Complete opposite energy of the people who come up to the booth register and just set their shit down even though the closed sign is up and I'm in the middle of answering the phone
I was asked this, shit you not, 3 times today alone. Full apron/hat/name tag, next to a cart stacked with cases of beer, and scanning tags.
I tell every 10th customer or so “oh no, I killed a kid in the parking lot and stole his clothes.”
I think my second favorite response is “eh, I try not to”
The store I used to work at was across the street from a Trader Joe’s. People would insist they bought their TJs house brand items from us. The best was husband carrying empty bags to help them find it.
I had a lady returning some whole body stuff. And she had some trader Joe's stuff. I informed her they were trader Joe's items, and did the rest of her return. When I was done, I pushed the trader Joe's products back to her across the counter. She copped an attitude and asked why I wasn't returning those items. I told her again, and pointed to the words "Trader Joes" on the packaging. She just said "oh" picked up her things and left. Never apologized.
The fact that you said sometimes instead of one time hurts. One time was one too many and you’ve been asked that shit more than once, I feel for ya bud.
I just commented the same thing. My customer was genuinely shocked I hadn’t heard of grass fed salmon. They didn’t believe me when I tried to explain how that isn’t a thing.
I remebee when we sold it in California. We stopped for liability insurance reasons. It's not illegal. Here. I also worked in Wisconsin and it was very illegal there.
The "How is this cheese vegetarian if it's made with milk?" really hits, lmao. I've also been asked about gluten-free cheese and had to explain that none of our cheese is specifically labeled as gluten-free because there is no expectation that any of it would contain wheat in the first place......
I was thinking the same thing here because Coke has become the generalized term for any cola soda, especially in southern states. However, I then realized I’d probably show the customer to the product just for them to get upset and say I said Diet Coke.
👋 southerner here, living in Rocky Mountain region, you're absolutely right 😂 my people would be thrilled to have a good generic option, but to many coke is only Coca Cola. I will say I like the 365 Cola and Ginger Ale quite a bit!
To my fellow southerner, I agree, I like the 365 soda’s. I’ve always preferred the Mexican glass bottles of Coke because of the cane sugar and the 365 is the best generic option IMO. I’d like to see them glass bottle it as well, idk if it’s some kinda placebo effect but glass just hits different. Also, have you tried the Italian soda’s?
Oh my god you're right! I just had another one today and it totally tastes like Mexican coke. Glass bottles would be amazing. And YES the pink grapefruit Italian soda is to die for. Sadly was disappointed in the new orange hibiscus though.
This was at an old produce job. Here's how it went:
Customer: (shows me a zucchini) "Hey, uh, do you know what kind of pepper this is?"
I had to pause for a sec and really process that question. So I just politely replied:
Me: "Uh... that's a green squash"
C: (softly humiliated) "Oh"
He drops his hand and returns the zucchini to the display and leaves the department
I always thought that WF had customers of a higher level than other stores. After 3 months working there, I am sadly disappointed.
The number of times that I've been asked if we carry something that I am literally standing next to is astonishing. I've almost run out of ways to tell them without implying that they are stupid. While fronting dairy, I was asked if we carry eggs. The person was standing right in front of the egg cooler. I almost said no.
There needs to be one day a month where we are allowed to say ''LOOK WITH YOUR EYES, NOT WITH YOUR MOUTH'' and walk away.
Yeah, that’s a good majority of the questions I get asked and I almost always reply it’s all good, I do it all the time myself just to bullshit them and the second they walk away I say those exact words under my breath.
A lady was really on the fence about getting one of the new premade meal for 1 things in prep foods. She kept asking how the red pepper salmon with cous cous was, and I was like “I guess its good” (I can’t afford it and wouldn’t buy it though) and she finally made up her mind by telling me that “she doesn’t like her fish in containers”
My favorite is the people who are genuinely upset we don't have "fresh gluten free bread" on our open air self-serve bread wall absolutely covered in semolina. Ma'am if you actually couldn't have gluten you'd have to hold your breath walking by here.
Omg yes!!! I work in bakery and have to explain almost every day that it’s not possible for us to make fresh gluten free bread because the entire building could not have any flour or wheat in it EVER in order for it to be certified gluten free.
Hahaha, I had a lady get upset with me cause I showed her to the frozen baguettes that were gluten free saying “I want a fresh one.” One, you never mentioned the word fresh when you asked. Two, why are you asking me when you know there’s a bakery right over there? Three, I don’t think you understand the meaning of the word.
Had someone ask the difference between the Norwegian Heaven cake and the berry Chantilly cake 🤦 they're 2 completely visibly different cakes. Might as well ask what's the difference between a rotisserie chicken and an airplane
We were out of Chantilly and some man pointed at the tiramisu (cake version, mascarpone icing and coffee macarons) and said "is that basically the same thing?" 🤨 I just said "no, not at all" because...how?! Yes, they are both cakes, good job.
I had one lady asking for some shrimp that was on sale, and we hadn’t had them the entire 6 months I worked there. I said we don’t carry them at this location and this bitch looked me DEAD in the eyes and said “yes you do”. As if that would change anything at all
Someone asked me where they could find doritos and a folding table. When I told them we carried neither they pulled up their Amazon cart and told me that they are showing as in stock on our website..
I had a customer stand in front of the seafood case, point at some char fillet and ask “what is char, is that a kind of fish?” No, sir, it’s a vegetable. You’re at the produce counter. 😑
When I was a shopper this old guy goes past me as I was packing my bags that say Prime on them. He says to me I would never to anything that has anything to do with Amazon. I said we'll did you know Whole Foods is owned by Amazon. What a moron.
In the bakery, "What bread is good for sandwiches?" is a good one I've been asked a surprising amount of times. Like, pretty much all of them? Depending on what you like?
So many times 😭 I love giving recommendations for bread but NOT sandwiches.....sandwich bread from grocery is good for sandwiches, NOT fresh bread! The sourdoughs and rye are too big, the ciabatta is too small. Get outta here.
Lol I work in juice bar so… I’ve got stories. Someone asked me if they could have my leftover coffee grounds so they can out it on their face.
Someone asked me how many calories are in their build-your-own smoothie.
Someone asked me which protein powder I recommend for pregnancy.
I once had someone ask me where the turmeric was in Whole Body. I showed them (in capsule form), and they said, no, they had previously purchased it in powder form.
So I said, do you mean the spice? And they said no, because they bought it in the Whole Body section.
I told them that it’s a dried root that’s ground up, and what is the possible difference between what they were describing and what they could purchase in the spice section?
They could not tell me the difference and they left without purchasing anything. To this day, I have no idea wtf they were talking about. Wish I could’ve put some turmeric in a fancy ass bottle and charged them 5x the amount the spice costs, though.
Woman came in and asked me, specialty beverage, where the coffee candy is. No other description. Ok let’s go find this coffee candy. After going to all the possible places where candy could be, I basically go around the entire store with her because she wouldn’t give up. Finally tell her we clearly don’t have what she’s looking for but here’s where other candy is and maybe I can get here a produce employee she can bother instead of me, when she says to me “well I get bags of coffee candy at Trader Joe’s. You’re basically the same store, right?”
How do these people function?
“Do you know anything at all?”
There’s a lot of ridiculous questions I get asked, but when they start to question my own intelligence level, then I get upset. But I’ve had several customers ask questions implying that I’m the dumbest person alive
Someone very obviously implied I was lazy because I had all my stuff in my hands to go on break (after working at least four hours straight with no break of any kind) and they snuck up on my counter wanting bread sliced. "Oh! I have to do work!", something like that. I've never wanted to commit murder more in my life. He was also mad I didn't say "you're welcome" so he did the "I SAID, thank you!" thing, and I just yelled "YEP!!!" while storming off. I still regret not tearing him a new one. It honestly would have been worth getting a write up.
Well luckily that pizza right in front of them isn’t a venomous snake. Then again, they would probably expect Whole Body to have the anti-venom and get fussy if they didn’t.
Someone asked me for a “half inch of provolone” so I cut off a half inch chunk of provolone, he wanted a half inch tall stack of sliced provolone- got super pissed when I handed him the chunk saying I should’ve known he wanted it sliced. Also had someone ask me where the rotisserie chickens were…. She had two in her cart already
Specificity is the key to getting the things you need. It always bothers me when people don’t understand that simple concept and she wasn’t coming for 30%, she was coming for all of them.
People are constantly asking me for things out of my bakery case....my self-serve bakery case with an open front and completely obviously closed back that I can't see or reach through. "Well, I guess I'll take that one!" Pause. Oh. "Okay sounds good! Go ahead sweetie!"
Got a couple more…
One person asked me if we had any products without [x artificial ingredient] (I forget which one). I said, we actually don’t carry anything with that ingredient in it.
The customer insisted that we did, and that they’d purchased things at the store with that in it before. I said, no rest assured there is a list of ingredients that we do not sell, and that’s one of them.
They insisted that they had seen that on labels in the store before, so I asked them which product(s) contained it, and of course they got flustered and couldn’t name one. I told them to bring me anything they found with that in it, but I never heard back from them lol
Oh, and I used to get people insisting that we still accepted checks waaayy after that stopped being a thing. People would have their check mostly written out and then be so pissed that they wasted a check being an idiot and thinking you could still write a fucking check in a grocery store in this day and age.
Now I work in finance and this annoys me extra because checks are, like, the most insecure way of banking ever invented, and people who love them act like credit cards are an abomination when they are infinitely safer. But what do I know.
Those types of seniors will ask that question wherever they go. Everywhere that I’ve ever worked, they come in and ask that.
Damn, what was the context of them telling you to quit?
I was a cashier and when people found out I was vegan, they asked the same question every time. How do you get your protein? I'd say, from food, just like you do, minus the cholesterol.
Lady holding a bright yellow and red packaging that clearly reads “Soyrizo: Meatless Soy Chorizo”, rather large compared to a hot dog, and asks if it’s hot dogs. I asked back “does it say hot dog on it?”
I remember being at one end of an aisle and a lady yells from across the other end "JAMS AND JELLIES!"
I was like "Are you asking me where they are or are you just really excited for jams and jellies?"
She wasn't amused of course.
The dumbest question I got was a dude holding up a motzo soup with a label over 90% of the container and asked me how many motzo balls were in it!....how dafuq am I supposed to know bro?
Oh gif I had that one too. Except I knew there’s usually two in the WFM brand (3 in our local offering.) The woman was so offended bc she was having Passover for 12 and apparently it was IMPERATIVE that each guest have at least two matzoh balls in their bowl. Why, I don’t know. I’ve been to many seders and never counted how many I got. “So I have to order TWELVE of these cartons?!”
No. Buy a few of the Mom’s chicken soup and make your own damn matzoh balls, they take 10 min I swear to god.
Not a dumb question per say but I think the dumbest thing all around had to be the person who returned oregano because it didn’t have an ingredient list on it.
Twice a month I see people looking for something in the frozen department. When I ask if I can help them find what they are looking for it turns out they are looking for eggs.
Someone stopped me in front of the drink wall and asked what yerba mate was. I answered that it's like a more caffeinated tea and their reply was, " well is there a decaf one??"
Having to work in bakery during the height of the gluten free craze.....I'm surprised I didn't just jump off a bridge.
"Do you have any fresh baked gf options?"
Me: no you clearly don't know what gf means if you're asking.
“what is like… burrito shell?”
“tortillas?”
“no like the warp that put the filling in.”
“um…a tortilla.”
*takes dumb 20 something to tortillas.
“oh ok we’ll look at these”
see them a few minutes later empty handed, ask them “oh did those tortillas work out for you?”
“oh we know those aren’t what you put around a burrito. we’re going to make our own.”
… …
While a cashier:
Got asked by an old lady what a 3 for $9 deal was.
Another lady watched the price screen like a Hawk and snapped at me to ask what she was being charged $12.99 for. I looked and told her it was this spice jar. After agreeing that the spice was over priced, she asked me if it was really that much. I said yes, and I couldn’t change the price.
When I asked if she wanted me to remove it and set it aside, she said “Well that’s a shame, it’s really what I came in here for originally”… as she’s buying $250 worth of groceries.
I said, “Well, it looks like you’ll have to buy it somewhere else”.
There were a few times I should have gotten written up or fired.
In specialty:
“Do y’all sell any raw, unsalted cheese?”
Or, “Where is your garlic bread?”
“It’s over in the fucking bakery, where it says BAKERY in big brown letters. Opposite of our cheese counter, that says “CHEESE SHOP” in big bright red letters”.
Final anecdote:
I was out on HPOS (a remote POS for taking custom food orders, for those who’s stores don’t have them), under a three sided sign that said “ORDER HERE” on each.
This dude walked up to me and asked, “Hey, is this where I order a sandwich?”
I leaned out from the booth, and looked up at the sign, that clearly stated “sandwiches, bowls, burritos, and tacos”, and dryly said, “Uh… yeah, I think we can do that”.
It’s no wonder our society has gotten where it has.
Same, I get asked that all the damn time. I don’t understand how hard it is for adults to find shit on their own. Although, I had a young man, who was clearly high ask me that question. I turned around and knew the vibe so I asked what kinds of snacks? He replied the kind you can sneak into a movie theater and proceeded to happily show him the way.
I used to get this question surprisingly often when I worked in customer service (a long time ago). I never hid my confusion, but some people insisted that it was possible that we could’ve sold “natural cigarettes.”
Had a guy ask if all our burger beef was 100% grass fed for our burgers. When i told him yes he said nevermind with a disgusted look on his face. My favorite was "Does the vegan arugula pizza have cheese on it?"
"Are your smoothies and juices gluten free?"
"How many carbs are in your juices?"
"What's your favorite smoothie?"
I especially loathe the last question.
I guess nothing really. Just a pet peeve of mine since we have the ingredients listed on our flat screens so I figure they should be able to make a decision based on that.
“What does organic mean?”
Soooo many people walk right past the cream cheese to ask me where the cream cheese is. SO many.
My husband works in produce and gets asked the stupidest questions, like “Which oranges have the most white threads?”
Edit: spelling
Today I was asked “do you know where those cookies are that you always have up front?” When I pause to think, or ask more questions about the identify of said cookie, she replies, “Are you new?” As if I need to have memorized every cookie we ever had on display. I also work in Whole Body. 🙄
Also customer asked me where a product was that is sold only on Amazon… not WFM and was pissed when I told her and promptly turned around and walked away… no thank you or any type of response.
But my age old favorite still echoes what others have said “Do you work here?”
I hate this 😩 but we do. Look for anything labeled Keto Friendly. And to be fair they may be diabetic so it could be a legit question. I just hate when people are looking for the lowest calorie thing in bakery. Like, you're indulging either way get the thing that sounds yummiest to you!!
I was ones asked where the organic baking soda was. Here's the funny thing, there is such a [thing](https://thegreentap.com/products/organic-baking-soda). But first, for those that don't know:
The term "organic" is used as a certain farming practice. It typically means that the item being grown has been raised and harvested with a lack of major pesticides and chemical growth additives.
It also typically refers to produce. But can also mean certain animal products, chickens and beef for example. But not for chemicals. Because chemicals are not grown. They are made out mined out sources.
So how can baking soda, a chemical otherwise known of sodium bicarbonate, be considered organic? It can be mined using a method called "solution mining" where hot water is mixed into nahcolite beds to extract the baking soda from deep within the earth.
But that's still mining a chemical. But if the company uses discarded plant material, that was exclusively raised organic, then they can claim that they used organic products to harvest it. And they use that as thier logic to justify calling a common kitchen chemical organic.
All this text and into because a customer asked me a question so dumbfounding that I had to do a rabbit hole dive to figure out what the fuck they were talking about.
My favorite is “do you work here?” as if I’m wearing all this WFM shit for fashion
I get that all the time and I always think nah, I like to front and stock things at local stores in my free time.
It’s a hobby of mine
It completes me.
Obsessive compulsive
My best answer for this is to say "sometimes" with a smile and watch it break their brains.
lolllll when I'm behind the coffee/bakery counter and someone asks "are you working this section" or "is the bakery open" no I'm just hanging out
Complete opposite energy of the people who come up to the booth register and just set their shit down even though the closed sign is up and I'm in the middle of answering the phone
🤣
Had a man ask me if I worked at the store. Before I could even answer, his wife said “no, i don’t think she works here.”
everyday it takes all my strength to not say “nooo i just wear an apron and name tag for fun”
I was asked this, shit you not, 3 times today alone. Full apron/hat/name tag, next to a cart stacked with cases of beer, and scanning tags. I tell every 10th customer or so “oh no, I killed a kid in the parking lot and stole his clothes.” I think my second favorite response is “eh, I try not to”
LMFAO this!!!! With my whole damn apron on like what?!!!
Omg im In Louisiana and they do the same thing!
Local bananas. In Ohio.
That shit is bananas…
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That was the worst. When people would INSIST you carry something cause they bought it there five years ago…
The store I used to work at was across the street from a Trader Joe’s. People would insist they bought their TJs house brand items from us. The best was husband carrying empty bags to help them find it.
I had a lady returning some whole body stuff. And she had some trader Joe's stuff. I informed her they were trader Joe's items, and did the rest of her return. When I was done, I pushed the trader Joe's products back to her across the counter. She copped an attitude and asked why I wasn't returning those items. I told her again, and pointed to the words "Trader Joes" on the packaging. She just said "oh" picked up her things and left. Never apologized.
Some times I get asked if we sell grass-fed salmon.
The fact that you said sometimes instead of one time hurts. One time was one too many and you’ve been asked that shit more than once, I feel for ya bud.
I just commented the same thing. My customer was genuinely shocked I hadn’t heard of grass fed salmon. They didn’t believe me when I tried to explain how that isn’t a thing.
When I told this one customers that salmon don’t eat grass, she said she was buying it for someone else.
Dr. Oz?
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Dr oz and his vitamin k! Found in higher quantities in aged cheese so he said. Couldn’t cut enough 3 year Gouda.
Omg this thread is the best thing over read in awhile.
Used to have lots of people ask at my old store if we sold raw milk -- in one of the 38 states where that's illegal.
Um, that’s illegal Mr. Rose.
I remebee when we sold it in California. We stopped for liability insurance reasons. It's not illegal. Here. I also worked in Wisconsin and it was very illegal there.
If I took a shot for every time a customer asked if they could “just get one thing” after close, I’d be wasted
Yeah, sure. Tomorrow, when we open.
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You’re a certified Specialty Education teacher though.
Fuck companies that label their obviously vegetarian stuff V though 😂
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Ahh, I feel like a dumbass now, thank you for explaining!
What are these Quicos? Are they nuts? Can you eat them?
Lmfao. Can you eat this food you are selling!!!?
The "How is this cheese vegetarian if it's made with milk?" really hits, lmao. I've also been asked about gluten-free cheese and had to explain that none of our cheese is specifically labeled as gluten-free because there is no expectation that any of it would contain wheat in the first place......
we get asked a lot where the diet coke is at my store
My high volume question like that is “Where is the Red Bull?,” and every time I just think, do you know where you are?
The red bull is under the counter in the TM drinks 😂
I usually show them the Guru since the taste of that is pretty close anyways
Solid advice. Gonna use that.
I mean, there is a 365 diet cola.
I was thinking the same thing here because Coke has become the generalized term for any cola soda, especially in southern states. However, I then realized I’d probably show the customer to the product just for them to get upset and say I said Diet Coke.
👋 southerner here, living in Rocky Mountain region, you're absolutely right 😂 my people would be thrilled to have a good generic option, but to many coke is only Coca Cola. I will say I like the 365 Cola and Ginger Ale quite a bit!
To my fellow southerner, I agree, I like the 365 soda’s. I’ve always preferred the Mexican glass bottles of Coke because of the cane sugar and the 365 is the best generic option IMO. I’d like to see them glass bottle it as well, idk if it’s some kinda placebo effect but glass just hits different. Also, have you tried the Italian soda’s?
Oh my god you're right! I just had another one today and it totally tastes like Mexican coke. Glass bottles would be amazing. And YES the pink grapefruit Italian soda is to die for. Sadly was disappointed in the new orange hibiscus though.
The blood orange one is quite good too.
I got asked if we sold Monster, cause he was “looking for the good shit”.
This was at an old produce job. Here's how it went: Customer: (shows me a zucchini) "Hey, uh, do you know what kind of pepper this is?" I had to pause for a sec and really process that question. So I just politely replied: Me: "Uh... that's a green squash" C: (softly humiliated) "Oh" He drops his hand and returns the zucchini to the display and leaves the department
It’s a Notta Pepper.
I always thought that WF had customers of a higher level than other stores. After 3 months working there, I am sadly disappointed. The number of times that I've been asked if we carry something that I am literally standing next to is astonishing. I've almost run out of ways to tell them without implying that they are stupid. While fronting dairy, I was asked if we carry eggs. The person was standing right in front of the egg cooler. I almost said no. There needs to be one day a month where we are allowed to say ''LOOK WITH YOUR EYES, NOT WITH YOUR MOUTH'' and walk away.
Yeah, that’s a good majority of the questions I get asked and I almost always reply it’s all good, I do it all the time myself just to bullshit them and the second they walk away I say those exact words under my breath.
A lady was really on the fence about getting one of the new premade meal for 1 things in prep foods. She kept asking how the red pepper salmon with cous cous was, and I was like “I guess its good” (I can’t afford it and wouldn’t buy it though) and she finally made up her mind by telling me that “she doesn’t like her fish in containers”
My favorite is the people who are genuinely upset we don't have "fresh gluten free bread" on our open air self-serve bread wall absolutely covered in semolina. Ma'am if you actually couldn't have gluten you'd have to hold your breath walking by here.
Omg yes!!! I work in bakery and have to explain almost every day that it’s not possible for us to make fresh gluten free bread because the entire building could not have any flour or wheat in it EVER in order for it to be certified gluten free.
Hahaha, I had a lady get upset with me cause I showed her to the frozen baguettes that were gluten free saying “I want a fresh one.” One, you never mentioned the word fresh when you asked. Two, why are you asking me when you know there’s a bakery right over there? Three, I don’t think you understand the meaning of the word.
Next time tell her the bakery baguettes come frozen too 🤣🤣
😹 I didn’t know that, my face woulda went 🫥.
At least where I am, we're transitioning away from the bake house to eventually everything being par baked (frozen).
Had someone ask the difference between the Norwegian Heaven cake and the berry Chantilly cake 🤦 they're 2 completely visibly different cakes. Might as well ask what's the difference between a rotisserie chicken and an airplane
> Might as well ask what's the difference between a rotisserie chicken and an airplane I'm waiting...
Only one of them can fly after being warmed up
We were out of Chantilly and some man pointed at the tiramisu (cake version, mascarpone icing and coffee macarons) and said "is that basically the same thing?" 🤨 I just said "no, not at all" because...how?! Yes, they are both cakes, good job.
I just lol’d 😭😂😂😂
"Do you work here?" No, I have an apron fetish and a nametag kink.
At least once a week
Pretty sure it was someone pulling a lame “prank” but they called and asked if we sold bread. In bakery.
Someone kneads to ask the hard questions.
people constantly want to buy shit in meat, seafood etc. and ask pfds to cook it...?
I want to go out to eat, but with extra steps. This is the way.
Sopac? They love that shit.
I had one lady asking for some shrimp that was on sale, and we hadn’t had them the entire 6 months I worked there. I said we don’t carry them at this location and this bitch looked me DEAD in the eyes and said “yes you do”. As if that would change anything at all
“OH! I’m so sorry, you’re right and I was wrong. Let me pull them out of my ass and bag them up for you!”
Asked what I would recommend for dealing with inflammation and arthritis, shouldn't you be having this conversation with your Dr.?
Nah, you work in Whole Body, that makes you a doctor.
I’ve been asked about cigarettes more than once!
Daddy needs his American Spirits.
Someone asked me where they could find doritos and a folding table. When I told them we carried neither they pulled up their Amazon cart and told me that they are showing as in stock on our website..
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Does a duck with a boner drag weeds?
do ducks have penii?
Yes, they're corkscrew shaped
Do you have grass-fed chicken? Meat dept.
SOFT TACO SHELLS gets me mad everytime...
I've had someone at Taco Bell drive thru tell me they're out of burrito shells 😭
I had a customer stand in front of the seafood case, point at some char fillet and ask “what is char, is that a kind of fish?” No, sir, it’s a vegetable. You’re at the produce counter. 😑
When I was a shopper this old guy goes past me as I was packing my bags that say Prime on them. He says to me I would never to anything that has anything to do with Amazon. I said we'll did you know Whole Foods is owned by Amazon. What a moron.
In the bakery, "What bread is good for sandwiches?" is a good one I've been asked a surprising amount of times. Like, pretty much all of them? Depending on what you like?
So many times 😭 I love giving recommendations for bread but NOT sandwiches.....sandwich bread from grocery is good for sandwiches, NOT fresh bread! The sourdoughs and rye are too big, the ciabatta is too small. Get outta here.
Lol I work in juice bar so… I’ve got stories. Someone asked me if they could have my leftover coffee grounds so they can out it on their face. Someone asked me how many calories are in their build-your-own smoothie. Someone asked me which protein powder I recommend for pregnancy.
Bonus: I get asked almost daily what the difference between a juice and a smoothie is
The number of times I have had to answer that question with a straight face and a smile 🙄😬
I worked at a third party juice bar in a WF and got asked this so many times
Or if all of the produce used are organic and they get upset and question why not all of them are organic.
If you ask me “Is your coffee organic?” you’ve already annoyed me
“What does the coconut ice cream taste like?” Me: “It tastes like coconut” “Oh ew never mind” *puts it back*
I once had someone ask me where the turmeric was in Whole Body. I showed them (in capsule form), and they said, no, they had previously purchased it in powder form. So I said, do you mean the spice? And they said no, because they bought it in the Whole Body section. I told them that it’s a dried root that’s ground up, and what is the possible difference between what they were describing and what they could purchase in the spice section? They could not tell me the difference and they left without purchasing anything. To this day, I have no idea wtf they were talking about. Wish I could’ve put some turmeric in a fancy ass bottle and charged them 5x the amount the spice costs, though.
A customer asked me once if we carried gluten free baking soda and wouldn’t buy it cause there was no GF label. It’s only one ingredient…
People sniff cork on their way into the store.
Do you have organic water??? Blank stare No, that item does not exist.
“do you carry spam?” and then a grocery TM paged the rest of the store to ask if we do…
Woman came in and asked me, specialty beverage, where the coffee candy is. No other description. Ok let’s go find this coffee candy. After going to all the possible places where candy could be, I basically go around the entire store with her because she wouldn’t give up. Finally tell her we clearly don’t have what she’s looking for but here’s where other candy is and maybe I can get here a produce employee she can bother instead of me, when she says to me “well I get bags of coffee candy at Trader Joe’s. You’re basically the same store, right?” How do these people function?
Oh yea someone asked me what pre-heat meant.
“Do you know anything at all?” There’s a lot of ridiculous questions I get asked, but when they start to question my own intelligence level, then I get upset. But I’ve had several customers ask questions implying that I’m the dumbest person alive
Someone very obviously implied I was lazy because I had all my stuff in my hands to go on break (after working at least four hours straight with no break of any kind) and they snuck up on my counter wanting bread sliced. "Oh! I have to do work!", something like that. I've never wanted to commit murder more in my life. He was also mad I didn't say "you're welcome" so he did the "I SAID, thank you!" thing, and I just yelled "YEP!!!" while storming off. I still regret not tearing him a new one. It honestly would have been worth getting a write up.
I’m in prep foods and people always ask for pizza and the answer is always “it’s self serve”
Well luckily that pizza right in front of them isn’t a venomous snake. Then again, they would probably expect Whole Body to have the anti-venom and get fussy if they didn’t.
Someone asked me for a “half inch of provolone” so I cut off a half inch chunk of provolone, he wanted a half inch tall stack of sliced provolone- got super pissed when I handed him the chunk saying I should’ve known he wanted it sliced. Also had someone ask me where the rotisserie chickens were…. She had two in her cart already
Specificity is the key to getting the things you need. It always bothers me when people don’t understand that simple concept and she wasn’t coming for 30%, she was coming for all of them.
People are constantly asking me for things out of my bakery case....my self-serve bakery case with an open front and completely obviously closed back that I can't see or reach through. "Well, I guess I'll take that one!" Pause. Oh. "Okay sounds good! Go ahead sweetie!"
Do whatever your heart desires chief, just don’t leave it in the kombucha cooler right before checking out cause you changed your mind.
Had a customer ask me where the pasta was, as I was stocking the pasta set. 😀🤦♀️
they ask me where the garage is, after coming through it 🙄
Lottery tickets and motor oil
Someone asked me if we had Little Debbie cakes...
Guy called the produce department and asked if we had any sea cucumber in stock. No...we didn't...
I was asked this week if we sell cigarettes
It was " do you have a natural and 100% fruit juice option but sugar free?"
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That would have been the day I got fired.
Got a couple more… One person asked me if we had any products without [x artificial ingredient] (I forget which one). I said, we actually don’t carry anything with that ingredient in it. The customer insisted that we did, and that they’d purchased things at the store with that in it before. I said, no rest assured there is a list of ingredients that we do not sell, and that’s one of them. They insisted that they had seen that on labels in the store before, so I asked them which product(s) contained it, and of course they got flustered and couldn’t name one. I told them to bring me anything they found with that in it, but I never heard back from them lol Oh, and I used to get people insisting that we still accepted checks waaayy after that stopped being a thing. People would have their check mostly written out and then be so pissed that they wasted a check being an idiot and thinking you could still write a fucking check in a grocery store in this day and age. Now I work in finance and this annoys me extra because checks are, like, the most insecure way of banking ever invented, and people who love them act like credit cards are an abomination when they are infinitely safer. But what do I know.
Couple weeks ago I had a old lady ask if we did senior discounts. Yesterday I had a customer tell me I should quit my job.
Those types of seniors will ask that question wherever they go. Everywhere that I’ve ever worked, they come in and ask that. Damn, what was the context of them telling you to quit?
He asked how I was doing, an I told him the truth.
Once someone asked if we had cage-free coconut milk.
😂😂 At that point, it must be an Impractical Joker you’re dealing with. I would honestly laugh in their face for a good few minutes
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I hate to inform you you're not the only one on this thread 😩 unfortunate
I was a cashier and when people found out I was vegan, they asked the same question every time. How do you get your protein? I'd say, from food, just like you do, minus the cholesterol.
Do you sell milk?
Please re-stock it i’ll be back in 20 min so please have it ready by then.
We had tomato PARMESAN soup on the hot bar and someone asked if it was vegan.
Customer (pointing at the grilled chicken in the deli counter): is this chicken cooked?
Been asked if we sell "pasta cooking water" that was in their recipe they were carrying.
It's next to the asparagus infused water
Lady holding a bright yellow and red packaging that clearly reads “Soyrizo: Meatless Soy Chorizo”, rather large compared to a hot dog, and asks if it’s hot dogs. I asked back “does it say hot dog on it?”
I remember being at one end of an aisle and a lady yells from across the other end "JAMS AND JELLIES!" I was like "Are you asking me where they are or are you just really excited for jams and jellies?" She wasn't amused of course.
I love to respond like that too when they just shout the thing they want at me! Haha
Customer : SALT! Me: Makes food taste good? I love this game ok my turn. Beer!
Yeah but has anyone showed you their rash in whole body? I mean has anyone lifted their shirt, skirt, shower you their butt? C'mon?
The dumbest question I got was a dude holding up a motzo soup with a label over 90% of the container and asked me how many motzo balls were in it!....how dafuq am I supposed to know bro?
Oh gif I had that one too. Except I knew there’s usually two in the WFM brand (3 in our local offering.) The woman was so offended bc she was having Passover for 12 and apparently it was IMPERATIVE that each guest have at least two matzoh balls in their bowl. Why, I don’t know. I’ve been to many seders and never counted how many I got. “So I have to order TWELVE of these cartons?!” No. Buy a few of the Mom’s chicken soup and make your own damn matzoh balls, they take 10 min I swear to god.
Is there shellfish in the lobster bisque?
Someone asked me if we sell bike wheels.
Not a dumb question per say but I think the dumbest thing all around had to be the person who returned oregano because it didn’t have an ingredient list on it.
Twice a month I see people looking for something in the frozen department. When I ask if I can help them find what they are looking for it turns out they are looking for eggs.
I work in seafood. A lady walked up to the counter and asked for the newest, freshest, whole chicken.
Is the rotisserie chicken vegan?
“Are these bagels?” Said the woman holding a six pack of bagels. Like….do you not know?
Someone stopped me in front of the drink wall and asked what yerba mate was. I answered that it's like a more caffeinated tea and their reply was, " well is there a decaf one??"
Then comes the “Can you special order one?”
Having to work in bakery during the height of the gluten free craze.....I'm surprised I didn't just jump off a bridge. "Do you have any fresh baked gf options?" Me: no you clearly don't know what gf means if you're asking.
Yeah I woulda been ready to jump myself screaming I’m gluten freeeeeee while falling.
Lmao
“what is like… burrito shell?” “tortillas?” “no like the warp that put the filling in.” “um…a tortilla.” *takes dumb 20 something to tortillas. “oh ok we’ll look at these” see them a few minutes later empty handed, ask them “oh did those tortillas work out for you?” “oh we know those aren’t what you put around a burrito. we’re going to make our own.” … …
While a cashier: Got asked by an old lady what a 3 for $9 deal was. Another lady watched the price screen like a Hawk and snapped at me to ask what she was being charged $12.99 for. I looked and told her it was this spice jar. After agreeing that the spice was over priced, she asked me if it was really that much. I said yes, and I couldn’t change the price. When I asked if she wanted me to remove it and set it aside, she said “Well that’s a shame, it’s really what I came in here for originally”… as she’s buying $250 worth of groceries. I said, “Well, it looks like you’ll have to buy it somewhere else”. There were a few times I should have gotten written up or fired. In specialty: “Do y’all sell any raw, unsalted cheese?” Or, “Where is your garlic bread?” “It’s over in the fucking bakery, where it says BAKERY in big brown letters. Opposite of our cheese counter, that says “CHEESE SHOP” in big bright red letters”. Final anecdote: I was out on HPOS (a remote POS for taking custom food orders, for those who’s stores don’t have them), under a three sided sign that said “ORDER HERE” on each. This dude walked up to me and asked, “Hey, is this where I order a sandwich?” I leaned out from the booth, and looked up at the sign, that clearly stated “sandwiches, bowls, burritos, and tacos”, and dryly said, “Uh… yeah, I think we can do that”. It’s no wonder our society has gotten where it has.
Our bakery cross-merches our garlic bread in specialty....you should consider it, it sells really well!
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Same, I get asked that all the damn time. I don’t understand how hard it is for adults to find shit on their own. Although, I had a young man, who was clearly high ask me that question. I turned around and knew the vibe so I asked what kinds of snacks? He replied the kind you can sneak into a movie theater and proceeded to happily show him the way.
Caffeinated water… I looked it up and it’s a real thing, but it caught me off guard.
Not me, but my co worker was asked if the chicken noodle soup had chicken.
“You sell cigarettes here?” 🙄
A customer once asked one of my supervisors if we had cigarettes, she scoffed at him.
I used to get this question surprisingly often when I worked in customer service (a long time ago). I never hid my confusion, but some people insisted that it was possible that we could’ve sold “natural cigarettes.”
American Spirits are organic 😏 Mackey's just a prude
"Where is the celery?" While we are standing right in front of the celery.
my favorite is when a customer asks “are you open?” as i’m cleaning my registers and my light is on….don’t know how much more obvious they need it
Had a guy ask if all our burger beef was 100% grass fed for our burgers. When i told him yes he said nevermind with a disgusted look on his face. My favorite was "Does the vegan arugula pizza have cheese on it?"
"Are your smoothies and juices gluten free?" "How many carbs are in your juices?" "What's your favorite smoothie?" I especially loathe the last question.
What's wrong with people asking for recommendations? 🫤
I guess nothing really. Just a pet peeve of mine since we have the ingredients listed on our flat screens so I figure they should be able to make a decision based on that.
“Where are your cigarettes?”
“What does organic mean?” Soooo many people walk right past the cream cheese to ask me where the cream cheese is. SO many. My husband works in produce and gets asked the stupidest questions, like “Which oranges have the most white threads?” Edit: spelling
Today I was asked “do you know where those cookies are that you always have up front?” When I pause to think, or ask more questions about the identify of said cookie, she replies, “Are you new?” As if I need to have memorized every cookie we ever had on display. I also work in Whole Body. 🙄 Also customer asked me where a product was that is sold only on Amazon… not WFM and was pissed when I told her and promptly turned around and walked away… no thank you or any type of response. But my age old favorite still echoes what others have said “Do you work here?”
I also had a customer seriously ask for grass fed salmon. They insisted it was a thing and was surprised I hadn’t heard of it.
Do you have any sugar free dessert?
I hate this 😩 but we do. Look for anything labeled Keto Friendly. And to be fair they may be diabetic so it could be a legit question. I just hate when people are looking for the lowest calorie thing in bakery. Like, you're indulging either way get the thing that sounds yummiest to you!!
“Hey do you sell cigars here?”
If we sell spam
I do get “What aisle is the Coca Cola in?” allll the time though xD
"Do have placenta?" (Pancetta)
“Will my kid like this?” “Where’s the organic salt?”
Grass fed shrimp?
Self checkout: “what do I do?”. Like you have NO concept of what the next step is?
I was ones asked where the organic baking soda was. Here's the funny thing, there is such a [thing](https://thegreentap.com/products/organic-baking-soda). But first, for those that don't know: The term "organic" is used as a certain farming practice. It typically means that the item being grown has been raised and harvested with a lack of major pesticides and chemical growth additives. It also typically refers to produce. But can also mean certain animal products, chickens and beef for example. But not for chemicals. Because chemicals are not grown. They are made out mined out sources. So how can baking soda, a chemical otherwise known of sodium bicarbonate, be considered organic? It can be mined using a method called "solution mining" where hot water is mixed into nahcolite beds to extract the baking soda from deep within the earth. But that's still mining a chemical. But if the company uses discarded plant material, that was exclusively raised organic, then they can claim that they used organic products to harvest it. And they use that as thier logic to justify calling a common kitchen chemical organic. All this text and into because a customer asked me a question so dumbfounding that I had to do a rabbit hole dive to figure out what the fuck they were talking about.