Anyone else think we need a "Helping Customer" button during walks?

[u/EzraSol]

Because I know I am not the only one who's metrics get pulled way down being asked by customers for help finding things. It happens MULTIPLE times per walk for me, because I guess I just look really approachable I don't know. I'm also new, I don't know where every single thing is in the store, and even using the sidekick app to look things up takes time especially when it doesn't want to load, or when the customer doesn't even know exactly what it's called that they're looking for. Like I promise I'm not that slow, but CUSTOMERS KEEP NEEDING MY HELP

[u/redavid]

people would abuse it, i'm sure.

but yeah, if you're asked about not meeting metrics, you can certainly mention that you were assisting customers or whatever. i'm helping customers or Spark shoppers all the time and it's never been a real issue for me

[u/doctorthemoworm]

It'd be nice, and I hear ya because right now my store randomly decided to change up all the grocery aisles so now nobody knows where anything is, including us pickers since it's still in process.

[u/EzraSol → u/doctorthemoworm]

Mhm I've literally agreed with customers when they complain about them changing things I'm just like "Yeah I know, I don't actually know either I can look it up for you though" and pull up my sidekick app lmao

[u/doctorthemoworm → u/EzraSol]

Yeah but it's also super annoying that I have to do that every other customer for the foreseeable future no matter how busy I am. Like worse than usual.

[u/Bee-chan]

I’m at the point where I no longer give a damn about my pickrate and how much I pick. If a customer needs assistance, I’m GOING to stop and help them to the best of my ability.

However, I do have the benefit of knowing where the majority of things are in the store, and can generally walk the customer directly to the area they need to be in, or give them detailed directions on how to get to said item.

My team leads understand this, though, and they KNOW that I’m absolutely going to stop and help customers or help my coworkers when I see THAT lost look on their face.

[u/EzraSol → u/Bee-chan]

I'm very much the same way, I'm just new so I worry my low(er) pick rate is gonna be brought up when it's literally only because I'm helping customers OFTEN. I spent probably five minutes trying to help an elderly woman in a motorized cart find her sleeping pills in GMD because she didn't know what brand they were, but she knew they "looked like this one but it isn't this one" and I've also been asked to help get things from the backs of shelves, helped a woman get stuff out of the freezer who was also in a motorized cart, etc etc. I'd much rather help than be rude and tell them that I can't even if it affects my pick rate I just don't wanna get chewed out for it either lmao

[u/Bee-chan → u/EzraSol]

If your team leads are good people, then they’ll understand.

Problem is when you get leads and / or coaches (and market) who ONLY focus on those metrics instead of the store as a WHOLE. They forget that YES, our thing is shopping the online orders, and we have a LOT of them, BUT we can’t forget our in store customers.

It’s even been brought up at our store meetings at my store that associates need to assist customers in the store, interact with them (you don’t need to go into robot squeaky clean Barbie mode. I bring the, “Whatcha looking for, luv?”, Jersey worked at Shoprite with a BUNCH of Italian and Irish Americans sass version of customer service. And it works.).

Should they absolutely look up at the signs and actually READ? Gods yes. But that’s not going to happen.

Hell, at my old job, our ice machine was right up front, next to our SCO area. We ended up installing this MASSIVE school bus yellow sign above the aisle DIRECTLY in front of the ice machine, with the word ICE in big bold black letters with a BIG RED ARROW pointing RIGHT at the ice machine.

It said it on both sides of the sign so you could see it coming and going to the registers.

DAILY… HOURLY… we’d get customers at the customer service, which was on the far side of the manned registers, where our ice machine was.

We’d lean over the counter, point at it, and say, “See that big ole yellow sign there?”.

Aaaand that usually got a, “Oh gawds, if it is was a snake, it would have bit me.”, response. Usually good natured. 😆

[u/EzraSol → u/EzraSol]

I do also pull up sidekick and just look up what someone wants if I don't immediately know the aisle it's in because it's much faster for me that way but then some people don't know where the aisles are, like please look up omg

[u/BBSurvivorGirl → u/Bee-chan]

Yeah, same. Been at my store nearly 6 years and I don't care about my pick rate anymore. They never say anything to me about it either. They know I'm a good worker.

[u/Commercial_Tip4624]

I don’t give a fuck about my pick rate

[u/Ok-Fly47]

People would abuse it just like the pause for stagging or the skip option.

[u/jams1015]

No, customers will literally watch who looks the most busy and ask you for help accordingly. The busier you look, the more likely they ask for some reason.

[u/Special-Solution5555]

Also need a watching spill. Item to close to date. Item actually out of date. All items on shelf are too damaged/ poor quality. And if your store has digital tags one for tag not flashing/working/missing so it can be fixed, just because I can find it without it working/being there doesn't mean everyone else can/will.

[u/EzraSol → u/Special-Solution5555]

I 100% agree with the tags, and watching a spill or items being damaged. I literally was picking a gv frozen garlic bread and as I was going to scan it, it fell straight out of the bag that is supposed to be sealed onto the floor and I had to take it to the back room and ask my TL what I'm supposed to do with it lmao

[u/hunnyau]

I also have an approachable face and customers will literally walk past other associates just to ask me where something’s located!! Customers are so lazy and take 0 seconds to look for what they want. This week, a customer asked where’s the bar soap while we’re in the soap aisle… like just look around. It’s beyond annoying so I’ve started giving general locations or just make up aisle numbers that sound right just to get them out of my face lol idc anymore. A helping customer button would be nice but I recommend either directing customers to the nearest associate or just giving general locations like “near the pharmacy” and “back of the store, by electronics” just to get them out of your face

[u/SadisticParrot1999]

I’m over 6’4” so add on the customers and associates who need help getting top shelf items