Cathy2 wrote:Gee, I never was irritated when Sunset Foods in Highland Park, whisks my cart away from me as I approach check out. Not only do they take me to the lowest density check out lane, they take the goods out of my cart. Once I have paid, then they offer me a number corresponding to my cart to load my car when I drive up. They have done this since I was a kid helping out Mom and Dad until my present early middle-aged status. I was never insulted, because it was the old fashioned commodity called SERVICE!

Agreed, the service at Sunset is impressive. I hope those employees are treated fairly well.

I don't think the Dominick's "do you need help to your car" refrain is about service, really -- it's about the illusion of service provided on the cheap. If what Dominick's (Safeway) really wanted was to provide service to customers so that they could have a pleasant and efficient experience in the store, they would provide (and pay wages to) an ample number of baggers and checkers. As it now stands, at my Dominick's, there are rarely enough baggers, so that if someone does take them up on their "help to the car" offer, the bagger in that line is the one that does it -- leaving the customers behind inconvienced and the checker overworked as the we all have to make do without the bagger while he or she is out in the parking lot (this happened to me recently as a mom with several kids and a cart full of groceries did indeed need help -- I certainly didn't begrudge her -- but this meant that my large order took twice as long to get through and I had to fly out of the store once I had paid in order to pick up my own kids at school). The workers at my local Dominick's are always friendly and helpful; I just wish the management would spring for a few more of them.

bibi rose wrote: I hate the way those corporations take already soul-sucking jobs and make them worse.

I couldn't have said it any better. I call on the major chain stores on a daily basis and I have seen once enthusiastic workers become robotic because of the bizzare corporate policies that they have to adhere to.

If Dominick DiMatteo were alive today, I don't think he would be thrilled with what has become of the company that he founded. I met the man and he truly believed in providing quality products and service at LOW prices in a clean environment to his customers-----Not making them "jump through hoops" or turning every situation into a profit opportunity.

Time to get off the soapbox----------------

Pete wrote:I realize we're drifting off of topic and I apologize for this, but is this true? The changeover to Macy's was actually fed by a loss of sales that was out of line with the rest of the market at the time?

Well sort of.

Marshall Fields (and other department stores) have all been losing sales. I don't know if MF losses were out of proportion to others. People have been going to smaller, more specialized stores more, and also fleeing to either the high or low end (Target or Neiman-Marcus).

Specific to MF, long ago they had lost their special something. Not sure if it was after they were sold to the last owner, or one before that, or if it happened when they were still family owned. But over time they definitely have been fading.

Bob S. wrote:MF, and I choose to use the initials, decided it needed a Boston-area presence and acquired Lechmere.

I'm as willing as the next guy to pile on MF, but Lechmere was bought in 1968 by Dayton Hudson, then by Berkshire Partners around 89-90, then, aieee, by Montgomery Ward in 1994. It took MW's unique touch to do what the rest had failed to do, and Lechmere was shuttered in the Monkey Ward bankruptcy of 1997. Sic transit gloria mundi. But I'm with you on MF, even if we can't pin the destruction of Lechmere on them.

Cathy2, I moved north of you several months ago and I must tell you, I was frightened and suspicious the first few times they tried to take my bags from me at Sunset. I'm getting over the fright slowly. Now I'm only suspicious.

Anybody else notice the lack of respect shown for one's personal space spiraling downward at exponential speed lately?

The people in front of me in the self-check out lane are always clueless, yet when its my turn, the person behind me is standing too close and breathing heavily. Geez, I couldn't be more efficient, even paying by finger, I should get applause.

I don't bother to park close yet some individual inevitably parks right next to me. Your loud me music offends me. With three stalls in the potty, why park it right next to mine?

I'm just asking for a little space here ...

-ramon

Ramon wrote:Anybody else notice the lack of respect shown for one's personal space spiraling downward at exponential speed lately?

The people in front of me in the self-check out lane are always clueless, yet when its my turn, the person behind me is standing too close and breathing heavily. Geez, I couldn't be more efficient, even paying by finger, I should get applause.

I don't bother to park close yet some individual inevitably parks right next to me. Your loud me music offends me. With three stalls in the potty, why park it right next to mine?

I'm just asking for a little space here ...

-ramon

Have you ridden the blue line during rush hour lately? You might pop an aneurysm.

Choey wrote:

Bob S. wrote:MF, and I choose to use the initials, decided it needed a Boston-area presence and acquired Lechmere.

I'm as willing as the next guy to pile on MF, but Lechmere was bought in 1968 by Dayton Hudson, then by Berkshire Partners around 89-90, then, aieee, by Montgomery Ward in 1994. It took MW's unique touch to do what the rest had failed to do, and Lechmere was shuttered in the Monkey Ward bankruptcy of 1997. Sic transit gloria mundi. But I'm with you on MF, even if we can't pin the destruction of Lechmere on them.

Huh -- thanks for the correction, Choey. All these years my simmering resentment's been misplaced. I'd make a terrible supervillain.

Ramon wrote:Anybody else notice the lack of respect shown for one's personal space spiraling downward at exponential speed lately?

The people in front of me in the self-check out lane are always clueless, yet when its my turn, the person behind me is standing too close and breathing heavily. Geez, I couldn't be more efficient, even paying by finger, I should get applause.

I don't bother to park close yet some individual inevitably parks right next to me. Your loud me music offends me. With three stalls in the potty, why park it right next to mine?

I'm just asking for a little space here ...

-ramon

a pet peeve of mine as well:

it's only in the last several years I've noticed strangers in the checkout line snuggling up and/or chomping at the bit to get their groceries on the conveyor belt/counter

I'm extremely conscious of personal space, an awareness that seems to be vanishing among the great unwashed

ToniG wrote:I don't think the Dominick's "do you need help to your car" refrain is about service, really -- it's about the illusion of service provided on the cheap. If what Dominick's (Safeway) really wanted was to provide service to customers so that they could have a pleasant and efficient experience in the store, they would provide (and pay wages to) an ample number of baggers and checkers...The workers at my local Dominick's are always friendly and helpful; I just wish the management would spring for a few more of them.

I agree with this take on the situation, and in the same vein (only at Jewel), I really resent the "Self Checkout" lanes that have been put in place in the last year or so. They're such a transparent effort to fire people, it makes me sick. Every Self Checkout lane is one more human checker and one more human bagger Jewel gets to fire, and every customer who uses Self Checkout is complicit in the firing. And it's not like the Self Checkout lanes save anyone any time, either--because there's always some glitch and a delay. I'm absolutely convinced the human checkout lanes are faster, even when there's a line. (It's not like there's no line at the Self Checkout.) As with ToniG and Dominick's, I think the folks who work at the Jewel are terrific. I only wish Jewel agreed.

When we have only a few items to buy, the self checkout is almost always quite a bit faster, especially since my wife and I can tag team.

On the other hand, she used to be a cashier at a grocery store back in the day.

Especially at 5:30pm, when I'm trying to escape with a case of coke and a chicken or some veggies, it's much, much faster to do self checkout.

Ever since they opened a few months ago, I have become a big fan of Woodman's in North Aurora and only shop there. They take the groceries out of your cart to price them, return them to a different cart and if you want, will place them in a covered holding area so you can drive around and fetch them. BTW, they only accept checks, cash or debit cards.

riddlemay wrote:I agree with this take on the situation, and in the same vein (only at Jewel), I really resent the "Self Checkout" lanes that have been put in place in the last year or so. They're such a transparent effort to fire people, it makes me sick. Every Self Checkout lane is one more human checker and one more human bagger Jewel gets to fire, and every customer who uses Self Checkout is complicit in the firing. And it's not like the Self Checkout lanes save anyone any time, either--because there's always some glitch and a delay. I'm absolutely convinced the human checkout lanes are faster, even when there's a line. (It's not like there's no line at the Self Checkout.) As with ToniG and Dominick's, I think the folks who work at the Jewel are terrific. I only wish Jewel agreed.

I agree.

A related anecdote... At the Dominick's on Roosevelt, near where the Whole Foods is going in, they've done a lot of 'upscaling', getting rid of stuff that ordinary people need to buy and replacing it with trendy cookbooks and fondue sets... Anyway, we were there one day not long ago when they -- believe it or not -- were running out of bags... I guess at first plastic bags, but then inevitably paper, as well... Now, some of the employees don't care too much about their job and aren't all that helpful but, as others have said here, most are pretty good and cheerful and polite and helpful... Anyway, the checkout/bagger crews did their best with a completely ridiculous situation... I felt badly for them...

I had to get my fondue sets, stemware and chi-chi cookbooks ("The Risotto Lifestyle") out to the car in a garbage bag I snagged from a can near the meat counter... Unfortunately, they were out of the industrial strength Drano®... (had to change the menu!)...

Antonius

Ah yes, the Jewel self-checkout. Yet another reason (though a small one compared to the high prices and the need to surrender an identity card to get an item on sale) I seldom go there. But lately I've been particularly annoyed at the cumbersome process to actually pay for groceries at the self-checkout. I use a Discover Card. One of the on-screen choices with a Discover Card is groceries plus $50 cash. I always say yes, because why not take advantage of their free cash (I pay off my charges every month) and it may save me a trip to the ATM. But then I always get the "Wait for Attendant" message. Why? Because I'm paying with a credit card for more than $50 and have to show ID! So I have to wait for someone to come over, and then, of course, I have to dig out my drivers license, already having dug out my Jewel card and my Discover card. It's never fast, but in the early morning, which is the only time I'm likely to be at Jewel, they don't even have any attended check-out lanes open.

My thought is that it's all a conspiracy to get me to sign up for their "Pay by finger" program. But at Cub Foods, where I could also pay by finger if I were so inclined (I'm not) I noticed the other day that they don't even require me to sign a charge slip when I'm using my Discover, let alone show i.d.. Not to mention that they don't have any self-checkouts or store loyalty cards. So it doesn't have to be this way.

I thought the contributors to this thread would appreciate this rendering of the ideal supermarket, from Bruce McCall in today's New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2006/09/19/dining/20diningcover.1.html

I'm guessing that most of you would choose to be in the Expresso Lane at checkout.

Today, I stopped by the Warehouse Klub for a couple tried and true items. Inevitably I picked the shortest line – a sure mistake.

I first noticed that the cashier was not ringing up the items already on the conveyor. She must have been contemplating something deep for there was a far away look in her eyes, and I could not attract her attention with the usual “ahems” and dramatic coughings. Next I noticed that the customer was missing. I paced in place a little. I stared daggers at the supervisor ten feet away. I considered swooning.

Finally the customer returned to the line with a case of paper towels. The cashier exclaimed, “Oh, that’s where you went!” as if they were old friends, but the customer never exhibited any sign of amity. She then proceeded to painstakingly divide her selections into two categories for separate purchases, frequently consulting several notes.

After purchase one was rung up, the customer looked confused about being expected to pay. She mined her cavernous purse for her wallet. She rifled through her over-glutted wallet for just the right card. At this point I was calling out the elapsed minutes. At “three” she found the desired method of debt, but the card would not scan, and after manual entry, she could not recall the PIN. I stopped paying attention in fear that I was going to cause a violent scene.

After the second sub-purchase was registered, the customer pulled out a gallon ziplock bag filled with crushed bills and change. She sorted the contents of the bag, agonized over the proper currency selections, and dropped about half of it on the floor.
The cashier was very helpful yelling over to the supervisor that she had to leave for her second job as the customer crawled on the dirty concrete floor chasing freedom tasting nickels and dimes. Somehow the transaction was completed, yet I still had to squeeze around her as I was leaving, as she had stopped right at the end of the register line to interrogate her receipts.

So, lets summarize so far. Ass #1: clueless cashier. Ass #2: oblivious supervisor. Ass #3: customer who leaves line for forgotten item but maintains place. Ass #4: customers who insist on ringing things up separately (ever hear of MATH?). Ass #5: customers confused by currency, credit, and the contents of their own wallets / purses. Ass #6: customers who block the way to the exit studying their receipt.

Being ever prepared, my purchase went flawlessly, despite the cashiers attempt lull me into zombie-thought. I proceeded to ass #8: the receipt checking employee.

Alas, I guess I was ass #9. I always stuff the receipt in my wallet with the card. I shouldn’t be surprised by the receipt nazi, but I always am. I struggle with my hands full of over-sized goods to extract the correct receipt from the bundle in my wallet while I listen to the grumble behind me. Next time I will pin the receipt to the front of my frock or let it hang out of my mouth with accompanying drool.

(Ass #10: stores that require me to carry another card – I only have room for the GNR miniguide in my wallet.)

“I’m up to my neck in asses!”

-ramon

i will continue to write checks with a clean conscience. i dont believe that check writers cause any more problems than any other kind of occasional slow down in a check out line. all this griping is based on very shaky logic, at best.

justjoan wrote:i will continue to write checks with a clean conscience. i dont believe that check writers cause any more problems than any other kind of occasional slow down in a check out line. all this griping is based on very shaky logic, at best.

Joan,

I'm glad I know you well enough to not get in line behind you, should I ever spy you in a grocey store.

i'm offended by all this woman bashing, not to mention the pettiness of these complaints . there is no shortage of annoying behavior out there, and i'm sure we've all zoned out at times and held up a line for one reason or another. stevez, you just added insult to injury by assuming that getting in line behind me would slow you down. time to move on........

Before someone complains that Joan "just can't take a joke," I'd agree that Ramon's post was largely unpleasant, rather than funny.

justjoan wrote:i'm offended by all this woman bashing, not to mention the pettiness of these complaints . there is no shortage of annoying behavior out there, and i'm sure we've all zoned out at times and held up a line for one reason or another.

Yeah, like always forgetting that you'll need to show your receipt. (Hello, ramon-- why is it cute when you hold up the people behind you but not when someone else does?)

bibi rose wrote:Yeah, like always forgetting that you'll need to show your receipt. (Hello, ramon-- why is it cute when you hold up the people behind you but not when someone else does?)

I don't think ramon is saying he's any different than any of the other asses.

Here's an incident that happened to me just the other day that must have lead another to conclude that I (Yes, even I!!) was a WCA. I was at the bank drive-through, and after completing my transaction I found that my gearshift lever had jammed -- I couldn't move out of Park -- and moreover, there was a cement post making it impossible for me to even exit my vehicle. My transaction was over, yet I was not moving, and I saw this lady in the SUV behind me mouthing some string of obscenities and pejoratives...one of which was almost certainly Ass.

Asininity happens.

justjoan wrote:stevez, you just added insult to injury by assuming that getting in line behind me would slow you down. time to move on........

Joan,

I didn't mean you personally (as in I don't want to be near Joan). I meant you as a check writer who will inevitably slow me down through no fault of your own, but as a result of the mechanics of the check writing/approval process. It's not a personal insult, it's just something I tend to avoid in the interest of getting out of the store as quickly as possible.

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David Hammond wrote:I don't think ramon is saying he's any different than any of the other asses.

Here's an incident that happened to me just the other day that must have lead another to conclude that I (Yes, even I!!) was a WCA. I was at the bank drive-through, and after completing my transaction I found that my gearshift lever had jammed -- I couldn't move out of Park -- and moreover, there was a cement post making it impossible for me to even exit my vehicle. My transaction was over, yet I was not moving, and I saw this lady in the SUV behind me mouthing some string of obscenities and pejoratives...one of which was almost certainly Ass.

Asininity happens.

Thanks-- I think you are absolutely right.

Hammond,

Do tell, how did you get out of your jam?

Curious because it can happen to anybody!

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Hammond,

Do tell, how did you get out of your jam?

Curious because it can happen to anybody!

Regards,

I should have mentioned that with some jimmying and jockying the gear shift lever finally slipped back into operation, but there were about 90 seconds there were I was just sitting motionless (which, when you're waiting behind someone in line, seems more like 5 minutes).

And that's the first and last time I ever appeared to be an ass.

Hammond

Yikes! Soon I will post nothing but fluff links like Chicken Fried Steak Ice Cream .

-ramon

I guess that since we are airing all of the pet peeves about grocery stores, I guess that I would add a few of my own into the mix.

1) I am a sick individual. When I head on vacation, I visit EVERY grocery store in the area. Spent two hours in HEB in Austin, an hour in Ukrops (might be great in Richmond, but you still can't get a loaf of bread that is decent - even the storemade stuff). When I worked in Mexico. EVERY store had a dozen 12 yo boys who would bag your groceries and carry them out to the car of a peso or two. I know the child labor laws but it sure taught the kids a hell of a lot more than being plastered in front of Nintendo for hours on end.

2) I like the self check-out kiosks at the local CL Jewel stores. In general, the machines address you in a friendlier voice than the cashiers at the CL Dominick's.

3) Thank heavens that I don't like the usual commercial bakery bread. You can walk through Jewel several times before you will ever find where they hide it.

4) Can Costco and Trader Joes find at least SOME locally sourced products (i.e., within 100 miles of Chicagoland) to carry?

5) All the large chain store closures has brought some pretty good independents to many suburbs. And in doing so, many non-foodie types are trying food items they never tried ... and finding unbelievable prices. Had one of my employees spend ten minutes singing the praises of Joseph's Marketplace.

6) Can't believe that retailers are still accepting checks ...

I agree with justjoan and, while I admit tone is nearly impossible to share in a written format, I found ramon's "tone" at best impolite.

I write checks and will continue to do so. It's my recordkeeping system and you don't have to like it. Just ignore me.

These aren't pet peeves anymore, they're thinly veiled hate speech. So the person in front of you in line is stumbling a little. Would it kill you to just take a deep breath, smile, and learn a little patience? Your blood pressure will thank you and the world will be a little bit friendlier.

The sheer intolerance exhibited by people whose food opinions I've otherwised admired is pretty off-putting and makes me wonder why I would have thought highly of some of you in the first place.

Patience is (still) a virtue