The Grocery Store Thread

[cramx3]

yay small town living!

cashiers (especially at the local grocery store I go to, where they still have baggers!) like to make small talk.

yup, small town living  people hate you here if you do a stop and chat with a cashier... and I may agree with the haters in these situations  I'm always so shocked when I'm outside NJ/NY and people are so nice with small talk that also seems genuine.  I don't hate this in general btw, just not when you're in a busy store, I otherwise do like when people are friendly with each other.

[The Walrus]

Even small town living has some of the same problems as bigger places; that local grocery store has 6 or 7 checkout lanes, but on Friday only 2 of them were open and the lines were still backing up 

I enjoy talking with the cashiers at that store, but not the ones at Wal-Mart, because it used to just be a local grocery store (now it's part of a chain of County Market stores) but still retains most of the home-grown flavor I remember from when I was a kid).

[Evermind]

Yeah no shit, I just want to buy the items and head home as soon as possible. I don't care about cashier small talk at all.

Haven't encountered a lot of people with earbuds in grocery stores here, but I kinda see both points. My view is closer to Tim's on that matter, I always take the earbuds out/headphones off whenever I'm in the store. Even if the music is quiet, it distracts me from my surroundings in the store enough so I'm more likely to bump into someone which would be mortifying.

Wouldn't call it peaceful either. It's usually mix of irritating and fun.

[jingle.boy]

Like Katt, I extend the courtesy of taking my buds out when there is a need to interact with people, even if only to say "good afternoon" or "thank you" to the cashier.  And I only wear them if I'm on my own.

Plus I'm going shopping by myself. WTF do I care if people around me judge me for listening to music while I pick out frozen pizzas? 

I'll use my old man voice and say that air pods while shopping is another reason why no one gives a shit about anyone anymore. I mean it's not that strangers are going to whip up conversations in the store, I get that. But it seems like everyone is so closed off from everyone else. To me, it's almost a symbolic thing.

Says the guy who puts on his earbuds when taking long distance drives in the car with his family. 

[Stadler]

If I were a city liver, I'd probably have my headphones in, but as I drive to the grocery store, I never had thought to bring headphones with me.  Regardless, I shop for myself and usually am pretty quick about it.  However, I don't consider it a peaceful experience.  My town is 20k and small overall, it's usually pretty busy and hectic with carts and people having too many items in the under 20 items lanes.  Whatever, it's not as bad as the costco but it's usually not a pleasant experience and I don't think headphones will make it any better.

I think this is part of it.  When I was in Philly - in the city, so walk everywhere, including the grocery store - I always wore my headphones, though I would turn it down, or take one out of one ear when I was in the store.   I'm not a talker in the store, but if someone says hello or whatever, I like to be responsive and polite.  But here in CT, where I just about have to drive everywhere, I never use them. 

[wolfking]

I've never been a earbud guy while in a public place, I just feel uncomfortable and uneasy not knowing what's going on around me.  Even in the gym, I don't trust others with heavy objects so I want to be onto it.

I get what Tim is saying with the earbud thing making people closed off to everyone else, but I don't really see a problem with it in the grocery store.  I do just wish people were more responsive and less oblivious, but people are fucking oblivious without anything in their ears so I guess it makes no difference.  I'm not going to the grocery store to talk to people.  We have self serve checkouts here which I love because the small talk from the checkout chick can get excruciating for me.

The whole, 'how are you?' 'got much planned for the rest of the day?' talk I just don't understand.  I know they are being polite and have to have good customer service but it's so fake and awkward and there is simply no end result.  Unless you become a regular and know the staff over time, fair enough but one off shit where I'm never going to see them again is just painful.

[King Postwhore]

When I'm shopping alone I wear my headphones. as soon as I have to talk to someone,  I take them off.

I see a lot of people with no earbuds/headphones who can hear me buy are 1,000,000 times more inconsiderate than I am with my headphones on.

[wolfking]

When I'm shopping alone I wear my headphones. as soon as I have to talk to someone,  I take them off.

I see a lot of people with no earbuds/headphones who can hear me buy are 1,000,000 times more inconsiderate than I am with my headphones on.

Yeah exactly.

[TAC]

Says the guy who puts on his earbuds when taking long distance drives in the car with his family. 

For almost 15 years, we took at least 3 car trips to Florida. At first my wife would get upset when I wanted to listen to my disc man.

But ultimately she came to realize that the ride down and back, while listening to music was MY VACATION TIME. As much fun as it was watching the kids grow up at Disney, it wasn't always relaxing. Listening to music was a major life recharge for me.

I had literally some of the best music listening moments during these marathons. I can still hear songs today, and I can pinpoint exactly where on Rt 95 I was and in what state.


The iPod made this so much easier. I would usually pack about 15 discs or so. I can say that Moving Pictures and Hemispheres made every trip.

[vtgrad]

Says the guy who puts on his earbuds when taking long distance drives in the car with his family. 

For almost 15 years, we took at least 3 car trips to Florida. At first my wife would get upset when I wanted to listen to my disc man.

But ultimately she came to realize that the ride down and back, while listening to music was MY VACATION TIME. As much fun as it was watching the kids grow up at Disney, it wasn't always relaxing. Listening to music was a major life recharge for me.

I had literally some of the best music listening moments during these marathons. I can still hear songs today, and I can pinpoint exactly where on Rt 95 I was and in what state.


The iPod made this so much easier. I would usually pack about 15 discs or so. I can say that Moving Pictures and Hemispheres made every trip.

Did Promised Land make any of those trips?  And knowing that you managed a Grocery Store makes the Shopping Cart thread infinitely more entertaining 

I actually enjoy grocery shopping when in the right store.  Fresh Market, Earth Fare, and that awesome Whole Foods in Asheville NC (not had the same experience in other Whole Foods stores) are favorites.  I get ideas for meals from shopping as well so I enjoy it and in the stores I mentioned it's relaxing to me... the smells of hand-made soaps, roasting meat, fresh flowers, etc.

No earbuds for me, but no disdain for earbuds either.... to each his own and all that.  I can take or leave the human race... I'll talk your ear off if you want to talk but I'm just as happy nodding at you while you pass me with that squeaking cart THAT NEEDS TO BE PUT IN THE CORRAL OUTSIDE WHEN YOU'RE FINISHED.   

[Dublagent66]

Uh oh!  Here we go...

[vtgrad]

I edited and added  so everyone would know it's in good fun.

[orcus116]

A question for the store managers here. I was in line behind a woman who was being a bit...difficult and the cashier kept trying to get her to properly input her card or something. The cashier was being a bit quiet but understandable and after only a couple tries the customer just exploded with "You know what? I'll take care of this myself because you clearly don't want to do your job properly. I'm speaking to your manager." and stormed off. Based on how quickly this transpired it was clear this woman gets off on getting upset and playing the "talk to the manager" power card and I felt bad for the cashier who just looked dumbfounded.

So as a manager if a customer like this comes up and complains is it pretty obvious when they're being a straight up asshole or do you have to sort of discipline the employee to save face? I'm sure it's different for each situation but I've seen enough self righteous customers to wonder if there's a protocol.

[Grappler]

So as a manager if a customer like this comes up and complains is it pretty obvious when they're being a straight up asshole or do you have to sort of discipline the employee to save face? I'm sure it's different for each situation but I've seen enough self righteous customers to wonder if there's a protocol.

I was never a store manager, but when I worked in a grocery store as a teenager and there were altercations between customers and employees, I saw our front end (checkout/register managers) outright defend the store employee, since the customer was being a bully. 

I'd say that it depends on the demeanor of the customer - if they're calm and questioning something, that's fine.  But in this one instance that I recall, an angry customer was trying to get his hands on the employee, and the employee was keeping a shopping cart between him and the customer as a defense.  Naturally, the manager is going to defend their employee when it's obvious that the customer is the one being aggressive.

[mike099]

Not a grocery store story, but a drug store story:

I used to be a store manager at Revco in Antioch, TN from 1983-1988.  We were about 50 yards from the interstate.  Needless to say we were an easy target of several robberies(at least 10 when I was a manager).  During one of the robberies, I was sitting close to the pharmacy area working up the daily deposit and had about 3K of cash(credit cards just started being used).  The guy was so focused on the controlled substances that he did not even see the cash laid out on the table.  Also, he did not bother with the tills out front.

[King Postwhore]

I was a front end manager and I would talk to the customer, talk to the front end supervisor who would be there right away when there is an issue like that then speak to the employee privately.  Then make a decision.  If that customer cannot wait for me speaking to all involved I have my answer before I finish the investigation.

[El Barto]

You never reprimand an employee publicly. If it needs to be done you do it in private. I've heard employees get chewed out before and I always leave thinking that the manager was the real problem and not the minion.

[King Postwhore]

Yup. Never, ever do that in public. 

[TAC]

Every scenario is different. In reading Orcus' example, if the customer is clearly being an asshole, I'd basically try and get them the hell out of the store as quick as possible. You really have to read the situation.

I would certainly talk to the cashier privately and say something along the lines of "Geez, what happened?" and let them tell you how they perceived it.

Then you can quickly figure it out. You can coach the cashier on what they may or may not do differently or you might simply chalk it up to the customer just being an asshole.

I can't think of any time where I disciplined an associate in front of a customer. If it was that bad, I'd have the associate removed from the situation as soon as possible, and talk with them after the customer left.




Oh... and Warning and Operation Mindcrime made the trip. Every time.

[Dublagent66]

Good point Barto.  Far too many managers have that philosophy of embarrassment and humiliation are the best teachers.  Wrong.

[wolfking]

If you know your employee and their character, you can basically gauge if the customer is onto something or just trying to be an asshole.  As Tim said, afterwards just asked what that was all about and go from there.

[El Barto]

The best example I can think of is Brad's manager, and all I can think of when I think about that is "Mister, if you don't shut up I'm gonna kick one-hundred percent of your ass!"
I love the way his voice cracked when he went high with "ass!"

[TAC]

I'm sorry. Who is Brad?

[El Barto]

I'm sorry. Who is Brad?

Brad Hamilton, but if you don't get the quote then you won't get the joke. 

[TAC]

Apparently. 

[KevShmev]

Damn, I was scrolling and gonna make the Brad Hamilton comment and then realized y'all were way ahead of me.

Anyone else still wondering if Arnold had a helluva piss?

[wolfking]

Apparently. 

That makes two of us.

[TAC]

Anyone else still wondering if Arnold had a helluva piss?

[El Barto]

Damn, I was scrolling and gonna make the Brad Hamilton comment and then realized y'all were way ahead of me.

Anyone else still wondering if Arnold had a helluva piss?

Well, one of us was.

https://youtu.be/A1HqjBc6LhA?t=35

[pg1067]

[wolfking]

Oh no, another thread starting to derail into chaos haha.

[TAC]

OK. Fast Times. Got it.

[KevShmev]

Damn, I was scrolling and gonna make the Brad Hamilton comment and then realized y'all were way ahead of me.

Anyone else still wondering if Arnold had a helluva piss?

Well, one of us was.

https://youtu.be/A1HqjBc6LhA?t=35

And holy crap, I just now realized that the actor who played Arnold was Copeland in the first Police Academy (one of Harris' lackeys, the guy who called Hooks a racial slur when she ran over his feet with the car) and also played one of the storm chasers in Twister.  Woah.

[King Postwhore]

When I need a chuckle I read Tim's posts.

[cramx3]

I'm sorry. Who is Brad?

I cant fault you for this one, I'm clueless as well.