We Just Bought Out Another Chain

[Fish Taco64]

I work for a decent sized Midwest grocery store chain that recently purchased seven of another chain's stores in my area. They will keep the same name, layout, products, almost all of the same employees and everything else, the only thing that will really change is the private label items will be ours instead of the other chain's(*cough*it's all the same shit anyway*cough*).

Of course as you can imagine, this has caused quite a few "emotions" in their regular customers, many of whom were in my store during the 3 days the new stores were closed for the switch. Enjoy.


Story #1
I had helped this gentleman locate the canned tamales and he seemed quite pleasant to this point.

Idiot: So I hear you guys bought (other store).
Me: Yep, all seven of them.
Idiot: Well I think that's crap! I don't even shop there cause they are always so dirty but you guys are just trying to get a nice monopoly going so that you can jack up all the prices on us! Karma is gonna roll around on you and it's gonna be a bitch!

He actually wished me a good day as he walked away.

I have heard the word "monopoly" thrown around quite a bit since the news broke, people should figure out what words mean before they start using them...by my count there are still at least 5 major competitors in the area.



Story #2

I am having a small chat with a CW at the end of the aisle closest to the Frozen Food section. ?A guy storms up to CW, fortunately, I am further back and out of sight.

Asshat: Hey! Help me find the frozen tortellini! That dumbass kid over in Frozen told me it was at the end, I went down there, and it's just a bunch of frozen dinners! This is bullshit!
CW: Right this way sir.
*I walk along on the other side of the aisle so that I can hear the gem that follows, but the guy can't see me*
CW: See sir? They're right here across from the frozen dinners. They're just on the other side.
AH(screaming):FUCK YOU FOR BUYING (OTHER STORE). THAT'S MY STORE! I KNOW WHERE EVERYTHING IS IN IT AND YOU ASSHOLES ARE GONNA GO AND FUCK IT UP! FUCK YOU!
*Guy who was working in Frozen comes into view*
AH: THERE'S THE LITTLE PISSANT WHO TOLD ME THE TORTELLINI WAS DOWN AT THE END! HEY ASSHOLE, IT'S RIGHT HERE! lEARN HOW TO DO YOUR JOB YOU DUMBASS KID!
Frozen Guy: Ummm...that's where I told you they were....
AH: FUCK YOU!

*sound of something crashing into ground and the guy storms past me and towards the door*

Turns out he threw the tortellini on the ground and left.



Story #3
Me: The Boost drinks are right here sir.
Elderly gent: Thank you so much. Y'know I always shopped at (other store), but now I don't know what I'll do.
Me: Oh, well they will be open again in two days, they are just taking inventory and restocking!
EG: Yeah, but I don't like shopping at this place and now it's the same people running it. I used to shop here when you were privately owned, but then when those Jews took over, it went all to Hell!"

He walked away after that, leaving me looking like:

1. The family that owns our stores is not Jewish....at all.
2. When it was privately owned, the family had a reputation for horrible management and letting their drughead kids run it to hell.

[BeenThereDoneThat]

Story #1:

Story #2: Somebody needs a nap...

Story #3: Wow, way to be an intolerant asshole, not to mention completely clueless.

[blas]

If that guy wants a real Monopoly, he can live in an area that isn't allowed to have a Lowes or Home Depot because a certain someone who owns a certain huge home improvement store is on the city council.

[Marmalady]

Sounds familiar.

A couple of years ago a major chain store folded and our chain took over a couple of their stores in our area. Some of us went over to the 'new' places for a week or two until things got settled in, and oh the bitching and whining from the SCs who wanted it 'back the way it used to be' - as if that's going to happen when the company has actually gone down the pan.

[mariamousie1]

#2- some people just can't stand looking stupid. So they try to distract away from their mistake by looking even more stupid.

[NateTheChops]

I worked for Brooks Pharmacy just as the Rank Aid corporation was taking over.

Now, the store I worked in had a lot of problems, including not having the product when the sale was advertised to begin because we only had one truck a week. To top it off, we didn't always get the product the store was out of.

Nevertheless, when Rank Aid took over, suddenly I, along with the rest of my coworkers were personally responsible for every imagined or realistic problem every customer ever had with Rank Aid.

[XCashier]

Nevertheless, when Rank Aid took over, suddenly I, along with the rest of my coworkers were personally responsible for every imagined or realistic problem every customer ever had with Rank Aid.

Business is business. Front-line workers handle one aspect, Corporate handles another, and front-line is not responsible for what Corporate does.

I really wish these complainers would take their complaints to Corporate instead of screaming at the cannon fodder cashiers and other workers. Our jobs are stressful enough, TYVM, we don't need to be held responsible for the bean-counters' decisions as well.

[Hyena Dandy]

So wait, #3 was not just racist/anti-semitic but he was also WRONG?

[chainedbarista]

#2- some people just can't stand looking stupid. So they try to distract away from their mistake by looking even more stupid.

well, outside of really needing a nap (like beenthere suggested), he at least provided some entertainment.

1 and 3 were just wtfage.

[Fish Taco64]

I'm not really sure if this story is related to the other three...but I'm going to guess it is.

My assistant manager and I were stocking a pallet of pet food. Pet food is located in two different aisles, one for dogs, one for cats. We parked our pallet in the connecting aisle, leaving plenty of room to either side for a cart to go through if needed. Enter Dumb Bitch.

DB: Oh gee....how am I supposed to get through there?
Me: Oh, let me get that for you...I move the pallet way to one side, there is now room for about three carts to go through on one side.
DB: Y'know I'm disappointed in this store....very disappointed.

She then leaves the aisle she made a big fuss about having to get into without taking anything from said aisle. She also did not elaborate at all on what she was disappointed in. As my assistant manager put it after she was gone:

"She didn't even want to buy anything, she came down here for the sake of being a bitch."

[Imprl59]

People sure get fussy over their grocery stores. Albertsons closed all but two of the stores in my area a couple of years ago and Publix renovated and reopened a lot of them. As silly as it seem I still don't go to the Publix down the street from me that used to be an Albertsons because the one a mile from me is "my Publix".

Sorry those people were such jerks to you. Unfortunately I think you have a lot more of it to look forward to.

[Stormraven]

I used to work for a functioning savings and loan in the early 90s. Because said S&L was solid financially (very solid) they were asked to purchase a number of failing or failed local S&Ls.

The bitching from their customers that some 'national' S&L bought up their 'mom and pop' POS was non stop. We often wished we could point out that the only reason we were buying them was because they'd failed.

[Ironclad Alibi]

Business is business. Front-line workers handle one aspect, Corporate handles another, and front-line is not responsible for what Corporate does.

And Corporate will not accept responsibility for what they make the front-line do.

[dalesys]

And Corporate will not accept responsibility for what they make the front-line do.

Right!

Grunts are the bullet-catchers, not the orificers.

[PizzaTheHut]

Fish I know exactly which stores your talking about. Howdy neighbor!

That jew comment made me wtf? in my head for a moment. Some people....