I !@#%!$@#!$%@$@^@%@$! HATE
the self checkout stations that are ever so popular in grocery stores these days.
AND I have had it with the piss poor customer service at my local Albertsons/Supervalue whatever the hell it’s called right now.
I understand that it’s an attempt to supposedly speed up lines and reduce personnel costs but half the time the damn things end up taking longer. And what makes it even better is when their machine fails and the “attendant” scowls and gives me attitude - “you have to be smarter than the machine”.
I shop at a nearby Albertson’s mostly out of convenience. Not the most cost effective store in town to say the least, but given the choice of that or driving an additional 10 minutes to through 2 major traffic areas to the other option…yeah you get the train of thought.
This morning at 6:45 a.m. I swung by for some bottled water to take to work. Apparently they don’t have cashiers at 6:45 a.m. they only have the self checkout station with an attendant slumped over a workstation/podium thing. My irritation level notches up.
I hit the “begin” button and the first thing that pops up is “please enter the code for apples”.
I don’t want apples, “cancel”.
“please enter the code for apples”.
what the?
cancel again.
“please enter the code for apples”.
Attendant silently intervenes, deletes the message.
“please scan your first item.”
“beep” I place it in the bag.
“Please remove the last item in the bag and scan it”
“Please wait for attendant”
What the???
Attendant comes over clears the message. “You scanned your drink twice”.
I responded, “umm, no…I just scanned it once. Your machines must be having issues” as I glance over to the one next to me with an “out of order” sign. She just turns and walks off. My inside voice may have said something naughty.
I scan the next two items.
Enter my phone number because I don’t carry the 302 rewards cards necessary to shop with in this town.
Run my card through the card reader and the screen goes blank. Completely blank. Inside voice is coming up with some swell hyphenated combinations of derogatory words.
“Cancel Payment”
“Please wait for assistance”
Shit!!! I could feel the irritation in the attendant as she once again had to walk four steps over and enter a code into the machine again.
Repeat the payment process.
Success!!!! I notice the attendant is gone. Probably ran and hid.
I had a very similar situation the previous day only it involved a $1.00 off coupon that caused an ordeal. I would have rather paid the additional dollar than go through the headache!
This is the same store that would not give a toddler a balloon…I kid you not!!!
Small child loves balloons. While we’re leaving the store, he’s sitting in the shopping cart and we stroll by a display with some brightly colored balloons. The event or holiday for the display was over with, little guy points to the balloon makes the saddest little sound that translates to a plea for a balloon.
Store employee happens to walk by, we ask if the small one can have a balloon. “No, those balloons are part of a display, you’ll have to go over to the bakery and purchase a balloon from them. ” And he walks away. Small child starts to cry.
You’re freakin kidding me! So we just dropped like $70 plus in groceries with the bags still in the cart and he won’t give a toddler a 2 cent balloon from a defunct display that looks stupid in the first place. What a chowderhead!
So to avoid a complete meltdown we go through the hassle of going to the bakery ask for a balloon, guy fills it up and then we go back through the line to purchase it so we’re not responsible for the demise of a local Albertson’s. OMFG!
So yeah, I’m now reaching the point where the additional drive is worth the customer service.
1 Comment
April 20, 2009 at 3:14 pm
I’m STILL pissed off about the balloon thing. Good grief… try telling that little guy “I’m sorry” it’s a decoration… when everything in his short 23 months of life tells him that balloons are for CHILDREN.
grr.
I hope someday he has all the balloons he could want.