Even though my neighborhood supermarket occupies 30 thousand square feet and stocks 35 thousand items, it somehow manages to act like a small grocer.This, I believe, is impressive.
Is it because the employees truly care? Or that they are well-trained and made to care?
I don't care why. I just know that I feel important in their store.
I'm talking about my Safeway, the one down the street. But I get the same treatment when I go to the Safeway near the kids' school, and the one near my gym, and the one in my old neighborhood by the library we still frequent.
Safeway (or, for those of you in other parts of the continent, Von's, Dominick's, Genuiardi's, Randall's, Tom Thumbs, Pavillions, Pak 'n' Save and Carrs) had a jingle in the 1970s: Since we're neighbors, let's be friends, Safeway. While they've dropped the catchphrase, they've maintained the sentiment. Here's why I feel special:
- Checkers bid adieu to me by name. And it doesn't seem forced.
- If I wander down an aisle with even a hint of witlessness (which happens often), someone appears to ask if I need help.
- If I do ask where something is, I don't just get an answer. I get an escort.
I like that feeling.
I do not get that feeling with its largest competitor (King Soopers/Kroger).
Selection, price, and gas discounts are similar to the other supermarkets I could patronize. But what makes Safeway my #1 supermarket is that I am treated like I am someone special.
Which I am.
Do you get that from your grocer?
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5 chiming in:
Wow. That sounds heavenly!
At Harris Teeter sometimes I might get help out to the car when I have 10 month old DS with me, sometimes not. Depends on which location I go to. One location has never even offered, which stinks because HT is expensive!
Lowes Foods also doesn't offer to help you out. But they send me $10 off a $40 purchase in the mail so I'll deal ;)
I've learned that I can no longer do large trips with DS. He doesn't have the patience and it's too hot to be lugging in loads of groceries.
Too bad we don't have Safeway here.
we don't have Safeway (pout)
and as far as the template goes, I was TOTALLY unable to figure out how to change my freaking header! I attempted a drawing in paint, saved it as a jpeg, uploaded it thru blogger, and the darn thing won't show. I got nothing for ya!
(btw, did I tell you that I'm one of those annoying people that answers rhetorical questions? lol)
Funny that you say this, because my neighborhood store is a Tom Thumb and sadly, the whole chain has gone downhill since being bought by Safeway a few years back. It used to be that Tom Thumb was the nicer store to shop in because it had better quality items. You paid a little more, but you could count on the produce and meat. Now, sadly the produce is awful. They just randomly stop carrying things they've carried forever, the eggs are always expired and I have to dig for a carton that is not past its expiration date...
I will say the staff is friendly and as helpful as they can be. Although the baggers apparently get no instruction on how to safely and effectively bag groceries.
I've given my feedback many times but nothing changes. Oh well. I still shop there because it's the closest store to me but I often have to stop at several stores to get everything I need.
Tina -- that sounds like a good trade-off. Too bad they can't be considerate AND offer you $40 to shop there.
Donna -- wow, that's really lame. It's too bad you don't have any better options. Maybe show them this post...? I happen to know that Safeway Corp is looking at it...;-)
We have never had a Safeway in any town we lived in before. We have one here in Sacramento. I was shocked the first time I went in. I had never seen a bunch of friendlier people. I hate to grocery shop and tend to put it off until all that is left in the house is some Catsup and some coffee liners. Not anymore. I actually like shopping again. I have to agree with everything you said on this one.
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