I work in a big Kroger store, I think one, if not the biggest in the Mesquite, TX, and possibly Dallas area. Our seafood case is probably a good 15 feet long, never actually measured. The meat service case is just as big.
And there are only two people working seafood. Been this way for at least a couple years.
I am the seafood backup, having been so for the past three months, with over a year of experience in the meat department. It's just me and the seafood lead. That's it. Half of every single week there will only be one of us doing seafood for the entire day. Nobody else does anything on seafood except work the service case for customers. Sucks for me now, because before being moved more onto the seafood side, I would always help them out without being asked. I saw them struggling and helped out for a little while. Now I can't get anyone else to help out, hardly even the market manager who is supposed to be over both parts.
Is this normal? I don't think it is. I consider myself a fast worker, and am able to set the case up, do a whole bunch of pre packs, crab salad, orders, do at least a little frozen, and keep my side clean and tidy the entire time. The seafood lead is almost as good, but a bit slower. HOWEVER, we still at this point have at least SIX freaking pallets of only seafood in the freezer. I swear most of it is due to the managers over ordering after us, like how they screwed up our lunch meat.
As for pay:
Was I supposed to get any pay raise for becoming the seafood back up? Other than the incremental raises throughout the year? Because now I just got bumped up from $8.50 to $8.75.
I could be wrong, but i don't think "seafood backup" is an actual title, because i think seafood manager is under meat department.
It's the same as in bakery, there is a bakery manager, but they are at the same "level" as assistant deli manager. Before i went to a different store, i was the "backup" for my bakery manager, but there was no raise or title to go with it. :|
Your best bet is to become a seafood manager someday, you have the experience it seems.
There is no sfd backup pay. It's a way to say you're who handles it when seafood lead is off.
No the mkt manager isn't supposed to help, that's why I have a seafood lead. He handles a segment that does 1/10 the volume of meat so I can focus on my work. If he couldn't without my help, I'd find a better one. It's a show piece, not a high profit driver.
All anyone at night should do is keep the case full during prime time, condition the frozen , close , help customers on that side.
Mine finishes seafood entirely in 6 hours most days, then stocks meat fresh wall. He has job security.
My Seafood shop in the Dallas area is a 16' case. I am the sole full-time seafood person, I have no real backup. Most days, I am also the sole person manning both service cases, and I also handle both departments frozen. It's been this way for quite a while. I'm not afraid of hard work, and I'd much rather be busy than not, but there is simply too much for just a single person to handle, no matter how efficient you are. It's not the way it should be, but it's the way it is in a lot of stores from what I hear from my fellow Seafood leads in the area.
-- Edited by fishymonger on Tuesday 1st of November 2016 09:02:12 PM
This is odd to read some. We have nobody to deal with service case. Its up to us to just notice whenever we have a customer and drop our tasks to deal with it.
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My Seafood shop in the Dallas area is a 16' case. I am the sole full-time seafood person, I have no real backup. Most days, I am also the sole person manning both service cases, and I also handle both departments frozen. It's been this way for quite a while. I'm not afraid of hard work, and I'd much rather be busy than not, but there is simply too much for just a single person to handle, no matter how efficient you are. It's not the way it should be, but it's the way it is in a lot of stores from what I hear from my fellow Seafood leads in the area.
-- Edited by fishymonger on Tuesday 1st of November 2016 09:02:12 PM
When I go on vacation, one of the market clerks handles the orders & setting the case. I always leave a diagram for how it should be set. They usually do a decent job, all things considered.
This is odd to read some. We have nobody to deal with service case. Its up to us to just notice whenever we have a customer and drop our tasks to deal with it.
That is how it is supposed to work here as well, however I'm usually the one it falls to. I hope I'm not coming across as complaining, I'm not, I like being busy. But a little help now and again would not be unwelcome. :)
