9 Little-Known Tips For Getting The Most Out Of Your Grocery Store

I’m a dairy manager at my local store and I have to let you know that when you’re teaching to the back to get the”fresher” milk or yogurt etc, you’re pushing everything else to the side and knocking other stuff over, and I have to tell you that’s the most INFURIATING bad habit customers have in any department in our store. I hope you realize that someone has to straighten all of that up after you push everything around like that.

The bakery is a good place to get buckets, usually for $1 or free.

As a grocery store department manager, I can’t say that a lot of these would apply to our store’s policies. 90% of our endcaps are sale items or have a coupon, the only way an endcap could be construed as being bought, is we are often reimbursed for the dollar amount of a coupon. We would never intentionally place a sale sign between two differently priced products with a desire to dupe our customers, that would only lead to an exchange at the register that would tie up our efficiency and resources. Our company has daily deliveries in most departments; dry grocery, dairy, meat market, produce, deli and bakery all get product in 7 days a week and weekends generally are the biggest deliveries. Because of the compromise of food safety with the potential for bacteria, dented cans should be thrown away not marked down. Unless there is a seriously short date or you are stockpiling, reaching to the back for lengthier dates could potentially raise your grocery prices if that product in the front expires and becomes a loss (the same is true when there is widespread damage from customers leaving refrigerated or frozen products in inappropriate places).
That being said, we ARE willing to go the mile for our customers (at least, those of us who are invested in our job, and are not just there for a paycheck). If a sale item is out of stock, ask for a comparable product at that price, or at least ask for a raincheck. If you can’t find a product, please don’t be embarrassed to ask for help. If I had a dollar for every time I was told that an item wasn’t where it was suppose to be, when it actually was, good Lord, I could’ve retired long ago. Having spent several years working in a full service meat market, I know there are tons of options that customers may not take advantage of. Custom orders, trimming, tenderizing, seasoning etc, the only limit is food safety!
I will say this, our company empowers it employees to make a lot of decisions when it comes to customer service, with excellence being the goal. Sometimes there is a breakdown in supply, communication or follow through, because at the end of the day your grocery store, the manufacturers, warehouses etc are run by imperfect beings who are capable of making mistakes, but we ALWAYS want to make it right. Please don’t treat us as malicious or incapable if your favorite organic treat is not available (I’ve been accused of wanting to poison children) and remember to speak to the appropriate people for an effective solution!

Dear Jillee, it appears you have beautiful, bountiful grocery store to do your shopping with wonderful, helpful grocery store employees standing at attention. I don’t really think it is like that everywhere. Where I live, we must dilligently check every date on each item and reach far in the back for most current stock, hopefully, get one that is not expired. Help is stressed out and too busy here. Good article, be thankful.

I’m a dairy manager at my local store and I have to let you know that when you’re teaching to the back to get the”fresher” milk or yogurt etc, you’re pushing everything else to the side and knocking other stuff over, and I have to tell you that’s the most INFURIATING bad habit customers have in any department in our store. I hope you realize that someone has to straighten all of that up after you push everything around like that.

The bakery is a good place to get buckets, usually for $1 or free.

As a grocery store department manager, I can’t say that a lot of these would apply to our store’s policies. 90% of our endcaps are sale items or have a coupon, the only way an endcap could be construed as being bought, is we are often reimbursed for the dollar amount of a coupon. We would never intentionally place a sale sign between two differently priced products with a desire to dupe our customers, that would only lead to an exchange at the register that would tie up our efficiency and resources. Our company has daily deliveries in most departments; dry grocery, dairy, meat market, produce, deli and bakery all get product in 7 days a week and weekends generally are the biggest deliveries. Because of the compromise of food safety with the potential for bacteria, dented cans should be thrown away not marked down. Unless there is a seriously short date or you are stockpiling, reaching to the back for lengthier dates could potentially raise your grocery prices if that product in the front expires and becomes a loss (the same is true when there is widespread damage from customers leaving refrigerated or frozen products in inappropriate places).
That being said, we ARE willing to go the mile for our customers (at least, those of us who are invested in our job, and are not just there for a paycheck). If a sale item is out of stock, ask for a comparable product at that price, or at least ask for a raincheck. If you can’t find a product, please don’t be embarrassed to ask for help. If I had a dollar for every time I was told that an item wasn’t where it was suppose to be, when it actually was, good Lord, I could’ve retired long ago. Having spent several years working in a full service meat market, I know there are tons of options that customers may not take advantage of. Custom orders, trimming, tenderizing, seasoning etc, the only limit is food safety!
I will say this, our company empowers it employees to make a lot of decisions when it comes to customer service, with excellence being the goal. Sometimes there is a breakdown in supply, communication or follow through, because at the end of the day your grocery store, the manufacturers, warehouses etc are run by imperfect beings who are capable of making mistakes, but we ALWAYS want to make it right. Please don’t treat us as malicious or incapable if your favorite organic treat is not available (I’ve been accused of wanting to poison children) and remember to speak to the appropriate people for an effective solution!

Dear Jillee, it appears you have beautiful, bountiful grocery store to do your shopping with wonderful, helpful grocery store employees standing at attention. I don’t really think it is like that everywhere. Where I live, we must dilligently check every date on each item and reach far in the back for most current stock, hopefully, get one that is not expired. Help is stressed out and too busy here. Good article, be thankful.