From Our Readers - February 2010

We’ve all been there. We need to pick up a few items at the grocery. Often we’re short on time. We step up to the check-out lane with the sign “Express Lane 15 Items or Less” only to encounter ahead of us a shopper with a full, or nearly so, cart. To what do we attribute this conduct? Selfishness? Passive aggression to authority? An infestation of self-important people? More illiterate folks among us than we would have thought? Perhaps “All of the above” is the correct answer.

 

After being the next-in-line-victim of this conduct once too often, I recently spoke with the store manager about this recurring problem – pointing out that the check-out lane staff ignore the issue, thus reinforcing this bad conduct. His response was so surprising that I still have a tough time believing he said what he said. He told me that Kroger’s policy – yes, policy – is not to enforce the express lane item count. What about the folks next in line with only a few items? Well, since the person in front of you with a full cart is spending more money at Kroger during that shopping trip than you, that person is more important to Kroger than you. Those were not his words and notwithstanding his corporate-speak about not wishing to upset a customer (You of only a few items aren’t a customer?) that is the practical interpretation of his response.

 

So, fellow Kroger shoppers, feel free to ignore the express lane item limitation. Go through that lane at will. It’s Kroger’s policy to let you, and you’ll feel ever so important.

 

 

 

First off, thanks to everyone who participated in our survey in last month’s issue. Your feedback is important to us and helps in guiding our decisions. 

 

Along with scores of other area residents, Teresa Haertel of Strathmoor Gardens responded to our simple survey.  We drew her name out of a hat, and she is the lucky winner of $100! 

 

Congratulations, Teresa! Thanks again for participating in our survey.