A couple of years ago, something happened in Kroger that made me think about the importance of personal interaction. My sister Mary Jean and I were at the store to pick up just a couple of items, but the place was rather crowded. It was around the holidays, the lines were four or five shoppers long, and more than a few of them had carts that were almost overflowing. The overhead lights were noticeable bright, compared to the overcast sky outside, and all around us was the background chatter of people talking on their cell phones or to each other, the beeping of scanners and the thud of groceries being loaded on the conveyor belts. As we stood, waiting, at the end of the express checkout line, I noticed an employee a few inches taller than I, wearing her hair in a short ponytail, approaching us. She thoughtfully informed us that the self-checkout lanes were open if we'd rather not stand in line. …show more content…
Therefore, I was in complete agreement when my sister declined the lady's offer. I suppose she was accustomed to this type of objection, since she immediately offered, "I'll be right there to help you if you need it." I considered our sparsely-populated cart and compared it to the carts in front of us which definitely contained more than fifteen items apiece, and came to the conclusion that this was an excellent opportunity. Mary Jean, on the other hand, merely smiled and answered, "You don't understand. Self-checkout is against my
Operations management is essential for the survival and success of any organization. According to Heizer & Render (2011), operations management (OM) is the set of activities that creates value in the form of goods and services by transforming inputs into outputs. Operations managers today contend with competition, globalization, inflation, consumer demand, and consistent change in technology. Managers must focus on the efficiency and effectiveness of processes such as cost, dependability, distribution, flexibility, and speed. The intent of this paper is to discuss the processes and operations management of the Kroger Company.
Panera Bread’s atmosphere is enjoyable. The employees and the managers keep the restaurant clean at all times. When I walked into the restaurant for the first time there were visible employees wiping off the table and sweeping. Panera Bread has almost no trash visible around the entire restaurant. Looking around, there were no trash cans in sight; they were hidden by doors and cabinets. Panera Bread receives ample amount of customers a day keeping the restaurant clean is important, but the workers keep everything running smoothly as well. While waiting in a moderately long line, the employees immediately noticed the incoming rush and started working as a team to get the customers and myself in and out. Along with the workers helping to make the line move faster, the customers in line around me are keeping conversation. We are entertaining each other making the wait time appear shorter. With the great customers and keeping the restaurant clean, Panera Bread workers and managers keep the restaurant well managed. The noise level is separated by the location of dining. In front of me a group a friends decided to have lunch at a table laughing and enjoying themselves and a woman behind me chose to eat alone while reading a book, sitting in a quiet corner. More importantly the manager was always walking around making sure tables were clean, and trash was not i...
The goal for my ethnographic study is subjected to the study of the people of Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is a place that varies from city to city, but still attracts many of the same people. Everyone knows the weird people that wear ridiculous things to do their normal routine of shopping. That is why I have chosen to do my mini ethnography one day while shopping as an insider at the local Wal-Mart in Auburn, Alabama. Wal-Mart is a large center for shopping that attracts many different types of people, while creating an environment within itself.
As planned, I violated a social norm by going into a grocery store to pick up a few groceries at local Super Target store. While picking them out, instead of selecting items from the shelves or the store main floor I got them from another customer’s shopping cart acting like nothing is out of the ordinary, shuffling through their shopping carts for things I like then carry on as normal.
There were ten customers in all, and they all seemed ready for a wait as many came prepared with equipment similar to that brought by the gentleman on my left. I was surprised by the lack of conversation amid the fairly large crowd, although I attributed this to it being too early in the morning to engage in any sort of meaningful conversation. Two...
Publix Super Markets, Inc. is a Florida-based grocery chain that has flourished since its inception in 1930. The first store opened in Winter Haven, Florida and to this day Publix has expanded to well over 1,000 stores in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee. The supermarket chain now boasts over $25 billion in sales annually (Mujtaba and Johnson, 2012). To withstand the test of time and develop such a stronghold on the market, Publix has excelled in its global business community or macroenvironment, as well as its market environment or microenvironment.
I saw a friend there, she greeted me with a warm smile and kept eye contact with me while I greeted her. When I was in line to checkout, the facial expression of the customers, looked frustrated and impatient because the person who was checking out, kept forgetting to get certain items and having to go back and forth. The women who asked about the discounts and then the cashier rudely replied to her had an angered and confused expression because she didn’t get her questions fulfilled. The women next to her had a facial expression of incredulous because she couldn’t believe the cashier was being rude and letting her personal problems affect the way she treated customers. The cashier had a tired and irritated expression because she was tired from bagging and scanning items, and having to answer questions the customers had. But everyone’s expression quickly changed to happy when an additional cashier came to help with checkout and this made the line move
One particular incident at the small Tex-Mex diner required not only that I be able to deal successfully with even the most irate customers and keep my crew in check, but that I also exhibit collectedness in the face of an emergency. During dinner one night, a teenage customer fell to the ground on the way to the restrooms. Although she seemed responsive, she found that she was not able to stand back up and, from the expression on her face, it was very obvious that she was quite sick. After directing my crew to fetch me materials and the phone, and ensuring that paramedics were en route, I addressed the other, obviously distressed customers and requested that they keep away from the entrance and, no matter the goodness behind their intentions, to not assist. Thankfully, an ambulance arrived minutes later and everything turned out fine; I learned that the girl had donated plasma earlier in the day and did not stay adequately hydrated following the procedure, leading to her collapse. Despite being what many would consider a relatively reserved and nervous person, I still look back upon that night as having taught me the importance of staying level-headed and practical when working during such an event, a trait that I feel will serve me well as a veterinary professional.
As I leave out the door I'm reminded again why I had to wear the jacket today. The nice warm temps inside change as soon as I get out the door. The cold frigid wind that seems to cut right through grabs my attention. As few older gentleman sit out on the bench with their cups of coffee smoking their cigarettes. They take the time to socialize with each other. I head back to my truck, and as I open the door and start to suddenly realize that this place is not just a convenient store, but it's also a social hub, it's an area of necessity for people to not only obtain their needs but also some of their wants and to be able to have the time to socialize. It's a community center of sorts. Yes I know it's a business, but it's a business that allows people to connect. Makes me wonder sometimes what the community would be like if this place wasn't even here, and everybody had to go to the next town over and be more antisocial with the big box
Meeting strangers can often times be awkward, but there are other moments when, if given, a stranger can transform your life. The time frame was approximately six years ago and I was working as a photographer for Sears Portrait Studio. As the photographer, I was always meeting new and interesting people. My job was fairly predictable in that we primarily photographed children; except for one day when that would all change. I was working at the front counter when an older couple approached. Their disposition was gentle and soft. They wanted to know if we were photographing that particular day. I said, "Indeed, we were." I might mention that this couple was so polite in asking that I was a bit caught off guard.
Thank you for holding the door, said the older lady with the lengthy light blue-sky color dress. As she turned back, smiled at me and continued on with her day. At that moment I thought back to my child hood, when my mother constantly lecture me about manners. She would always say “siepre tengas buenas modales, con le hente, e te van trantar egual” meaning always have good manners with other people and they would treat you the same. I am grateful that she engraved that ethic in my personality; it has made me who I am today. I believe Manners do matter, not only in your social life, but your workplace.
According to Chain Store Age (2004) 63 % of the customers recall events when the store atmosphere triggered them to purchase extra or spend more time in the store. Furthermore the total number of people influenced by store atmosphere among them 45 % people reported that they not just consumed only more money in the store but more time as well. (Seock & Lee,
Regan, P. C., & Llamas V. (2002). Customer service as a function of shopper’s attire. Psychological Reports, 90, 203-204.
Walking around the store making sure that every customer gets greeted with a “hello, how are you doing today?” and also making sure that they are being helped or so I could help them myself. As I was walking and walking the sales floor I’ve noticed that the customers in line didn’t seem to happy and the line was talking a little longer than usual so I went to go check if everything was going smoothly. Then realized that a customer was giving my sales associate about some shoes that he was trying to return and get a full refund on. I decided to jump in and ask “if there was anything that I could help him with?” The customer gives me a dead look in my eye and starts to become more
It’s all too often in our day and age, with technology breaching new barriers every day, that people in our society overlook the social skills we were taught at such a young age. I remember being taught to make eye-contact with whomever you’re speaking with and that you never interrupt someone who is talking. My mom reiterated the same lecture again when I got my first cell phone. She’d sit and explain to me how rude it is to answer a phone call in the middle of having a conversation with someone. She’d tell me that if she saw me partake in this rude behavior, she wouldn’t hesitate to take my phone away from me. Now I know that my mom was not the only one who preached these values, however it seems as though she was. It is incredibly unfortunate, ...