Recreation Rules of being a good customer

These are tailored to my job at a Safeway deli, a friend wanted to see them, so I figured I might as well make them public and show you all. These are mine, perhaps you guys have some to add?

Took me about 30 minutes to think of all these, I think. You'll see a much more cynical side of me in this than anywhere else, I think.

In any case, if you want to be a good customer and not have employees complain about you after you leave, here are some simple rules you should follow. Enjoy.

1. NEVER interrupt me. When I'm talking, it's either asking you a question I need to know, or answering a question you've asked me. Just because you're in a hurry, doesn't mean you have the right to interrupt me. It's rude.

2. Don't point. You should have been taught this as a kid. It's rude to point, why do you think you're exempt from that rule because you're a customer. Say the name of what you want, so I don't have to lean way over to see what you're trying to point at. Also this leads to rule 2a: Don't touch the windows. It's hard enough to clean them at night without your greasy fingerprints on them.

3. Say the name right. The people who make tags are retarded, and reading the tags off exactly makes you sound equally retarded. If you want smoked pepper ham, say you want smoked pepper ham, don't say "Give me ham pepper smoked fleetwood." You sound like a moron. Do yourself a favour.

4. Say "please" and "thank you". Is it that hard? No. So why not say it and not sound like a selfish, uncaring jerk?

5. Patience is a virtue. The greatest, most valuable virtue there is. We're not able to serve you instantly, and sometimes we're in the middle of something when you come to be served. If you're in so much of a hurry that you can't wait for us to wash our hands, put our gloves on, and/or finish with another customer, then for god's sake, go to the vacuum-packed section and get what you want there. Also, be ready to wait a minute or so after arriving at the counter. We will notice you and serve you, there's no need to call out to get our attention 2 seconds after you get there.

6. We're not perfect. We're human just as you are. We make mistakes. If it happens, yelling at us will not solve anything. We'll only hate you for it. Instead, approach it with a calm, polite demeanor, and we'll try our best to make it right for you and help solve your problem. Yelling at us only causes us to lose our focus and it's hard to think up the right solution. Kindness opens all doors.

7. By the same token, if something happens, and we've run out of something you wanted, it is not the employee's fault. Either the item has been very popular and sold out, or it was shorted on the order. Yelling at the employee will not make the item magically appear. No amount of complaining in the world will make it appear before it arrives on the next order, either. Why waste your energy?

8. NEVER, ever forget your Club Card. Doing so loses you money and wastes my time. It's utter stupidity to not use it, so why don't you? Also, if you don't have one, go get one! It's free and takes less than 2 minutes to sign up for, why the hell wouldn't you want one, especially since it never expires and saves you money?

9. We're deli employees. We don't know where every grain of dust in the store is. Don't roll your eyes when we tell you we don't know where to find an item, and be willing to wait 3 seconds while we call customer service to ask for you. Just because I don't know where to find that non-stick frying pan you wanted, doesn't mean I'm stupid. It means I don't go to that part of the store often and thus have not seen it myself. Being employed by Safeway does not instantly impart that knowledge to me.

And, most importantly...

10. The best time to come to the deli is... not at all! Screw off, loser.

 

That's a powerful list you got there. Some of the rules make so much sense, like the "please" and "thank-you" rule, but I'm not so sure about that last one...

 

DELI? Try being (as what the professional name says) Front Service Personel (though it really just means bagger...) at a grocery store. You'll get the rarest things.

For instance, we close at 10Pm, but there was this family that was still shopping in there, and it was 10:45Pm!

Since we have to let all costumers that were in the store before 10 finish, they stayed.

Not only that, but they also told the person that was baggin' for them "to not throw things, and do it quick since they're in a hurry".

So then I just took off the uniform, and went behind them in the line as if I too was a costumer, and said to them " 'ey lady, If you were in a hurry, what the hell made you think come shopping at 10 o'clock at night was gonna do? make it faster?"

Thankfully the lady didn't know I worked there. Yay!

But seriously, one thing you should always remember when you're at least in my line:

1-Have your money ready!If you got cash, don't wait till we pack the million things to start countin' it out of your purse or pocket change! Or, if you have a debit/credit card, just swipe it already, you don't need to wait. And If you have a check, don't ask all retardedly "err......who do I write it out to?" when the store's name is put on big in the entrance, walls, and in my apron!

-Seishin
(We should keep adding rules or something...right?)

 

I think I may have one to add to the list.

1. If you're shopping at the grocery store, know what you want!

I can't tell you how many times I have seen a person go shopping without a list. They just kinda walk in and try and remember what they needed to buy. It's annoying and it takes up tons of time. Unless you've memorized your list, please bring it with you so you don't wander around for 2 hours, fruitlessly trying to remember what to buy.

 

Ha ha ha^^ That's a very big list there! I didn't know I sound retarded when I quote exactly from a price tag ^^;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; And, I never say "thank you" when I'm in bad mood, and I'm in a bad mood often.

Have you ever heard:
1. customer is always right
2. you should respect the cusomer.
3. If you think that customer is wrong, read no.1 again!

The above is hanging in my father's office XD

 

I really don't abide by that, "the customer's always right" rule. Sometimes they're just not right at all. I hate it.

Customer: "Uh yeah, lemme have the Chicken Marciano."
Worker: "Um, sir? That's 'Chicken Marsala'."
Customer: "Give me my Chicken Marciano!"
Worker: "Sure... Would you like some Charley Goldman cheese fries with your order?

So there's your example.

 

10 Rules of being a good Deli Operator


10. Don't loose your marbles if a customer interrupts you. Even if they are at fault, in thier eyes they are simply requesting a service trying thier best to make sure that you get thier order right. Even if they are rude bastards simply smile and try to pick up where you left off before. You are supposed to be the better person. Using words like "sir" and "ma'am" in conjunction with a smile is an easy way to help diffuse a rude customer when you are otherwise engaged. If you cannot help them at the moment engage other team members to assist with them. Service with a smile worked fifty years ago, nothing has changed much since then.

9. Forgive the customer for pointing. They do not know any better. If you cannot see where she is pointing simply ask her to give you the name. Such is an easy method diffuse that situation.

9a. Gripe not for cleaning windows. Half of any job is cleaning. If you wish to keep the customer's hands off the glass simply post a sign stating calmly and politely "Please do not touch the glass." If that is innefective take pride in the fact that everyday you will become one step closer to a glass cleaning god.

8. Judge not the customer for mis-pronouncing the name of a product. If the lablel plates are incorrect then fix them. Do not take out your aggrivations on the customer for reading back to you what the store deems to be the official name of the product. Many customers do not know any better. Judging them because they read you a label plate is shallow upon your part. This is why many of them resort to pointing, which is another infraction upon your original list.

7. Judge not a customer for not minding his P's and Q's. If they wish to sound like callous jerks then let them. It should be no sweat off of your back. Are you not the better person? Always remember your "please" and "thank you's" and this in turn is more likely to get a favorable response from the customer.

6. If a customer calls you to the counter and you are not able to respond immediately please let the customer know that you will be able to meet his or her needs in a moment. Say this while making eye contact, using "sir" and "ma'am" and a smile upon your face. 90% of the time the customer will wait for you. When you are ready to meet the customer's needs approach them with a smile, and tell them you apologize for the inconvenience. Patience of your own will rub off onto the customer. If not simply hold your smile and remember: you are the better man. Try not to let him or her get to you.

5. Judge not the customer with the short temper. If you make a mistake always retain that smile upon your face and remember your 'sir' and 'ma'am'. If they raise their voice let them burn themselves out. They are the ones making a fool of themselves. If you lose your cool then their screaming and yelling is having its desired effects and you, and the store, are the ones who look bad.

4. Fault not the customer who becomes angry at a short order. For one reason or another they really wanted this item and are frustrated that you do not have it in stock. By raising thier voices they are giving an outlet to thier frustrations and are hoping that you might at least have a little bit left squirrled away in the back. If you do not calmly smile and inform them when you plan on recieving more in stock. Apologize for the short order and ask them if there is anything else they need.

3. Judge not a customer who does not own a club card. Doing so is petty and insignificant. Not everyone wishes to stick yet another card into thier wallet, or keep track of anther store they might need thier phone number for. If they do not own a club card so be it. It is thier wish not to have one. If you wish to save the customer money then calmly scan your own card. Watch the customer's reaction when you save them some money. If you cannot use your own ask if someone in line has a card and utilize thiers. Going out of the way to save the customer money reflects good upon yourself and upon the store.

2. Judge not the customer who is irritated that you do not know the store you work in. If you can't take the time out of your day to walk around and familiarize yourself with the place that you work in then fault not the customer for being irritated. Never tell the customer "Sorry, I don't know." Children use the word 'Sorry'. Adults use the word 'Apologize'. "I apologize ma'am, but I'm afraid I don't know. Please wait a moment while I page someone to help you." Sematics make all the difference in the world.

1. Fire that which tells the customer to blow off. Fighting fire with fire has no place in the supermarket.

Doing these above steps prevents you from recieving any blame when the customer makes a big deal about things. As long as you are polite, friendly, and willing to assist the customer whenever possible you will be free from any problems when the odd ill-tempered consumer complains to the manager. Unless you give them fuel to feed thier fire you remain in the right and they look like the ill-tempered fools they really are. Unless you snap back, there is nothing they can do to touch you.

As a customer it is your duty to remain calm and polite, and understand that the person behind the counter has multiple tasks that they must accomplish at once. If they cannot get to you right away then calmly wait. As irritating as it is it is your duty as a customer to be the better person. Always read what is on the label plates for the provided items because those are the names the store deemed appropriate for the product. If they look at you funny then simply shrug it off. Why are you the fool for reading back thier own mistakes? If a store clerk or deli boy is polite and receptive then you must take it upon yourself to be the same to them. If they are short an item simply understand you arrived to late and that the only fault is upon yourself, not the people who work there. If a store clerk is rude report him or her to the manager. There is no excuse for such behavior. Mind your P's and Q's and remember that everyone is human- Mistakes will be made. Be the better person and give them an opportunity to correct thier mistake. Ill-tempers and foul mouths will get you nothing in return. An understanding nod and a smile will likely get you more than you first began with.

~W

 

I guess that means that the customer is exempt of the "being human rule". Hm.

 

wow...different perspectives of customer - producer relations...let the battle begin lol :anime:

 

This gives way to the "Do not shove your money into my face" rule. Many people expect that doing so results in quicker transactions, but I have nothing to do with your money until I'm done scanning all the products. When you shove money into my face the moment I say you can pay at the deli, all I can do is say I need to scan everything first and the customer looks foolish for jumping the gun.

Well, it's a simple thing not to take out frustration on people who have nothing to do with it, right?

And, when at least 5 customers a day walk directly past the chickens, look straight at them, then ask you where they are, I think it becomes debateable as to how right they can be.

Not at all. But rather they're given these rules to help them. Following them is appreciated, but not necessary.

And wertitis, o sesquipadelian one, allow me to refute that which you have presented.

Is it not taught to children that interrupting people is rude and they should wait for the person to finish before saying their piece? It is the behaviour of 5 year olds that lends the belief that interruption is acceptable. And, believe me, I use little but "sir" and "ma'am," does it change anything? Not a bit.

I believe that children are also taught not to point. If it's not acceptable for children, why should it be so for adults? The only case where saying the name is impossible is the rare case where the tag is missing, in this case it's more acceptable.

We're not allowed to post a sign like that. Also, when you take 30 minutes to clean 20 windows and someone comes by and smears one up again, how does it make you feel?

If you can't tell that "turkey - smoked breast maple" is a dumb way of saying it, well, I think we know what that says about you. Also, we're not allowed to change the labels, either. They come from head office and we have no control over what they say. It takes little intelligence to read a name plate, it takes only a little more to say the name correctly.

Why should one be better than the other? Why should someone be treated without respect or courtesy when it is not deserving?

If the customer calls me to the counter whilst only having been there a half-second, they have the wrong impression of Safeway. We look to see if there are any customers very often, to the point of paranoia. If they're unable to wait for the 10 seconds it might take for me to look again, then they're obviously not going to be able to wait for the 1 minute or so it'll take me to serve them.

You deal with several customers from hell in the space of an hour, then come back and tell me if you think this is possible. Once you've had someone glare at you like they want you to melt into the ground, and shout directly into your face "You shut up, I'm sick of you interrupting me, this is between me and her (the manager), so get out of my face" when you'd done nothing except inform her that the product she was interested in buying had just finished it's turn in the oven, and she needn't argue any longer, you'll know why I say what I do. This is an actual occurence.

Not allowed. Customers are allowed to use their own, and only their own, club cards. Usually this rule is ignored, however. Membership is free, and we ask you every time if you want to use it or give your phone number. There's certainly very little work in keeping a membership, and I've seen it save people as much as $100 at once. Not to mention the fuel discounts they get for spending at least $35.

When you have no time in your day for anything but your own work, you haven't time to learn that which is not necessary for you to know. I don't have the time to try and figure out where everything is, it's not my job to know. If you ask and I do know, of course I'll help you, but that is the most I can do.

Learnest thou a sense of humour. I of course would never say that to a customer's face, and wouldn't say it at all, were I serious. Translation: It's a joke.

 

Continued...

In addition, here are several more rules that cropped up since I initially devised these:

11. Do not tell an employee they have a bad attitude for telling you they're not allowed to do something you want. They're only following the rules they are given. We have rules that we have to follow. If we're not allowed to do something, we can't do it for you. This is not the same as having a bad attitude. A bad attitude is not "I'm sorry sir, but we're not allowed to grill the Signature sandwiches." It is not a bad attitude to greet you warmly and provide the best service we're capable of giving you.

12. If you're picky enough that you have to have your meat sliced at the point where it's thinner than paper, where it can only be shredded when we attempt to slice it, you shouldn't bother eating it. Buying it that thin only causes problems for both you and us. Us, because we have to press down on the guard to the point where it makes our arms sore in order to actually slice something, and you, because after we package said meat in the bags, it's squeezed together into a ball of shredded meat. Fun.

13. We wear gloves on our hands for a reason. When we make salads, we wear those same gloves and touch the same salad. Thus, if I use my *gloved* hands to lift a single noodle into the salad container, it's no different from when I was mixing the salad earlier. Don't be so picky as to say "Don't use your hands, use the spoon you just used," especially after I just tossed it into the dirty spoon bucket. You're ignorant if you think our salads never get touched except by spoons and/or tongs.

 

You missed the whole point. The customer is always right, even if they are wrong. Its up to you to be the better person and forgive them for being incompetent. They don't know any better. You shouldn't get angry at them, they've never worked as a Safeway Deli operator before, how would they know what they're doing is making you angry? To me it sounds like you're being unfair. Even if they are imbaciles, and they KNOW that what they're doing is making you mad why do you let it get to you? What happened to being a better person?

This makes you sound no better than those who piss you off. Treating someone with respect and courtesy is exactly what will make you the better man. You want to do something like that because it is the right thing to do. Didn't your parents teach you that? If you're so quick to judge the parenting of the people who you serve, maybe you should step back and analyze your own for a minute.

I know you're just joking around. It just seemed a little unfair that someone who works for other people would get so spun up about the stupid things people do. Live and let die, you're going home everynight at the exact same time with a paycheck, and if you really dont like it you can always quit. That's more than some of us here. Be thankful for what you have, bro.

~W

 

The thing is, the large majority of my rules are simply based in common courtesy and respect toward others. It's my belief that if you can't be respectful and polite to everyone you meet, be they a future boss, some random person on the street, even a bottom-rung deli worker like myself, then how can you respect yourself?

Certainly, some of these can be overlooked due to the ignorance of the customers, but is it really *that* difficult to show a little courtesy? That's all I'd really ask.

Stress can be a powerful thing. Repetition can build on it, also. When you deal with the exact same kind of person, over and over and over again, it does tend to leave you a little frustrated. I put up with it as long as I can, but everyone can only take so much. Of course, the customer has no way of knowing how frustrated you are, but tell me, just because you've had a crappy day, does that mean you're entitled to ruin someone else's?

It's not fair, really. Nothing about the whole deal is... except the pay, I can't really complain about $9.27 an hour, with no experience or secondary education required.

Oh but I wish I went home at the same time every night. There's 8 different shifts I could work, ranging from 5am-1:30pm, to 2:30pm-11pm.

Ehh, I was just ranting, venting some frustration.

 

1. Don't say you want coffee. This is a coffee shop and when you say coffee, you say "surprise me".

2. Just because your having a bad day, don't take it out on us. We don't want to be burnt and most of all we want coffee beans shoved up our behinds.

3. Don't mumble. I hate having to ask what you said over and over again.


that's all i can think of at this moment.

 

It would seem that both sides are right and wrong. While the two lists contradict each other, you could simple break them all down into one simple rule:

"Whether customer or employee, always be nice and respect the other and all will be well."

I think that pretty much sums it all up. Most of this stuff is common sense anyhow.

 

And there for there is absolutely no profit and there for the store goes out of business, you have no job, and lastly you get no money.... You are in the service industry... it is your JOB to SERVE OTHERS. Get over it.... If you don't want to deal with costumers go work in a factory.... or on a garbage truck or something less people oriented. Heh if those sorts of jobs are not to yer liking then work at walmart where pathetic service is almost expected.

 

Exactly.

Umm, I was joking...

Seriously though, it's best to avoid us when we're trying to clean up, it's always irritating to spend an hour cleaning a slicer because every time you go to do it a customer comes. Early in the day is best for you, since we're not that busy then, and best for us at the same time.

Another couple of rules:

If you have a problem with something, don't storm off and vow never to shop at the store again, talk (calmly) to us about it, we'll try our best to make it right. But we can't solve your problem while you're walking away.

Don't feel like you have to stand way the hell back from the counter because you're not ready. Since it's obvious to us you're intending to ask us for help, we're obligated to offer, and standing far away makes us have to shout for you to hear. Besides, we won't bite your head off because you're not ready to order the instant you reach the counter.

 

Heh, pretty long list. But all pretty good rules. I havent had the honor of working in the Deli just yet since I am still up front as a Couresy Clerk bagging groceries. Luckily I havent been yelled at by a customer even though I screw up....quite often. ^_^;;