Save On Foods you are out (I am sorry I strayed Safeway!)

Tonight I went grocery shopping sans kids, which is almost like going to the spa.  I was browsing the flyers that came with our North Shore News and decided to branch our from my normal routine, which is to shop at our local Safeway.  I shouldn't have strayed.  I went instead to Save on Foods (the big one down the hill, not the little one near my house).  It wasn't until I reached the till that I realized the mistake in my ways.

I like grocery shopping, it fulfills my meal planning tendencies and I like getting good value for my $.  Not too good, mind you, because I cannot really stand Superstore unless I go with Jody.  In my leadership class we once had a discussion which concluded that you are a lot like the grocery store you frequent.  I have only been into Whole Paycheck once and almost died at the price of something so walked out right away.  I am "middle of the road" grocery store person; I like my Safeway but am not a fan of stores at either end of the spectrum.  Good old moderate, mild tempered me.  (Stop laughing Mom, Erin, Rob and everyone else.  Thanks).

Tonight I had my handy list on my iphone - another great use for an iphone mom - and went about my merry way.  I had bacon on my list and lo and behold, they had bacon on for 'buy one get one free' - not two for one (there is a big difference stores and I am on to you).  Just an FYI, if something is two for one you can just buy one for half the price, you don't need to get both.  Same with 3 for 3$ or whatever.  The buy one get one free is different.  Anyways.  I will come back to this later.  The prices were basically the same as Safeway and the store was similar in a lot of ways except....the check out experience.

When I got to the checkout there were two tills open: an express one and a regular one.  There was a big lineup at the regular one and there were 6 open "self check out" lines.  I decided to brave it and went to the self checkout, which was my giant mistake.  

I had my normal amount of groceries to last us about a week and I got down to business.  First, the machine was mad that I put my reusable bags on the scale.  After I sorted that out, the very unhelpful staff member, who when I got there was slowly dusting so she wasn't that busy, glared at me for some reason.  I then scanned the bacon and it charged me for both.  Now, this self check out can tell if I even LOOK at my reusable bags when I am scanning things and knows if I BREATH near the scale so why can't it realize that the bacon is buy one get one free?!  The super unhelpful check out helper woman grumbled her way over and fixed the bacon faux pas.  I then had the audacity to remove a bag from the scale - major problem.  The grocery store woman had to help me AGAIN, at which point I was feeling very anxious.  I then put an empty bag on the scale (another issue, another ignored thank you from the grocery store lady) and was in the home stretch.  I was really regretting not waiting in that line up I can tell you that much.  

I am going to now explain what happens at the check out at Safeway.  I usually have the kids with me, Loic rides in the front of the cart and Maelle rides in the Ergo on my chest.  Both kids have always been well behaved (let's keep that up kids!) at that store.  We go almost every week and I have never seen anyone be anything but helpful at that store.  A few times, grocery store clerks have seen me bending down with the baby in the carrier to remove groceries from the cart and they say "I will do that!" and come and do it for me!  While Loic chats there ear off!  Then, after bagging my groceries, they just come to the car with me.  Loic has really taken to two of the men that often help us.  At my car, they put the groceries in the trunk while I put the baby in the car and if they are faster than me, they hold the cart and chat with Loic.  After I take Loic out of the cart, they take it from me and hand me my quarter then they go return the cart.  Now that I think about it, their customer service has always been exemplary.  

So, sorry Save On Foods, but you are out.  Safeway, I am sorry I strayed tonight, it won't happen again!!

In all seriousness, I am now going to write my local Safeway an email thanking them for the great service because I really think that we (I am guilty of this too) tend to complain when we receive bad service but say nothing when we receive good service.  I am going to try to change this and will do a better job of thanking the good guys out there.  This doesn't mean that I will stop talking about bad service - I am looking at you Starbucks.

*A meal plan for this week is coming tomorrow Jess!*

-E