Trying to move up

Loscar · Newbie

Trying to move up

Pizza1029 · Guru

Kroger is really blowing their wad trying to compete with Wal-Mart. They can't compete on price alone, especially now that Wal-Mart is advertising the price-matching phone app. So they're pushing ridiculous customer service standards trying to bust up the OSAT numbers.

To answer your question more specifically, I think they're wanting you to push for more casual conversation, think restaurant style "everything okay today?" kind of crap. No matter how hard you try, it's never enough to impress some managers.

DeltaGrocery · Guru

Yes, we will never be able to match walmart prices since they are able to makeup the losses in other areas of the store. Because of this fresh & friendly is the current push towards increasing their market share. We've always had a better environment to shop in, but when prices are substantially lower elsewhere, there needs to be something to keep customers coming to the stores. If you want to move up and out you'll need to prove yourself where you are at. Just like with any corporate ladder, you'll need to excel wherever you are at, to prove that you have the right attitude to move up. As Pizza said, they want a more familial atmosphere, not to give off the corporate soulless vibe. Just be as friendly as possible, and hopefully higherups will notice improvements and that can lead to a change you want.

The Peter Principle is the idea behind it.

-- Edited by DeltaGrocery on Thursday 6th of November 2014 07:43:55 PM

Date: Nov 6, 2014

what are you trying for? customer service desk? or manager?

cuz the only one that has a pay increase is if you become a manager or a lead

Ms White · Guru

I am really outgoing so I don't have trouble talking with the customers. I tell them I like their earrings, shirt etc. I ask them about the food they are buying - have you tried this? Is it good? I ask the big burly men if they want me to help them out with their groceries lol. I joke around and have fun each day.

Date: Nov 6, 2014

Ms White wrote:
I am really outgoing so I don't have trouble talking with the customers. I tell them I like their earrings, shirt etc. I ask them about the food they are buying - have you tried this? Is it good? I ask the big burly men if they want me to help them out with their groceries lol. I joke around and have fun each day.

I never did all that. To me, commenting about people's purchases is getting a little too personal. I've never liked it when I've been on the receiving end of it. When I go shopping, I want to be able to easily find what I want and I want to be able to check out quickly. I'm not there to have friendly chat with every employee I happen to run into.

Lord_Uboat · Guru

Anonymous wrote:
Ms White wrote:
I am really outgoing so I don't have trouble talking with the customers. I tell them I like their earrings, shirt etc. I ask them about the food they are buying - have you tried this? Is it good? I ask the big burly men if they want me to help them out with their groceries lol. I joke around and have fun each day.
I never did all that. To me, commenting about people's purchases is getting a little too personal. I've never liked it when I've been on the receiving end of it. When I go shopping, I want to be able to easily find what I want and I want to be able to check out quickly. I'm not there to have friendly chat with every employee I happen to run into.

Lol no such thing as too personal... "Do those Trojans REALLY feel bare?"

Pizza1029 · Guru

Anonymous wrote:
Ms White wrote:
I am really outgoing so I don't have trouble talking with the customers. I tell them I like their earrings, shirt etc. I ask them about the food they are buying - have you tried this? Is it good? I ask the big burly men if they want me to help them out with their groceries lol. I joke around and have fun each day.
I never did all that. To me, commenting about people's purchases is getting a little too personal. I've never liked it when I've been on the receiving end of it. When I go shopping, I want to be able to easily find what I want and I want to be able to check out quickly. I'm not there to have friendly chat with every employee I happen to run into.

At least 90% of customers probably want the same thing. Quiet, quick, and gone. But those 10% or so that want to be acknowledged for buying food (gasp!) will complain on their survey if the social atmosphere is too cold. At our huddles, they tell us OVER and OVER again that our primary job is to talk to customers. Also, we get the secret shopping corporate jerkoffs that come to the store in casual clothes and grade us on it.

Kroger92 · Veteran Member

Yup, ridiculous customer service expectations. Most customers do want everything to go quickly but you will get those few who like to be acknowledged in some way; talk about the weather and blah blah.

I'm no cashier, though. Courtesy Clerk here. But most of the time I see cashiers talking to customers about their products saying things such as, 'Oooh this looks good. How is it?' 'I LOVE this stuff' Letting customers know about any current deals and whatnot. The weather. Just pick a topic :P But most of the time the customers will start conversations.

Being a CC I do mostly just say the usual 'You're welcome and have a great night/day' but there are times where I will chat with customers.

Also, the 3 A's is kinda overkill when management expects you to use it with every customer you come across. I might as well be saying HI HI HI HI HI all day long.

Date: Nov 13, 2014

I might as well be saying HI HI HI HI HI all day long.

Pretty much why I'm trying to find another job.... because nobody wants to walk around a busy grocery store being forced to say hi to every. goddam. person. they see. That's what i do though, because the assistant store manager is an ******* and will yell at me if I dont.

....and management, customers don't care. Why? Because only 10% ever say hi back. I've counted.

Lord_Uboat · Guru

Anonymous wrote:
I might as well be saying HI HI HI HI HI all day long.

Pretty much why I'm trying to find another job.... because nobody wants to walk around a busy grocery store being forced to say hi to every. goddam. person. they see. That's what i do though, because the assistant store manager is an ******* and will yell at me if I dont.

....and management, customers don't care. Why? Because only 10% ever say hi back. I've counted.

Qvision will take a weird turn soon. It'll start to measure anxiety levels in customers. If customers' breathing rates are low, heart rates are low, and their walking speed is low, then obviously they haven't been 3A'd. Qvision will know which departments are least and most friendly. And they'll create a weird metric like "average breathing rate" to write you up for if it's not high enough.