Yesterday I had one of the worst shops I can remember in a long time at the neighborhood Publix. It's the store I have complained repeatedly to Corporate because the training is non existent and nobody cares about customers there. I've spoken to the crabby Store Manager many times and he has suggested I shop at another store if I don't like it there. He will not change things. Most of the cashiers are slow, uninformed and rude. There are a couple new ones that are decent, but you can tell tell the morale and environment of the store is depressed. So of course its my least favorite store which I avoid if I have any other choice. However, I do a lot of little shops and I like to spread them out among stores, and this particular store since they are untrained - will still accept more than one Target coupon per item.
So here's my list of my shop, no picture today.
| 7-Aug | 34 | 36.40 | 0.00 | 35.00 | tax | 2.12 | 22 | -94.19% | |
| Product | qty | price | subtl | B1G1 | -Q | 0.72 | total | Q# | Q details |
| banana | 4 | 0.35 | 1.40 | 1.40 | |||||
| green peppers | 1 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | |||||
| Limes | 4 | 0.25 | 1.00 | 1.00 | |||||
| Lettuce, iceberg | 1 | 1.59 | 1.59 | 1.59 | |||||
| Cucumber | 1 | 0.75 | 0.75 | 0.75 | |||||
| coffee filters | 1 | 1.29 | 1.29 | 1.29 | |||||
| creamer, Baileys | 1 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.00 | 0.50 | 1 | $1/1 MQ 8-5ss | ||
| papermate pens 10 ct | 4 | 0.50 | 2.00 | 4.00 | 0.13 | -1.87 | 4 | $1/1 TQ | |
| Pure Protein Bar | 1 | 1.34 | 1.34 | 2.00 | -0.66 | 1 | $2/1 TQ printable | ||
| ziplocks (raincheck) | 6 | 1.50 | 9.00 | 6.00 | 0.59 | 3.59 | 6 | $1/2 MQ 7-15 RP + $1./2 YAB PQ | |
| Deli Publix sweet ham ($4.99/lb) | 2 | 2.50 | 5.00 | 4.00 | 1.00 | 2 | $2 deli meat wyb 3 ziplocks YAB PQ | ||
| Elmers Glue 3pk | 5 | 0.67 | 3.35 | 5.00 | -1.65 | 5 | $1/1 PQ printable | ||
| Vitamin B6 Sundown | 2 | 3.59 | 7.18 | 8.00 | -0.82 | 2 | $5/2 PQ GAB + $3/2 MQ printable | ||
| Save A Lot $5/$25 | 1 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 5.00 | -5.00 | 1 | $5 off $25 x 8/13 |
So, I did my little shop and picked one of the two lines open (what happened to Alive at Five? Or is that another store that has that motto? I think it is actually) right after work when the place is starting to get busy. I warned the dude behind me it would take longer than normal because I had coupons, and he said that's okay. Well, little did he know what he was getting into.
I put my raincheck ziplocks first so they can scan them correctly without having to do a void later. She stared and stared at the raincheck for 6 deals and I asked if she had a question. She was rude, never responding to my cheery greeting or my inquiry about her pondering over my raincheck. She scanned like a turtle, slow and slower. Then when I handed her my coupons, she looked at one and set it down. Then the next one, then the next one - even though they were the same coupons. She organized and arranged them spread all over the belt. Then she leaned back and crossed her arms and stared at the coupons some more. I was getting impatient and the line was five people deep by this time with people looking around to see what the problem was. I asked her to please just start scanning the coupons because the line was getting very long and I didn't like for people to have to wait longer due to my coupons. Could you imagine if cashiers took that long to take cash, or EBTs from people? It was taking so long, I leaned over with my phone and took a picture of her so you all know to avoid this cashier, or even ones that look like this one. Here you can see she has them spread all over.
I was losing my control, and trying to figure out my options. It was actually before five, so I thought of calling corporate right there in line to complain - but decided I needed to try to resolve it in store since they would just tell me to get the store manager there. But the manager was not around, just the assistants, and they were bagging. And what could I say, that the cashier I had was slow and pathetic? She knew better than to say anything so she just ignored me the entire transaction, no apologies, no explanations or assurances. Unfortunately, I realized I had very little recourse except to just wait and fume. I did complain to the manager and suggested a little customer service training for that cashier, on my way out, but I know it did no good.
That store just hates couponers so they just go out of their way to make each shop as unpleasant as possible. They would rather have their 50% customers that use EBT's to pay, its a lot easier. It's terrible to have shops that are so frustrating but its the price we pay to save on our products. There are a lot of people in society who would not put up with the profiling, discrimination and poor treatment we have to endure simply because we choose to pay with coupons rather than another form of tender.
I just wish I had an effective way to calm myself when these frustrating shops happen.