- Check your contract first, you may be able to wear hats and shorts year round as a bagger (each division is different, some say only when its hot, some year round etc...)
- Learn what trains are (that is the art of getting 20-40 carts in one row and having another bagger steer the carts in while and you push (these can be reversed)
- Don't be a hero! After about 10 or 15 carts take a mini break to regain your strength and stabilize your body temp so that you dont sweat as much.
- If and ONLY if your managers allow it, play music to keep your mind off of how hot it is.
- Don't let the lot get too bad, if there isn't TOO much traffic in the store head outside and get a few carts, trust me, you don't want to have clear the entire lot on a hot day.
- Ice Shield - Buy cooling products, search up "cooling hat" "cooling vest" "arctic shirt" etc on amazon stuff like that helps you stay cool in the heat.
- Your manager SHOULD tell you what times you will need to be out there, or, it should be written somewhere. Don't let another bagger trick you into going out there when you don't need to be as well as how long you will be out there.
- Stick to the shadows - know where the shade is so if you need a relief from the sun you know where it is.
I am in the Local 1996 Atlanta GA area. We always have water available and on our 100 plus degree days our manager said he did not want us outside for more then 20 min at a time
I dont do courtesy service as much now, but when I did I did this:
1. HYDRATION, HYDRATION, HYDRATION!! It is IMPORTANT to stay hydrated at all times, especially when in the lot. Carry a water bottle with you at ALL times when out there. In fact, at my store, you can be written up for not carrying a water bottle with you when it is 95°plus outside and you are on lot duty, because it falls under Safety Protocol.
2. Take mini-breaks if needed. Come inside the store and bag for 5-10 min then go back out throughout your lot duty if you need to.
3. Take a wet towel and wipe down your face and neck to help keep cool. You can even fold over the paper towels after you wet them and put them around your neck
4. If you feel lightheaded for any reason when out doing carts come in and let your manager know IMMEDIATELY because that is a sign of heatstroke.
5. DO NOT be a hero and say it is fine if you experience #4. It can and will cause more issues.
Water is key to keep yourself hydrated outside in the really hot weather time and other weather related elements and also re-hydrated were I work as a UC at Metro Market on hot days UCS can wear shorts, capris and cool lots at the Van Buren Location in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Every store is similar or has different rules for UC's wear for carts so check with Management along with the CSR for what Courtesy Clerks wear.
- Learn what trains are (that is the art of getting 20-40 carts in one row and having another bagger steer the carts in while and you push (these can be reversed)
-
"Trains" are a great idea, but at the store where I used to work, we never really had that option. Nine times out of ten you were on your own (by yourself) in filling the carts. Or, if not that, one person handled one entrance side and you handled the other entrance side. Luckily, we as courtesy clerks had that shared bond of bullcrap, so if your side had few or no carts, then the other person would usually not be a dick and help you gather for say, five or ten minutes. You would do the same for them in a reversed situation. But in the 14 months I worked for Kroger I never had to deal with a "train" or saw one happen. The closest was the example I just gave---that the two of you courtesy clerks would gather carts for the same side for a short period of time, concentrating on that side, until the person whose side it was had enough to go back onto their own.
The only time I have ever seen a "train" of carts is at Wal-Mart. And their guys make basically the same pay as courtesy clerks at Kroger. Also their "trains" are easier to create because there's a mechanical thing-a-ma-bob with that flashing red light that is helping to guide them. Also when they do move 30-40-50 carts at a time in that manner, there's usually another Wal-Mart cart retriever at the end acting as a traffic cop or spotter to ensure no one is hit and no carts or cars are damaged.
Oh, you could do a train at Kroger no problem. Check out YouTube. But I don't think it happens at Kroger as often as would be nice. I know I sure as hell wouldn't have minded it when my side was low on carts. I usually went 14-17 at a time...grab about 10-11, maybe 12 using that stupid pulley-wench and then throw about another half-dozen at the end, and use sheer brute force to push and control the movement of the carts. That's of course if the drivers around you are nice and let you go through where you need to go without any problems. Which never happens.
I am in the Local 1996 Atlanta GA area. We always have water available and on our 100 plus degree days our manager said he did not want us outside for more then 20 min at a time
Fourteen months here under Local 1996. That started in late spring, went through summer and I quit soon into the early spring the next year.
Our store did the water bottle thing as well. But as courtesy clerks we had to keep an eye on the level of ice and / or water in there. Too many times there weren't enough or any bottles. We'd just go grab a 24 Kroger pack, let the main desk know, and drop them in. We'd usually get our ice from the sea food section and their cooler.
