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…
Now at the time, my primary objection to self-checkout was that the scanners never functioned properly for me and I harbored a rather forceful dislike of the patronizing computer voice that always insisted "Please place your item in the bagging area" after I'd already done so, not to mention, "Please scan your next item" after I'd been trying to for a minute and a half.
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
religion." I felt mortified. I could feel my face heating in a blush as the lady's eyebrows rose and she started backing away. "Mary Jean!" I scolded quietly, there was no apology on her face when she turned my direction. "It is against my religion," she stated matter-of-factly. For several weeks afterward I refused to accompany my sister to Kroger, but her words lingered in my mind. Mary Jean is a remarkable person: in addition to being highly organized and efficient, she has a marvelous way with words, can start a conversation with almost anyone, and she has an incredible gift for making people laugh. As I considered this new... facet... of her Christianity, I realized that it wasn't the self-checkout itself that she objected to, but rather the impersonal nature of it. Whenever Mary Jean goes to Kroger, she talks to everyone there: the checker, the bagger, the guy putting out the produce. She makes the effort to get to know them at least a little and demonstrates an interest in their lives. Because of the connection she makes, they remember her and ask where she is any time I happen to go shopping without her. How many people in today's society take the time to converse with the clerk scanning their groceries or the person who puts them in bags? How many of us would prefer to deal with the condescending self-checkout machine than stand in line and show an interest in the life of a fellow human being? A single thoughtful comment can have the power to brighten an otherwise dismal day, and exhibiting an interest in other people's lives can help them remember their own value and the value of the people around them. So yes, self-checkout is against my religion. Not because the machines infuriate me, but so that perhaps I can have a positive impact on another person's life. Sometimes I feel like I'm failing miserably. I am not a remarkable conversationalist or an outstanding orator, but I don't have to be. It can be just as effective to ask, "How has your day been?" and be genuinely interested in the answer. The grocery store isn't the only environment this is important, either. Bus drivers, taxi cab drivers, waiters and waitresses, the people who work at toll booths: all of these and more are people who might need a friendly smile and a kind word of encouragement and I, for one, will try to give it.
People are consumed with their own reality that they didn’t even acknowledge me sitting at a table watching them. Each person seemed to have their own stories different from everyone else’s. For the most part, the employees seemed to have similar interests in wanted to produce the best customer service. The customers had the same goal of wanting to try a new popular restaurant they might have been unfamiliar with. Overall, the general consensus was that a majority of people wanted to get on with their day with as little human interaction as
Ethical decision-making is the responsibility of everyone, regardless of position or level within an organization. Interestingly, the importance of stressing employee awareness, improving decisions, and coming to an ethical resolution are the greatest benefits to most companies in today’s world (Weber, 2015).
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.
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
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...
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.
Regan, P. C., & Llamas V. (2002). Customer service as a function of shopper’s attire. Psychological Reports, 90, 203-204.
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, ...
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
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.
When entering a restaurant, I usually expect to leave full, satisfied, and wanting to come back again. I believe that many people expect the same thing. The way people react to service can be very different from person to person. Depending on the way the customers are feeling, or the way that the server is feeling can be a big factor for the way service comes across. Service is an important part of everyone’s lives because majority of the jobs that people preform are service related. Poor service is an unfortunate part of life that everyone comes across. The way that I react to the poor service I receive is important and can change in the blink of an eye. Whether I react in an outspoken way, by getting loud and voicing my opinion. Or if I react in a quiet or apologetic way, it can affect my server, and the people around me, and myself.
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,
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