| Author |
Message |
    
LilRedCorvette
Citizen
Username: Lilredcorvette
Post Number: 248
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, August 7, 2005 - 3:26 pm: |     |
This probably belongs more in the soapbos section, but since it's food and shopping related, I thought I'd post it here.
Standing in line today at the deli counter at Pathmark, I was the only 'customer' as the deli counter person was helping out a Pathmark employee with helping her choose the contents of her fried chicken dinner.
I'm patient while they have a conversation about what side dishes are the best and how much each one costs. Heck, I even held my tongue when they went through the highlights of their weekend.
The deli person knows I'm standing there, we made eye contact when I walked up. Finally after about 5 minutes (I was in a patient moood), she looks over at me and says 'Calm down'. And I hadn't even opened my mouth yet.
Gosh I'm just lovin Pathmark more and more these days. Ugh. |
SouthOrangeNanny
Citizen
Username: Sonanny
Post Number: 91
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, August 7, 2005 - 3:33 pm: | |
go to shoprite in livingston or millburn....soooooooooooooo much better..cleaner and the service is AWSOME!...i hate pathmark and a&p |
Lisa Ebert
Citizen
Username: Boomie
Post Number: 111
Registered: 7-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, August 7, 2005 - 3:57 pm: | |
I don't mean to be oppositional on this, but my father worked in Produce at King for 35 years. He told us the stories on a daily basis of how terribly condescing and rude some people were. Just the other day, I was in Kings and there was a deli worker on her break, picking out bagels from the bin, when a lady tapped her on the shoulder to ask her questions about the meats in the produce counter!
People are really really demanding. Not that you are, but look at it from their side too. They are beaten down, many of them, from really nasty treatment. |
No ID
Citizen
Username: Noid
Post Number: 17
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, August 7, 2005 - 4:14 pm: | |
Maybe if they didn't give nasty service they wouldn't receive nasty treatment...
it's a nasty cycle, huh? |
Eats Shoots & Leaves
Citizen
Username: Mfpark
Post Number: 2055
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Monday, August 8, 2005 - 8:38 am: | |
I was in Kings and there was a deli worker on her break, picking out bagels from the bin, when a lady tapped her on the shoulder to ask her questions about the meats in the produce counter!
I don't mean to sound mean, but how would a customer know that a King's employee in uniform, standing in the store, was on break?
Further, the employee on break should still have helped out, cheerfully. Customer service, real great customer service, dictates that the worker on a break give a cheerful smile, tell the customer that the worker is not familiar with that issue, and then walk the customer over to someone who could answer the question. Two minutes out of her break, but an invaluable service to a customer, and besides, it is the right thing to do.
There is no Kings, and no paycheck, without that customer being well-served and happy to come back and spend money. Break or not, the employee's whole reason for being there is to provide excellent customer service. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 8881
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Monday, August 8, 2005 - 12:17 pm: | |
Lisa, customers sometimes abuse workers. That fact doesn't excuse the treatment LilRedCorvette received, no way, no how.
Hey, LRC, did you ever get that noise and renovation problem resolved? We haven't heard from you in a while.
|
Tara Hill
Citizen
Username: Tara_hill
Post Number: 22
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Monday, August 8, 2005 - 5:18 pm: | |
I had the opposite experience in Pathmark this Saturday. I was stunned to see plenty of carts outside the door, even more so when I was asked very nicely if I needed help 2x while perusing the peaches. Everything was well-stocked and lit, and there were enough cashiers open to have several lines without a wait. I've been pretty miserable with the grocery store situation here so it was a really hopeful sign for me. |
sac
Supporter
Username: Sac
Post Number: 2477
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, August 8, 2005 - 5:38 pm: | |
I think you were very lucky. Usually Pathmark is a "zoo" and it seems that way even when there aren't all that many people there ... somehow they are always where I want to be and the cashiers are generally not particularly customer friendly. I kinda like the self checkout though and use it whenever I can if I have to go there at all. |
Pippi
Supporter
Username: Pippi
Post Number: 1102
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Monday, August 8, 2005 - 5:40 pm: | |
I was in Pathmark yesterday for the first time in ages...the cashier was so sweet. She asked me if I found everything all right!
|
Tom Kerns
Supporter
Username: Tom_kerns
Post Number: 69
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Monday, August 8, 2005 - 5:48 pm: | |
I had the same experience the past 2 times I've shopped at Pathmark. Friendly cashiers who actually greeted you and wished you a good day when you left. Maybe management has finally heard the complaints.
Tom |
Matt Foley
Citizen
Username: Mattfoley
Post Number: 372
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Monday, August 8, 2005 - 8:16 pm: | |
Shop Rite Livingston/West Orange have a deli "kiosk" service. It is the greatest thing since thinly sliced bread. One can simply key in what they want, including specific directions ie;"thinly sliced" & they print out a time on the ticket to come up and pick it all up.
This also prevents meaningless conversation with the help.
I LOVE THE KIOSK! |
AntoninaKC
Citizen
Username: Antoninakc
Post Number: 66
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Monday, August 8, 2005 - 9:11 pm: | |
LilCorvette- I have had a very similar experience at the pathmark deli counter. in addition, I have never been chatted with at the register by any associate, nor has any sales associate ever approached me in the store to ask if I needed help. I have since skipped out on Pathmark all together and now exclusively shop at the larger, cleaner and more user friendly Livingston Shoprite.
Oh, actually one time an associate followed me around the store hitting on me. I decided to abandon my shopping cart and leave the store immediately. |
Mrs T
Citizen
Username: Netjack
Post Number: 196
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 - 8:59 am: | |
Where's the ShopeRite in Livingston? |
Compmama
Citizen
Username: Compmama
Post Number: 58
Registered: 4-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 - 9:04 am: | |
Recently I was self-checking out at Pathmark and unfortunately needed help from the cashier, a young man who seemed more absorbed in talking to a woman than in attending to customers. After waiting for about 5 minutes, I politely reminded him that I needed help and was in a bit of a rush. He bristled at that and promptly said "If you're in a rush you should shop somewhere else." Of course, I immediately lost it, saw red, and rushed off to complain to the manager. Oh, I did tell him off too--that there would be no PM or paycheck without customers.
What disturbed me most was not that there a delay in help but that the attitude toward customers was rude, dismissive, and arrogant. I'm not sure the kid understood the implications of his behavior. Don't they get some kind of customer service training before starting work there?
|
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 8915
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 - 9:38 am: | |
I'd like to know the name of ANY retailer that trains its employees!
|
LilRedCorvette
Citizen
Username: Lilredcorvette
Post Number: 249
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 - 10:16 am: | |
Good idea...I'm going to avoid Pathmark from now on and stick with ShopRite in Millburn or Livingston. By the time I got through the line up at the cash register on Sunday, my ice cream bars had melted 
Hey Tom, rather than post about the neighbors, I PM'ed instead. I figure the more I keep it on the down lo, the less chance I have of them acting up. |
redY67
Citizen
Username: Redy67
Post Number: 2844
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 - 11:25 am: | |
I went to the most wonderful grocery store in RI. The deli counter had a self-service section. You just punched into the computer the items you wanted, went shopping, and when you were done, your deli items were ready to pick up! Amazing  |
dougw
Citizen
Username: Dougw
Post Number: 372
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 - 1:51 pm: | |
Tom - Starbucks, Walmart, Target, Nordstrom, Whole Foods and Publix (just to name a few) all spend significant time and money training their employees at every level. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 8930
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 - 1:56 pm: | |
You're right, dougw. There are notable exceptions. The rule is that employees don't seem to have an inkling that they are there to help and that customers are the reason for their jobs' existence. I blame management for that.
I've had good experiences at Whole Foods. The folks there have great attitudes. They even seem trained to look me in the eye.
My experience at Nordstrom's is similar. The folks there are paid on commission.
Still, these places' successes seem to be secrets to the likes of Pathmark and just about everywhere.
Oh, I should put in a good word for the folks at Maplewood Kings. They, too, seem eager to please.
|
AntoninaKC
Citizen
Username: Antoninakc
Post Number: 67
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 - 2:05 pm: | |
MrsT- shoprite is on South Livingston Avenue in Livingston.. just go up South Orange ave past the curves and make a right onto S. Livingston. its a mile down on the right side. |
dougw
Citizen
Username: Dougw
Post Number: 373
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 - 2:05 pm: | |
I have only lived in Maplewood but I have a lot of experiance with retailers all over the country due to my work in real estate. We have the worst supermarkets by far in the country. In terms of quality, selection, service, pricing (even adjusting for cost of living) hours...everything. Kings and Whole Foods are exceptions to some but not all of these. Pathmark actually has the best raw space in area, just as good as a new space in sprawling Atlanta. I hope that Publix or some other chain moves in here at some point. However there are significant barriers to entry in our market, no existing distribution chain, expensive real estate and a high level of unionization make it difficult for a newcomer. Whole Foods overcame these items by using high prices and getting picketed regularly. (The UFCW is not pro customer service). But still the Whole Foods here is not as great as the ones in TX. |
Eats Shoots & Leaves
Citizen
Username: Mfpark
Post Number: 2071
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 - 2:40 pm: | |
Doug: I agree with you. When I ran centers in Virginia, I was stunned at the level of service, cleanliness, and marketing compared to most in the northeast. Some Super Stop & Shops in the northeast are pretty good, especially in suburban Boston. And down here some of the newer Kings are quite nicely done and well run. But overall we get pretty lousy service compared to other parts of the nation.
I remember asking the real estate guys at several of my Southern chains about coming up to Boston and Western Mass in some centers we were looking to buy--they could have walked into about 15 stores at once, a significant entry to a market. They all declined--because of the factors you mention, with unionization being foremost on their minds, and lack of knowledge of the particular desires of the market second. They felt they could overcome the distribution chain problems if they had a large enough presence, and they felt that the higher prices up here would offset the real estate costs (look at what Whole Dollar gets away with in their Millburn store). Oh yeah, they also required about 5,000 to 10,000 square feet more space than a typical grocery anchor has in the northeast, so it made it harder to get them into existing centers, and new centers are pretty hard to develop in built-up areas like ours.
Anyhow, if they ever do come, the locals are gonna get a quick education in customer service, or fade away. |
redY67
Citizen
Username: Redy67
Post Number: 2857
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 - 3:07 pm: | |
FYI Tom there are MANY stores that the employees work on commission, doesn't make a difference IMHO. I think Nordstrom's is an exception to the rule.
In Florida they brought your groceries to the car if you had one bag, or a cart full.... |
AlleyGater
Citizen
Username: Alleygater
Post Number: 826
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 - 3:20 pm: | |
Has anyone else noticed that ALL of the Whole Foods are very well run and the staff really very helpful and polite? I think it's 'cause they pay better and therefore can choose from a better pool of workers to hire.
If so, then maybe the supermarkets need to pay their employees better. Either way I suspect it couldn't hurt for the supermarkets to try that tactic. |
dougw
Citizen
Username: Dougw
Post Number: 380
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 - 3:24 pm: | |
It is because Whole Foods is not unionized. The UFCW hates customer service they think it belittles their members to be nice to people. |
Closed: New threads not accepted on this page