Do's and Don'ts For Customers Shopping in Retail Stores (pricing, discounts, decorations)
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I've only been to one and it was like a mini-Costco or BJ's - sort of like a warehouse w/ some off-name brands at reasonable prices. I believe they're popular in Europe and some other states where they've been around a while (the one in my area is fairly new and I've yet to buy anything), it had a very limited selection of food items.
haha I have an Aldi's kinda near where I live (Southeastern Pennsylvania) and you have to like put a quarter into the shopping cart to use it. I can't remember how it worked, but I think the wheels locked in place unless you put that quarter in! haha Sorry, it just made me laugh... lol
Some stores OFFER this kind of service....but don't HAVE to.
Your items, your groceries = your responsibility (to be correct). You paid for the items.....they become yours.
I don't pay for mine until they are bagged.
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Originally Posted by MB2
Why SHOULD the store offer bagging and take-out services (or HAVE to) ?
I am from Germany, and there, you bag your own, you pay for plastic bags and you carry them out yourself.
They don't have to, and many of them don't. The ones that don't, advertise themselves as low cost self service stores (like ALDI's). Plenty of people shop at those types of grocery stores and are quite happy to bag their own groceries in exchange for the lower prices.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MB2
But here in the US.....huh......we "trained" people to become lazy, and to "expect" and "demand", and sometimes to treat Retail clerks like servants.
All that staff needed to "kiss butt" and make a customer happy (or lazier, perhaps ?) comes with a price tag, reflecting in grocery prices.
So, you as a customer pay MORE for groceries, because they are getting bagged and taken out to your car.
Reality check is needed desperately.
If I choose to shop at a store that is a traditional grocery store and I'm paying regular price for my food then, yes, I do expect my groceries to be bagged (and when I become old and infirm I'll probably expect them to be carried out to my car too). If you want to call me lazy because I don't feel like bagging my own groceries after having worked all day and then had to do my shopping on the way home... I can live with that.
What kind of store is ALDI'S ? We do not have any here in New York.
I just moved to a neighborhood where I'm now less than a 10 minute walk from Aldi's. been shopping there a few times and I like it a lot. yeah, you need to deposit a quarter to release a cart, but you get it back if you return the cart. this makes it so store employees aren't chasing after carts in the parking lot. there are no baskets either, so you either have to cough up the coin, bring your own cart/basket (I have a little granny cart I use and my roommate has a foldable shopping basket), or snag an empty box and use that (there aren't really any shelves, all the items are still in boxes and cases and stacked along the aisle)
selection is ok, not much produce or fresh meat. some items aren't name brand, but you can find a few name brand items (at my Aldi's I can get a 6 pack of Fuze drinks for less than $6. each bottle by itself cost almost $2 in drugstores! I've also found real Splenda, Quaker Oats products, and some popular frozen foods brands). they have this brand called Fit and Active that has some quality foods I like. in many cases, I could care less about the brand (granulated sugar is basically the same regardless of brand, but I can get it for a $1 less at Aldi's), so it's a great place to stock up on pantry goods
I love the fact that they don't supply free bags so you must either bring your own or buy one of theirs (they have nice cloth ones and large plastic ones). also, after the cashier finishes scanning the product, it goes right back into your cart. all Aldi's have this table that runs along the front of the store where you bring your bought groceries to bag them so you're not holding up the line. overall, a very efficient process.
I think Aldi's gets this reputation of being a store for low income people, b/c, at least in Chicago, they are mostly in lower income areas, but I wish this business model could extend to other stores. Aldi's is so cheap b/c they've eliminated the need for employees to retrieve carts, shelve items, front items, and bag groceries. there are some stores, like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's (which I just learned is owned by the same company that owns Aldi's here in the US) where I like to shop b/c the level of customer service is excellent, but there are other stores that can easily do away w/ 50-90% of their staff and adopt the Aldi's model. U-Scans, IMO are a step in the right direction, but are annoying since they can become annoying when they lock up if you don't bag the item immediately, or the weight isn't distributed properly, or the person ahead of you is buying a ton of produce but has no clue how to look up the code. overall, I don't want to see all these kids lose their jobs, but I rather have less customer service than bad customer service, would rather bag my own stuff than have it tossed into a bag indiscriminately by a rude bagger
ETA: saw this link on MSN today that addresses some of the do's/dont's we mentioned here (forgive me if this link was brought up in the other CS thread):
Whoa, where do you ever get this idea? I think some of you are taking this a little too far. It is still the responsibility of the cashiers and baggers to bag the groceries. (I don't believe any of your managers would tell you otherwise, would they?) If I feel up to bagging my own groceries I'll go through the U-scan. OTOH if I've had a long eight or ten hours on my feet at my own job, and I have to stop at the store afterwards, yes I'm going to a regular checkout lane and expect someone else to do the bagging. Unless you are working at a bag-your-own type of place then it is still an expected part of your job.
FWIW I have been in retail many years and my son is working at a grocery store to help pay for his schooling, so I completely understand a lot of the negative feelings, but get real!
THANK YOU FOR SAYING THIS!!!!!
Seriously, this is a huge pet peeve of mine as a shopper. I have helped bag groceries, and if I am in a hurry I will.
However, it is YOUR job to bag them. Not mine. As someone said, if I wanted to bag them, I would go to the UScan. And if your store doesn't have one, then, it really is your job. You should not be giving me dirty looks or a big sigh because you are having to work. And, I wouldnt really call it work, when at most I have 15, 20 items.
I know when I lived in Ohio, they had Grocery Stores like Aldi's and Save A Lot where you had to bag them yourselves, but, the prices on the groceries were way lower.
I don't pay for mine until they are bagged.
They don't have to, and many of them don't. The ones that don't, advertise themselves as low cost self service stores (like ALDI's). Plenty of people shop at those types of grocery stores and are quite happy to bag their own groceries in exchange for the lower prices.
If I choose to shop at a store that is a traditional grocery store and I'm paying regular price for my food then, yes, I do expect my groceries to be bagged (and when I become old and infirm I'll probably expect them to be carried out to my car too). If you want to call me lazy because I don't feel like bagging my own groceries after having worked all day and then had to do my shopping on the way home... I can live with that.
There ya go....'nough said about "expectations" and "demands".
Bagging and carry-out service is what it is: A SERVICE some retailers offer to their customers.
And, yes....we do have bag boys and girls, which are gladly helping you carry out your groceries.
Sure, if you don't mind spending the higher price tag to enjoy this service.....that's GREAT (and keeps me employed).
However....it is a service, and customers should settle down a bit, when that service is not available at times (for whatever reason), and/ or treat those people providing those services like they are servants.
Common courtesy comes to mind.
I wish people would just be happy that the POSSIBILITY is there, for bagging and carry- out services....but not huffing and puffing and DEMANDING and EXPECTING.
There are bigger problems in this world and in peoples lives then worry about whether "my groceries are going to be bagged and carried out".
I enjoy those services (if available), and yes, it gives me a break getting off my 9 to 10 hour shift working in the SAME grocery store.
However, I feel VERY comfortable and at ease to bag my own items, and carry my groceries I just bought to my car.
However, if a clerk wants to bag my items, and I see that another customer has no bagger, I gladly give up "my service" to send the clerk over to help YOU (as a customer) with your order.
Do I sweat it? NO......do I huff and puff? NO......do I make a stink about it? NO.....do I expect and demand? NO.........
I do this to keep people (customers like you) happy, fullfill expectations and demands, "give them a break" and help to keep their blood pressure down.....(but, I don't "HAVE" to do this......)
haha I have an Aldi's kinda near where I live (Southeastern Pennsylvania) and you have to like put a quarter into the shopping cart to use it. I can't remember how it worked, but I think the wheels locked in place unless you put that quarter in! haha Sorry, it just made me laugh... lol
Yes.....you are right with the wheels locked in place !
This is a common practice in Germany/ Europe, and makes a LOT of sense, if you ask me.
People just HATE to "give" money away, or "waste" it....even if it is a quarter.
So, in order for you (the customer) to get your money back, you must return your shopping cart back to where you got it from, and lock it into place. Only after you have done so, is the money for "renting the cart" returned to you.
So, carts are always available to other customers, no more stray shopping carts cluttering up a parking lot, no more dinged up, damaged cars from "run away" carts and no added costs added for the consumer to have service clerks run, in order of rounding up carts in the parking lot.
I think, it is a wonderful concept.....unless, of course, some people are to tired to bring them back, have to much money, and/ or expect and demand "service clerks" to bring them back for them....feeling, they don't or shouldn't have to do that either!
Refusing to shop at stores that require a 25 cent deposit for a shopping cart has nothing to do with expecting or demanding service, and everything to do with not carrying cash on an everyday basis.
Enough generalities about Americans' laziness, if you please.
Refusing to shop at stores that require a 25 cent deposit for a shopping cart has nothing to do with expecting or demanding service, and everything to do with not carrying cash on an everyday basis.
Enough generalities about Americans' laziness, if you please.
I still think, it would be a wonderful concept to adapt concerning the shopping cart dilemma.......for a lot of different and all the right reasons.
To have a 25 cent coin in the pocket, going shopping, is "carrying cash"?
Sure, and I agree.....you decide on where you leave your money, what services you demand and require, in order to make you comfortable and keep you happy.
However, back to the original topic.....I do see the "do's" and "dont's" for customers shopping in retail stores from both sides. I DO work in a grocery store, and I AM a customer as well.
I have (and do) see the bad and ugly sides of customers, more then I wish I would.
We (as employees) are told to be courteous, friendly and nice.....and we are....trying our best.
However, when a customer is creating an absolute uncalled scene, treating store personal like servants, getting vulgar,personally attack and just being very difficult to deal with, it's hard to keep ones composure and cool.
We, as the retail industry, set the standards for many, many things, setting the threshold of expectations, demands and privileges so much higher, to the point of spoiling the customers....all in order to be competitive.
Some customers, however, just take that "privilege" and run hog wild with it....even if it means to be difficult and nasty to the retail staff, in order to get what they want. (And for free, if they can )
(I kind of get use to getting yelled at, and tend to disgruntled customers....all because their favorite tasty cakes are not in stock.....and I work in the meat department.....LOL)
Double edged sword, IMHO, because I do see both sides of both worlds.
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