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I help manage a grocery store. I& #39;ve worked 17 of the last 19 days (and 26 of the last 30). I& #39;m worn out. Mentally and physically. Here are a few requests from The Public
Get back in the habit of shopping just once or twice a week. We& #39;re seeing far too many of you every day. We appreciate the business. But this isn& #39;t Spring Break.
Make a list. Do you know how the store is laid out? Try to make your list in that order. Also.... Have a plan B. And a plan C for items. The supply chain is stretched. And at the mercy of our warehouse, which can only stack and send so much.
It& #39;s ok, even preferred, if you ask if we& #39;re out of something. Be prepared to get a yes, if you don& #39;t see it. You might get lucky, though, especially if a delivery has just come in.
No, we didn& #39;t forget how to order. I know you think that& #39;s funny, or trying to lighten the mood. It ain& #39;t. Again, we& #39;re at the mercy of what the warehouse can pick stack and ship. Our warehouse handles many stores, all coping with this.
In some cases (for us, dairy, most meat categories and produce) the folks have done a magnificent job of meeting demand. In others (for us, beef, frozen and dry grocery) they& #39;re struggling.
I say that to say this: we know we& #39;re out of a lot of stuff. It& #39;s not due to laziness or lack of planning. In almost every case, it& #39;s beyond our control. And we& #39;re even more frustrated about it than you are.
You can ask us when trucks are coming. But the honest fact is, we have only the vaguest idea. It& #39;s like a cable repair man. It& #39;ll be here between 7 and midnight.....
Don& #39;t dawdle. Have a shopping list. Don& #39;t browse. When you get to the checkout, follow social distancing requests, have your store card and payment ready. You& #39;re making other people wait when you fiddle fart around. This could be dangerous.
And, I can& #39;t stress this enough: get off your phone. It& #39;s rude, even if there& #39;s not a pandemic on. Right now, we have a couple specific requests or questions. Get off your phone. You& #39;re not there multitasker you think you are.
And: just bring you. You don& #39;t need to bring the whole family. It& #39;s annoying pre-pandemic. It& #39;s verging right on dangerous now.
Other small things: don& #39;t park in the fire lane. Just park in a space. We& #39;re not two steps from Thunderdome.
If you see a store employee or a vendor pulling a pallet, don& #39;t try to stop him to ask him a question. Those pallets are heavy.
If somebody& #39;s working, and you want to shop there, don& #39;t crowd them. Just say "excuse me." I said an ill word to a family of five last weekend that just needed Chef Boyardee and decided to climb my back to get to it. Rude before hand. Dangerous now.
We don& #39;t always have time to answer phone calls. I know it contradicts what I said earlier, but calling us to ask if toilet paper is in takes away from our being able to stock said toilet paper.
I& #39;m sorry if you "don& #39;t understand what& #39;s going on.". I wish I had time to explain it. The truth is you& #39;re probably going to have to change your shopping patterns for a while.
I wish I knew how long.
I wish I knew how long.
Lastly, be patient. This will be the first week since the first week of March that I& #39;ve gotten two days off (and I don& #39;t consider that guaranteed.... If we should by some miracle get a gigantic grocery delivery, then I& #39;ll likely be working my day off again).
I& #39;m tired. I and my crew have worked our asses off in a difficult set of circumstances. It wasn& #39;t until this week that I really understood the anxiety in my crew beyond my own. That& #39;s my fault. They& #39;re stressed, but doing a good job. Be patient with them.
Very last: do not yell.
At my crew, or me. Do not cuss us, either. There& #39;s enough going on without having to deal with that nonsense.
Be civilized. This might be our New Normal for a while.
At my crew, or me. Do not cuss us, either. There& #39;s enough going on without having to deal with that nonsense.
Be civilized. This might be our New Normal for a while.
