1. Start in the parking lot!
There are directional arrows and
lined parking spaces to help you know which direction to drive. Use them to
your advantage and you won’t have people giving you dirty looks. And, for those
areas of the country that get snow, you may not be able to see the arrows, but
cars are still parked in the usual direction you should travel. Not to mention
the fact that, if you shop that store regularly, you should have the parking
lot memorized by now. Oh yes, another little known fact, the speed limit in parking lots is 10 MPH.
2. Entering, and exiting, the store!
Pay close attention to the doors
as you walk up to the store. One door is clearly marked ENTER, the other, EXIT.
Using the correct door for the direction you are headed will prevent accidents,
like, getting hit head on by an overloaded buggy. You will also avoid those
dirty looks I mentioned above, plus, other customers won’t think your
illiterate. Also, as you enter, acknowledge other customers and employees who speaks to
you. It's nice to feel welcome at the grocery store.
3. How to navigate aisles and the
‘Action Alley’! (That wide expanse between departments that display random
promotions and sales that change weekly.)
Now the trick here is to treat
those aisles like you would the road in your car. Keep to the right! I know it sounds too simple, but it really
does work. If possible, when entering an aisle, try to enter on the side where
the item you’re after is located. If that’s not possible, stay to the right
until the way is clear, then step across, get your item and quickly return to
your buggy.
When coming to the end of an aisle
treat it like you would a street corner, stop and look both ways before
proceeding. This cuts down on buggy collisions, constant apologies for cutting
people off, and those dirty looks as well.
4. How to treat other customers!
Simple, with respect! Remember the
golden rule even when others don’t. Always say excuse me when walking in front
of someone, wait your turn to get the same item as another customer, and don’t
take all a product just because it’s on sale; only take what you need and leave
some for others. Also, I know it’s awesome to run into friends and get to visit
a bit, but please don’t stand in the middle of an aisle blocking other
customers. Move out to the Action Alley and get between two displays where you
won’t be blocking merchandise.
5. When you change your mind about
purchasing an item!
If possible, return it to the
place where you picked it up. Please, please, please, don’t just leave it where
you are at the moment, especially if it’s a perishable food item. If you don’t
have time to return it to its own spot, then please bring it to your checkout
line and give it to the cashier. They will make sure it gets back to where it
belongs. This will help cut down on clutter that makes the store look messy,
and waste from spoilage as well.
6. At the checkout!
Here is another place where the
golden rule should be applied. Cashiers are there to provide a service, help
you purchase your groceries. They are not the complaint department; they don’t
make store policy and cannot change it. They are following instructions from
the corporate office when asking for ID, if you would like to apply for a
credit card or donate to a charity. And yes, the money raised goes to the
charity, not into corporate pockets.
It’s okay if you don’t like the
self-check area, some people do, and that’s okay too. While I’m on that
subject, this is an area where paying attention to signs is important. If the
sign reads ‘Express Self Check’, that means you should have less than 20 items.
The self-check area is not designed to accommodate a full buggy of groceries.
Now, if you’re picky about how
your items are bagged you have 2 options: put them on the belt with similar
items to be bagged together or offer to bag yourself. Please don’t throw, slam
or pile you items onto the belt. It’s loud and rude, and it can damage the
belt. Please leave heavy items in your cart. The cashiers have a wonderful tool called a
scanning gun that we can bring to the cart.
Oh, one last thing, it’s okay if
you bring your own bags. Stores are happy to use them for you because it saves on
the cost of plastic bags, and it’s good for the environment too.
Have a great day!
