always-angry regulars

[Food Lady]

So some of you may have read about this incident in November: http://www.customerssuck.com/board/s...d.php?t=103451 Since then I tend to tell people when I can't lift stuff and I do my best to at least slide soda packs to the other side of the scanner. That doesn't always work well, though, because the ledge is tiny on that side.

Anyway, I got rear-ended Friday night so my right wrist was a little sore. We have a soda sale this week--perfect timing. I've been doing my best all night to scan and move them over to the other side if I can. But to put them across the great divide in the counter over by the card reader is kind of hard to do. I was dealing with sodas all night in different ways, really just trying to see what would work. No one complained.

And then it happened. I came back from break and waited for J to finish with her current customer so I could get back on my register when I saw her--the next woman, who looked very unhappy, and whom I kind of recognized. Now, if I recognize you and you look unhappy, it's probably because I've ticked you off before or you are annoyed with us every time you shop here. I was going to take over and deal with this woman, and I just knew... So everything went ok, though she didn't look happy that I was her cashier. OK, whatever; I have had to deal with customers that don't like me and it goes fine.
Just as she was finishing with the card reader, the supervisor walked up and asked me a question. So, since my head was turned, I didn't see what happened, but heard the soda crash to the floor. It didn't leak, but of course I wanted to get her a new pack. Supervisor immediately offered to look in the display we had up front and I went on to the next customer. I guess we didn't have that flavor up front, and we could've had someone bring it up from the back, but the woman told her daughter angrily to stay where she was and went back to the soda aisle. She was clearly very angry, and she could've been mad at her daughter (did she drop it? I don't know), but given that I know her face, she's probably royally ticked at us. We didn't even drop it, and right away were on getting her a new one. Ugh. I think she's just one of those always-angry people.

[emax4]

Maybe she got a call and was upset over that, and had nothing to do with the store. I would like to think that most people handle their emotions, and not all people take them out on the wrong person.

[MoonCat]

I'm embarrassed to admit that I may have an idea why she was ticked. It's not you, it's the store. I'm guessing, obviously, but there's a store here that always pushes my buttons. Either I can't find the size cart I want (I hate the huge Cadillac-sized ones because I rarely need one that big), or I can't find a product that's advertised, or I can't find something I've been buying there for ages, etc. I tend to be pretty wired by the time I get to checkout. I try not to take it out on the cashiers, though. I know it's not their fault.

And if anyone's wondering, I still sometimes shop there because it's close to home, has a larger selection of merchandise, and has some decent sale prices at times.

[Food Lady]

I think this might be the case, because I see her often and she never looks happy. Or she's just miserable in general. I don't know. Just don't want to deal with it. But I will, cheerfully--which will probably tick her off.

[MoonCat]

I think this might be the case, because I see her often and she never looks happy. Or she's just miserable in general. I don't know. Just don't want to deal with it. But I will, cheerfully--which will probably tick her off.

Well, look at it this way. If she wants to be miserable all the time, and your being happy ticks her off, then hey! You've provided the perfect customer service! You've given her what she wants.

[mathnerd]

I second the idea that it might be the store in general. There is a store, that until yesterday (when I swore them off entirely) I went to occasionally because it was convenient. It's walking distance, I can send the kids on a quick errand, etc. However, every time I went in for anything but the pharmacy, something was always wrong. The woman at the customer service desk is a ditz, and rude to boot, they are always out of stock of sale items and give me grief about rain checks, the carts are always in bad repair, etc. I only went in there if I was desperate, or didn't want to go to another store after going to the pharmacy (I adore the pharmacist and the pharmacy tech that works there).

Anyway, I probably had a sourpuss expression on my face every time I went there as well. Well, at least after the first dozen times I was there and there were always problems. There was an incident involving one of my kids that I found out about yesterday, and then another one involving a different kid that I found out about later in the evening, that's caused me to swear off the store entirely. I'll miss my pharmacist though.

[otakuneko]

I'm embarrassed to admit that I may have an idea why she was ticked. It's not you, it's the store. I'm guessing, obviously, but there's a store here that always pushes my buttons. Either I can't find the size cart I want (I hate the huge Cadillac-sized ones because I rarely need one that big),

Grocery stores with... multiple sizes of carts?

All the ones here have just one size of cart...which I think is probably the huge size you're thinking of.

[notalwaysright]

Many grocery stores here have the regular size, and tiny. Everyone loves the tiny ones, and they are often in short supply. I would say 50% of tiny cart users should just get the regular sized ones, because they load them way over the sides. I like the small ones, but if I'm really only getting a few things I get a hand basket. The store is so crowded that there's really no good option.

[Monterey Jack]

Grocery stores with... multiple sizes of carts?

My store has two sizes..."regular" and ones that are about half as big. Of course, I've lost count of how many customers keep shopping despite it being obvious the smaller ones won't adequately contain their groceries...

[siskaren]

Grocery stores with... multiple sizes of carts?

All the ones here have just one size of cart...which I think is probably the huge size you're thinking of.

Both Meijer and Mariano's have ones that look like this something like this:

http://www.discountshelving.com/Stor...ductID=SHOPUSC

I love them because as someone who lives alone, I don't need those Cadillac-sized ones that most stores have because I don't buy that much and the hand baskets are usually too small (plus depending on what I buy, can easily get heavy).

My store has two sizes..."regular" and ones that are about half as big. Of course, I've lost count of how many customers keep shopping despite it being obvious the smaller ones won't adequately contain their groceries...

Yeah, it seems like those smaller ones are very popular, even with people who buy way too much stuff to fit in them.

[eltf177]

Our Safeway has them too. And I love them as I too rarely need a full-size cart and these are much easier to handle.

I wish Shopper's Food, Giant and Food Lion would get them too...

[sms001]

Love MoonCat's take on it Food Lady! Want misery? Here ya go!

caused me to swear off the store entirely. I'll miss my pharmacist though.

Man mathnerd, unless it's a pretty hardcore ethical thing, I don't know about this. A good pharmacist is like a good mechanic or computer tech - hard to come by, especially so convenient. Can you forgo the rest of the store and just go for the meds?

[siskaren]

I wish Shopper's Food, Giant and Food Lion would get them too...

I wish Target and Walmart would get them. Walmart's in particular are ginormous.

[vikingchyk]

I wish Shopper's Food, Giant and Food Lion would get them too...

My Food Lion used to have the smaller carts, but I think they did away with them From a retailer's point of view, why would you have smaller carts, to limit how much stuff a person bought? I'm surprised they still offer handbaskets My Giant does have the smaller carts (might be the "other" Giant, though, or it might vary from store to store)

I really wish our Trader Joe's would get the small carts and do away with the large ones. It's such a small store, it's very hard to maneuver around[1], and I don't think I've ever seen a regular cart more than 1/3 full, because there just isn't that much to buy there

[1] especially when people insist on bringing a posse with them, so there are more bodies taking up precious space. It's somewhat expected for a parent to have kids in tow (ugh!) but seriously, what was the deal the other day, with the shopper, and the three adults trailing her around? This group maintained at least an 8 foot diameter of dead space at all times, making it hard to go around or through them. It would be one thing if they were helping pick stuff, but they weren't. They were just aimlessly wandering, and always in someone's way.

[BeeMused]

Ah there is a psychological reason for huge carts. People tend to buy more to fill up that huge cart.