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Over the past few months I've noticed quite a few Facepunchers are Grocery store employees. In fact, many work for the same company I do, [URL="http://www.kroger.com/Pages/Default011.aspx"]Kroger[/URL]. This is my first and hopefully last job before my actual career in Digital Cinematography, but it's been quite a wonderful and at times irritating experience. I started working at Store #401--District J in Hiram, GA. back in July of 2010, and I've been working there since...well kind of, our store just closed due to our landlord raising the rent from $50,000.00 to $90,000.00 a month on a 20 year lease. Aside from that though, I started as a Courtesy Clerk, or as you know, the guy who bags your groceries.
I've always had a good work ethic, and not that ass kissing--suck my dick to the top of the totem pole; but that legitimate--come to work and do my job as good as I can until I leave. Even after getting used to the job I still have that work ethic, and in the long run it's benefited me quite well. Not merely 3 months into me being an employee I had been asked by my Front End manager to train on the register as a Cashier, which seemed like the greatest thing ever because it meant I was going somewhere with my job. They started training me pretty quickly too! The next day I came in and had to work a 6 hour shift as a Courtesy Clerk, and towards the end I was ready to go home when my Front End Manager and Floor Supervisor asked me if I wanted to stay another 3 1/2 hours to train because the Cashier coming in called out.
I decided to stay and train even though I was unbelievably nervous about this whole new experience. Over the past few months I had gotten used to doing the most menial of tasks like scrubbing toilets or humping carts in from the parking lot. Needless to say, I asked a lot of questions and apologized a lot to both my Supervisor and customers. The greatest thing about that day though was how understanding everyone really was. I hadn't received a single complaint, and most people said I was doing great. Those simple words really helped motivate me to do better as the day went on.
Most people think of a Cashier's job as a pretty basic task: Scan, scan, scan, input PLU code, scan, scan, scan...but there's so much hidden beneath those slick button strokes. Everything has a specific button combination; from how your paying, to wic, to foodstamps, to every single product of produce we carry. To top it all off Kroger has a Cashier effectiveness system called ELMS (don't remember what it means), but it basically logs and averages how many items per minute you're scanning, the tender time per customer (how much time we spend with each customer), and other small things like misc. items (Coinstar, WIC, etc...).
So on top of being quick for the customer's sake, you're also being analyzed and ranked on a 0-100+% in efficiency that's posted for all of the Cashiers to compare and evaluate. As you can guess my first few weeks as a Cashier weren't exactly 100%, and it stayed that way until I started trying new tricks which boosted me to top Cashier in our store after about 2 months. In 3 months I became 4th in our division, and as of now I believe I'm currently 2nd Cashier in my division (I need to check our charts).
Anyways, I created this thread for other Grocery Store employees to rant and discuss tricks and tips, and other little things here. I love hearing stories, especially about the stupidity that occurs at Self-Checkout.
The Hierarchy of the Front End at Kroger:
Courtesty Clerk-------> Cashier -------> Self-Check-Out Attendant -------> Customer Service -------> Floor Supervisor -------> Accountant -------> Front End Backup Manager -------> Front End Manager
With each promotion you get certain benefits and pay raises. Currently I'm a Cashier, but soon to move up to Self-Checkout/Customer Service (Some stores train from SCO to Floor Supervisor at once since it's a multi-role job), I'm just waiting to get settled into my new location.
This one time, a woman at a fastlane couldn't figure out how to scan the product, she was trying to scan everywhere BUT the bar code :doh:
Mt. Hood Foods lol
[QUOTE=Xenoyia v2;28037907]This one time, a woman at a fastlane couldn't figure out how to scan the product, she was trying to scan everywhere BUT the bar code :doh:[/QUOTE]
Couples at self checkout are fun to watch. You have the man scanning products and handing them over to the wife/girlfriend who is then trying to place it neatly in the bag but is taking too long. So the guy tries to scan another product and the machine calls for Attendant assistance because, "something was added to the bagging area" simply because of the woman wanting to make everything perfect. It's even funnier when they get mad and turn on each other and start arguing with the screen/machine.
I work for Tesco.
[img]http://markgorman.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/tesco.jpg[/img]
It's horrible. When I started, I was told I could start on tills and end up as a manager. As it stands, it took me a year to get off of tills and on to a shop floor department. Even that was only a slight improvement, since I'm not allowed the job I want due to my brother being on the same department.
I have recently stumbled upon many problems with the company, examples of which are below:
Extreme bias. When I applied for the department my brother works on, I was denied the position, purely because of the fact my brother works on the same department (as previously mentioned). Now, recently, new people were hired, and one came to my department. This new person turned out to be the department manager's sister. This needs no more explanation.
Onto another point. During my just over a year of employment with the company, I have been off 3 times, resulting in about 15 hours worth of lost shifts on my part. This is fair enough. However, these 3 absences were over a period of 56 weeks. When our absence goes above a percentage, we are to have a meeting with managers. I have had this meeting, because apparently, 3 absences in 56 weeks is more than the 3% absence rate we are allowed. If I miss one more day of work in the next [B]half a year[/B], I get disciplinary action against me.
Now for the cherry on the cake of faecal matter and semen:
You can have disciplinary action against you, or even [B]get fired[/B] for deleting a work colleague off of your Facebook friends list.
I'm not even joking.
I'm security for the property that hosts a Whole Foods. The employees there are pretty chill.
@Dclade That sucks hard bro.
I used to do stock, it's actually a pretty fun job if you work with (and for) good people. If the store is staffed by douchebags it'll be hell though.
I don't have any good stories, except for the man complaining that the lettuce didn't come with a warranty.
why did i laugh at this thread's title
i am a kroger employee too
SELF CHECKOUT IS HELL
[b]HELL[/b]
[editline]13th February 2011[/editline]
tl;dr the job is mainly about you knowing absolutely everything in miniscule detail about the u-scan GUI but you see around 50 people per hour that know jack shit about u-scan and they blame YOU
to them YOU designed and coded absofuckinglutely EVERYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH U-SCAN, PERIOD. YOU ARE THE SOUL CREATOR OF THE MACHINE AND EVERYTHING THEY DO WRONG IS YOUR FAULT
OH AND THEY NEVER EVER READ WHATS ON THE SCREEN
[QUOTE=meppers;28038226]i am a kroger employee too
SELF CHECKOUT IS HELL
[b]HELL[/b]
[editline]13th February 2011[/editline]
tl;dr the job is mainly about you knowing absolutely everything in miniscule detail about the u-scan GUI but you see around 50 people per hour that know jack shit about u-scan and they blame YOU
to them YOU designed and coded absofuckinglutely EVERYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH U-SCAN, PERIOD[/QUOTE]
It's that way about the prices in a store. A lot of customers act as if we stock the shelves, place the tags, and have a big book of everything about the prices of product. Then they get mad at us when we tell them they're wrong!
[QUOTE=SystemGS;28038201]why did i laugh at this thread's title[/QUOTE]
I know right
I work at a Meijer in the electronics/photo department and it is absolutely the BEST minimum-wage part-time job of all time.
I've been there about a year and am now working full time with some ballin pay raises. The atmosphere is great, too.
[editline]13th February 2011[/editline]
I went there and was grateful that I had a job and sure there's its downsides but so many people complain about petty things in their jobs and even though they are petty, they are problems that I simply don't have.
If you smile and treat the customer like you would want to be treated, then you will rarely get in to a problematic situation. Luckily my job revolves around mostly regular customers, so you get to know a lot of people relatively quickly and they all put in good word for you. :)
[QUOTE=69105;28038318]I work at a Meijer in the electronics/photo department and it is absolutely the BEST minimum-wage part-time job of all time.
I've been there about a year and am now working full time with some ballin pay raises. The atmosphere is great, too.
[editline]13th February 2011[/editline]
I went there and was grateful that I had a job and sure there's its downsides but so many people complain about petty things in their jobs and even though they are petty, they are problems that I simply don't have.
If you smile and treat the customer like you would want to be treated, then you will rarely get in to a problematic situation. Luckily my job revolves around mostly regular customers, so you get to know a lot of people relatively quickly and they all put in good word for you. :)[/QUOTE]
I love working as a Cashier. With my store closing though I really am going to miss the family that I built up there, even with some of our regulars I've built a nice friendship with.
[QUOTE=Xenoyia v2;28037907]This one time, a woman at a fastlane couldn't figure out how to scan the product, she was trying to scan everywhere BUT the bar code :doh:[/QUOTE]
There should be a group that suddenly swoops in from all directions, quickly and quietly pulls people like this out of view, then executes them.
My dad's a manager at any Giant Eagle store he gets moved to.
[IMG]http://moneysavingmom.com/store_deals/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/gianteaglelogo.jpg[/IMG]
Chain started in Pittsburgh, moved to places in western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio and Virginia.
And, if anyone cares, Giant Eagle will be my first job, like most other people around here.
My cousin works at Sobeys as a cart boy and he fucking hates it.
Funny story, My uncle got hired at stop and shop, the first day on the manager gave him a rain jacket and told him to go out in the rain and get the carts, he said no and walked out with the jacket! He still wears it to this day.
being on carts fucking blows
[quote=leeto;28039801]funny story, my uncle got hired at stop and shop, the first day on the manager gave him a rain jacket and told him to go out in the rain and get the carts, he said no and walked out with the jacket! He still wears it to this day.[/quote]
HAHAHAHAHA [b]HAHAHAHAHAA[/b] HAHAHAHA hAHAHAHAHA
I work for Sainsburys:
[img]http://www.hollandspies.co.uk/upload/images/196/big/Sainsburys_logo.jpg?1276261177[/img]
and it's kinda okay. I started as a "general assistant" on Fruit and Veg, and over the last three and a half years I've been trained to work as: cashier, a deli counter assistant, code checker, a cook in the customer restaurant and a barista as well. The year I was working there full time I got offered a job as a supervisor as well.
To be honest, enjoying the job is more about the store and the people you work with more than the actual company who employs you.
Unexpected item in the bagging area.
'nuff said.
[QUOTE=Hexxeh;28040109]Unexpected item in the bagging area.
'nuff said.[/QUOTE]
Like KY Jelly! I was cashier last night, and a couple of 60+ years bought it. They even had a coupon for it. I was torn between cracking up and crying.
My story is very. very similar to the OP's. I'm currently a cashier at Jewel-Osco, a grocery chain in the Mid-West. I started in June of 2010 and I'm still goin'. However, mostly everyone in front end really doesn't like being there and most of the floor supervisors are really bitter for having been there 25+ years.
I work at safeway, you wouldn't believe the soccermom's we get. Employees are chill though.
In my first week being a cashier I accidently rang ONE banana through as normal when it was organic, and I had a big talk to the manager about making sure I ring the right items through. There was pretty much no way to tell if it was organic or not, and it was my first week as well. Not fun.
[QUOTE=Master117;28038046]I'm security for the property that hosts a Whole Foods. The employees there are pretty chill.[/QUOTE]
what does your job consist of
ring the shit up right then
[QUOTE=The Don;28040337]Like KY Jelly! I was cashier last night, and a couple of 60+ years bought it. They even had a coupon for it. I was torn between cracking up and crying.[/QUOTE]
Haha that's hilarious! Yesterday we saw a couple get extenze, the man was so embarrassed and really tried hiding what he bought.
Work at Dollar General as a Lead Sales Associate. Basically I can do just about everything there is to do; stocking, cashier, receiving freight, opening / closing the store, so on and so forth. It's a pretty chill job, other than the fact that I work with an all female team. It's like diving into a pool of liquid estrogen whenever I go to work.
[QUOTE=massn7;28041383]Work at Dollar General as a Lead Sales Associate. Basically I can do just about everything there is to do; stocking, cashier, receiving freight, opening / closing the store, so on and so forth. It's a pretty chill job, other than the fact that I work with an all female team. It's like diving into a pool of liquid estrogen whenever I go to work.[/QUOTE]
I live next to a dollar general. Perfect for munchies.
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