A RANT ABOUT GROCERY SHOPPING

People often ask me why I hate grocery shopping so much. I complain about it a lot. Where do I even begin? Feel free to skip this blog entirely if you don’t want to hear a lot of whining!

First, let me say that I worked in customer service for years and years. I worked as a cashier at a couple of McDonald’s, JCPenney’s, Winn-Dixie, and many Cracker Barrel’s. I “kissed butt” for YEARS. It was my job to smile at customers, say thank you, have a good day, and do so willingly. I was quite aware that it was my decision to work in the industry that I was in, and I was also quite aware that I was getting paid to do my job with a smile, whether I liked it or not. I held a Bachelor of Science Degree while working at Cracker Barrel and Winn-Dixie. Did I think I was too good for those jobs? No, I did not, and I would do them again if I had to. I would do anything it took to keep us afloat if I had to, and I would do it to the best of my ability. And, I know without a doubt that Will would as well. I know this because we’ve already done so in the past. Many, many times.

I had people throw money on the counter rather than placing it in my hand. I had to smile while I picked up each coin. I smiled and said thank you. I had customers chew me out because their grits were lumpy. I waived the bill, smiled, and said thank you. It was my job. I will literally stand in a cashier’s line until he/she tells me thank-you. I kid you not. Ask Will. If they hand me the receipt without a word, I will stand there and stare at them. If they ask what else I need, I will tell them, and then I will stand there until I get the thank-you. Snobby? Maybe. But, I’m honestly not trying to be a snob. I’m trying to make a point. If I were a manager, especially in today’s economic environment, I would fire any employee for ONE missed thank-you.

I know, from many years of experience, that it is hard work dealing with the public. I completely realize that there are many arrogant and rude people in this world. However, I would like to reiterate that people who are in customer service type jobs are in those jobs because they CHOOSE to be. This is America. No one is forced to work at the local Ingle’s if they don’t want to. If people don’t want to work in customer service, then they shouldn’t. They should work very hard to obtain the goals they want. They should not expect things to be handed to them. It takes hard work, sacrifice, dedication, and a lot of will to get anywhere in this world. Success is not for lazy people.

I will also say that people who get themselves in management positions and then find that they are bored and miserable, who go on to abuse their “power” are equally despicable to me. Move on! Again, this is America. You are FREE to pave your own path. Be a leader to your employee’s instead of trying to find ways to make them miserable. Lead by example! And, if your employee is better than the norm, let them know it! If you find that you are jealous of your employee’s who do well, because you are bored and being “outdone”, you seriously need to MOVE ON!

I had to go to the grocery store yesterday. Can you tell? Let me just tell you how it went. It was quite lovely. I headed to the produce department first, where I was asked how I was doing by a very nice employee. I smiled back and said I was well and returned the question. I will often ask to speak to a manager when an employee does his job correctly. I’m very serious. It is such a rare thing, that I love to ask for a manager and point out how well an employee is doing. I didn’t yesterday, but I have many times in the past.

I proceeded through the rest of the store, picking up random things. I then decided I would go to the deli and get some sliced turkey. The lady behind the counter saw me, rolled her eyes, then said this to her co-worker, “Every time I try to complete this, someone comes up here wanting something else!” Then she walked up to me and said, “May I help you?”

Deep, deep breaths. This is how our conversation then went:

Me: I would like ½ pound of Butterball Honey Turkey, thin sliced.

Rude Ingle’s Deli Worker (Seneca, SC): I don’t have Butterball Honey Turkey, just Butterball Roasted, but you can get the store brand of honey turkey.

Me: No, I want Butterball. Just give me the roasted.

Rude Ingle’s Deli Worker (Seneca, SC): “I DON”T have honey in butterball!”

Me: Like I just said, give me the roasted Butterball.

Rude Ingle’s Deli Worker (Seneca, SC): Fine. How do you want it cut?

Enter Rude Ingle’s Deli Worker II (Seneca, SC)

Rude 1 to Rude II: I am having to help these customers and I can’t get any of my other work done!

Rude 1 back to me: How do you want it cut?

Me: Like I said, thin sliced.

Rude 1: I mean HOW do you want it cut?

Me: I’m not understanding your question.

Rude 1: THIN, THICK, HOW?

Me: Stared at her for at least 5 seconds while taking deep breaths, “Like I said, THIN!”

Rude 1 to Rude 2: You need to go finish the salad bar. I can’t.

Rude 2: I don’t know anything about stocking a salad bar.

Me thinking to myself: It’s too bad Rude 2 didn’t go to salad bar stocking school. I know that is an incredibly difficult thing to understand how to do.

Rude 1: Here you go. Anything else?

Me: Um, no.

Ok, so a steaming me, with a blood pressure of 1000/2000 proceeds to finish shopping. I am dreading the checkout line so bad. This particular Ingle’s (Seneca, SC) is known in the community for its incredibly rude cashiers AND managers. However, it is within minutes of my house, and let’s face it, where can you get good customer service these days?

I had 3 cashiers to choose from in a crowded store. I got in line. As I stood there, I noticed that the cashier had disappeared. She was standing by the door talking to a woman who was having some sort of issue with her receipt. The cashier looked back at us, the people in line, didn’t say a word, and then walked off to some unknown place. I sighed and moved to the line beside me.

The customer in front of me had 3 kids who were running EVERYWHERE and grabbing EVERYTHING. Did she get on to them? No, she didn’t. See, I despise customers who do not control their children as much as I despise the customer service people. I don’t blame the kids. I blame their moron parents. I do not want to hear a parent say, “I just can’t control them.” You are the ADULT. They are the CHILD. You CAN control them. I’m not talking about babies here people. I am fully aware that babies and toddlers throw temper tantrums that parents cannot control. I am talking about kids who are at a very teachable age. Get a clue parents. You are the PARENT. Act like it!

Being a stay at home Mom is THE hardest job on the face of the planet, in my opinion. I respect stay at home Mom’s a lot. But, just because you don’t have a manager or someone to answer to, does not mean you can slack off. If you chose to be a Mom, then you need to act like one, seriously. (This goes for Dad’s too of course.)

Did I get on another rant? Oops. Ok, so back to the line. The kids are grabbing candy and opening it and eating it, which means the cashier has to keep stopping and grabbing the wrappers so she can charge them, while Mom just leans against the counter, while I stare at her in pure shock. Then, one of the kids, who is sitting in one of those buggies shaped like cars that take up the entire grocery aisle, starts hitting the cashier in the back of the leg with a bottle of some sort of soft drink. Again, Mom does nothing. The cashier finally gets them out of there. My nieces would never act like this in public. Never.

I hand her my Ingle’s card. Ok, this is another problem of mine. Get ready. Why do I need a grocery card for every grocery store in town in order to get their “discounted” prices? This is the most absurd marketing idea I have ever heard of. It drives me literally insane. “Do you have your Ingle’s card?” I got your Ingle’s card alright! Whoever thought of this bright idea needs to go back to marketing school. Seriously, what are they gaining from this? If everyone has a card to every grocery store, where do they make their money with these must have “discount” cards? Maybe one or two tourists come through that don’t have the cards. Maybe they make an extra five bucks off them. Does it cost more to make the cards and hire labor to print two different prices for each product than the profit they make off the people who don’t have the cards? I believe so. Dumb, dumb, dumb. I went to CVS before I went to Ingles’. “Do you have your CVS card?” Aaaarrrrrgghh!

Back to Ingles’. The cashier says to me, “Are you having a good day?” Her bagger said, “She doesn’t look like she is!” I said I was just fine. The cashier then proceeds to check me out slower than a turtle while examining all of my purchases. “This is the smallest steak I’ve ever seen! If I was making this for my husband, I would have to fry him some shrimp to go with it.” And, on, and on, and on.

I don’t like grocery shopping! Will always tells me that I expect too much out of people. That is probably true to some extent. But, I strongly feel that if I am paying for someone to receive a paycheck, they should do their job correctly. And, like I said before, this is the profession that these people chose. If they don’t like it, they need to move on. If they need to work hard to get out of their current situation, then they need to do so. If they don’t want to leave their job, but aren’t particularly happy, they should still put forth 110% effort. Hard work simply pays off in the end.

Will and I don’t have a lot. We never will. What we do have was obtained by hard work. What my parents have was obtained by hard work. What my grandparents have was obtained by hard work. And, I am quite proud that I come from a family who all earned their way. Will and I both worked a lot of jobs while working our way to where we are. We never thought we were too good to work in the customer service industry. We did it with a smile because we knew we had to. Then, we worked hard to get out of it….very hard.

This is why I let our pantry and refrigerator get to a bare minimum. I know it’s time to go shopping when Will starts complaining about lack of food. I’ll say to him, “Why can’t you just make a condiment salad? Look, we have ketchup, pickles, mustard…it will be good!”