[nabs-l] Problems with grocery shopping

[Greg Aikens]

Hi Kaiti,
You’ve gotten some really good advice. Learning how to make use of a shopping assistant is definitely a learning process and to be sure, not everyone assigned to assist is naturally good at it. 

Even so, I have found that being as clear as possible has led to more success, even when the person assisting me may not naturally be good at describing what I need/finding items on the shelves. When this happens, I find that knowing what a particular item is near, where it is in the section, and even sometimes giving a physical description. When the person assisting me has a hard time finding something but then does locate it, I make a point to ask what it is next to or what color is the packaging etc. I don’t always remember but sometimes that info comes in handy  the next time. 
As for finding deals, I shop the online ads for my store or use the iPhone app. That gives me a good idea for some items. For others, I ask how much the store brand costs and if there are other options that are more or less expensive from there. I find that most people who assist me are great at finding the best deal so I just ask them for price and how many ounces and do rough math in my head. 

Now, I live within walking distance of a Kroger and so shop much more often. If I get matched up with someone who is clearly having a hard time finding what I need, sometimes I punt and get the essentials and plan to come back later in the week. I know that’s not convenient, especially if you are paying for transportation. I don’t think there is anything wrong with giving feedback to a manager if you didn’t have a great experience with someone assisting you. Maybe calling after you leave would be best, but saying something like, “I was just in your store and so-and-so helped me shop. I appreciate you assigning someone to shop with me but I wanted to let you know that so-and-so had a hard time finding a lot of the items I needed." 

The online option is also fantastic if it is available in your area and you are currently paying for transportation to and from the store. 

Best of luck.

-Greg

> On Feb 9, 2015, at 8:15 PM, Kaiti Shelton via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> Cindy, those are great suggestions I will try as well.  In my family's
> experiences "M Perks" haven't been that great in most sales, as they
> are primarily for those 2 for 5 deals which can sometimes sell you too
> much for only pennies less than the sale price, but the pictures would
> be nice to have.
> 
> I did get the names of the two people I shopped with; thankfully I
> always make a point of knowing the person's name in case I need to get
> their attention.
> 
> I would prefer to at least get my fresh produce at this particular
> store unless I find a farmer's market nearby.  I do like the customer
> service at the Kroger and I know a guy from my local NFB chapter also
> shops there, but their produce just isn't as good.
> 
> On the plus side, buying some things online would certainly reduce my
> grocery trips, which can be hard to fit in some weekends as I'm sure
> they can be for everyone.
> 
> I make sure to put things in the cart as well, even if the shopping
> assistant gets them off the shelf for me (I'm also short, so they
> usually have to do this at least once in a grocery trip), but I agree
> that handling the items is really important.
> 
> One thing that I may do even if the coupons don't jazz me is take
> pictures of things I have already.  E.G, the specific brand of rice
> milk, and the Oatnut bread that most assistants have never seen
> before.  I could just keep them on my IPhone and pull them up whenever
> I'm out.
> 
> On 2/9/15, Cindy Bennett via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> Hi,
>> 
>> I can certainly sympathize with all of those frustrations.
>> Unfortunately, money does result in better customer service whether it
>> is with clothes shopping at Nordstrom versus Ross or a local grocery
>> store versus a chain.
>> 
>> Admittedly, I have resorted to mostly online shopping and buying
>> perishable foods at a nicer grocery store. But my partner and I
>> continuously battle over who is going to do the shopping, and half the
>> time, it resorts in us going out because neither of us feels like
>> going to the store after work.
>> 
>> Amazon has a Pantry option. It is only useful if you need a lot of
>> stuff, but it is a lot more widely available than Fresh and contains a
>> ton of nonperishable items at very low prices.
>> 
>> You could try calling ahead to the store although I have never done this.
>> 
>> I agree that you should ask when a good shopping assistant works.
>> However, you should also ask the bad shopping assistants for their
>> name and when they work. If you have an opportunity to come at a
>> different time, do so. If not, you could potentially tell the customer
>> service agent that it did not work out well with that employee
>> although I would use that as a last resort.
>> 
>> I have learned the shape, size, and approximate location of most foods
>> that I buy. If a shopping assistant is not finding what I want, I find
>> something of similar shape and size and show it to them. I also
>> sometimes point out the area of shelf that it is typically on. I am
>> very persistent as often shopping assistants will say they don't have
>> something when they don't find it right away. I will say something
>> like, "I bought this here before," or "This is a really common item.
>> I'm sure you have it." 99% of the time, they do have it. I also insist
>> that I touch everything before it goes into the cart. I have pointed
>> out a lot of incorrectly-sized containers that have been picked out
>> and occasionally the wrong product.
>> 
>> Sometimes, bringing the list in print helps, but I always have the
>> list in braille.
>> 
>> If you are very concerned about the service at a particular store, you
>> might try calling the manager. Explain that you want to do business at
>> that particular store and ask if they have recommendations of an
>> employee who would be a good communicator and who knows the store.
>> 
>> Also, if the store has accessible sales ads online, I have found that
>> shopping according to those not only saves me money, but these items
>> are often on display and easier to find. If the sales ads are not
>> accessible, you might call the manager. One store manager sent us
>> spreadsheets of the sales ads for the particular store. She was not
>> persistent, and we did not ask again since we don't shop there often,
>> but if you get the ads once, you will always have an email address to
>> contact should the ads discontinue. If the ads are not accessible,
>> this would be a good use of a reader. They could either clip coupons
>> or ads. You could label them in braille. Often, coupons and ads have
>> pictures of the food which could help the shopping assistant. If it is
>> just a sales ad, save the picture if you plan to buy the product again
>> regardless of whether it is on sale.
>> 
>> I am sorry to hear about your difficulties. I think that poor customer
>> service is a chronic problem. I don't want to think about the money I
>> have spent just because I am tired and don't feel like dealing with an
>> incompetent person, or a person at all in the case of online shopping.
>> One way I justify this is by choosing to buy healthier foods and local
>> foods. I receive excellent customer service at a local grocery store
>> that prepares all of their meat in house and sources it from
>> Washington farms. Since I shop according to the sales ads, I feel like
>> I spend about the same amount of money that I would buying mass
>> sourced meat at the cheaper grocery store. Similar with produce, in
>> season fruit is often what is on sale and is often what will taste
>> better anyway. But I have definitely been in college and buying
>> freshly ground beef was definitely not an option. The good thing about
>> being in college though is that it is often easier to find someone who
>> is willing to do a menial task for not too much money. So I definitely
>> recommend using a reader if you have one or in trading favors.
>> 
>> Cindy
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On 2/9/15, Mikayla Gephart via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>> I am in high school, so do not go through this. I have a comment about
>>> asking the manager to educate their employees on disabilities. Instead,
>>> maybe you or someone from your NFB chapter could come in and talk to the
>>> employees and maybe even teach the manager. My consern is that thc
>>> manager
>>> might not know how to guide a blind person, and might reteach negative
>>> attitudes.
>>> Best,
>>> Mikayla
>>> 
>>> Sent from my iPad
>>> 
>>>> On Feb 9, 2015, at 4:04 PM, Kaiti Shelton via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>>>> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Hi, NABSters,
>>>> 
>>>> Lately I've been having some problems when I've been grocery shopping,
>>>> and I'm wondering if any of you who independently shop for your food
>>>> have had similar situations and/or know how to work around them.
>>>> 
>>>> I'm a very detailed shopper.  I make my lists in advance, plan out a
>>>> rough budget, and also organize all the other logistics like
>>>> para-transit in advance.  All last semester I had great success going
>>>> through my local Kroger and found the staff there to be very helpful
>>>> and friendly.  However, over Christmas break I found out that we had a
>>>> Meijer nearby, and I decided to start going there instead for better
>>>> produce and lower prices on some things I was finding pretty expensive
>>>> at Kroger.
>>>> 
>>>> I've been to the Meijer twice now (I go shopping every other weekend)
>>>> and ping on Saturdays at the times of day that I know the store won't
>>>> be as busy, like before 9:00 in the morning or after 7:00 PM.  The
>>>> first time the shopping assistant I had seemed to have very little
>>>> clue as to how to actually help me.  He did not listen to what I
>>>> wanted, sometimes just took off and left me to look for things I said
>>>> I had on my list, and often had to stop other employees and other
>>>> shoppers to ask questions.  He was very confusing to follow, as he
>>>> would just read off everything instead of specifically look for what I
>>>> said I needed.  For example, we came up to the wall of bagged
>>>> vegitables and the dialog went something like this:
>>>> "Okay, now I need chopped salads.  The kind I usually get are by Dole."
>>>> "Okay... chopped salad.  I see carrots, romaine, Spinach..." (he's at
>>>> least a good 4 feet away from me and moving away down the wall.  I
>>>> have enough vision to see more orange from top to bottom, so I know
>>>> he's going towards the bagged carrot sticks and away from the green,
>>>> leafy things.
>>>> "I think it's somewhere around here."
>>>> "Okay" (he comes toward me."  "Dole Romaine, Dole Spinach lettuce."
>>>> "I don't see it."
>>>> Fellow shopper. "The chopped salad is right there.  (Just to his right).
>>>> 
>>>> This happened at the cheese section as well.  He kept talking about 2
>>>> for 5 deals and such randomly, but since he wasn't just looking at the
>>>> types of cheese I needed it was hard to tell what he was talking about
>>>> and gauge what the best value would be.    At one point he assumed
>>>> that I didn't know how to open my box of Oreos I asked for, so when he
>>>> said to give him my hand and I offered it palm up, he flipped it over
>>>> and gave me unsolicited instruction in the art of opening the
>>>> packaging.
>>>> 
>>>> I wasn't rude to this guy, and I assumed that he was a bit off
>>>> probably due to an intellectual disability.  I chalked it up to that,
>>>> and thought that at worst I might want to talk to the manager about
>>>> educating employees on how to properly and politely work with shoppers
>>>> with disabilities (he was also super grabby and wanted me to hold onto
>>>> him even though I repeatedly assured him I could follow behind).
>>>> 
>>>> I went back to the same Meijer on Saturday and got a different
>>>> assistant.  This lady definitely had some disability.  I think it is
>>>> probably Down Syndrome because she had some of the facial features,
>>>> but I can't be sure.  She presented a different host of challenges;
>>>> she definitely knew her way around the store and politely offered her
>>>> arm but did not continue insistently once I declined, and she
>>>> definitely knew her brands.  She also had a much better handle on
>>>> helping me shop efficiently because she knew, "Dairy is a bit off, do
>>>> you have anything like bread on your list we could get on our way?,"
>>>> that the other guy did not.  Instead of taking double the usual time,
>>>> she got me done in half my usual time.  The only problems with her
>>>> were that sometimes she'd get distracted by items I didn't need and I
>>>> would have to redirect her in order to get the information I really
>>>> needed.  When I asked the question out right, not only based on price
>>>> but also size of package which value was better, she had trouble
>>>> answering that question.  Then in checkout she provided unsolicited
>>>> information that wasn't necessarily socially acceptable.  A lady with
>>>> a wheelchair cart was paying for her food in front of us, and the
>>>> shopping assistant turned and said, not all too quietly, "She's paying
>>>> with WIC, and she's got about the whole store on the conveyor belt."
>>>> I felt myself go red because I didn't know what that other woman's
>>>> reaction would be.  Of course I didn't ask her for this information,
>>>> but I really felt bad for the other lady who was probably buying in
>>>> bulk because it was harder for her to get out to shop for a family.  I
>>>> didn't really know how to respond to the shopping assistant, and when
>>>> I was silent for a few seconds she just repeated herself as if I
>>>> didn't hear her.  Then I asked her to take me to a specific bench I
>>>> knew was there while I waited for my ride to come back for pickup, and
>>>> she stuck me in another location which I was less familiar with to
>>>> wait.
>>>> 
>>>> I am all for placing people with any disability in a job, and I
>>>> understand that positions like greeters (like the lady I worked with
>>>> was before she started helping me) are the positions most likely to be
>>>> pulled by customer service to assist shoppers, but how do you work out
>>>> that situation.  The first guy was particularly frustrating because he
>>>> took so long to find simple things and popular brands like Tyson,
>>>> Sargento, and Dole, but on the flip side you had the other lady who
>>>> wasn't a good judge of value and sometimes would talk my ear off as we
>>>> walked and realize some ways off that we missed what we were going
>>>> for.  I applaud Meijer for employing people who can really use the
>>>> work, but I think they need to consider the needs of customers who ask
>>>> for shopping assistance when pairing them up with employees.  If
>>>> people like the first guy are unable to read the expiration dates on
>>>> meats, that's a problem for me.  If I'm trying to save money and I
>>>> can't get a good judge of value, that's also a problem for me.
>>>> 
>>>> Being a major in a field where I'll eventually have clients with all
>>>> sorts of disabilities, I have learned to be very accepting and patient
>>>> in these situations, but when I only have so long to shop before
>>>> para-transit comes back or am trying to stick to a budget the matter
>>>> can be a bit complicated.  When I went shopping with the Oreo guy I
>>>> had to skip a few items on my list in order to check out and be ready
>>>> on time, and I'll confess my patience was wearing a little thin after
>>>> an hour and a half because he was constantly trying to be custodial.
>>>> I just was a little worried about keeping my budget and a little
>>>> socially uncomfortable with the second employee, although I do know
>>>> she tried to be helpful and was for most of the trip.
>>>> 
>>>> I have never had these issues at the other store, so I'm a little
>>>> unsure of how to best proceed should I have this happen again,
>>>> especially with the first guy.  Thoughts?
>>>> 
>>>> It's a tricky situation because
>>>> --
>>>> Kaiti
>>>> 
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>> 
>> 
>> --
>> Cindy Bennett
>> 1st Year Ph.D. Student, University of Washington
>> Human Centered Design and Engineering
>> 
>> Treasurer of the National Federation of the Blind of Washington
>> an Affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind
>> 
>> clb5590 at gmail.com
>> 
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> 
> 
> -- 
> Kaiti
> 
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