IMO, Courtesy Clerk is the worst. They are the grunt of all the work there. And they like to pick on specific clerks too... Like one girl at my store does the carts, then a full floor sweep and then the bottle room all the time while the other clerks stand around chatting at the cash wrap. As a courtesy clerk you need to do the carts when they tell you to, usually for one hour at a time, even when it's raining or snowing hard outside. If your parking lot is crazy like mine where there's sometimes accidents because people are stupid, the clerks are at the risk of getting hit. You have to help people put their stuff in the car, and you have to bag the groceries just right. IMO courtesy clerks are the most abused by the customers and the hours are limited since there's so many of you.

As for the best, well, each department has their bad points. Bakery is standing around a hot oven all day; floral has some needy customers who expect things from you like delivering to their home or "fresher" flowers because THIS one expires in 5 days; produce has customers who wants you to pull out-of-stock produce out of thin air; cashiers get the brute of the customers... You just have to decide which will be the lesser of the evils and which one works for you the best.

One of our former co-managers started out as a bakery employee (and a male bakery employee seems rare) so in theory you can advance from any entry position :)

Thanks for all of the replies. 

If all goes according to plan, I will start working for the Kroger Co. sooner than I hoped.  I was offered a Produce Clerk position at my local Harris Teeter and will start after my background check and drug screening results are in.  I discovered today that Kroger bought HT a few months ago!

As for Produce, I was told there will be computer based training about the various kinds of vegetables etc...  Besides that, I discovered a book online about Produce that I'm going to buy -

www.produceclerks.com

 

Courtesy clerk: Lot service, sacking, bottle room, go backs, sweeps, cleaning after some lazy ass checkers/dept workers who are too lazy or stupid to know how to clean their own messes, cleaning after customers. Also you at NOT allowed to say you are too busy with a task (unless it's customer service or doing something management appointed you to do, when try say jump your response is How high, How long, and which way.

Each dept. Differs, but in produce where i work, you must keep your work area clean, put out product, make sure out order comes in on time and with the correct product, make sure the order is UN-damaged, come up to check when they call you,make sure oos (out of stocks) in your dept is low, monitor your shrink etc.

Out of all, if say avoid courtesy if you can. They do all the work no one wants to. And Heaven help them
If someone has to do something themselves. I feel bad for the courtesies. So I usually do the "grunt work" myself.

Yunqi wrote:

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Hi Mega-kitten.  In my interview the manager said I would probably begin on the "Closing Shift".  He mentioned several tasks, such as breaking down the salad bar and other things I will learn about. 

If you have time, please describe the usual closing and opening tasks.  I'll find out soon, but am interested in learning a bit before I begin.

Also, he said something about "Produce closes at 8pm."  The store closes at midnight.  What does 8pm mean?  In your store, do Produce Clerks go home at 8pm or the closing clerks begin at 8pm?

I never worked in a grocery store before, so I don't know.  I'd say the closing process begins at 8pm. 

Any information would be appreciated.  Thanks.

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 Good luck with the job.  I hope you still have the same enthusiasm 6 months from now.  Not many people do after 3 months.

I am currently a part time(working fulltime hours!) grocery clerk and enjoy working for Kroger.  My current goal is to be a grocery manager.  Not sure if I want to go beyond that.  Once you get into upper management, you are salaried and can be fired at a minutes notice if you piss the right person off.  As an hourly employee, you have some protections with the union.

The store you applied for must have a produce specialty section with the salad bar.  I am guessing the salad bar closes at 8pm.  Our produce department only makes fresh fruit and veggie dishes in the mornings.  We don't have a fancy salad bar.

More than likely, you will be closing the salad bar, replenishing the produce department for the morning, breaking down the produce truck if not already done, bagging or running a cash register, helping customers and probably another million things.  I think the Utility clerks do the grunt cleaning in the produce department.

Probably the most important jobs in the grocery business are the coutesy clerks and the utility clerks.  Without shopping carts, customers can not shop for a lot.  The Utility clerks keep the stores clean.  Customers like clean businesses.  In reality, all departments are important.  But, everyone must work together like a well oiled machine for the best results.  It would be better if the managers would tweek the workloads to make the work more balanced.