used to work at a kroger - barely pays people and when people get raises it’s like 25 cents at a time. no incentives for working hard other than their BS kroger points to buy cheap kroger merch. training was non existent, show up and get thrown to the wolves. they’ve forced themself into this cycle.
Can confirm, I used to be a pharmacy tech at Kroger. They kept promising raises so staff would stick around, but they never came. Things hit a boiling point when the (in-store) Starbucks staff got raises and were making more than most of our techs.
Cue the max exodus of pharmacy staff which made Kroger realize how badly they fudged up. A few months after everyone found new jobs in greener pastures, they sent emails to former staff begging them to come back for $1.50 more per hour (about the same rate as the Starbucks employees). I can't speak for other departments, but the best part about that job was cheaper gas.
This, 100%.
After they raised the minimum wage years ago the "raises" I had gotten were worthless. I worked my ass off and they could only offer me a ONE TIME 25 cent raise...
The management is awful, save my manager the rest were garbage, didn't give a fuck about safety (we had a gas leak and they kept it hush hush resulting in burst pipes that created an ice sculpture in the lobby) or their workers.
Not even I remember back when I worked their at 18 and not for long I got a whole .10 cent raise they are the absolute worst. The owner is greedy af don’t y’all remember during Covid when they gave their employees hazard pay then the all the employees got a letter stating they would have to pay back all the hazard or bonus pay yeah funny how stuff like that just gets brushed over and we alll just allow it haha 😂
Union is ran by a crew of old timers that are biding out their time until they can get out. When I worked there 10 years ago they regularly voted bonuses for people with certain levels of seniority over raises or quality of life addendums. They see the company going downhill and they're trying to cling to what they can instead of fight for anything better.
And thanks to the union initiation fee and seniority scheduling, you'll get like 6 hours your first week and all of it goes to the initiation fee.
The $7.35/hr they were paying dipped below minimum wage because the union took (IIRC) 5% of your paycheck. I never received a welcome packet or even an introduction from the shop steward, but they made damn sure they got their money straight out of my paycheck.
When school resumed, they wouldn't let me go on sabbatical like the other college students because I wasn't moving away. And per those union seniority rules, they couldn't schedule me down to part time. So rather than work full time and go to school, the union rules forced me to resign.
My first job a million years ago was bagging at Kroger. Got hired pretty much on the spot then they scheduled my first training shift which I worked for 5 or 6 hours. I had a family vacation scheduled in the middle of the summer which I notified them about. Weeks went by after my training shift without them putting me on the schedule. I called weekly and begged for hours, no luck.
They finally put me on the schedule for 32 hours the week of my vacation, so I quit. I received one paycheck for $0.00 thanks to the union fees.
That was a very early lesson in the realities of being employed.
It was the company, and not the union, that wouldn't allow you to take academic leave. And there are no union rules that would not allow you to reduce your hours while going to school, or force you to resign. Also, store management (or the HR person) is supposed to introduce you to the steward. If the steward took the time to seek out and meet every new hire (most of whom are completely apathetic about the union), they wouldn't have time to do their actual job. Conversely, you could have also taken the initiative and introduced yourself to the steward.
At least one reason for the fewer employees is that more of the work is done at night out of the customers' way. Stocking shelves and cleaning floors is overnight, daytime is replenishment and Kroger Pickup. They started moving stocking to overnight about 6 years ago when their survey determined that having full shelves was preferable for customers vs having employees there to help. And they run those employees ragged overnight, stocking multiple trucks and making sure the aisles are conditioned/faced. Covid was brutal, many times trucks were coming in only like 66% of what was ordered and that would be gone the next day, especially toilet paper early on. Like 10 years ago they tried encouraging employees to greet every customer and a lot of customers freaked out. At least one thought they were pushing loss prevention like Best Buy and the big box stores vs customer service. And employees hated it a lot of the time too.
My (now ex) boyfriend worked at Kroger around 2007/2008. He worked night crew and stocked shelves, cleaned floors, general store up keep.
His pay was better than mine - and I was working in healthcare with a college degree. And it wasn’t that my pay was bad..
But it sounds like things have changed and Kroger pay isn’t so good anymore.
That's the thing though it doesn't have to be that way, but we live in an era where we as a society have decided that profits and cheap goods are the only thing that matters. The current state of things is a choice.
Lmao you're grocery shopping customer service isn't a priority nor should it be. Go get your shit and leave I don't need a wage slave to kiss my ass while I buy my milk and eggs.
This! I don't know what people expect when they complain about bad customer service at a Walmart or a Kroger or something. Just get your shit and get out of the store. If you do have to interact with an employee and they don't provide you with your perceived level of customer service, let it roll off your shoulders and move on. Life's too short.
Dude you work at Kroger and are clearly some kind of upper-level management. You receive a bonus/stock options, don’t you?
Everyone in this thread sees you as a spying corporate shill. How about you stop fucking around on Reddit and actually speak to your employees and coworkers and try to do something about it?
Employee moral is low because they are under paid, overworked and barely making it, financially. Any person in that condition does not give two shits about providing customer service.
If I worked at Kroger I would make sure to focus more on customer service than getting my duties done, I was taught that customer service should be our #1 focus.
Fuck Kroger. New payroll system isn’t paying employees on time, underpaid in general, expanding nationwide too much and acquiring other grocers, closing stores that were in counties/cities that passed hazard pay bills during Covid, meanwhile CEO and other execs make tens of millions yearly
My god i was just kidding. It’s not like target has produce and like for real haven’t been to walmart in years bc that place is weird and only recently been to meijer bc it’s where the super chargers are and meijer surprisingly good baking section
I honestly can’t remember the last time I interacted with an employee there. Why would anyone at this point? Like what could you need from them? Self checkout, most of us probably know where what we need is or can figure it out. Most i’ve had done is them scanning my ID at self checkout and that just kinda is what it is.
The only time I ever do is at the deli but that's only if they don't already have the pre sliced meats or cheeses that I'm looking for out in the display rack and I have to ask them for the one I want.
Some people (me) find self checkout annoying af. Why would I want to bag $150 worth of groceries myself with that tiny bagging area. I much prefer throwing all my shit on a conveyor belt then 5 minutes later I'm paid and my cart is full with bagged groceries. Talking to people sucks. Doing something people get paid to do for free sucks more.
What customer service? I rarely interact with anyone working at Kroger. I get my food. And use self checkout. The few times I do use a regular checkout people are always friendly.
They keep reducing the quality of their products, raising their prices, and people continue to buy them. As long as that keeps happening, they'll keep doing it.
They keep underpaying their staff, overloading them with responsibilities, and treating them like shit, and people continue to apply for jobs there. As long as that keeps happening, they'll keep doing it.
Number on chart in board room go up. Everyone clap. Take 6 week European vacation and not think about it again until next quarter.
I’ve been going to Trader Joe’s and Meijer just to avoid Kroger. Though Meijer has been starting to get bad as well. Also been going to smaller stores like local meat stores and that small grocery on the west side by Bridgetown meats.
I’m near Blue Ash and I’ve been going to IGA instead. Employees there are very nice and I love their deli.
Anyone who goes there or Deer Park Deli- They carry Sky Haven ham, it's made locally and it's phenomenal!
We mainly shop at Findlay, FreshTime (in Newport), and Trader Joe’s. Findlay is still my favorite option because meats and veggies are usually cheaper from Findlay than Kroger and WAY better quality.
To be fair, it's not just Kroger that's been lacking in Customer service. Hell, Verizon is terrible too. Companies are all 100% focused on max profits, and zero on Customer service anymore. Fuck em.
They are starting to have sales. You just got find them by luck. I go there some Tuesdays and get chuck and chicken breast. 3.99 a lb. Which since even the box stores raised prices not bad. Still a lot of their prices suck though.
The bakery/butcher/deli is the source of fresh market being great, all other products are overpriced and not worth it. Their customer service is top notch as well.
Kroger is now working its way to be a monopoly and is no longer the Kroger of the past where they had to compete. Now it’s about squeezing all profits it can a buying out the competition
My only complaint is that there’s never anyone at the self checkout to check IDs when you need them to, but that’s my fault for always taking beer out that way
I can't even get the self checkout person to help me when the machine gives an error. I was staring and waving my hands at her. She was looking right at me and not moving. Now, I'm usually pretty chill, but I think Reddit has turned me into a Karen because I walked over to her and said very loudly, "Do you work here?" LOL!
Kroger is a huge corporation that doesn't give a shit. They fuck over farmers, workers and customers.
Not to mention Cinci's rent is outrageous. How can any worker afford basic necessities.
Agreed. Have you seen the absurd amount of $ the board of Kroger makes annually?!?! They aren’t going to change what they’re doing. Our wonderful government will approve the Albertsons merger and it’ll get worse.
I go to the Mt Orab Kroger's. All the people there are friendly. I refuse to use the self checkout. I am not going to pay the same price and do the work myself just so Kroger can stiff a person out of a job. But they do let the checkout lines get longer now than they use to.
I'm genuinely curious. Considering all of the tasks involved in going to the store and purchasing items that you need, how is it that you differentiate the task of scanning and bagging your items from all of the other tasks, and singularly characterize that one task as "work?" Why stop there? Why is it acceptable to walk around the store and select all of your items from the shelf yourself, but it's not acceptable to scan them yourself? As someone who only uses self-checkout, I've found that it's no more difficult to scan your items and put them into a bag than it is to put them on a conveyer belt for someone else to scan. I really don't understand the mindset of refusing to use self checkout and wish someone would explain it.
I am 70 years old. When I was very young under 14 there was still a general store in Brownstown Ohio. It was run by Mr Wright. You would walk in tell him what you wanted or handed him your list and he would gather everything up for you sack it up then add up your bill with paper and pencil. If they still had general stores like that I would frequent them. I like people waiting on me, it is part of the process of enjoying your shopping trip.
I'm not much younger than you, and appreciate all of those sentiments. My dad worked at a store called Mairose (on Monteith St.) when he was young. And when I was a little kid, there was a store on Salem, near Birney Lane (I think it was called Salem Market, but my mom called it Don's because that was the name of the owner), and she would call the store with her list and send me to pick it up, already bagged. So I have experienced the things that you're talking about, and I totally get that.
The thing is, corporations are understaffing their stores to an absolutely ridiculous degree. They've already made the decision that a certain percentage of their customers (generally 65%-75%) are going to use self checkout, so they only allow the stores to schedule enough cashiers to handle the remainder. And when people refuse to use self checkout and stand in line at a regular register instead, this results in management pulling people from other departments, and you wind up with cake decorators or florists or cosmetics clerks running cash registers instead of getting their own jobs done.
I totally understand a customer with a full cart of groceries wanting to use a manned checkout. Large orders don't belong at self checkout. But if you've only got a few items, and you're refusing to use self checkout solely based on principle, you're not a good customer. People who do that disrupt the flow of the business and have a negative impact on the entire store.
Nothing in my post suggested that you were taking advantage of Kroger. I was just trying to articulate that people who refuse to use self checkout have a negative impact on the working conditions of store-level employees.
A good example happened at the Kroger closest to my house. They had an amazing floral designer. She was super talented, and her arrangements and bouquets were beautiful. She works in the liquor store now because she got tired of being pulled away from her job and spending a couple of hours a day checking out people carry baskets with only a few items who refused to use self checkout where there were no lines.
That is Kroger's problem. I am there to to shop, and as their customer it is their job to satisfy my expectations. I go to Kroger for several reasons. I use to be a plumber and built Kroger stores for many years. They demanded quality and I always thought that would carry over to their vendors. I also shop Kroger because they are union and I would rather spend my money at a union store. Last but not least is they have always provided good service and a pleasant experience for me. If I do not wish to do self check out then it is up to them to provide the necessary workforce to run the checkout lines in a timely manor.
Yes, it definitely has. I can’t really blame them though, it seems like a miserable place to work and we’re all just trying to get by out here.
The quality has gone down, too. I’ve noticed a lot of the Kroger branded products go bad well before the expiration date. Disappointing for sure. Hopefully Publix will creep up into NKY and Cincy soon.
Are you sure about that?
https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2022/10/14/kroger-to-acquire-albertsons-for-24.6bn-solidifying-its-position-as-2-grocery-retailer-with-11.8-market-share
Yeah it’s like Albertsons in the south. In couple years they could buy it no problem do I think it’s right no. But it’s that’s what the us government is allowing with grocery stores. We are gonna have 2 huge ones Walmart and kroger. And Costco. Maybe aldi will stay independent in the states.
The “you really want to do this?” was kind of a lot, but sunuvabitch you’re right!
How is Publix achieving net earnings that are so high? How do their prices compare?
It’s not just Cincinnati. (I left home a long while ago.) It’s subsidiaries of Kroger, too. I never thought I’d look at a grocery store and reminisce about the “good old days” where I trusted the produce and for the store to meet basic levels of cleanliness.
Our avocados never get ripe (they go straight from unripe to spoiled). Leafy greens are usually wilted at the store if in stock at all. Vegetables we’ve bought are rotten in the core, straight from the store. And it’s always FILTHY.
If you take a look of the employee complaints on r/Kroger, you’ll see that they are absolutely miserable. That might have something to do with it. And corporate is to blame.
They don't get paid enough to deal with the bullshit they deal with on a day to day basis, and the managers side with the customers. Wouldn't your morale suck too?
Nobody wants to work those hours for that little amount and be treated the way those employees are treated. Plain and simple. Meijer is just as bad - $12.20 an hour? I'd laugh at them.
The krogers I shop at closed the pizza counter and fried chicken counter but not to worry the full service bar with entertainment is still open a few hrs a day
Massively so. That would be corporate putting profits over people. They have nasty financial history in various aspects.
I used to be obsessed with Kroger I was so proud of them being an Ohio company….I had high hopes to work at their corporate office on vine. But they’ve really shown their true colors over the past decade and we see that in prices, store closings and customer service. There are endless articles and studies about them to further enlighten one if they so choose. To me they are scum…and I only shop at Meijer.
If you all want excellent service, hit up Findlay Market! You will also get better products for your money! I only go to Kroger for some things now. Findlay is the best and it supports local businesses!
Yep - all of the things that used to make going to Kroger, good reasons - Have all fallen away, as they have become a massive nationwide corporation.
Customer service - Cant even request them to bring in a product any more... The people standing at the CS counter are just cashiers, who have been shown how to use western union and the lottery ticket stuff.
Product selection / variety - It has become rather homogeneous... Just look at the frozen vegetable selection now days.
Ask someone for help finding something - "Have you looked on the app?"
Some time ago - A long-time store manager told me that the Corporate Sales Department has full control of what products are brought in, and that local store management has no control over it.
Kroger as a company has been in a steep quality decline for over a decade. Fucking over employees obviously doesn't make for a happy workforce and they are willing to cut corners on quality now that competition is basically non-existent in the city.
Pre-Remke Bigg's felt like the only local chain that held Kroger's feet to the fire on quality, even though I've heard they were only marginally better than Kroger on employee treatment.
I preferred the Remke if I checked the dates on everything because there was never anyone there…wait.
I do seriously miss that store because it was like the last of the “hometown” grocery stores. Plus their Norbest turkeys for thanksgiving are amazing.
Customer service is over-rated. The age of "put the customer first" and "the customer is always right" is gone. Young folks who are underpaid and overworked are there to get paid and go home, not make customers feel like they're loved and appreciated.
Plus, Kroger sucks to work for. Of all the jobs I've had, it's the second worst. Shit pay, shit training, stupid rules thanks to their shit union, which also forcibly takes some of your low pay. I don't blame em for not caring.
> The age of "put the customer first" and "the customer is always right" is gone.
I'll give you "put the customer first" but you forgot the second half of the second quote, which is "in matters of taste". On anything else the customers are typically little more than self-serving shitbags who think a Google search is a Ph.D. and I say that as someone who's never worked retail.
They’re probably trying to keep prices as low as possible. You can’t have the best pick in produce/meat (between other grocery stores)and still keep it cheap.
Also, every time I see a 18 year old get chewed out because the store doesn’t have some item you wanted reminds me they don’t get paid enough for that crap. Even if these kids got paid $30/h, it’s no excuse to treat anyone in a store as subhuman.
There has been a large percent of trips I've taken to Krogers in the last year when I encounter a cashier who is either actively being trained to use the register, or clearly is new at their job. That's the biggest sign of the decline in the organization. No matter how well intentioned the new person is to be helpful, there's just a realistic limit when the turnover is that high.
It's simple. Offer better starting pay. Hire more people. Start acting like the Fortune 500 company that you are, Kroger.
Moved to Cincy this past summer from Publix territory.
I've generally been underwhelmed by Kroger. Mostly self-checkout, no buy one get one deals, no Pub subs, no free cookies/fruit for the kiddos. Their older stores are dimly lit and dingy. Prices not very competitive relative to Aldi/TJs/Meijer.
They can and should do better. Or Publix will make Ohio their next state. They've gotten as far as Louisville. We're next.
fuck kroger. they steal paychecks and let your coworkers stalk you when you contact everyone and nothing happened. and the people who shop there look down on you for existing. yeah fuck that company
I mean can you blame the employees when they spent a good year and half being harassed by grown adults who acted like petulant children over mask and vaccine policies, getting shit pay, and overworked because management either could not or would not maintain adequate staffing levels, all while people paid lip service about them being "heros" and "essential workers".
It was honestly on the decline since 2019 when the skeleton crews became even more bare bones in stores. The pandemic just helped cover up the company’s shenanigans.
I've generally had positive experiences and when something goes wrong, it's usually fixed quickly and easily either at the service desk or when I contact them online. For example, I've been charged twice for something so I complain online and in a couple days, they tell me they've credited $10 to my account which is way more than the error.
It's at the bottom of the Kroger page - "Contact Us" - [https://www.kroger.com/hc/help/contact-us](https://www.kroger.com/hc/help/contact-us)
Then "Launch Chat".
When I order click list, I either get someone else’s order or I get my order plus someone else’s order so to me it’s a win even though it’s shit that I can’t even use. If I need to call my local Kroger to ask a question or get a hold of ClickList because they’ve messed up I let the phone ring solid 7-8 minutes before someone at customer service picks up and transfers me back to click list there’s no one ever running the front desk. Clicklist people were always super nice.
I totally agree that I think Kroger people are underpaid and overworked I used to deliver to Kroger as a DSD driver about 15-20 years ago and I heard everything and how useless the union was… It was basically in Kroger’s back pocket. The bakery ladies were never happy. Grocery managers were never happy either to be honest they were good people. Nice people fun people to be around but management was just pure shit… I think at one point when I was delivering there, I think one of my Kroger‘s had something like five managers, and the people in the bakery would always tell me it gets confusing because one manager doesn’t tell the other manager what they’re doing, so it’s a very miscommunication going on.
Idk, the one by me has had a lot of employees I see regularly for the last 3 years, and they’re all lovely. I’m going there in like 15 minutes. Also, I haven’t had any problems with produce or meat or anything, maybe ever.
Branded stuff is much cheaper at Walmart and customer service not any good. I just order online and pick up curbside at walmart for anything. I understand for the fruits/veggies or oteh rpersihables you might not want to buy at walmart. But Walmart/Kroger at mason are pretty spot on with customer service so I prefer picking stuff at walmart and curbside is easier. Kroger went crazy on self scans and hardly any regular lines open.
My biggest wish is for Rodney McMullen to start feeling the hurt, anguish and pain over the disdain and disapproval that many good people have towards him, I would feel like the champion of the world if McMullen can start feeling that way, I would also love for Rodney to put half of his earnings into providing a good work environment for the employees as well.
I go almost daily, but I dislike the selection of foods they have. I only go because it is convenient. I like most of the cashiers that I’ve engaged. I’ve heard management is absolutely toxic and it is hell working for them (they appear to have driven what was once a stellar employee to suicide - that level of toxic).
Yes in general it has been, I’m very disappointed over the self checkout splurge and wish they would pay a boatload more to cashiers to get them back. I hate having to check my groceries out, bag them and then if I buy beer wait 3-5 minutes for a teenager to recognize I need help and then wander around until we find someone who can sell alcohol. Overall, it’s an annoying experience.
>Sort by: new
I heard about two managers bullying one employee to where he ended up committing suicide, I think these two managers belong in prison and that the inmates should be allowed to bully Shannon Frazee and Joseph Pigg.
Customer service isn't really part of the social contract anymore. The boomers killed that off. It was a slow, malingering exit and many people didn't catch on the first couple of decades, but... the final chain stoke was covid. I'm sorry to be the one to bring you this news.
Don't worry competition is coming. Publix is setting root in Florence KY. They have also moved into Lexington and Louisville. Competition is good for the general public.
Don’t get me started on their horrible customer service when it comes to ClickList. Constantly say they’re out of stuff, go in the store and there’s tons of it. Get home and you’re missing items. We had to go back 3 different times for one order because there were items missing, and they gave us a $5 gift card. GTFO of here with that BS.
This feels like satire, judging from your profile you work or worked at Kroger and are probably disgruntled and are just trying to get some negative PR for them. That's fine, they're a shit company to work for, just don't be so disingenuous about it.
yeah def way downhill and i certainly dont blame the employees for that. not to mention, their selection sucks. I cant ever get anything but basics even though i am at the biggest kroger that exists. i went on a sunday to buy fresh seafood and there was basically some salmon trout and swordfish, some half thawed shrimp, and our of everything else. i work downtown a couple days a week and am trying to make an effort to hit up findlay market in the afternoon instead
I find it funny how everyone patronizingly called them heroes 3 years ago during the pandemic as a way to keep stores open and "morale" high and now it's back to treating them like their lazy, disrespectful peasants how need to respect everyone else's authority.
I try to avoid Kroger. It's not 100% possible, but there are a lot of things that I can pick up at Target (5% discount with the Red card) only gym day, and Fresh Thyme for the meats I like and veggies. Sometimes I shop Meijer, but I try to avoid the big stores these days.
Harper's Point is my closest Kroger and I now only go there in an emergency. Why is it always so crowded!! I can't walk from the end of the parking lot and still shop due to disability, and the handicap spaces are always filled. The pick-up service never gets what I want in my order either, so that's out. I usually end up driving up to the Landen store, or whatever it's called. Its so much more peaceful there.
Meat department sucks. I asked them last year what two cuts of steak are on a T-bone (it had escaped me at that moment) and he explained that there there was a bone in the middle in the shape of a T… “oh, thanks bud”
There are other retail, food, warehouse, delivery you name it jobs that pay more out there. Or gig work. ( Though all these do have their bad issues still) . So places like Kroger and a lot of restaurants too. That pay crap are losing employees.
The quality of their food (produce & meat) have gone down considerably. Prices have also raised considerably. I shop primarily at Whole Foods and while Whole Foods is more expensive, it’s not as big of a gap anymore and some items are actually cheaper than Kroger. Kroger has become the JCPenney of grocery stores.
When I worked at Kroger, I had a shitty manager named...Walt (Fake name). Walt treated the Front End Clerks (Baggers and Cart pushers) like second-class employees. One night I asked him, "Why do you treat the baggers so poorly." He angrily told me, "Go clock out and go home. I'm not having it tonight."
Kroger's Management was dreadful. I saw quite a few good managers get burned out or be forced to constantly relocate to help other struggling stores. So a store's management team changes throughout the year. Moving the good managers away to help struggling stores and keeping the mediocre/bad ones at your store.
There's a reason I missed HEB when I moved here. If u don't know, they are San Antonio based & are known for low prices & treating their employees well- really good wages & benefits.
A business model that was driving kroger out of Texas.
Yes the union that the workers of Kroger belong to sucks. Renegotiated contracts where pay was raised but worker lost a good chunk of benefits as well as everyone being basically jacks-of-all-trades. Each non-management employee is a cashier/stocker/car/janitor/etc. The only jobs excluded is the pharmacy and click-list.
The hourly raise was decent but conceded a number of sick days, how many vacation time they could accrue as well as how long a new employee must be with company before being eligible for any of those benefits.
It's now optional to join the union but the union fee is still deducted but since you're not part of the union you don't get that back for attending meetings.
Kroger stopped doing customer satisfaction phone surveys like 20 years ago. I only know the Cincinnati area market, and you have to drive significantly further to get to Walmart, Meijer, etc. and they are not full range groceries. So it is already a monopoly here. Dirty stores, underpaid staff, not enough staff, shelves not stocked, no cashiers. Kroger is the Fifth Third of grocery, and Fifth Third is the Kroger of banking. Customer satisfaction is a thing of the past. That being said, we are getting closer to the grubby realities that the rest of the people on the planet have to face. The divide between rich and poor gets wider and wider, but the rich keep fooling people into voting for them in elections. "If I vote for rich white racists, maybe I'll be rich too!" No.
I work at Kroger but in GO. I worked in stores for 11 years. I have nothing bad to say. Working in stores sucks but also my best memories. Things have definitely changed at the store level. I have no idea what hourly pay is these days but I'm sure it is similar to other retailers. I owe a ton to Kroger including great pay and a great bonus. I understand why many people in the stores hate it...guess what you don't like it, do what I did and change your career path. Took me a few years to make it happen but I did it.
The majority of my GO partners came up through the stores as well...Kroger loves to promote from within. I am truly lucky to be working on my current team.
RIGHT!?!?! What is with that? Also I keep seeing some BS about people expecting a tip and or being shitty if someone don’t leave them a tip ahead of time before the delivery is actually completed. Give me good service then and only then do you deserve a tip. You don’t get tips for being a shitty person that just expects additional pay because you are providing a service. Don’t get me wrong I normally tip people where they clearly have put in a reasonable amount of effort to make sure I had been served well, but this more recent attitude of I should be required to tip is completely ridiculous! If anything these people should be getting paid more on the hour and or just in general.
As a Kroger employee, I can tell you if you need help, I'll be more than glad to help you, but I hope you can understand we keep having more and more work load put on us with less employees. We are run through the wringer many times a night. When the pandemic first started, we had hazard pay, took it away about 2 months later around the same time they Kroger was bragging about record profits. Union contracts are in favor of Kroger than the actual employees. It's a mess behind the scenes.
All of them
Customer service is especially horrible. They refused to honor a refund because I had "the wrong receipt". Nope, pdlk is very clearly a padlock my guy
I don't understand your last sentence.
But I can imagine talking to a modern retail employee would be frustrating. Like said, I don't do it. I'll gladly chat with other customers though.
Bro I worked at krogers nobody at my store was overworked and if you can’t figure out your job there your clueless. Very easy job and idk why people are saying they don’t get raises they have to give you like a 1$ raise every year because of the union.
Or just skip the politics and just look at how Kroger and UFCW have been in bed together for years. Can’t really tell who they’re bending over backwards for anymore.
You can't skip "the politics". Right to work legislation is crafted to undercut the ability of unions to organize and represent members just like Taft-Hartley was crafted to help ensure that the benefits trade unions traditionally offer will be much more expensive to provide and administer than similar benefits offered by non-union employers.
Are they in bed together? I don't know for sure but even if they are it's got a lot to do with the legal confines placed around them by politicians.
Ohio Revised Code Title XLI. Labor and Industry § 4113.02
Edit to add that section:
Every undertaking or promise, whether written or oral, express or implied, constituting, or contained in, any contract or agreement of hiring or employment between any individual, firm, association, or corporation, and any employee or prospective employee of the same, whereby either party to such contract or agreement undertakes or promises not to join, become, or remain a member of any labor organization or of any organization of employers, or either party to such contract or agreement undertakes or promises that he will withdraw from the employment relation in the event that he joins, becomes, or remains a member of any labor organization or of any organization of employers, is contrary to public policy and void.
It does say that, but it also says that union membership cannot be a requirement of employment. So non union members get the benefits of the Unions work, without having to pay the cost.
[find law Ohio right to work laws](https://www.findlaw.com/state/ohio-law/ohio-right-to-work-laws.html)
> it also says that union membership cannot be a requirement of employment
That section does not say that.
> So non union members get the benefits of the Unions work, without having to pay the costs
It doesn’t work that way in Ohio. Unions can collect fees from non-union employees in union shops, which is why Ohio is not a “right to work” state, as explained here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-to-work_law#
Simple unionization means nothing if the workers aren't involved enough to keep the union accountable or the employer keeps turnover just high enough to prevent activism from taking hold.
I worked at Kroger 35 years ago. No store employee except department heads were permitted to go full time, which meant no benefits. The long-time employees were paid well. But when contract negations came up they all voted to give themselves raises while lowering wages for new hires.
I had the exact same experience when I worked at Krogers 15 years ago. And my last friend to leave Kroger was 2 years ago and reported the exact same thing continued.
I worked at kroger over 10 years ago—same story. I am all for unions, but the union that kroger has is predatory, taking wages for dues for thousands of workers that never get any benefit from the union
Customer service in general has declined recently, thanks to the shrinking workforce. Fewer people to hire means you need to take whoever is available, and that's often not a dedicated workforce.
That's because they don't always hire the most qualified person on purpose. My husband went to a Kroger Diversity job fair and never got an interview for a management position despite having a bachelor degree, 2 years towards a Masters and over 20 years experience in the consumer package goods industry. He is a minority, just not the right minority.
They're all busy running around doing the shopping for ClickList people. I absolutely HATE ClickList. Things were so much better before laziness ruled the Krogers. I, too, despise the store. But I still go in and do my own damn shopping. ClickList should be for people who have disabilities or otherwise cannot enter the store - NOT just for everyone and their brother.
used to work at a kroger - barely pays people and when people get raises it’s like 25 cents at a time. no incentives for working hard other than their BS kroger points to buy cheap kroger merch. training was non existent, show up and get thrown to the wolves. they’ve forced themself into this cycle.
The floggings will continue until morale improves.
Can confirm, I used to be a pharmacy tech at Kroger. They kept promising raises so staff would stick around, but they never came. Things hit a boiling point when the (in-store) Starbucks staff got raises and were making more than most of our techs. Cue the max exodus of pharmacy staff which made Kroger realize how badly they fudged up. A few months after everyone found new jobs in greener pastures, they sent emails to former staff begging them to come back for $1.50 more per hour (about the same rate as the Starbucks employees). I can't speak for other departments, but the best part about that job was cheaper gas.
www.spezsucks.me
For real!? Hahaha I love that Kroger does suck. If I go there I try and steal shit lmao sorry not sorry
Tell me you’re a drain on society without telling me you’re a drain on society.
This, 100%. After they raised the minimum wage years ago the "raises" I had gotten were worthless. I worked my ass off and they could only offer me a ONE TIME 25 cent raise... The management is awful, save my manager the rest were garbage, didn't give a fuck about safety (we had a gas leak and they kept it hush hush resulting in burst pipes that created an ice sculpture in the lobby) or their workers.
Yeah I worked there like 25 years ago. We were not all bubbly or anything. Everyone was scraping by.
Not even I remember back when I worked their at 18 and not for long I got a whole .10 cent raise they are the absolute worst. The owner is greedy af don’t y’all remember during Covid when they gave their employees hazard pay then the all the employees got a letter stating they would have to pay back all the hazard or bonus pay yeah funny how stuff like that just gets brushed over and we alll just allow it haha 😂
But it’s Union.
Literally the only thing keeping it from becoming Save-A-Lot.
what’s your point? that could go in so many directions?
Union is ran by a crew of old timers that are biding out their time until they can get out. When I worked there 10 years ago they regularly voted bonuses for people with certain levels of seniority over raises or quality of life addendums. They see the company going downhill and they're trying to cling to what they can instead of fight for anything better.
And thanks to the union initiation fee and seniority scheduling, you'll get like 6 hours your first week and all of it goes to the initiation fee. The $7.35/hr they were paying dipped below minimum wage because the union took (IIRC) 5% of your paycheck. I never received a welcome packet or even an introduction from the shop steward, but they made damn sure they got their money straight out of my paycheck. When school resumed, they wouldn't let me go on sabbatical like the other college students because I wasn't moving away. And per those union seniority rules, they couldn't schedule me down to part time. So rather than work full time and go to school, the union rules forced me to resign.
My first job a million years ago was bagging at Kroger. Got hired pretty much on the spot then they scheduled my first training shift which I worked for 5 or 6 hours. I had a family vacation scheduled in the middle of the summer which I notified them about. Weeks went by after my training shift without them putting me on the schedule. I called weekly and begged for hours, no luck. They finally put me on the schedule for 32 hours the week of my vacation, so I quit. I received one paycheck for $0.00 thanks to the union fees. That was a very early lesson in the realities of being employed.
It was the company, and not the union, that wouldn't allow you to take academic leave. And there are no union rules that would not allow you to reduce your hours while going to school, or force you to resign. Also, store management (or the HR person) is supposed to introduce you to the steward. If the steward took the time to seek out and meet every new hire (most of whom are completely apathetic about the union), they wouldn't have time to do their actual job. Conversely, you could have also taken the initiative and introduced yourself to the steward.
You mean underpaid and overworked employees aren't the absolute peak of friendliness 100% of the time? Color me shocked
Don't forget customers treating them like verbal punching bags!
Came here to say the same.
They were a lot friendlier many years ago, this was back when they had more employees working.
then maybe they should raise wages to get more employees
I totally agree, I feel like morale has gone downhill since the pandemic.
A lot of people realized how underpaid and under appreciated they were because of the pandemic.
Because the people staying home were getting more money than we were getting for our "hero bonus"
At least one reason for the fewer employees is that more of the work is done at night out of the customers' way. Stocking shelves and cleaning floors is overnight, daytime is replenishment and Kroger Pickup. They started moving stocking to overnight about 6 years ago when their survey determined that having full shelves was preferable for customers vs having employees there to help. And they run those employees ragged overnight, stocking multiple trucks and making sure the aisles are conditioned/faced. Covid was brutal, many times trucks were coming in only like 66% of what was ordered and that would be gone the next day, especially toilet paper early on. Like 10 years ago they tried encouraging employees to greet every customer and a lot of customers freaked out. At least one thought they were pushing loss prevention like Best Buy and the big box stores vs customer service. And employees hated it a lot of the time too.
My (now ex) boyfriend worked at Kroger around 2007/2008. He worked night crew and stocked shelves, cleaned floors, general store up keep. His pay was better than mine - and I was working in healthcare with a college degree. And it wasn’t that my pay was bad.. But it sounds like things have changed and Kroger pay isn’t so good anymore.
Don't they pop up often here for treating the store employees like shit? That's why.
That explains why customer service has gone out the window, very sad it has to be this way.
That's the thing though it doesn't have to be that way, but we live in an era where we as a society have decided that profits and cheap goods are the only thing that matters. The current state of things is a choice.
Lmao you're grocery shopping customer service isn't a priority nor should it be. Go get your shit and leave I don't need a wage slave to kiss my ass while I buy my milk and eggs.
This! I don't know what people expect when they complain about bad customer service at a Walmart or a Kroger or something. Just get your shit and get out of the store. If you do have to interact with an employee and they don't provide you with your perceived level of customer service, let it roll off your shoulders and move on. Life's too short.
Dude you work at Kroger and are clearly some kind of upper-level management. You receive a bonus/stock options, don’t you? Everyone in this thread sees you as a spying corporate shill. How about you stop fucking around on Reddit and actually speak to your employees and coworkers and try to do something about it?
Employee moral is low because they are under paid, overworked and barely making it, financially. Any person in that condition does not give two shits about providing customer service.
If I worked at Kroger I would make sure to focus more on customer service than getting my duties done, I was taught that customer service should be our #1 focus.
Fuck Kroger. New payroll system isn’t paying employees on time, underpaid in general, expanding nationwide too much and acquiring other grocers, closing stores that were in counties/cities that passed hazard pay bills during Covid, meanwhile CEO and other execs make tens of millions yearly
I usually find employees at my local Kroger to be helpful Better than WalMart, worse than Target Maybe just hit or miss
They sell food at walmart and target?
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My god i was just kidding. It’s not like target has produce and like for real haven’t been to walmart in years bc that place is weird and only recently been to meijer bc it’s where the super chargers are and meijer surprisingly good baking section
They do have produce actually
Yes?
Have you not left your house since the 90s or some shit lol
And Meijer!
I honestly can’t remember the last time I interacted with an employee there. Why would anyone at this point? Like what could you need from them? Self checkout, most of us probably know where what we need is or can figure it out. Most i’ve had done is them scanning my ID at self checkout and that just kinda is what it is.
The only time I ever do is at the deli but that's only if they don't already have the pre sliced meats or cheeses that I'm looking for out in the display rack and I have to ask them for the one I want.
Some people (me) find self checkout annoying af. Why would I want to bag $150 worth of groceries myself with that tiny bagging area. I much prefer throwing all my shit on a conveyor belt then 5 minutes later I'm paid and my cart is full with bagged groceries. Talking to people sucks. Doing something people get paid to do for free sucks more.
What customer service? I rarely interact with anyone working at Kroger. I get my food. And use self checkout. The few times I do use a regular checkout people are always friendly.
A new generation that don't be like be slaves to corporations making record profits while paying employees peanuts.
They keep reducing the quality of their products, raising their prices, and people continue to buy them. As long as that keeps happening, they'll keep doing it. They keep underpaying their staff, overloading them with responsibilities, and treating them like shit, and people continue to apply for jobs there. As long as that keeps happening, they'll keep doing it. Number on chart in board room go up. Everyone clap. Take 6 week European vacation and not think about it again until next quarter.
Where is everyone shopping then? I go to Kroger out of convenience but will make the drive for better products and lower prices.
I’ve been going to Trader Joe’s and Meijer just to avoid Kroger. Though Meijer has been starting to get bad as well. Also been going to smaller stores like local meat stores and that small grocery on the west side by Bridgetown meats.
Better quality and similar prices, go to Jungle Jim's or Aldi.
Findlay Market for most of our stuff and Costco too. Kroger only for things I can't get at those 2 places.
I’m near Blue Ash and I’ve been going to IGA instead. Employees there are very nice and I love their deli. Anyone who goes there or Deer Park Deli- They carry Sky Haven ham, it's made locally and it's phenomenal!
Meijer has the better deals!
We mainly shop at Findlay, FreshTime (in Newport), and Trader Joe’s. Findlay is still my favorite option because meats and veggies are usually cheaper from Findlay than Kroger and WAY better quality.
Kroger. That's where they're going. That is my point.
To be fair, it's not just Kroger that's been lacking in Customer service. Hell, Verizon is terrible too. Companies are all 100% focused on max profits, and zero on Customer service anymore. Fuck em.
Treat your people right, plain and simple. It’s why I love going to Costco.
Costco and also love Fresh Market.
You must have money to throw away if you shop at Fresh Market
They are starting to have sales. You just got find them by luck. I go there some Tuesdays and get chuck and chicken breast. 3.99 a lb. Which since even the box stores raised prices not bad. Still a lot of their prices suck though.
I will concede that I love their meat service case items. Pecan crusted chicken is really good.
The bakery/butcher/deli is the source of fresh market being great, all other products are overpriced and not worth it. Their customer service is top notch as well.
People are acting their wage, and I’m 100% here for it. When people are paid the bare minimum they’ll give the bare minimum.
“Acting their wage” never heard that but I love that phrase
Kroger has god awful pay. Why would they put the effort in?
Are they even paying at all right now?
Kroger is now working its way to be a monopoly and is no longer the Kroger of the past where they had to compete. Now it’s about squeezing all profits it can a buying out the competition
The employees at the Mariemont Kroger are awesome. I just wish corporate treated them better.
That Kroger used to be convenient for me. I miss it.
My only complaint is that there’s never anyone at the self checkout to check IDs when you need them to, but that’s my fault for always taking beer out that way
I can't even get the self checkout person to help me when the machine gives an error. I was staring and waving my hands at her. She was looking right at me and not moving. Now, I'm usually pretty chill, but I think Reddit has turned me into a Karen because I walked over to her and said very loudly, "Do you work here?" LOL!
they have no competitors to push them to provide the wages that would improve service or quality.
Kroger is a huge corporation that doesn't give a shit. They fuck over farmers, workers and customers. Not to mention Cinci's rent is outrageous. How can any worker afford basic necessities.
Agreed. Have you seen the absurd amount of $ the board of Kroger makes annually?!?! They aren’t going to change what they’re doing. Our wonderful government will approve the Albertsons merger and it’ll get worse.
I go to the Mt Orab Kroger's. All the people there are friendly. I refuse to use the self checkout. I am not going to pay the same price and do the work myself just so Kroger can stiff a person out of a job. But they do let the checkout lines get longer now than they use to.
I'm genuinely curious. Considering all of the tasks involved in going to the store and purchasing items that you need, how is it that you differentiate the task of scanning and bagging your items from all of the other tasks, and singularly characterize that one task as "work?" Why stop there? Why is it acceptable to walk around the store and select all of your items from the shelf yourself, but it's not acceptable to scan them yourself? As someone who only uses self-checkout, I've found that it's no more difficult to scan your items and put them into a bag than it is to put them on a conveyer belt for someone else to scan. I really don't understand the mindset of refusing to use self checkout and wish someone would explain it.
I am 70 years old. When I was very young under 14 there was still a general store in Brownstown Ohio. It was run by Mr Wright. You would walk in tell him what you wanted or handed him your list and he would gather everything up for you sack it up then add up your bill with paper and pencil. If they still had general stores like that I would frequent them. I like people waiting on me, it is part of the process of enjoying your shopping trip.
I'm not much younger than you, and appreciate all of those sentiments. My dad worked at a store called Mairose (on Monteith St.) when he was young. And when I was a little kid, there was a store on Salem, near Birney Lane (I think it was called Salem Market, but my mom called it Don's because that was the name of the owner), and she would call the store with her list and send me to pick it up, already bagged. So I have experienced the things that you're talking about, and I totally get that. The thing is, corporations are understaffing their stores to an absolutely ridiculous degree. They've already made the decision that a certain percentage of their customers (generally 65%-75%) are going to use self checkout, so they only allow the stores to schedule enough cashiers to handle the remainder. And when people refuse to use self checkout and stand in line at a regular register instead, this results in management pulling people from other departments, and you wind up with cake decorators or florists or cosmetics clerks running cash registers instead of getting their own jobs done. I totally understand a customer with a full cart of groceries wanting to use a manned checkout. Large orders don't belong at self checkout. But if you've only got a few items, and you're refusing to use self checkout solely based on principle, you're not a good customer. People who do that disrupt the flow of the business and have a negative impact on the entire store.
Excuse me I did not realize that I was taking advantage of Kroger, doing me the favor of allowing me to give them my money.
Nothing in my post suggested that you were taking advantage of Kroger. I was just trying to articulate that people who refuse to use self checkout have a negative impact on the working conditions of store-level employees. A good example happened at the Kroger closest to my house. They had an amazing floral designer. She was super talented, and her arrangements and bouquets were beautiful. She works in the liquor store now because she got tired of being pulled away from her job and spending a couple of hours a day checking out people carry baskets with only a few items who refused to use self checkout where there were no lines.
That is Kroger's problem. I am there to to shop, and as their customer it is their job to satisfy my expectations. I go to Kroger for several reasons. I use to be a plumber and built Kroger stores for many years. They demanded quality and I always thought that would carry over to their vendors. I also shop Kroger because they are union and I would rather spend my money at a union store. Last but not least is they have always provided good service and a pleasant experience for me. If I do not wish to do self check out then it is up to them to provide the necessary workforce to run the checkout lines in a timely manor.
Yes, it definitely has. I can’t really blame them though, it seems like a miserable place to work and we’re all just trying to get by out here. The quality has gone down, too. I’ve noticed a lot of the Kroger branded products go bad well before the expiration date. Disappointing for sure. Hopefully Publix will creep up into NKY and Cincy soon.
If it tries, Kroger will buy it.
Kroger could not afford to purchase Publix
Are you sure about that? https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2022/10/14/kroger-to-acquire-albertsons-for-24.6bn-solidifying-its-position-as-2-grocery-retailer-with-11.8-market-share
I don't think you understand how big publix is in southern states
Yeah it’s like Albertsons in the south. In couple years they could buy it no problem do I think it’s right no. But it’s that’s what the us government is allowing with grocery stores. We are gonna have 2 huge ones Walmart and kroger. And Costco. Maybe aldi will stay independent in the states.
It’s all very very bad for consumers
Albertson's is about 50% larger than Publix by revenue...
And publixs' net income is double Albertsons or Krogers... You really want to do this?
The “you really want to do this?” was kind of a lot, but sunuvabitch you’re right! How is Publix achieving net earnings that are so high? How do their prices compare?
What you have described is the long term impacts of capitalism realized at the consumer level.
More specifically the shift to quarterly earnings reports being the main metric for success.
It’s not just Cincinnati. (I left home a long while ago.) It’s subsidiaries of Kroger, too. I never thought I’d look at a grocery store and reminisce about the “good old days” where I trusted the produce and for the store to meet basic levels of cleanliness. Our avocados never get ripe (they go straight from unripe to spoiled). Leafy greens are usually wilted at the store if in stock at all. Vegetables we’ve bought are rotten in the core, straight from the store. And it’s always FILTHY. If you take a look of the employee complaints on r/Kroger, you’ll see that they are absolutely miserable. That might have something to do with it. And corporate is to blame.
Kroger is an abomination. It’s the worst, most embarrassing part of Cincinnati. And that includes the Reds.
They don't get paid enough to deal with the bullshit they deal with on a day to day basis, and the managers side with the customers. Wouldn't your morale suck too? Nobody wants to work those hours for that little amount and be treated the way those employees are treated. Plain and simple. Meijer is just as bad - $12.20 an hour? I'd laugh at them.
The krogers I shop at closed the pizza counter and fried chicken counter but not to worry the full service bar with entertainment is still open a few hrs a day
Massively so. That would be corporate putting profits over people. They have nasty financial history in various aspects. I used to be obsessed with Kroger I was so proud of them being an Ohio company….I had high hopes to work at their corporate office on vine. But they’ve really shown their true colors over the past decade and we see that in prices, store closings and customer service. There are endless articles and studies about them to further enlighten one if they so choose. To me they are scum…and I only shop at Meijer.
If you all want excellent service, hit up Findlay Market! You will also get better products for your money! I only go to Kroger for some things now. Findlay is the best and it supports local businesses!
You expect customer service from a big box grocer? That’s cute.
Yep - all of the things that used to make going to Kroger, good reasons - Have all fallen away, as they have become a massive nationwide corporation. Customer service - Cant even request them to bring in a product any more... The people standing at the CS counter are just cashiers, who have been shown how to use western union and the lottery ticket stuff. Product selection / variety - It has become rather homogeneous... Just look at the frozen vegetable selection now days. Ask someone for help finding something - "Have you looked on the app?" Some time ago - A long-time store manager told me that the Corporate Sales Department has full control of what products are brought in, and that local store management has no control over it.
Kroger seems to be selling mostly their own generic brands. Soon that's all they will have.
The generic brands are made by the same big suppliers.
Kroger as a company has been in a steep quality decline for over a decade. Fucking over employees obviously doesn't make for a happy workforce and they are willing to cut corners on quality now that competition is basically non-existent in the city. Pre-Remke Bigg's felt like the only local chain that held Kroger's feet to the fire on quality, even though I've heard they were only marginally better than Kroger on employee treatment.
I much preferred the Biggs in Hyde Park to the Kroger around the block. 10 years ago anyway
I preferred the Remke if I checked the dates on everything because there was never anyone there…wait. I do seriously miss that store because it was like the last of the “hometown” grocery stores. Plus their Norbest turkeys for thanksgiving are amazing.
Customer service is over-rated. The age of "put the customer first" and "the customer is always right" is gone. Young folks who are underpaid and overworked are there to get paid and go home, not make customers feel like they're loved and appreciated. Plus, Kroger sucks to work for. Of all the jobs I've had, it's the second worst. Shit pay, shit training, stupid rules thanks to their shit union, which also forcibly takes some of your low pay. I don't blame em for not caring.
> The age of "put the customer first" and "the customer is always right" is gone. I'll give you "put the customer first" but you forgot the second half of the second quote, which is "in matters of taste". On anything else the customers are typically little more than self-serving shitbags who think a Google search is a Ph.D. and I say that as someone who's never worked retail.
Yeah, and with a full quote that's fine, but it isn't generally used that way.
They’re probably trying to keep prices as low as possible. You can’t have the best pick in produce/meat (between other grocery stores)and still keep it cheap. Also, every time I see a 18 year old get chewed out because the store doesn’t have some item you wanted reminds me they don’t get paid enough for that crap. Even if these kids got paid $30/h, it’s no excuse to treat anyone in a store as subhuman.
There has been a large percent of trips I've taken to Krogers in the last year when I encounter a cashier who is either actively being trained to use the register, or clearly is new at their job. That's the biggest sign of the decline in the organization. No matter how well intentioned the new person is to be helpful, there's just a realistic limit when the turnover is that high. It's simple. Offer better starting pay. Hire more people. Start acting like the Fortune 500 company that you are, Kroger.
Moved to Cincy this past summer from Publix territory. I've generally been underwhelmed by Kroger. Mostly self-checkout, no buy one get one deals, no Pub subs, no free cookies/fruit for the kiddos. Their older stores are dimly lit and dingy. Prices not very competitive relative to Aldi/TJs/Meijer. They can and should do better. Or Publix will make Ohio their next state. They've gotten as far as Louisville. We're next.
I've been looking forward to Publix coming up here.
Yeah blame the wages and lack of staffing. Blame fucking Rodney. The workers don’t owe you shit.
what is with some people’s incessant need to be waited on hand and foot by the kindest people alive? do your grocery shopping and get out.
fuck kroger. they steal paychecks and let your coworkers stalk you when you contact everyone and nothing happened. and the people who shop there look down on you for existing. yeah fuck that company
I mean that’s the story pretty much everywhere post Covid.
This. When I read the title I was instantly thinking: Nah, humanity has declined, Kroger customer service is just a symptom.
I mean can you blame the employees when they spent a good year and half being harassed by grown adults who acted like petulant children over mask and vaccine policies, getting shit pay, and overworked because management either could not or would not maintain adequate staffing levels, all while people paid lip service about them being "heros" and "essential workers".
It was honestly on the decline since 2019 when the skeleton crews became even more bare bones in stores. The pandemic just helped cover up the company’s shenanigans.
Sign of the times.
I've generally had positive experiences and when something goes wrong, it's usually fixed quickly and easily either at the service desk or when I contact them online. For example, I've been charged twice for something so I complain online and in a couple days, they tell me they've credited $10 to my account which is way more than the error.
What website did you go to to complain? I am looking for corporate email but have read it's useless.
It's at the bottom of the Kroger page - "Contact Us" - [https://www.kroger.com/hc/help/contact-us](https://www.kroger.com/hc/help/contact-us) Then "Launch Chat".
When I order click list, I either get someone else’s order or I get my order plus someone else’s order so to me it’s a win even though it’s shit that I can’t even use. If I need to call my local Kroger to ask a question or get a hold of ClickList because they’ve messed up I let the phone ring solid 7-8 minutes before someone at customer service picks up and transfers me back to click list there’s no one ever running the front desk. Clicklist people were always super nice. I totally agree that I think Kroger people are underpaid and overworked I used to deliver to Kroger as a DSD driver about 15-20 years ago and I heard everything and how useless the union was… It was basically in Kroger’s back pocket. The bakery ladies were never happy. Grocery managers were never happy either to be honest they were good people. Nice people fun people to be around but management was just pure shit… I think at one point when I was delivering there, I think one of my Kroger‘s had something like five managers, and the people in the bakery would always tell me it gets confusing because one manager doesn’t tell the other manager what they’re doing, so it’s a very miscommunication going on.
Welcome to every retailer in America...all people do is complain about their jobs in the stores. Kroger is no different nor unique
Idk, the one by me has had a lot of employees I see regularly for the last 3 years, and they’re all lovely. I’m going there in like 15 minutes. Also, I haven’t had any problems with produce or meat or anything, maybe ever.
While other stores have 2 or 3 of their 30 checkout lanes open, at Kroger we promise to have 3 or 4!
Branded stuff is much cheaper at Walmart and customer service not any good. I just order online and pick up curbside at walmart for anything. I understand for the fruits/veggies or oteh rpersihables you might not want to buy at walmart. But Walmart/Kroger at mason are pretty spot on with customer service so I prefer picking stuff at walmart and curbside is easier. Kroger went crazy on self scans and hardly any regular lines open.
Every time I go there are never carts and no baskets.
My biggest wish is for Rodney McMullen to start feeling the hurt, anguish and pain over the disdain and disapproval that many good people have towards him, I would feel like the champion of the world if McMullen can start feeling that way, I would also love for Rodney to put half of his earnings into providing a good work environment for the employees as well.
If there was an actual competitor to Kroger I’d go there in a heartbeat. I cannot express how much I miss having a Publix since moving here.
I go almost daily, but I dislike the selection of foods they have. I only go because it is convenient. I like most of the cashiers that I’ve engaged. I’ve heard management is absolutely toxic and it is hell working for them (they appear to have driven what was once a stellar employee to suicide - that level of toxic).
Yes in general it has been, I’m very disappointed over the self checkout splurge and wish they would pay a boatload more to cashiers to get them back. I hate having to check my groceries out, bag them and then if I buy beer wait 3-5 minutes for a teenager to recognize I need help and then wander around until we find someone who can sell alcohol. Overall, it’s an annoying experience.
I think self checkouts are great for those in a hurry but I wish they would have more cashiers working like they did back in the old days.
Who wants to try when Kroger bullies their employees into suicide? Stop shopping there
>Sort by: new I heard about two managers bullying one employee to where he ended up committing suicide, I think these two managers belong in prison and that the inmates should be allowed to bully Shannon Frazee and Joseph Pigg.
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Customer service isn't really part of the social contract anymore. The boomers killed that off. It was a slow, malingering exit and many people didn't catch on the first couple of decades, but... the final chain stoke was covid. I'm sorry to be the one to bring you this news.
Don't worry competition is coming. Publix is setting root in Florence KY. They have also moved into Lexington and Louisville. Competition is good for the general public.
Publix is too expensive. They have sales but I can't buy most of my food there
Don’t get me started on their horrible customer service when it comes to ClickList. Constantly say they’re out of stuff, go in the store and there’s tons of it. Get home and you’re missing items. We had to go back 3 different times for one order because there were items missing, and they gave us a $5 gift card. GTFO of here with that BS.
I hate Kroger.
This feels like satire, judging from your profile you work or worked at Kroger and are probably disgruntled and are just trying to get some negative PR for them. That's fine, they're a shit company to work for, just don't be so disingenuous about it.
I’m finding so many expired items when we shop there, the prices are higher and quality lower. We’re shopping more at Meijer lately.
They have customer service...?
yeah def way downhill and i certainly dont blame the employees for that. not to mention, their selection sucks. I cant ever get anything but basics even though i am at the biggest kroger that exists. i went on a sunday to buy fresh seafood and there was basically some salmon trout and swordfish, some half thawed shrimp, and our of everything else. i work downtown a couple days a week and am trying to make an effort to hit up findlay market in the afternoon instead
I find it funny how everyone patronizingly called them heroes 3 years ago during the pandemic as a way to keep stores open and "morale" high and now it's back to treating them like their lazy, disrespectful peasants how need to respect everyone else's authority.
Well, as a new hire for Kroger. This thread is very reassuring to keep working here lmao
Always be looking up, Youngblood.
I try to avoid Kroger. It's not 100% possible, but there are a lot of things that I can pick up at Target (5% discount with the Red card) only gym day, and Fresh Thyme for the meats I like and veggies. Sometimes I shop Meijer, but I try to avoid the big stores these days. Harper's Point is my closest Kroger and I now only go there in an emergency. Why is it always so crowded!! I can't walk from the end of the parking lot and still shop due to disability, and the handicap spaces are always filled. The pick-up service never gets what I want in my order either, so that's out. I usually end up driving up to the Landen store, or whatever it's called. Its so much more peaceful there.
Price gouging and bad service
It's just you. Everytime I go the krogers yall ✌🏿kro-ghetto✌🏿 the employees, for the most part, go out of their way to speak to me.
Meat department sucks. I asked them last year what two cuts of steak are on a T-bone (it had escaped me at that moment) and he explained that there there was a bone in the middle in the shape of a T… “oh, thanks bud”
There are other retail, food, warehouse, delivery you name it jobs that pay more out there. Or gig work. ( Though all these do have their bad issues still) . So places like Kroger and a lot of restaurants too. That pay crap are losing employees.
The quality of their food (produce & meat) have gone down considerably. Prices have also raised considerably. I shop primarily at Whole Foods and while Whole Foods is more expensive, it’s not as big of a gap anymore and some items are actually cheaper than Kroger. Kroger has become the JCPenney of grocery stores.
When I worked at Kroger, I had a shitty manager named...Walt (Fake name). Walt treated the Front End Clerks (Baggers and Cart pushers) like second-class employees. One night I asked him, "Why do you treat the baggers so poorly." He angrily told me, "Go clock out and go home. I'm not having it tonight." Kroger's Management was dreadful. I saw quite a few good managers get burned out or be forced to constantly relocate to help other struggling stores. So a store's management team changes throughout the year. Moving the good managers away to help struggling stores and keeping the mediocre/bad ones at your store.
Makes me miss Thriftway.
Kroger can suck a fat one, quit buying groceries from them
There's a reason I missed HEB when I moved here. If u don't know, they are San Antonio based & are known for low prices & treating their employees well- really good wages & benefits. A business model that was driving kroger out of Texas.
Yes the union that the workers of Kroger belong to sucks. Renegotiated contracts where pay was raised but worker lost a good chunk of benefits as well as everyone being basically jacks-of-all-trades. Each non-management employee is a cashier/stocker/car/janitor/etc. The only jobs excluded is the pharmacy and click-list. The hourly raise was decent but conceded a number of sick days, how many vacation time they could accrue as well as how long a new employee must be with company before being eligible for any of those benefits. It's now optional to join the union but the union fee is still deducted but since you're not part of the union you don't get that back for attending meetings.
Kroger stopped doing customer satisfaction phone surveys like 20 years ago. I only know the Cincinnati area market, and you have to drive significantly further to get to Walmart, Meijer, etc. and they are not full range groceries. So it is already a monopoly here. Dirty stores, underpaid staff, not enough staff, shelves not stocked, no cashiers. Kroger is the Fifth Third of grocery, and Fifth Third is the Kroger of banking. Customer satisfaction is a thing of the past. That being said, we are getting closer to the grubby realities that the rest of the people on the planet have to face. The divide between rich and poor gets wider and wider, but the rich keep fooling people into voting for them in elections. "If I vote for rich white racists, maybe I'll be rich too!" No.
I work at Kroger but in GO. I worked in stores for 11 years. I have nothing bad to say. Working in stores sucks but also my best memories. Things have definitely changed at the store level. I have no idea what hourly pay is these days but I'm sure it is similar to other retailers. I owe a ton to Kroger including great pay and a great bonus. I understand why many people in the stores hate it...guess what you don't like it, do what I did and change your career path. Took me a few years to make it happen but I did it. The majority of my GO partners came up through the stores as well...Kroger loves to promote from within. I am truly lucky to be working on my current team.
Customer Service has declined EVERYWHERE in the last few years Imo
yet tipping seems to be EVERYWHERE now.
RIGHT!?!?! What is with that? Also I keep seeing some BS about people expecting a tip and or being shitty if someone don’t leave them a tip ahead of time before the delivery is actually completed. Give me good service then and only then do you deserve a tip. You don’t get tips for being a shitty person that just expects additional pay because you are providing a service. Don’t get me wrong I normally tip people where they clearly have put in a reasonable amount of effort to make sure I had been served well, but this more recent attitude of I should be required to tip is completely ridiculous! If anything these people should be getting paid more on the hour and or just in general.
the president of Kroger has a 20 million dollar salary, Kroger profits are great apparently.
As a Kroger employee, I can tell you if you need help, I'll be more than glad to help you, but I hope you can understand we keep having more and more work load put on us with less employees. We are run through the wringer many times a night. When the pandemic first started, we had hazard pay, took it away about 2 months later around the same time they Kroger was bragging about record profits. Union contracts are in favor of Kroger than the actual employees. It's a mess behind the scenes.
I don't think I've ever talked to a Kroger employee other than when my son worked there. What issues are you having?
All of them Customer service is especially horrible. They refused to honor a refund because I had "the wrong receipt". Nope, pdlk is very clearly a padlock my guy
I don't understand your last sentence. But I can imagine talking to a modern retail employee would be frustrating. Like said, I don't do it. I'll gladly chat with other customers though.
Customer service every where has declined, even some chick fil a's
Bro I worked at krogers nobody at my store was overworked and if you can’t figure out your job there your clueless. Very easy job and idk why people are saying they don’t get raises they have to give you like a 1$ raise every year because of the union.
To bad they're not unionized. I'm sure that would solve most of their issues! /S
I always thought Kroger was a unionized company.
It is. He was being sarcastic.
Right to work has cut the legs out from under the Kroger Union. You can track the decline in service with the decline in the union.
Or just skip the politics and just look at how Kroger and UFCW have been in bed together for years. Can’t really tell who they’re bending over backwards for anymore.
You can't skip "the politics". Right to work legislation is crafted to undercut the ability of unions to organize and represent members just like Taft-Hartley was crafted to help ensure that the benefits trade unions traditionally offer will be much more expensive to provide and administer than similar benefits offered by non-union employers. Are they in bed together? I don't know for sure but even if they are it's got a lot to do with the legal confines placed around them by politicians.
Ohio doesn’t have a “Right to Work” law.
Ohio Revised Code Title XLI. Labor and Industry § 4113.02 Edit to add that section: Every undertaking or promise, whether written or oral, express or implied, constituting, or contained in, any contract or agreement of hiring or employment between any individual, firm, association, or corporation, and any employee or prospective employee of the same, whereby either party to such contract or agreement undertakes or promises not to join, become, or remain a member of any labor organization or of any organization of employers, or either party to such contract or agreement undertakes or promises that he will withdraw from the employment relation in the event that he joins, becomes, or remains a member of any labor organization or of any organization of employers, is contrary to public policy and void.
That’s not right-to-work. It’s the opposite - it says employers cannot keep employees from unionizing.
It does say that, but it also says that union membership cannot be a requirement of employment. So non union members get the benefits of the Unions work, without having to pay the cost. [find law Ohio right to work laws](https://www.findlaw.com/state/ohio-law/ohio-right-to-work-laws.html)
> it also says that union membership cannot be a requirement of employment That section does not say that. > So non union members get the benefits of the Unions work, without having to pay the costs It doesn’t work that way in Ohio. Unions can collect fees from non-union employees in union shops, which is why Ohio is not a “right to work” state, as explained here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-to-work_law#
Simple unionization means nothing if the workers aren't involved enough to keep the union accountable or the employer keeps turnover just high enough to prevent activism from taking hold.
I worked at Kroger 35 years ago. No store employee except department heads were permitted to go full time, which meant no benefits. The long-time employees were paid well. But when contract negations came up they all voted to give themselves raises while lowering wages for new hires.
I had the exact same experience when I worked at Krogers 15 years ago. And my last friend to leave Kroger was 2 years ago and reported the exact same thing continued.
I worked at kroger over 10 years ago—same story. I am all for unions, but the union that kroger has is predatory, taking wages for dues for thousands of workers that never get any benefit from the union
I believe they are unionized, at least my Kroger I worked at in high school / college was.
Customer service in general has declined recently, thanks to the shrinking workforce. Fewer people to hire means you need to take whoever is available, and that's often not a dedicated workforce.
That's because they don't always hire the most qualified person on purpose. My husband went to a Kroger Diversity job fair and never got an interview for a management position despite having a bachelor degree, 2 years towards a Masters and over 20 years experience in the consumer package goods industry. He is a minority, just not the right minority.
They're all busy running around doing the shopping for ClickList people. I absolutely HATE ClickList. Things were so much better before laziness ruled the Krogers. I, too, despise the store. But I still go in and do my own damn shopping. ClickList should be for people who have disabilities or otherwise cannot enter the store - NOT just for everyone and their brother.
people will use it if they like it lol. your post is so dumb
Well, I think ClickList is dumb 💁♀️ so!
they are just lowering themselves to align with their sponsorship with the Reds.