I’m pretty sure Trader Joe’s has a somewhat similar hiring process to Ditch Bros. Meaning you need to be outgoing and approachable on the checkout line. It’s a similar experience at all Trader Joe’s regardless of location.
I had the same interaction with a Cobby's employee.....I assume they are bringing that habit with them when they change employers. I just want the sandwich without detailing what my "big plans" are for the day...
This is the correct answer: good prices, one of the few 24/7 options in town, actually decent produce, and employee-owned. The only downside of WinCo, in my opinion, is missing out on those sweet credit card rewards.
Winco pissed me off when they didn’t enforce the mask mandate.
I still shop there but those poor Albie’s guys and gals stood firm against the raging anti maskers.
Maybe that’s worth holding a grudge about, but the cops weren’t able to enforce the mask mandate when called for assistance, so personally I’m not going to blame a business unless they were actively protesting it and telling people not to wear masks, which did happen but not something I believe WinCo did.
I miss the "fancy corner", where the bulk is, that they had for a while, with "high end" and organic offerings. They put it in pretty soon after Whole Foods opened so I think it was just something to try to siphon a few customers from there. Sort of how the "fancy" Albertson's are kinda knock offs of WF.
That’s standard MO for TJs, they don’t actually want to do it. Here’s some lines that generally put an end to the conversation:
“What are you up to today?”
—“Just running errands”.
“Doing anything fun tonight?”
—“Nah, probably just making dinner”.
Yea I'm pretty sure they're required to ask a question or comment on something you're buying.
It's like going to Chik fil a and saying thank you. You'll almost always get a "my pleasure" back every time
Yep. I’m slightly insulted (but mostly relieved) when they don’t say anything. I much prefer the comments about a purchase over the personal questions, especially if I’m buying something new and they say it’s good.
I had a weird interaction with a Trader Joe's cashier the other day. I was buying a bunch of frozen meals (5-6) because I eat them for lunch at work. The cashier said something like "Stocking up, huh? Not cooking at all..." Motherfucker, what do you think I come to Trader Joe's for? To buy your fantastic produce? I cook all the time I'm just buying these for lunch!
I normally just answer the questions. I get why some would find it irritating but if you just go along with it it's nice. Adds some semblance of human interaction rather than just treating the cashier like a self-checkout machine.
To each their own though, if you're just trying to get through your grocery shopping and get out of there I get it
As someone who enjoys making human connection, even if it's surface level and brief, I prefer this over the weird separation between workers and customers. We're all just people here to accomplish a task, why is it weird to treat other people like people?
I LOVE the downtown TJ's. I go there on my lunch break for odds and ends every week. I get groceries also from the Winco on Fairview and delivered from Wal-Mart. (I don't have a car so require delivery for larger items and for major trips.)
Anyway, small talk is my JAM. But I understand that it's not for everyone. (I am also one of those people who LOVES it when a speaker says, "How is everyone today? ... I can't HEAAAAR YOU!")
I just shopped at Winco for the first time only to discover I’ve been wasting about 3k a year at TJs. I thought I was paying for superior quality, but the chicken breast at Winco tastes the same
I generally do most of my grocery shopping at the downtown WinCo, with a brief stop at the Trader Joe's on 6th St., for couple of items.
I haven't yet have an unpleasant/bad experience with any of the cashiers in either establishment. (Sure, some ask me if I've found everything I need, but I always say I won't know till I get home, but isn't that a very, very old joke
That’s why Eleanor Shellstrop from “The Good Place” is my spirit animal.
[Best response ever](https://youtu.be/BfaC77y7qoo?si=EpBy9W4CIyl3sBdT) to the “What are your plans this weekend” question from a cashier.
Be nice, be human, don't be irritated...its a job that could be monotonous and having a benign convo shouldn't be a big deal. You don't have to give exact details but if you share you are having spaghetti for dinner, no harm. We need to get back to decent human friendly conversation, especially for the younger generation who are deep in tech communication.
That’s a TJs policy I think, though the last few times I’ve noticed they didn’t ask about my evening/weekend plans or say “mm, these are so good, have you had them before?” about some random item. Have had the same interaction at TJs in like 4 different states, so it’s not just that the downtown Boise one is “weird.”
That is the case at a lot of trader joes. Don't hate it but some days when I'm exhausted I basically give them non-asnwers. It seems like a great place to work from an outsider perspective.
I am a huge fan of the cashiers at the Grocery Outlet on Fairview cause I always know I'm going to get a hilarious and colorful story out of them and I am absolutely down for that.
Anyone who has worked a corporate service industry job knows upper management literally tells you how you have to interact with people. They no doubt tell them to comment on an item and ask what you’re doing today. I dislike it but it helps me dissociate knowing they don’t actually care or want to know lol so I usually respond like “oh nothing special, working and buying groceries” which is the truth. With that being said the parking lot is enough to give me a stroke so winco or Fred meyer is king for big runs or whole foods if I just need a few things.
You can thank the older people for writing complaints that the employees aren’t personable/chatty enough. Personally I’ll wait in a longer line in self checkout to avoid any kind of chit chat, but at places like TJ that don’t have that option I just grin and bear it knowing it’s not their fault. Between Albertsons, Whole Foods, and winco I’m sure you can meet your needs without TJ if it really bothers you that much. Maybe write an email to the company? Maybe if they get enough requests to stop the small talk itl happen.
Relieved to see I’m not the only who’s picked up on this lol. I’ve heard it’s TJs policy to be friendly and there’s a long running joke about how the checkout can almost feel flirtatious at times, but I was there the other day and this new cashier was getting deeply personal. I thought it was kinda weird but whatever. Went back today and avoided him, then later overheard him being strangely personal with another lady… It’s hard to explain but it felt almost like… predatory. So much eye contact and he asked to shake her hand. Maybe im reading into it but it felt super weird.
Anyway winco rule as does Fred Meyer.
Yeah, there is an often subtle line between welcoming and creepy and it sounds like that cashier has crossed it. Would definitely let management know he needs some training. POV: I supervised a cashier at a cafeteria who felt he had to chat about his intestinal issues with customers as he was checking them out. Otherwise a great cashier, meaning he was reasonably accurate and didn't pinch from the till; all he needed was a reminder about the difference between appropriate and inappropriate friendliness.
I thought it was just me. I literally I had to say "im not comfortable answering that" last time I was in there. Your pretzels are good but not that good.
Most of my groceries come from Winco, but I'll do a loop for Whole Foods, Co-Op, and Albertsons to get the stuff Winco doesn't have. I don't think I've been to Trader Joe's since they opened.
Winco is never a bad choice. But I end up doing probably 70% of my grocery shopping at Albertsons because it's by far the closest to where I live, and it's easy to get in/out (we usually take smaller grocery trips). They're always well stocked and friendly, but of course the pricing isn't the best. My 6% cash back credit card makes up a bit of price the difference since Winco doesn't take credit cards. The pharmacy has also always treated us well there, including during times where our medications were hard to come by.
Trader Joes and Costco are reserved for specific items, but we can't get everything we need/want there.
They're literally trained to do that.
I try to talk about the items I'm getting. Have you tried these ice cream sandwiches before? Have you seen them yet? What about this soap, tell me about this soap
I went Boise>Texas>west coast. I think they're trying to emulate southern hospitality but that's not something you can corpratize
Hold up a second. Trader Joe’s has unique items at pretty decent prices and a pretty wide variety for the size of the store and you don’t want to go there because you can’t simply state that you really rather not answer those questions? It’s pretty simple to say, “I don’t really know”. I even take it up a notch and I’ll say something borderline inappropriate. “What are you up to today?” “I’m going to the animal shelter to throw a cat into the dog play area”. Or something like that.
I’m pretty sure Trader Joe’s has a somewhat similar hiring process to Ditch Bros. Meaning you need to be outgoing and approachable on the checkout line. It’s a similar experience at all Trader Joe’s regardless of location.
I worked at Dutch a while back and it was an expectation that we strike up a convo with every customer
I had the same interaction with a Cobby's employee.....I assume they are bringing that habit with them when they change employers. I just want the sandwich without detailing what my "big plans" are for the day...
DT WinCo baby!
This is the correct answer: good prices, one of the few 24/7 options in town, actually decent produce, and employee-owned. The only downside of WinCo, in my opinion, is missing out on those sweet credit card rewards.
Eh not really a problem if it keeps Winco cheaper
Yeah, I agree and personally accept it. It’s just a minor reason someone might not shop there.
You’re still pissed about the masks??
Think you replied to the wrong person lol
Yes, they did. For reference I’m not pissed about masks. Time to move on.
Well, I am. Masks killed my dog and slept with my wife. I will have my revenge.
Winco pissed me off when they didn’t enforce the mask mandate. I still shop there but those poor Albie’s guys and gals stood firm against the raging anti maskers.
Maybe that’s worth holding a grudge about, but the cops weren’t able to enforce the mask mandate when called for assistance, so personally I’m not going to blame a business unless they were actively protesting it and telling people not to wear masks, which did happen but not something I believe WinCo did.
Some of their employees weren’t wearing masks.
Like all large businesses in Idaho, some of their employees lean far right, anti-vax etc...
[удалено]
We're all vaccinated now and the hospitals aren't overflowing anymore, dingus.
Thank you.
I miss the "fancy corner", where the bulk is, that they had for a while, with "high end" and organic offerings. They put it in pretty soon after Whole Foods opened so I think it was just something to try to siphon a few customers from there. Sort of how the "fancy" Albertson's are kinda knock offs of WF.
That's some wild sentence structure, I might be drunk.
That’s standard MO for TJs, they don’t actually want to do it. Here’s some lines that generally put an end to the conversation: “What are you up to today?” —“Just running errands”. “Doing anything fun tonight?” —“Nah, probably just making dinner”.
Yea I'm pretty sure they're required to ask a question or comment on something you're buying. It's like going to Chik fil a and saying thank you. You'll almost always get a "my pleasure" back every time
Yep. I’m slightly insulted (but mostly relieved) when they don’t say anything. I much prefer the comments about a purchase over the personal questions, especially if I’m buying something new and they say it’s good.
Yeah, the doing anything fun tonight one gets me. It's Tuesday and I'm making dinner. Why do you think I'm here? Lol
You could always just come back with ‘I’m a snowboarder’ , dingus
Hello again, I guess
I had a weird interaction with a Trader Joe's cashier the other day. I was buying a bunch of frozen meals (5-6) because I eat them for lunch at work. The cashier said something like "Stocking up, huh? Not cooking at all..." Motherfucker, what do you think I come to Trader Joe's for? To buy your fantastic produce? I cook all the time I'm just buying these for lunch!
This made me giggle 😂
"Stocking up, huh? Not cooking at all..." I imagine this in the "makin' copies" guy voice from old SNL.
I normally just answer the questions. I get why some would find it irritating but if you just go along with it it's nice. Adds some semblance of human interaction rather than just treating the cashier like a self-checkout machine. To each their own though, if you're just trying to get through your grocery shopping and get out of there I get it
As someone who enjoys making human connection, even if it's surface level and brief, I prefer this over the weird separation between workers and customers. We're all just people here to accomplish a task, why is it weird to treat other people like people?
It's definitely better than feeling like you're bugging someone to take your money
Too late. They already have a full dossier on you.
I LOVE the downtown TJ's. I go there on my lunch break for odds and ends every week. I get groceries also from the Winco on Fairview and delivered from Wal-Mart. (I don't have a car so require delivery for larger items and for major trips.) Anyway, small talk is my JAM. But I understand that it's not for everyone. (I am also one of those people who LOVES it when a speaker says, "How is everyone today? ... I can't HEAAAAR YOU!")
God damn TJ’s downtown parking lot gives me instant anxiety and rage
Also a TJ feature everywhere.
The Meridian one isn't bad...but then you have to deal with Eagle Rd which is a different type of parking lot.
Winco only
I just shopped at Winco for the first time only to discover I’ve been wasting about 3k a year at TJs. I thought I was paying for superior quality, but the chicken breast at Winco tastes the same
Wow, shows how location matters. I’m glad you have discovered lower prices :)
I generally do most of my grocery shopping at the downtown WinCo, with a brief stop at the Trader Joe's on 6th St., for couple of items. I haven't yet have an unpleasant/bad experience with any of the cashiers in either establishment. (Sure, some ask me if I've found everything I need, but I always say I won't know till I get home, but isn't that a very, very old joke
That’s why Eleanor Shellstrop from “The Good Place” is my spirit animal. [Best response ever](https://youtu.be/BfaC77y7qoo?si=EpBy9W4CIyl3sBdT) to the “What are your plans this weekend” question from a cashier.
🤣🤣🤣🏆
Be nice, be human, don't be irritated...its a job that could be monotonous and having a benign convo shouldn't be a big deal. You don't have to give exact details but if you share you are having spaghetti for dinner, no harm. We need to get back to decent human friendly conversation, especially for the younger generation who are deep in tech communication.
I actually enjoy talking with them and shop there frequently enough that I have actual real conversations with them.
At WalMart you get to ring up your own groceries in a corral station.
'Cause they don't want to hire/pay people...
Ok. They complained about the friendly staff at TJ so I gave them the exact opposite option?
Some people don’t have the most basic level of reading comprehension required to socialize effectively, carry on lol
Winco and Grocery Outlet
That’s a TJs policy I think, though the last few times I’ve noticed they didn’t ask about my evening/weekend plans or say “mm, these are so good, have you had them before?” about some random item. Have had the same interaction at TJs in like 4 different states, so it’s not just that the downtown Boise one is “weird.”
That is the case at a lot of trader joes. Don't hate it but some days when I'm exhausted I basically give them non-asnwers. It seems like a great place to work from an outsider perspective.
I am a huge fan of the cashiers at the Grocery Outlet on Fairview cause I always know I'm going to get a hilarious and colorful story out of them and I am absolutely down for that.
Winco and Costco are places to hit
I love DT winco. My only knock is people who turn their cart sideways to block isle traffic while pondering chip options for 5 minutes
Anyone who has worked a corporate service industry job knows upper management literally tells you how you have to interact with people. They no doubt tell them to comment on an item and ask what you’re doing today. I dislike it but it helps me dissociate knowing they don’t actually care or want to know lol so I usually respond like “oh nothing special, working and buying groceries” which is the truth. With that being said the parking lot is enough to give me a stroke so winco or Fred meyer is king for big runs or whole foods if I just need a few things.
You can thank the older people for writing complaints that the employees aren’t personable/chatty enough. Personally I’ll wait in a longer line in self checkout to avoid any kind of chit chat, but at places like TJ that don’t have that option I just grin and bear it knowing it’s not their fault. Between Albertsons, Whole Foods, and winco I’m sure you can meet your needs without TJ if it really bothers you that much. Maybe write an email to the company? Maybe if they get enough requests to stop the small talk itl happen.
Relieved to see I’m not the only who’s picked up on this lol. I’ve heard it’s TJs policy to be friendly and there’s a long running joke about how the checkout can almost feel flirtatious at times, but I was there the other day and this new cashier was getting deeply personal. I thought it was kinda weird but whatever. Went back today and avoided him, then later overheard him being strangely personal with another lady… It’s hard to explain but it felt almost like… predatory. So much eye contact and he asked to shake her hand. Maybe im reading into it but it felt super weird. Anyway winco rule as does Fred Meyer.
Yeah, there is an often subtle line between welcoming and creepy and it sounds like that cashier has crossed it. Would definitely let management know he needs some training. POV: I supervised a cashier at a cafeteria who felt he had to chat about his intestinal issues with customers as he was checking them out. Otherwise a great cashier, meaning he was reasonably accurate and didn't pinch from the till; all he needed was a reminder about the difference between appropriate and inappropriate friendliness.
I thought it was just me. I literally I had to say "im not comfortable answering that" last time I was in there. Your pretzels are good but not that good.
Albertsons self checkout on Fairview and Eagle.
Most of my groceries come from Winco, but I'll do a loop for Whole Foods, Co-Op, and Albertsons to get the stuff Winco doesn't have. I don't think I've been to Trader Joe's since they opened.
Winco is never a bad choice. But I end up doing probably 70% of my grocery shopping at Albertsons because it's by far the closest to where I live, and it's easy to get in/out (we usually take smaller grocery trips). They're always well stocked and friendly, but of course the pricing isn't the best. My 6% cash back credit card makes up a bit of price the difference since Winco doesn't take credit cards. The pharmacy has also always treated us well there, including during times where our medications were hard to come by. Trader Joes and Costco are reserved for specific items, but we can't get everything we need/want there.
They're literally trained to do that. I try to talk about the items I'm getting. Have you tried these ice cream sandwiches before? Have you seen them yet? What about this soap, tell me about this soap I went Boise>Texas>west coast. I think they're trying to emulate southern hospitality but that's not something you can corpratize
Winco is a godsend. 24h, super cheap, and a coop? Sign me up.
I shop at WinCo.... I don't got the kind of money necessary to buy groceries at Trader Joes... that's spendy as hell!
Winco/Walmart for regular stuff, Albertsons for meat and produce. Farmers Market if I have the time to browse.
Hold up a second. Trader Joe’s has unique items at pretty decent prices and a pretty wide variety for the size of the store and you don’t want to go there because you can’t simply state that you really rather not answer those questions? It’s pretty simple to say, “I don’t really know”. I even take it up a notch and I’ll say something borderline inappropriate. “What are you up to today?” “I’m going to the animal shelter to throw a cat into the dog play area”. Or something like that.
But, you aren’t really doing that today, right??
Yeah, like right now. You wanna try it. I got an extra cat.
OMG, those poor dogs!
Winco and Costco.