Evaluation I received from the Assistant Front end Manager

yankeedog · Senior Member

Evaluation I received from the Assistant Front end Manager

i386 · Guru

yankeedog wrote:
Yesterday I received an evaluation from the Assistant Front end Manager.
His main focus was this...
1) Secret shoppers are coming to our location, and they are expecting to hear the following from our cashiers...
Hi, how are you?
May I scan your Kroger card?
Did you find everything you needed today?
Would you like paper or plastic?
Thank you for shopping at Kroger
You saved *x amount* with your Kroger card today.
2) He wants every cashier to say this so we receive outstanding survey results from the secret shoppers.
3) He said that our hours could be cut if a secret shopper tells Kroger Management as well as Front end management that a cashier did not say all of the above.
4) He said that he expects every cashier to say all of this.
5) That there would be a problem if any cashier did not say all of the above
Where is all of this coming from?
What is the real reason as to why this is happening?

Where is all this coming from? Out the butt of the executives. LOL

yankeedog · Senior Member

i386 wrote:
yankeedog wrote:
Yesterday I received an evaluation from the Assistant Front end Manager.
His main focus was this...
1) Secret shoppers are coming to our location, and they are expecting to hear the following from our cashiers...
Hi, how are you?
May I scan your Kroger card?
Did you find everything you needed today?
Would you like paper or plastic?
Thank you for shopping at Kroger
You saved *x amount* with your Kroger card today.
2) He wants every cashier to say this so we receive outstanding survey results from the secret shoppers.
3) He said that our hours could be cut if a secret shopper tells Kroger Management as well as Front end management that a cashier did not say all of the above.
4) He said that he expects every cashier to say all of this.
5) That there would be a problem if any cashier did not say all of the above
Where is all of this coming from?
What is the real reason as to why this is happening?

Where is all this coming from? Out the butt of the executives. LOL

And why are the executives doing this?

mega-kitteh · Guru

Because from what I'm told, a simple greeting in the checkstand is no longer good enough. They want us to be MORE ENGAGING with the customers meaning we can and will get dinged if we do not say what was mentioned in the posts above. We use to have to do that but then we got "too relaxed" and they decided to start this up again.

Like we CANNOT just say: Kroger xxx street how can I help you

We MUST say: Thank you for calling Kroger xxx street xxx speaking how can I help you today?

If we do not say that ^^ then we WILL get in SERIOUS trouble if we do it repeatedly.

As per corporate and manager rules

Kroger-Employee · Guru

Corporate Big Wigs are so dumb and stupid they actually seem to think that if the front end employees recite lots of formula-driven "canned" dialogue, (like we're playing roles in a TV show?) the average customer will be SO impressed they will give more positive, HIGHLY SATISFIED survey comments.

Yeah, right! This only shows the TOTAL DISCONNECT with reality that is prevalent with the people at the top of Kroger. Something like the elites in the Beltway Bubble who have no conception of what it is like for ordinary hard-working Americans in fly-over country.

So..... If all of us were friendly, and willing to speak casually, in a laid-back but helpful manner, as much as we can, but with NO REQUIRED LINES, no PHONY SPEECH FORCED ON US TO SAY, but just "play it by ear" with natural, casual conversation or just brief greetings (whatever feels appropriate for each customer) , everything would be better and the customers would be just as willing, if not more so, to give positive feedback.

Most customers (not all, but most) can "FEEL" when something is fake. They can tell when certain talking points is required.....it just sounds phony or rehearsed.

They want honesty and friendliness but NOT in a faked, forced way. Especially customers that come in very often....... it won't take long for them to memorize the cashier's lines!

Date: Dec 5, 2019

Kroger-Employee wrote:
Corporate Big Wigs are so dumb and stupid they actually seem to think that if the front end employees recite lots of formula-driven "canned" dialogue, (like we're playing roles in a TV show?) the average customer will be SO impressed they will give more positive, HIGHLY SATISFIED survey comments.
Yeah, right! This only shows the TOTAL DISCONNECT with reality that is prevalent with the people at the top of Kroger. Something like the elites in the Beltway Bubble who have no conception of what it is like for ordinary hard-working Americans in fly-over country.
So..... If all of us were friendly, and willing to speak casually, in a laid-back but helpful manner, as much as we can, but with NO REQUIRED LINES, no PHONY SPEECH FORCED ON US TO SAY, but just "play it by ear" with natural, casual conversation or just brief greetings (whatever feels appropriate for each customer) , everything would be better and the customers would be just as willing, if not more so, to give positive feedback.
Most customers (not all, but most) can "FEEL" when something is fake. They can tell when certain talking points is required.....it just sounds phony or rehearsed.
They want honesty and friendliness but NOT in a faked, forced way. Especially customers that come in very often....... it won't take long for them to memorize the cashier's lines!

Your right - some of that script should just be guidelines and not so rigid, because it will back fire and customers will be even more cynical - because it will be seen as not genuine concern..

4hourrush · Guru

mega-kitteh wrote:
Because from what I'm told, a simple greeting in the checkstand is no longer good enough. They want us to be MORE ENGAGING with the customers meaning we can and will get dinged if we do not say what was mentioned in the posts above. We use to have to do that but then we got "too relaxed" and they decided to start this up again.

Like we CANNOT just say: Kroger xxx street how can I help you

We MUST say: Thank you for calling Kroger xxx street xxx speaking how can I help you today?

If we do not say that ^^ then we WILL get in SERIOUS trouble if we do it repeatedly.

As per corporate and manager rules

i've actually always answered the phone that way... i've always been told to identify myself on the phone...

Date: Dec 5, 2019

This is increadibly stupid. I guarantee you the average customer doesnt want an entire speach from their cashier or cares, they are never going to think these lines are genuine, everyone knows this is corporate nonsense, it is gonna make us look like stiff robots and have the opposite affect

mega-kitteh · Guru

I dont ever identify myself on the phone at work. If they want to know
Y name, they can easily come.in.

Date: Dec 5, 2019

Our Customer Service people don't either. And we do not give out employee schedules over the phone either-even as one person told me "even if we recognize your voice we stil won't give it out." Had too many problems with customers wanting to know when a specific employee would be in the store.

Date: Dec 5, 2019

When I am in a store as a customer it annyys the h*** out of me when someone asks "did you find everything you are looking for?" Just ring me up, let me pay and get me the heck out of your store!!

Date: Dec 8, 2019

yankeedog wrote:
Yesterday I received an evaluation from the Assistant Front end Manager.
His main focus was this...
1) Secret shoppers are coming to our location, and they are expecting to hear the following from our cashiers...
Hi, how are you?
May I scan your Kroger card?
Did you find everything you needed today?
Would you like paper or plastic?
Thank you for shopping at Kroger
You saved *x amount* with your Kroger card today.
2) He wants every cashier to say this so we receive outstanding survey results from the secret shoppers.
3) He said that our hours could be cut if a secret shopper tells Kroger Management as well as Front end management that a cashier did not say all of the above.
4) He said that he expects every cashier to say all of this.
5) That there would be a problem if any cashier did not say all of the above
Where is all of this coming from?
What is the real reason as to why this is happening?

Jesus you have to ask ever customer that ****?? Man no wonder new hire cashiers walk out. Man this company and their dumb ideas.

Date: Dec 8, 2019

Anonymous wrote:
When I am in a store as a customer it annyys the h*** out of me when someone asks "did you find everything you are looking for?" Just ring me up, let me pay and get me the heck out of your store!!

Man same here.

Date: Dec 8, 2019

i386 wrote:
yankeedog wrote:
Yesterday I received an evaluation from the Assistant Front end Manager.
His main focus was this...
1) Secret shoppers are coming to our location, and they are expecting to hear the following from our cashiers...
Hi, how are you?
May I scan your Kroger card?
Did you find everything you needed today?
Would you like paper or plastic?
Thank you for shopping at Kroger
You saved *x amount* with your Kroger card today.
2) He wants every cashier to say this so we receive outstanding survey results from the secret shoppers.
3) He said that our hours could be cut if a secret shopper tells Kroger Management as well as Front end management that a cashier did not say all of the above.
4) He said that he expects every cashier to say all of this.
5) That there would be a problem if any cashier did not say all of the above
Where is all of this coming from?
What is the real reason as to why this is happening?

Where is all this coming from? Out the butt of the executives. LOL

You should know you work there.

i386 · Guru

yankeedog wrote:
i386 wrote:
yankeedog wrote:
Yesterday I received an evaluation from the Assistant Front end Manager.
His main focus was this...
1) Secret shoppers are coming to our location, and they are expecting to hear the following from our cashiers...
Hi, how are you?
May I scan your Kroger card?
Did you find everything you needed today?
Would you like paper or plastic?
Thank you for shopping at Kroger
You saved *x amount* with your Kroger card today.
2) He wants every cashier to say this so we receive outstanding survey results from the secret shoppers.
3) He said that our hours could be cut if a secret shopper tells Kroger Management as well as Front end management that a cashier did not say all of the above.
4) He said that he expects every cashier to say all of this.
5) That there would be a problem if any cashier did not say all of the above
Where is all of this coming from?
What is the real reason as to why this is happening?

Where is all this coming from? Out the butt of the executives. LOL
And why are the executives doing this?

We all fart.

Date: Dec 10, 2019

We got a form like this in our store on Monday. I was told that customers think our store is "not too friendly" and they want us to say this stuff. I told my FES that "I don't kiss anyone's butt" and she said "you don't have to you just have to say hello and thank them for shopping at Kroger." I am a bagger. We all were told that people would be fired if they were not friendly-I will not smile so much that my face cracks-no effing way. I had to do that at my last job and that is why I left there.

Date: Dec 10, 2019

I was told today by one of my managers that "Kroger is losing money"-well they sure had $40 million for that damm rebranding that is turning out to be an abysimial failure. I wonder how long this "Fresh for Everyone" garbage will last?

Date: Dec 11, 2019

A wave of Kroger crap rolling across the landscape. They have other dirty tricks to mess with us and those we serve. Go ahead and do it. Day after day. Customer after customer including your personal regulars. Let em know how it is by living it where they can observe. After a while this wave of crap will settle down. We get it here too sometimes.

Date: Dec 13, 2019

This is not new in the MI division. I used to cashier and it was misery. Then they do not even want you to have water by the registers. Talking constantly for two hours at a time without a beverage is ludicrous.

Anyway, we were never given a written list of things to say, but the unwritten rule was that all of those things were required. Add to that, Do you have any coupons or bottle returns? and You received x amount of fuel points today for a total of xx and Would you like to donate x amount to x charity?.