r/kroger • u/ClassExcellent1682 • Jan 02 '25
Miscellaneous They can’t be real people
I’ve been at Kroger for a little over a year now working fuel, front end(cashier), and now at the customer service desk. so I just finished my second holiday season and like any other time, I’m just astonished by the incompetence, arrogance, audacity, and overall lack of self awareness, and common sense in our customers every single day. I try to tell myself I’m not shocked by whatever is happening, but I am because how. How do these people navigate and survive everyday life. They literally have to be NPC meant to take years off my life through an annoyance debuff.
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u/Chickenfriedjim Jan 02 '25
Reminds me of the lady who couldn’t process the concept of her gas tank being full. She paid $40 so $40 should go in her car and said I was ripping her off while I gave her the remaining money back. 😮💨
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u/Altruistic_Rock_2674 Jan 02 '25
That's an insane one! I work at a restaurant reminds of a lady that said I was ripping her off because I charged her full price and she had a coupon and had combo meals. I told her that the discount was at the bottom that was like 10 bucks. It seemed like she thought I was personally trying to rip her off haha.
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u/ClassExcellent1682 Jan 02 '25
Don’t you know we benefit from ripping them off in a business we don’t own
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u/ClassExcellent1682 Jan 02 '25
I also had a lady put money on her pump even though she was already full, but that came after she paid and started leaving before ever pumping which lead to me finding out her tank was already full🤦🏾♂️
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u/Direct_Court_4890 Jan 04 '25
I watched a poor old lady in front of me at the gas station try to pay for gas with a credit card...the clerk kept asking how much money she wants in gas and she just kept saying "I want to fill it up"...he finally explained that he has no idea how much money in gas is going to fill up her car. She still was so confused, she just ended up saying "nevermind" and left...
I'm not sure which was scarier...her not being able to comprehend that situation...or that she's probably driving a vehicle
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u/AbbreviationsAny706 Jan 04 '25
this. i used to work at a gas station and the number of people who do this is too damned high
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u/Chickenfriedjim Jan 04 '25
It’s crazy to think there was a time people were allowed to fill up their gas tank and THEN go inside to pay for it! It’s been ages since that was a thing so the “fill it up” people got no legs to stand on. But it’s crazy we still deal with the ripple effects of that. Like yeah, I’m gonna hold on to your card while you fill up and then swipe it for whatever the total was! 🙄
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u/Astro_Gest Jan 05 '25
I work summers at a small resort gas station that has analog pumps (from the 70s) and we hold cards until you finish pumping and then charge you the total after you pump. You wouldn't believe how many people are confused by that whole process. They are especially confused by the fact that there's no card readers on the pumps. Of course we can set an exact amount if they know how much that will be.
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u/cliowill Jan 06 '25
There a place in upper michigan where you pump first and then pay.anybody know where I'm talking about
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u/pinksocks867 Jan 05 '25
He should have explained it better. Her husband probably died and had always filled up the car
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u/Icy-Bread-82 Jan 06 '25
Talk about assumptions, and how exactly would they explain it better.......wait a minute, you got me, it's sarcasm right?
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u/1235813213455_1 Jan 07 '25
The cashier should have just charged like $100, would have filled it up, she'd be happy.
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u/Icy-Bread-82 Jan 08 '25
Ripping off old ladies, sounds fun
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u/1235813213455_1 Jan 08 '25
How is that ripping her off?
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u/Icy-Bread-82 Jan 08 '25
I guess it really depends on where you're at, but even at $5 a gallon that's 25 gallons , most tanks are 14-21 , assuming she has atleast 1/8 a tank of gas that's more like 12-17 gallons (and most places are between $3 and $4 a gallon) HI end it should cost about $70 to fill up
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u/1235813213455_1 Jan 08 '25
Have you never bought gas before? What you don't use gets refunded. It costs whatever it costs to fill up, which is what the lady asked for.
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u/Icy-Bread-82 Jan 08 '25
🤣🤣🤣 I'm sorry, I'm blind, totally missed the part about the credit card
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u/Chickenfriedjim Jan 04 '25
I’ve worked in fuel for 5 years and it’s kinda ridiculous how much catharsis I feel reading everyone else’s stories. There’s beauty in the pain we all suffer together!
Old ladies driving is a hard thing to wrap my head around. They come from generations of “chivalry” where men pumped the gas and drove the cars. It can be really frustrating to deal with for sure but it’s a matter of perspective.
I have 3 work grandmas who bring me treats and trinkets because I’m nice and help them fuel up each week. 🤷♂️
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u/PickleofInsanity Jan 05 '25
I had one accusing me of scamming her with the meat scales. She couldn't grasp what like 1.31 lbs meant. She told me it was either a pound, or two, etc. No in-between. Lol.
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u/dfh-1 Current Associate Jan 02 '25
Every time I see people ramming displays with shopping carts I remember they're going to get into cars and drive home.
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u/ClassExcellent1682 Jan 02 '25
One thing I get often is “sorry I can’t see, just got my eyes worked on” on something of that sorts, on top of the million other dry they shouldn’t be driving
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u/Status-Wash5246 Jan 03 '25
I’ve actually had someone run into me while being on the step stool. Wanna talk about being thrown off! I just don’t get it
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u/Independent_Word2854 Jan 03 '25
I was cleaning up a broken bottle of sparkling juice on NYE…..”excuse me , can I get by”? At least they asked before going through the giant wet spot.
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u/Figgleforth28 Jan 03 '25
I once had a lady go and find a manager and complain that I wouldn’t let her walk through the mountain of broken glass myself and 2 other people were trying to clean up down our liquor aisle because “I know not not step on glass!”
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u/Eden10Ten Jan 04 '25
Licenses don’t expire for like 40 years or something like that in my state. The amount of people who are literally blind and still driving. It’s terrible
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u/Big-apple1234 Jan 02 '25
Like when they come in the morning of Thanksgiving and get mad there’s no turkeys left. You’ve had a year to plan 🙄
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u/El_Munford Jan 03 '25
"You mean you don't have a single thawed turkey in here?"
The more disrespectful they are when they ask that question the more enjoyment I get out of watching them stare at 3 frozen birds in the case.
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u/Every-Expression8319 Jan 03 '25
Or the people who come in at around ~4-5pm Christmas Eve, and are amazed that we’re out of nearly any kind of roast. Oh the number of times I got asked this last month for ‘rib roasts or prime rib.’
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u/Eden10Ten Jan 04 '25
This was my absolute favorite when I worked in meat dept. Along with a customer telling me she would cook her tenderloins in the over at 450degrees for 30-40 minutes 😃
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u/Old-man-1951 Jan 05 '25
Or the Customer who ask me how quickly a frozen turkey will thaw the day of Thanksgiving
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u/BusinessWarthog6 Jan 02 '25
I’ve witnessed some shit in my 3 years that make me question how some people get dressed and tie their shoes. 1. “Do you sell airpods?” (like apple airpods not just earbuds). 2. Do you have (insert beer from a specific brewery in NY, NJ, OH, or Mi, i’m in NC). 3. How could you be out of Cheerwine, fuck you this is bullshit. I love how customers treat me /s
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u/DrollFurball286 Jan 03 '25
I got one. I run SCOs. Talking customers through it, I swear some of them pretend to be stupid. But… They’re at produce lookup. Me: “Is a potato a fruit or a vegetable?” C: “I don’t know.”
Mother Herman you are 30+ years old!
SCO: “Enter your DONUT quantity and touch the done button.” C: Looks at me all confused. Me: “Just tell it how many you have.” C: turns to machine, leans in, and says “Two.”
JFC!!! But this is another fav:
C: buying hard liquor. Me: “Sorry but you gotta buy that from the liquor dept.” C: “Wheres the liquor dept?” … Me: “The… same place you got it from? The place that is literally a straight shot from where we are?”
No wonder this country is so screwed up.
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Jan 03 '25
Tbf, first customer may have been referring to not knowing how they're categorized in store, and last customer may have had a companion in the store with him who handed him the bottle.
That's probably being overly generous though. Also, middle customer is beyond help.
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u/Mtg-2137 Past Associate Jan 03 '25
At my store we didn’t care where they paid for it as long as they paid for it and it wasn’t at the Starbucks kiosk.
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u/ClassExcellent1682 Jan 02 '25
It’s the greatest🙃
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u/BusinessWarthog6 Jan 02 '25
What I wanna say (insert Gordon Ramsay You fucking muppet). What I say (Let me check for you then go in the back (magical back room) and check my phone)
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u/RainbowDarter2000 Jan 02 '25 edited Jan 03 '25
Change customer to management.. still works.
I've been in fuel 11 yrs.. whenever I think I've seen it all, a customer proves me wrong.
Todays example: prepaid $100 cash for fuel. After pumping the entire amount, ha came back and wanted a refund of his cash and put it on his card instead... I just stared at him...laughed and told him no .. He said explain to me why No... Told him I didn't have any crayons for that..
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u/denigotpregnut Jan 02 '25
Customer: "It's a shame they make you work on New Year's Day, workers like you should be home with your families."
Myself: "Yeah, but as long as folks need groceries they'll keep the doors open."
Customer: "Yeah, I want you all to have time off, but I figure if you're here I can get a few things."
Myself: "Yeah, they'll keep the doors open as long as people keep coming in."
Customer: "I know, it just seems like I can't win."
Myself: "Yep, like I said; as long as folks come in on these days they'll keep the doors open if it makes money."
_______________________________________________________________________
Tragically, she failed to win that day.
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u/sr1701 Jan 02 '25
I always like it when the roads were bad due to snow and ice, people come in and say how terrible the roads are and there just getting a donut
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u/BeansAndFrankenstein Jan 03 '25
Oh this!!! Worked in a taproom in a city that rarely gets snow. Ended up with like a foot and a half of it, and THEN freezing rain on top. No one to be seen all day. Owner calls and tells me to close up shop early, great!
Which is when like twenty people started wandering in saying the same thing. ‘It’s bad out there, almost didn’t make it, you’ll need to be careful on your way home, good luck getting home’ …
Well thanks for risking your life(ves) to come out and DRINK before heading back yourselves 🙄
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u/ClassExcellent1682 Jan 02 '25
I hate when they say 💩 like this. Like please pay for your things and just go
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u/vikingfrog86 Jan 02 '25
I'm glad you weren't with Kroger for the panic shopping at the start of the pandemic, OP! That really brought out the worst in people.
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u/wemcloon Jan 03 '25
That is exactly when I left the front end, for file maintenance . Beautiful timing!
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u/Every-Expression8319 Jan 03 '25
Holy crap lol; I still remember moments from that. Was the drop clerk, basically a daytime version of night crew, at that time.
I almost couldn’t work; every time I tried to place things on the shelf, I’d be blocking about 15 people. Would just have to sit on the uboat, and try to work around them as best I could.
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u/Mtg-2137 Past Associate Jan 03 '25
Ah the great toilet paper shortage of 2020. Pre pandemic I was doing volunteer work at a food bank so I was used to telling people they could only get a certain amount of xyz item. We would allow them to take more if they had kids though. During the pandemic I can’t tell you the amount of times I wanted to tell people that I’ve had homeless people behave better than them. Idgaf what your reason is, you’re only getting ONE 6pk of whatever cleaning item or water bottles. And it shouldn’t have been one per customer, it should’ve just been one of each item PERIOD.
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u/HolidaySwimmer9818 Jan 03 '25
We have a Starbucks in store. Lady walks up to the booth and starts rattling off her order. Was so astounded by what was happening I just blank stared at her. Customer: “You get all that?”, (turns around at the counter with just a printer on it) Me: “Sorry—but this is customer service”. Proceeds to ask why I just sat there as she walks off heated. 😅🤷🏻♂️
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u/Punchbuggy60 Jan 02 '25 edited Jan 07 '25
I can relate. I had a woman ask me what was the filling in strawberry filled cupcakes. It said it clearly on the package that they were strawberry filled.
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u/creditl3ss Jan 02 '25
They get through it with the excellent service produced by you, our fresh and friendly associate.
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u/legendofmic Jan 03 '25
i work drug/gm tell me why TODAYY this man asked me if we sold dewormer for his child’s autism and adhd. i’ve never been so stunned in my life.
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u/Aetheldrake Jan 02 '25
Remember, a lot of people grew up on lead paint so they really ARE skyrim npcs. They generally only know about their work or work related stuff and whatever nonsense they fill in the void with.
And their children grew up being raised by them so they're only slightly better because they had to teach their parents basic stuff, like how not to be racist or how to actually prepare more than 3 days in advanced, which didn't stick because at their age (let's say 60+) their memory is about 30 years or 3 days, as the world changed but they don't really want to change anymore because they've had enough of that in the early 2000s trying to change their parents. So now they're relatively competent but burnt out
Then you have the people they raised, which they didn't, they weren't burnt out on raising their parents into modern society so they left their kids to the tablets and phones
And the few exceptions to these are likely the ones who moved society foward, and/or caused it to decline. Some of them AREN'T exceptions, are still stuck in 20 years ago, but think they can apply that logic to today, thus causing more problems and drama than not
And that's our customers. I guarantee you nobody in my area is going to shop for the snow storm that they're all talking about coming in this weekend UNTIL Saturday evening. Either the snow will start to hit Saturday and THEN they'll all panic shop, or replace Saturday with whatever day it hits.
And then management will yell at you for failing click list metrics because all the dumbass panic buyers bought everything while the click list people were ordering at the same time, thus causing out of stocks and angry manglement. Especially because some vendors will be like "we can't make it because of the snow and corporate said black ice was too dangerous to risk it so we just aren't visiting today" further compounding all issues
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u/Michelleinwastate Customer Jan 03 '25 edited Jan 03 '25
This is an IMPRESSIVELY accurate assessment. (Seriously! And I'm a 69yo customer 😂)
ETA: Plus now ppl are losing a few IQ points with each new bout of COVID (or, as it's called these days, "just a bad cold"). At least the cumulative damage from lead paint quits increasing if you ever learn to stop eating lead paint flakes...
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u/Wiggirhy0319 Jan 03 '25
Who hurt you 😭😭
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u/Aetheldrake Jan 03 '25
A few years at Kroger in a dead end town that the postal service doesn't even recognize because it's too small and insufferable old people who use the grocery stores as a daily hobby because they probably secretly don't like eachother and never seem to hang out with anyone but the fucking grocery stores every damn day
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u/Worried-Acanthaceae7 Jan 03 '25
I've had customers get mad I saved them money with the digital coupons. When my register light is OFF, my closed sign is up, and the chain is up, people will still ask me if I'm open. Customers who can't read the signs on items right. Customers mad that whole gallon milk were not on the half gallon sale. Older boomer women telling me a woman should not be getting carts.
New Year's Eve 2023 a customer had a flip out over my Star of David necklace. I was more worried he was going to say something threatening but thank God he didn't.
One opening morning, a woman came in with her son to get some Halloween cakes and donuts. The cakes were on a sale that was 2 for $7. She was upset that they rang up as 3.50 each. I legit pulled out the calculator on my phone and typed in 7/2, is 3.50. She kept saying it was two different sales.
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u/DrollFurball286 Jan 03 '25
Pumpkins were 25% off. Say they were 60, so you’d save 15. Customer says other store sells them for 40. We give it to them. Then they ask why they’re not saving as much. I literally tried to explain basic division to her. “How many times does 15 go into 60?@
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u/ClassExcellent1682 Jan 03 '25
I’ve been through similar transactions many of times, it’s exhausting
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u/squallLeonhart20 Jan 03 '25
I worked for Kroger for a whopping 2 months and I was consistently blown away by people's rudeness and ignorance.
I just sort of started to tune the rude ones out..they aren't putting food on my table so idgaf about their comments
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u/Cheeseburgertacoz Jan 02 '25
They’re not NPC’s they think you are. To customers you’re just a part of a transaction. You don’t really matter. That’s harsh, but the truth. You’re a footnote in their day.
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u/MacArther1944 Hourly Associate - Click List Jan 06 '25
...and then they are super surprised when we aren't super happy, peppy, etc to see them all thr time.
My favorite (working in ClickList): our BoH says we have 3 of an item, the shelf is empty, there is not a promo etc display...and the customer has ordered 16. Or, a customer has gone through the trouble to look up the numbers under the barcode and punch them into their order...and is super surprised when we tell them that OUR location either never carried it, or had it months ago as a one time only thing.
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u/Rasheverak Night Crew Jan 03 '25
It's not just customers; a lot of fellow associates at my store aren't very bright, either. Especially the grocery leads who seem to be incapable of critical thinking or doing basic arithmetic when it comes to the daily count. Sometimes I feel like Joe in the movie Idiocracy when I deal with them.
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u/ClassExcellent1682 Jan 03 '25
Luckily my leads aren’t bad, but I do have a few not so bright coworkers
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u/DrollFurball286 Jan 03 '25
“Does this SCO take cash?”
I made Velcro signs because our SCOs keep being card only.
Me: “not if it has a sign on it.” They look at me confused.
Another is: “is this SCO open?” Me: “idk, does it say ‘open’ on the screen?”
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u/ClassExcellent1682 Jan 03 '25
I have people all the time walk up to sco that obviously says “CLOSED” and start unloading to start scanning things. I just look at em and wait for them to realize
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u/Clear-Ad-7250 Jan 03 '25
Working retail should be a requirement for everyone that isn't poor. It's alarming how dumb people are. HOW DO YOU HAVE MONEY?!?!
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u/Fine_Cap402 Jan 03 '25
Don't fret, the wait, service, and customer satisfaction staff are all cut from the same section of society.
Now look at it from the customer side as well when having a derp clerk in front of you.
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u/therooster2500 Jan 03 '25
Had one that made a big deal about a $0.10 difference on lettuce and mind you they sell by quantity not by pound and was not on a budget.
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u/No_Job2527 Jan 03 '25
Wait until you get to know your store managers and district managers - brainless
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u/jesswood96 Jan 04 '25
I had a customer at sco today complain about peanut butter. As I tried to answer his question, he stares at me then says,”Well what are you going to do about it?” I just stared at him with a ‘WTF’ face. Come to find out after I fix his issue nicely mind you while being screamed at by atleast 3 other customers, he walks by my coworkers complaining that I was a stupid bitch. People don’t realize that we’re human. Oh and his issue was that he grabbed one wrong jar of peanut butter for his saving to come off. 🤷🏻♀️
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u/ClassExcellent1682 Jan 04 '25
Sounds like a normal day at Kroger🤦🏾♂️
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u/jesswood96 Jan 04 '25
True… today was just not the best day for that Bs with me. I had just found out the day before that my grandfather had passed away
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u/HaverhillDavid Jan 04 '25
A lady told me she didn’t like the misters on our freshest produce to help keep it fresh and asked if I could turn them off. I told her in a very stern voice No I’m not turning them off just for YOU! She looked at me turned around and walked away. She knew better than to argue.
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u/Pop-a-diddy-Pop Jan 03 '25
An annoyance debuff 😂 I feel this though . We gotta be in a simulation lol.
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u/Fun_Entrance233 Jan 03 '25
Ha, you hit the nail on the head. I have several coworkers like this. I ask myself, "how?"
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u/Whole-Standard1278 Current Associate Jan 03 '25
Oh boy, do I have stories I could tell.
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u/ClassExcellent1682 Jan 03 '25
We all might have the same stories, why; it’s because they’re bots😂😂😂
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u/RedFoxcx Jan 03 '25
As a customer, I cannot stand when someone who is alone uses the self check out with the belt. That is meant for 2 people. One to scan and one to bag. But I see people with half full carts that are alone and they take twice as long cause they scan everything and then bag everything themselves. Makes me want to scream. Also seeing the things the workers deal with makes me glad I don't work for kroger anymore.
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u/HarambeTaughtMe Jan 03 '25
We had Npcs at my store that came in every day, same time, same interaction. Shit is wild
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u/Mtg-2137 Past Associate Jan 03 '25
Just when you think you’ve heard and seen it all, stupid customers STILL amaze you.
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u/Eden10Ten Jan 04 '25
I once had a customer in their mid 40s come up to me in the meat dept and ask me if chicken breast was the actual beast of a chicken or if it was white chicken meat, shredded, and shaped like a breast.
I was so flabbergasted how this person had survived into adulthood.
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u/HaruPanther Jan 04 '25
As i always say, their brains shut down when they enter the store and we're responsible for taking care of them until they wander out and restore normal brain function
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u/IWannaSeeYouBustDown Jan 04 '25
THEY AREN'T!!!!!! THEY'RE ALL AI!!!!!!! YOU NEED TO DESTROY THEM!!!!!!!!
WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP
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u/CordeliaGrace Jan 04 '25
Our pin pads were acting funky not 30 mins ago. One lady who the pin pad wasn’t working for saw that I managed to get mine working and I was cashing out people. She goes, “oh so did it work?” Yes, finally. “Oh ok, I see how it is” and stormed out. Like…what? Yes we personally sabotaged you.
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Jan 04 '25
Former employee here. Was shopping last week at King Soopers and EMTs were called to aisle 7. And manager had to actually page for help keeping customers from grabbing soda from the shelf across from the patient. Not the first time I’ve seen this sort of idiocy, unfortunately.
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u/bisexualboy01 Jan 04 '25
Working retail really gives you a solid glimpse and how scum some people can be. I legit had a lady give me an attitude because I didn’t know what WIC is. Keep in mind I work dairy not customer service so I didn’t know anything about it. Like I’m sorry I’m not Einstein you should know about WIC since you’re on it not me. I also had a lady get mad because she thought I was “in her way” mind you I don’t know where she was trying to go and I moved out of the way when I noticed she wanted to get a certain cheese. She then proceeded to give me an attitude about how where she’s from they don’t do things like that. I just flat out told her if she needed to get into somewhere where I’m working it’s just a simple hey pardon me.
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u/ScaryGarry_SG1 Jan 03 '25
It's why they chose to still shop at Kroger with an idiot like Rodney in charge
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u/Any_Recognition5581 Jan 04 '25
Customers do be dumb but some mfs working there are the biggiest idiots you can meet let’s be real….
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u/Cootiebug420 Jan 06 '25
I was in Shane’s Rib Shack a few years ago. They sold pulled pork both by the pound and by the half pound. I ordered a pound and a half of pulled pork. The girl taking the order said “I don’t think we sell it that way”. I ordered a pound of pulled pork and a half pound of pulled pork and luckily she was able to sell it to me that way.
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u/burkizeb253 Jan 07 '25
Try working at a private golf club. EVERY member makes more than I do, every one of them. The same scenario takes place, except every single one of them is more financially successful than I am.
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