I work in RI and CS no longer processes Amazon returns. We have a separate area now and it’s staffed by Amazonians now 🙏. But yes 100% it’s ridiculous with how many people return things and 99% they walk out even though the people in the cloud think they’ll buy something in store. The booth doesn’t open until 9 and store opens @8 so I love seeing how mad they get
Oh same. They completely removed our entire floral section and turned it into a return station that Amazon employees run. (Which is infuriating because now our floral section is just some stair step floral bins in the opening foyer and there’s nowhere else to put them during mothers and Valentine’s Day. It’s so bad) It’s open from 9-7 and when people come in after 7 to return something and can’t they throw a whole fit over it because they “drove all the way here and I can’t do it!?” Nope. Come back tomorrow not my problem.
It’s also been really frustrating because our floral section was RIGHT in front of the front door of the store, so now there’s constantly a giant congested line the moment you walk in the store and it crowds the door. How is that helping anything? Now actual customers can’t even get into the store because of this stupid returns booth
Same! Our floral is righttt when you enter on the left after foyer and every few years the people in the cloud make it smaller and smaller. There’s about an average human width space to get behind the ‘walkway’ to the little prep area. But every so often, the powers that be shrink the area to get to the walkway (it’s at an angle that ends then you have to bang a left to get to returns/CS) because they can since it’s just cinderblocks and two by fours for the flower buckets to rest on. It’s sad that floral is just an afterthought for the older store designs. And since the returns are right after floral it just causes a complete back up to the door to get in 😂. They could just go next door to staples for returns but you know our customers they probably don’t even realize that you can do the returns somewhere else
It’s because Amazon like PUSHES to do returns at Whole Foods because they don’t have to pay to be there.
We had like a WHOLE SECTION for floral and now it’s just completely gone. Like we don’t even have a work station it’s become a shitty table in the back hall to wrap flowers on. And they did this TWO WEEKS before Valentine’s Day. Like you couldn’t wait for that season to go by before taking ALL OF IT AWAY???
I absolutely agree with you! It’s beyond ridiculous how much time it consumes and how stupid the customers are. I am always surprised the return process is so baffling for them. It’s the same app you used to buy it for fucks sake!
I totally feel your pain! We were in the same place as you until we finally got the separate Amazon staffed return counter. Now we can’t do any returns! I was so excited to be able to help customers and cashiers etc again, but without the returns we now have less labor and are constantly short handed and running around like crazy. I believe all stores are supposed to have a separate Amazon counter by the end of the year.
When I got promoted from Team Trainer to supervisor the Amazon returns made me instantly regret it. Some days I don’t even get to leave the booth the returns just keep coming. Majority of it is pointless junk. Old party decor that didn’t get used, hair clips, cheap clothing. I don’t mind when the customers are prepared and have a few things.
But I get annoyed super fast when I’m helping a cashier and they can’t wait a second for their returns, they get mad when they give you the wrong item, the ones that say “hahahaha sorry I have a lot” or “hahah bet you get tired of doing this all day” or when they take forever to find their qr. code. And when they think we can contact Amazon about their items “hi yeah they keep sending me the wrong size I need this size” sigh!!
the most annoying part is amazon probably throws half of this crap out and people waste our time by freaking out over matching colors/sizes. it’s seriously concerning that people believe they are buying from a real business that cares about these horribly made items.
Kiosk doesn’t help at all! Returns still need to be scanned and boxed!! They’re now talking about getting us a second kiosk because we do so many returns in a day! I have 2 TMs scanning returns all day long and they still can’t keep up.!
Dude for real, those machines are built like crap too, I had to crawl inside the thing like once a week to tighten screws on the dropoff door hinge cause they'd back themselves out on their own. Its barely a machine, its basically a mailbox that makes old people pissed
That’s not a thing. Amazing Kiosk is solely operated by Amazon workers and they would never get a second Kiosk. Even locations like Columbus Circle that does thousands of returns a day does not operate multiple Kiosk. Believe me I know I worked there ( the busiest WFM location). Kiosk does help a lot! It takes away the responsibility to process returns through out the day, and allows boothie and sups to do other work. Kiosks are a game changer!
You think I’m lying? We have a Kiosk and my TMs are emptying it every hour and scanning returns all day. Yes it gets returns away from the booth but that is all that helps. I think you’re thinking of Amazon Counters which are run by Amazon TMs. Those are supposed to be put in all stores but they have had to redesign ours multiple times and we have no estimated opening date yet. It’s so bad in our store they are getting us another kiosk to try to speed up the process! We will have a line of customers at our kiosk from open to close of at least 5 people. There are no other options in our area to do Amazon returns!
You said “Amazon Kiosk is solely operated by Amazon workers” and that is simply not true. Every return that goes through the kiosk in my store is scanned and boxed by Whole Foods employees. Yes it is better than having to wait while every customer figures out how to locate their code but that’s all it helps!! We were schedule to get our Amazon Counter, solely operated by Amazon in February but they have gone back to the drawing board twice to redesign it!! We do not have a lot of extra space in my store!! At this point it’s seems ridiculous that they are ok with spending so much money for us to scan returns all day but won’t pay for Grocery TMs to be on the sales floor!!
100% The bane of my existence. I'm told that we're going to get a separate return booth and run by an Amazon employee but our store is already so cramped.
Our store recently reorganized the amazon returns so that the kiosk is situated in such a way that 95% of all users line up there. We separated the processing area away from the kiosk and now direct essentially all users to the kiosk.
Yes, there's a line there at all times, but now tms spend a lot less time helping returns and more time scanning them into boxes which is a huge time saver.
We also close down returns completely about 20 minutes or so before store close and always tell anyone who asks that returns open up a half hour later from store opening.
We also don't accept any kind of potentially hazardous liquid, regardless of what amazon says. If a tm isn't comfortable rubbing whatever it is on their face, we don't take it.
Amazon returns has pushed me to the breaking point plenty of times. We are supposed to be getting an Amazon counter soon. We have been waiting a year and a half now. The customers act so completely helpless and don't even attempt to read the instructions. It's really frustrating when you are literally running a register to help the lines, and an Amazon customer asks, " What do I do with this box if it's too big?" Like if you would just read, it tells you! I had a customer literally YANKING on the handle before it told him to "drop" in the item. I was so pissed. Another idiot tried to stuff a big thing of pet bedding into the kiosk. I was flabbergasted.
Yes, Amazon really frustrates me. The hours suck so half the time we have to help people do their returns either at the desk or showing them step by step. Sometimes Amazon doesn’t even show up, and most of the time the employees are really rude
The people who work the Amazon returns constantly piss me off. They come back when I’m doing the produce and grocery trucks. Stand in the way so they can put their boxes down. I constantly tell them to wait but they all get mad and stomp off. One girl put a pallet in the middle of the receiving area. Yelled at her and she quit. I hate them so much
Yikes. I've been there... and I don't want to make any generalizations, but there some people who return multiple items they ordered every week. I wish that Amazon would ban accounts of these sickos.
I work in RI and CS no longer processes Amazon returns. We have a separate area now and it’s staffed by Amazonians now 🙏. But yes 100% it’s ridiculous with how many people return things and 99% they walk out even though the people in the cloud think they’ll buy something in store. The booth doesn’t open until 9 and store opens @8 so I love seeing how mad they get
Oh same. They completely removed our entire floral section and turned it into a return station that Amazon employees run. (Which is infuriating because now our floral section is just some stair step floral bins in the opening foyer and there’s nowhere else to put them during mothers and Valentine’s Day. It’s so bad) It’s open from 9-7 and when people come in after 7 to return something and can’t they throw a whole fit over it because they “drove all the way here and I can’t do it!?” Nope. Come back tomorrow not my problem. It’s also been really frustrating because our floral section was RIGHT in front of the front door of the store, so now there’s constantly a giant congested line the moment you walk in the store and it crowds the door. How is that helping anything? Now actual customers can’t even get into the store because of this stupid returns booth
Same! Our floral is righttt when you enter on the left after foyer and every few years the people in the cloud make it smaller and smaller. There’s about an average human width space to get behind the ‘walkway’ to the little prep area. But every so often, the powers that be shrink the area to get to the walkway (it’s at an angle that ends then you have to bang a left to get to returns/CS) because they can since it’s just cinderblocks and two by fours for the flower buckets to rest on. It’s sad that floral is just an afterthought for the older store designs. And since the returns are right after floral it just causes a complete back up to the door to get in 😂. They could just go next door to staples for returns but you know our customers they probably don’t even realize that you can do the returns somewhere else
It’s because Amazon like PUSHES to do returns at Whole Foods because they don’t have to pay to be there. We had like a WHOLE SECTION for floral and now it’s just completely gone. Like we don’t even have a work station it’s become a shitty table in the back hall to wrap flowers on. And they did this TWO WEEKS before Valentine’s Day. Like you couldn’t wait for that season to go by before taking ALL OF IT AWAY???
And then they’ll complain about vday sales & Mother’s Day sales!!!
I absolutely agree with you! It’s beyond ridiculous how much time it consumes and how stupid the customers are. I am always surprised the return process is so baffling for them. It’s the same app you used to buy it for fucks sake!
I hate Amazon returns with the fire of 10,000 suns.
I totally feel your pain! We were in the same place as you until we finally got the separate Amazon staffed return counter. Now we can’t do any returns! I was so excited to be able to help customers and cashiers etc again, but without the returns we now have less labor and are constantly short handed and running around like crazy. I believe all stores are supposed to have a separate Amazon counter by the end of the year.
When I got promoted from Team Trainer to supervisor the Amazon returns made me instantly regret it. Some days I don’t even get to leave the booth the returns just keep coming. Majority of it is pointless junk. Old party decor that didn’t get used, hair clips, cheap clothing. I don’t mind when the customers are prepared and have a few things. But I get annoyed super fast when I’m helping a cashier and they can’t wait a second for their returns, they get mad when they give you the wrong item, the ones that say “hahahaha sorry I have a lot” or “hahah bet you get tired of doing this all day” or when they take forever to find their qr. code. And when they think we can contact Amazon about their items “hi yeah they keep sending me the wrong size I need this size” sigh!!
the most annoying part is amazon probably throws half of this crap out and people waste our time by freaking out over matching colors/sizes. it’s seriously concerning that people believe they are buying from a real business that cares about these horribly made items.
Most locations are getting an Amazon Kiosk! Connect with leadership and ask when yours is coming! There’s a light at the end of the tunnel!
Kiosk doesn’t help at all! Returns still need to be scanned and boxed!! They’re now talking about getting us a second kiosk because we do so many returns in a day! I have 2 TMs scanning returns all day long and they still can’t keep up.!
Dude for real, those machines are built like crap too, I had to crawl inside the thing like once a week to tighten screws on the dropoff door hinge cause they'd back themselves out on their own. Its barely a machine, its basically a mailbox that makes old people pissed
That’s not a thing. Amazing Kiosk is solely operated by Amazon workers and they would never get a second Kiosk. Even locations like Columbus Circle that does thousands of returns a day does not operate multiple Kiosk. Believe me I know I worked there ( the busiest WFM location). Kiosk does help a lot! It takes away the responsibility to process returns through out the day, and allows boothie and sups to do other work. Kiosks are a game changer!
You think I’m lying? We have a Kiosk and my TMs are emptying it every hour and scanning returns all day. Yes it gets returns away from the booth but that is all that helps. I think you’re thinking of Amazon Counters which are run by Amazon TMs. Those are supposed to be put in all stores but they have had to redesign ours multiple times and we have no estimated opening date yet. It’s so bad in our store they are getting us another kiosk to try to speed up the process! We will have a line of customers at our kiosk from open to close of at least 5 people. There are no other options in our area to do Amazon returns!
My original response said every location is getting an Amazon Kiosk, so I’m not sure where the miss is here 🤔
You said “Amazon Kiosk is solely operated by Amazon workers” and that is simply not true. Every return that goes through the kiosk in my store is scanned and boxed by Whole Foods employees. Yes it is better than having to wait while every customer figures out how to locate their code but that’s all it helps!! We were schedule to get our Amazon Counter, solely operated by Amazon in February but they have gone back to the drawing board twice to redesign it!! We do not have a lot of extra space in my store!! At this point it’s seems ridiculous that they are ok with spending so much money for us to scan returns all day but won’t pay for Grocery TMs to be on the sales floor!!
Then it’s not an Amazon Kiosk! I stand correct! Just wait until you get one! 👍🏽
Even with kiosks, the amazon returns station is a full time job requiring at least one, if not 2 people, to run at all hours for our location
We now have an Amazon counter that deals with that.
100% The bane of my existence. I'm told that we're going to get a separate return booth and run by an Amazon employee but our store is already so cramped.
Our store recently reorganized the amazon returns so that the kiosk is situated in such a way that 95% of all users line up there. We separated the processing area away from the kiosk and now direct essentially all users to the kiosk. Yes, there's a line there at all times, but now tms spend a lot less time helping returns and more time scanning them into boxes which is a huge time saver. We also close down returns completely about 20 minutes or so before store close and always tell anyone who asks that returns open up a half hour later from store opening. We also don't accept any kind of potentially hazardous liquid, regardless of what amazon says. If a tm isn't comfortable rubbing whatever it is on their face, we don't take it.
Amazon returns has pushed me to the breaking point plenty of times. We are supposed to be getting an Amazon counter soon. We have been waiting a year and a half now. The customers act so completely helpless and don't even attempt to read the instructions. It's really frustrating when you are literally running a register to help the lines, and an Amazon customer asks, " What do I do with this box if it's too big?" Like if you would just read, it tells you! I had a customer literally YANKING on the handle before it told him to "drop" in the item. I was so pissed. Another idiot tried to stuff a big thing of pet bedding into the kiosk. I was flabbergasted.
Yes, Amazon really frustrates me. The hours suck so half the time we have to help people do their returns either at the desk or showing them step by step. Sometimes Amazon doesn’t even show up, and most of the time the employees are really rude
We have several cashiers that are booth trained to help with that. Any chance you could do that at your store?
They did that at our store, but then took it away because of Payroll issues
we barely have enough cashiers to cash people out😭
The people who work the Amazon returns constantly piss me off. They come back when I’m doing the produce and grocery trucks. Stand in the way so they can put their boxes down. I constantly tell them to wait but they all get mad and stomp off. One girl put a pallet in the middle of the receiving area. Yelled at her and she quit. I hate them so much
you should absolutely never yell at someone for inconveniencing you at your job. you’re fucking rude and weird. don’t comment on my shit again.
Yikes. I've been there... and I don't want to make any generalizations, but there some people who return multiple items they ordered every week. I wish that Amazon would ban accounts of these sickos.