D.C., Baltimore score supreme in being slow

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

I can't believe anyone would pay cash at the grocery store.
 
 Come on people, credit cards mean bonus miles. Bonus miles mean free trips. I've taken numerous free trips, and have enough miles to go to Europe again. And I'm not even a big spender.
 
 And then there's my brother, who pays for his groceries with a check. Who does that anymore, other than 75 year old geezers.

[beetsnotbeats]

Originally posted by le sonick:
  this happens ALL THE TIME at the SFW in Baltimore.  ring up $150 of groceries, and then she gives the total, and THEN they reach in their purse/wallet and start getting out their bank card, or worse yet, looking for exact change. how many grocery store trips does it take to figure out: pick out items, line up at register, have items scanned, pay for items.  its not that hard i dont think.

The four words I dreaded the most while cashiering: I have a penny.

[godsshoeshine]

Originally posted by Weird Little Self Loathing Man:
  I can't believe anyone would pay cash at the grocery store.
 
 Come on people, credit cards mean bonus miles. Bonus miles mean free trips. I've taken numerous free trips, and have enough miles to go to Europe again. And I'm not even a big spender.
 
 And then there's my brother, who pays for his groceries with a check. Who does that anymore, other than 75 year old geezers.

nice and pleasant people?

[Dr. Anton Phibes]

I live right down the block from Wegmans and the customer service is great.....never wait in lines because when more than 3 people are in a line they always open a new checkout lane....they'll have up to 10 checkouts rocking at once!......that's one reason they crush the hell out of the local competitors and are expanding at a high rate....plus,their selection is heads & tails above all others....

[sonickteam2]

Originally posted by Dr. Jonas Sulk:
  I live right down the block from Wegmans and the customer service is great.....never wait in lines because when more than 3 people are in a line they always open a new checkout lane....they'll have up to 10 checkouts rocking at once!......that's one reason they crush the hell out of the local competitors and are expanding at a high rate....plus,their selection is heads & tails above all others....

Wegmans owns all other grocery stores. I live about 30 minutes from one, but i still go every so often.  i love it.

[godsshoeshine]

i work right by a wegmans
 
 i hardly ever eat lunch anywhere else

[ratioci nation]

Originally posted by Dr. Jonas Sulk:
  I live right down the block from Wegmans and the customer service is great.....never wait in lines because when more than 3 people are in a line they always open a new checkout lane....they'll have up to 10 checkouts rocking at once!......that's one reason they crush the hell out of the local competitors and are expanding at a high rate....plus,their selection is heads & tails above all others....

I have never been to Wegmans but a visiting friend told me that my local grocery store, Fred Meyer (or Freddies as its known out here), is almost as good, even though it is owned by Kroger people here seem to have this weird love for Fred Meyer like its the anti-walmart

[xneverwherex]

Originally posted by Dr. Jonas Sulk:
  I live right down the block from Wegmans and the customer service is great.....never wait in lines because when more than 3 people are in a line they always open a new checkout lane....they'll have up to 10 checkouts rocking at once!......that's one reason they crush the hell out of the local competitors and are expanding at a high rate....plus,their selection is heads & tails above all others....

i had a problem at a wegmans once. the check-out guy was a total d*** and i had handed him some coupons and he forgot to ring them up. so he told me i had to go into another line (which was a mile long) and get refunded. I was livid for his mistake. this was the fairfax one upon first opening.  i sent an email to wegmans and got a response from the store manager, and a huge credit. they were so nice and responded quickly and wanted to know what they could do. customer service there is impeccable!

[Random Citizen]

Originally posted by pdx pollard:
  I have never been to Wegmans but a visiting friend told me that my local grocery store, Fred Meyer (or Freddies as its known out here), is almost as good, even though it is owned by Kroger people here seem to have this weird love for Fred Meyer like its the anti-walmart

I've lived in Portland for nearly six months and I have yet to visit a Fred Meyer/Freddie's. I now live not too far from the one on NE Broadway/Wiedler, so maybe I should check it out. I usually frequent New Seasons (local chain, kinda like Whole Foods meets Safeway with great customer service), Trader Joe's and/or Safeway.

[andyrichter]

Originally posted by Weird Little Self Loathing Man:
 
 
 And then there's my brother, who pays for his groceries with a check. Who does that anymore, other than 75 year old geezers.

<img src="http://media.movieweb.com/galleries/2077/1397/lo/co1.jpg" alt=" - " />

[lbcardoni]

they are obviolusly talking about the Subway next to my office!
 
 I was there for 20 minutes once to get a sub and there was only one person in front of me

[ratioci nation]

Originally posted by Random Citizen PDX:
  I've lived in Portland for nearly six months and I have yet to visit a Fred Meyer/Freddie's. I now live not too far from the one on NE Broadway/Wiedler, so maybe I should check it out. I usually frequent New Seasons (local chain, kinda like Whole Foods meets Safeway with great customer service), Trader Joe's and/or Safeway.

I have been to a New Seasons, not bad, I have a trader joes and a fred meyer both within a block of me in Northwest near PGE Park.  It is nothing that amazing to me, but it appears that way when compared to the Adams Morgan Safeway.

[Random Citizen]

Ah, I know the area where you live very well. Saint Cupcake!

On the subject, WAL-MART is famous for the extra slow checkout lines.  It only takes 5 minutes to run in for a few items, after you greet the old lady with the oxygen canula.  But then you wander and end up stayin' for a half hour.  Then you stand in the checkout lane for another 15-20 minutes while the cashier does numerous price checks.  Each price check adds another 3-4 minutes to your wait as the clerk runs off to look for yer item and has a quick smoke in the break area.  Then you're supposta act friendly to the cashier lady.  And when you try to leave, some old geezer inspects yer load as if you're a commom thief, unless you activate the door buzzer; then they really give you the arsehole.  And to top it all off yer supposed to return the carts to a centrally located carrel which is usually a football field's length away from where you parked.
 
 But you did get some plastic Chinese Fantastic Four action figure on clearance for only .96 cents.  And a 6 pair of Mexican socks on clearance for $2.00!

[Jaguar]

Originally posted by Weird Little Self Loathing Man:
  Trader Joe's is great in a sense that they are friendly and pleasant.
 
 What I am referring to is they talk to you and comment on your purchases incessantly, to the detriment of speed. Just shut the fuck up and bag my groceries. If I want to talk to strangers, I'll do it on chatboards.    
 

The employees at the Towson Trader Joe's are very good at multi-tasking.
 
 Besides, I can't stand retail clerks who are nothing but drones with no personality whatsoever. Some can be so bad that that they exude the fact that they don't want to be there which inadvertantly makes the customer feel like they are intruding on their time. Rhett, apparently, you are one of those customers whom many clerks are wishing would die...or, at least, just go away. Life is full of too many pain in the ass situations. Trying to make the best of them only makes it all that much more pleasant for all involved. Get a freaking life, Rhett.
 
 Yeah, the Wegman's employees are Hell bent on service which is good but often it seems forced. I shop there occassionally but a lot of their prices are too high compared to what I can pay elsewhere. It all depends on what I'm shopping for.
 
 Besides Trader Joe's, my other favorite grocery store in this area is Graul's which is one of those old monied Country Club set stores that has been around for ages and ages. Again, it's not a place you shop for canned goods and paper products but if you want the freshest fish, the best cuts of meat or some other great quality foods, it's one of the best. Believe me, they spoiled me with their fish. After getting use to buying mine from them and then going for some sale at the other chains, I eventually had to stop chain shopping for fish. All the chain fish ended up tasting so old and smelly in comparison yet as long as I stuck to Graul's sales which are regular enough, I really wasn't paying any more for what was supposed to be the same product. Plus, at Graul's they will often carry your bags from the register to your car without you having to ask or look for some worn out soul stuck outside sneaking away for a smoke break as much as they can possibly get away with.