Grocery store conspiracy?! Hardly...

My biggest pet peeve in the grocery store are people (usually older/elderly) who think that the grocery stores are withholding product or being misleading on purpose.

Case #1: I was in Publix & this woman is going off on this kid b/c her brand of special juice isn't on the shelf. He goes to the back & gets it for her. Instead of saying thank you, she starts bitching at him saying that they didn't put it out on purpose b/c they wanted to force her to buy another brand. The guy apologized to her that her juice wasn't out. He said that he'd been doing a lot of things & just forgot. She pretty much called him a liar & kept running her mouth. (My 1st job was a Publix & I've never had a manager tell me to not put something out so that customers would have to buy another product, which I guess would have a higher profit margin.) Whatever, bitch.

Case #2: At Wal-Mart today an elderly woman goes off on the produce guy saying, 'This sign is misleading!" She was bitch about some oranges. There were several different types, merchandised closely together, but each were clearly marked w/ their own sign & price. She thought they were trying to trick her into buying the more expensive kind. WTF?!

I bet neither of these lady have ever had to work in a grocery store or in retail at all. (In my mind, it's like, "Did Oprah tell you that groceries stores try to trick you?!") So how the hell would they know ANYTHING?! I hate how distrustful people are & how they think they can just go off on a random associate. Sorry...the 20 year old kid doesn't give a damn, quite frankly. He's not trying to conspire against you.

I work in retail. There are some items that have higher profit margins. And yes, we are encouraged to promote those. (And I am more than aware of other types of practices, so I am not saying that it does not happen. B/c it does.) Also, we have to merchandise some items more prominently b/c vendors PAY for it. I have people who bitch about things being a certain way, but I have rules & guidelines that I have to follow...which makes sense to people who are familiar w/ merchandising...not like Betty Knowitall who doesn't understand shit that doesn't have to do with what goes on outside her tiny skull. Being in retail, there are always a million things to do...especially in my position. I'm sorry that I didn't put out the color of whatever bullshit you want. Sometimes I forget. But I try. I wish they would stop being a pain in the ass. We take precious time to go get you what you need so that you are satisfied...so what's with the lip? Sometimes I want to butt in & take up for these other people who are getting shit from shoppers. But I mind my on freakin business.

What kind of shopper are you?

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Asked by Anonymous at 1:28 PM on Feb. 10, 2012 in Shopping

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My husband works for Pepsi
He's had elderly folks come up and bitch him out because they want a product that DOESN"T EXIST and swear up and down they bought it last week(Diet caffeine free lemon Pepsi) and want to know why he isn't stocking it. When he tries to explain that that stuff isn't real,they have been known to threaten his job and boycott the store.

I worked at the deli in Piggly Wiggly. A woman wanted a ham that we didn't carry. WhenIi tried to tell her we don't have that,she went to the front and came back with the store manager. He proceeded to bitch me out saying I refused to serve her.I had him follow me to the cooler to show him,WE DON"T HAVE THAT! He never apologized. He told the old bat we'd order it for her. She told me "Now you know who really has a say around here,and it's not YOU!"

Answer by butterflyblue19 at 1:39 PM on Feb. 10, 2012
Credits: 252028 Level 47 Shopping Minor

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WOW SMH

Answer by smiley745 at 1:44 PM on Feb. 10, 2012
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I have worked in a grocery store for 22 years and I have just about seen it all. I have been accused of lying about products, intentionally not putting out products, changing prices from one day to the next, discontinuing their favorite product just because they liked it and so much more. I just let it roll off. Who cares what some miserable old biddy has to say?

Answer by hootie826 at 2:00 PM on Feb. 10, 2012
Credits: 30117 Level 27 Shopping 101

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I, too, have seen people fly off the handle at the cashier or another low ranking employee that has no say over anything they're complaining about and are powerless to do anything about it. I don't understand the logic or the outrage. If you are upset with something, why not tell the cashier "I know you probably don't know anything about this or wouldn't be able to help me with it, but can I speak with a manager?".

I think that customer service has gone downhill, but so has the public! Sometimes I think it is a "chicken/egg" situation.

Answer by Mom-2-3-Girlz at 2:22 PM on Feb. 10, 2012
Credits: 69121 Level 34 Shopping Minor

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Old people are just bitter. They are tired and sore all/most of the time. They know their life is about to end. Alot of them are living alone with kids/families deserting them. Bitterness comes naturally. I havn't worked in grocery stores but I have an event management company. I also have to deal with elderly sometimes. They are rude and bitter and accusing me all sorts of corruption. But I don't take it to the heart. This is what they do best, they are older and hence think are smarter that everyone else, like we are around our kids that we know better than them.
As for the bitterness or bitchiness, I tend to ignore it as it comes with old age. They actually mean well

Answer by cookie269 at 2:33 PM on Feb. 10, 2012
Credits: 14054 Level 22 Shopping 101

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I'm a cashier in a grocery store so I hear you lol. We are to call a manager when we get a customer like that. Luckily it doesn't happen too often.

Not all old people are like that. One of my favourite customers is a 95 year old woman who shops with her daughter. All the cashiers love her. Whenever her daughter shops without her, everyone asks how mum is doing today.

Answer by beeky at 8:03 AM on Feb. 14, 2012
Credits: 61541 Level 33 Shopping 101

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