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I have been obsessed with customer satisfaction lately.
I don’t like shopping at my local Safeway anymore and last Friday I let them know it. There are seldom enough checker or baggers and the woman at self-checkout is snarly (an employee complained about her too), and that usually doesn’t operate at full capacity either. So just leave me alone, it is a good company with good products and prices, and I’ll be fine…
It almost never works that way. Some of the items or specials you can’t just scan as they have coupons or codes or something, so an actual person helps. But the biggest problem is things ringing up wrong, and it almost never happens in a customer-favorable way. Usually they are items with significant savings and I have more than one. The bad/undependable checkout staffing means, maybe half the time, I don’t notice it. Even if I do, I am tired of the arguments. If I don’t notice it immediately, I have to go back, first I have to re-check the shelf, then go and wait and argue… There is never anyone staffed there. Maybe I have to wait while they go check the shelf.
And then something is supposed to be free or credited, no? What, for the store/manager, is the incentive to correct it otherwise? And for the customer/me, this was all so I could get it at the displayed price anyway? It is so common it could be called intentional, or allowed.
(A bit more on the if it rings up wrong it is free thing. I heard that from employees at this store before, until they were corrected. Stores do it and customers expect it. Preach.)
Unemployment is down… At one point, maybe two or three months ago, they had a big sign saying they’re trying to hire. It is a company-owned store and Denver is big and growing. It appears that, overall, it is just not a big enough concern.
“You can pick it up next time you are in the store,” the manager said. It does make me think about the community presence and the assumption that I’ll be back. Me too. I do not enjoy berating these women—they are all women—who are the same people I often see in the store. Now I am known as “the grape juice guy.”
I also do not like not having control over what goes on my credit cards.
So maybe it is not a nice place to work. What did the assistant manager say, they are “minus 17.” Perhaps it is a bit of a tough labor market, but I bet there are people at Safeway who know how to staff a store. I think it is like a lot of things—you have to find people who want to do it.
Next, the scam internet seller. Bank of America. Tanga. I heart consumer behavior!
“Hi Mr. Pfeiffer my name is Barney and I’m still director the Safeway in Evergreen and I just wanted to call to follow up and address your concerns regarding your recent visit recent visit to our store. When you have a moment could you please give me a call. The number the store. The store is 303-674-6625. Hope to hear from you soon. Have a wonderful evening take care. Bye bye.”
I called because I read that. Couldn’t be any nicer or more professional. And what enunciation! (Voice response.) I even forgot that there was a call Friday at 6:30 PM and then this one at 6:30 on Monday. That was #1 on my list: you gotta want to.
I am also obsessed with the topic of narcissism (thanks Trina Wolf!). It started with, at 8 AM this morning, I should explain things (uh uh, no) and it went downhill from there. He did not know if or when I had been in the store. “I think I can get your receipt for you.” Then he blamed the “scan team” for the always-wrong pricing signs. He has only been the manager since 1/4/16, so he is not responsible. “What is your address?” (already provided to HQ). An awful lot of you need to do this for me and I do not like that. Perhaps he is still thinking, the next time you come in the store…
In constant search of closure I called the 800 number again; the woman last Friday was good. She lit a fire under the “manager’s” rear end, yet he was clueless. I mean, there has to be some level of competence involved. M reason for calling: please stop calling me and, again, “I am getting angry at these women who work there–they seem to work 80 hours a week–and it is not their fault. They cannot control it. Now I know why, there is no manager.”
I never even had a chance to gently communicate, this goes higher… What is with all these constantly-changing “Everyday Low Prices.” They are not everyday.
The strangest thing is that it isn’t really isn’t about money. It is but, a few dollars, I waste that or spend it on something useless every week. There must be other shoppers who pay attention to these things too (e.g., the person returning used batteries).
For me it is fine. I’ll just pay a little more attention to shopping other places. If I get in a bind or am lazy, I don’t know. I don’t need to spend time on the Safeway website or check their flyers.
I don’t like Bank of America. The mysterious $500 airline ticket purchase, and the hassle associated, was too much. I like having credit cards I can trust. The BoA thing was fraud, but there are much wider and more inclusive guarantees that good cards (e.g., Chase) provide. It really is unusual, because Chase has been able to incorporate that trust in their service, a darn difficult thing to with telephone centers. Anwyay, we’ll see how Amex fares. I need to know because I am obsessive. I’ve spent enough time trying to do Safeway employees’ work for them. Is it worth challenging the charges?