union contract changed that). Now if a Kroger store operates in a state with a higher minimum wage, then of course Kroger has to comply, but it's only because the company has to. For those cashiers that have been with the company for more than ten years, then they have an older union contract to protect them, but new ones, unless experience pay comes into play, are going to be paid close to minimum wage. That's how Kroger is. There are higher paying cashier jobs at other competitors, but Kroger is not a company that believes it's better to pay more in order to attract a high quality worker. Kroger is a company that believes one of the ways to lower prices and compete with Walmart is at the expense of the employees' paychecks. Kroger cannot survive in its current state if every cashier on the front end is paid eighteen dollars an hour. Not with the slim profit margins grocery stores in general operate under. Kroger can't pay as well as a company like ALDI because ALDI utilizes plenty of other means to keep expenses down, as does WinCo, and Costco pays very well, but a membership is required to shop there, and that partially offsets the company's expenses. Kroger wants to increase market share, and the company can't do that as effectively by paying a large percentage of its workers the hourly rate you're suggesting. Kroger wants to eliminate full time positions and that's yet another means of cutting costs in order to use that money elsewhere. Not saying it's right, but it's part of the company's strategy.

Doubling the federal minimum wage (for example) might sound great in theory, but where exactly do you expect that money to come from? If a company like Kroger suddenly has to pay out a minimum of $14.50 an hour to every employee, that money has to come from somewhere. Companies like Kroger aren't just going to take the hit. The labor force will be further scaled back and prices will go up. That's a bad situation for employees and customers alike. A company like Kroger would do this because if the company didn't, it would impact the bottom line. A lower bottom line means a weaker earnings per share. A weaker earnings per share means angry shareholders that start calling for change within the leadership of the company, and that is not a position any executive in any company wants to find himself or herself in. Companies out there that pay more than minimum wage are able to do so because of their unique business strategy (ALDI - small stores means lower electricity costs, less labor to stock, no baggers or cart crew, off brands; Costco/Sam's Club/Other Warehouse-type stores - charge membership fees). Yes, it's possible to pay workers more than minimum wage, but the cost is either passed on to the customer in a way that's acceptable to the customer, or the cost comes at a customer convenience or the products/services themselves sell at a higher rate to offset the greater company expenses.

-- Edited by GenesisOne on Friday 28th of November 2014 06:47:29 PM

NutritionWhore · Guru

*grabs popcorn*

You know things will start to get good when people starts churning out novels just for the purpose of responding to anonymous people on the internet.

And for the record... yes, it's Kroger-brand generic popcorn. It'll be a cold day in Hell before I decide to buy from the concession stands. I mean, $7 for popcorn and soda? They're crazy.

GenesisOne · Guru

If that's your idea of a novel, I wish I would have gone to your high school. That would have made those pesky book essays a heck of a lot easier.

NutritionWhore · Guru

GenesisOne wrote:
If that's your idea of a novel, I wish I would have gone to your high school. That would have made those pesky book essays a heck of a lot easier.

That's because (and this applies to a HUGE amount of high schools) the "novels" that are assigned by teachers to be read by students end up just being excerpts.

Yes, we were forced to buy a book to only look at page 100-105 and 241-242.

And why? Because for the rest of the year, the teachers are teaching us directly from standardized exams so the school/district can get more funding. I kid you not, we'd spend weeks on sample questions for TAKS. It was a good day to get sample questions from SAT's.

What's a good novel to me? Ender's Game. Really good, imo. Also Yukikaze.

And if you ever feel like being hit in the feels, read Tuesdays with Morrie.

Lord_Uboat · Guru

NutritionWhore wrote:
GenesisOne wrote:
If that's your idea of a novel, I wish I would have gone to your high school. That would have made those pesky book essays a heck of a lot easier.

That's because (and this applies to a HUGE amount of high schools) the "novels" that are assigned by teachers to be read by students end up just being excerpts.

Yes, we were forced to buy a book to only look at page 100-105 and 241-242.

And why? Because for the rest of the year, the teachers are teaching us directly from standardized exams so the school/district can get more funding. I kid you not, we'd spend weeks on sample questions for TAKS. It was a good day to get sample questions from SAT's.

What's a good novel to me? Ender's Game. Really good, imo. Also Yukikaze.

And if you ever feel like being hit in the feels, read Tuesdays with Morrie.

And the award for most literate employee goes to