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Service with a smile, and no, I'm not a "spy"
I was at the Vons in the Marketplace Saturday, powering through the dairy section, when a teenage employee asked whether I was finding everything I was looking for. "Yes, thank you," I said, pushing my cart and nearly knocking over a display. I stopped at the deli counter, then moseyed to the fruit stands. A second teenage employee asked if I was finding everything I needed. "What's the deal with all this customer service?" I thought. Did I look lost? Was there some dictate from on high at Vons for employees to be super pleasant to customers? I asked the clerk, whom I'll call Billy, why all the questions. He was stacking bananas. Billy said they were supposed to ask how customers were faring because if a "mystery shopper" came through the store and employees didn't ask him or her, that would be noted. As would the names of clerks the mystery shopper encountered. Uh-oh. "Well, how do you know I'm not a mystery shopper?" I asked. "They're pretty easy to spot," he said, adding these folks typically visit each department in the store while making their rounds. Good to know. Has anyone else noticed more attentive employees these days? — Jenny Shearer, staff writer 5 comments from 5 users
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posted by
foodjunkie
on Nov 18, 2008 at 03:08 PM
I frequent the Vons on Stockdale/California (closer to my pad) ... I love the service there. posted by
NancyII
on Nov 18, 2008 at 04:01 PM
That's my old neighborhood and my old store. I sure miss it over there. Now I'm all nostalgic. But, to answer the question, yes, customer service is excellent at the Von's I now use too. posted by
gsisola
on Nov 18, 2008 at 06:34 PM
I go to the Von's on New Stein and Planz (real close to home)... been going there for 22+ years... they know me there quite well... almost by name... they all ask me if I am "finding everything OK"... they know I am not a spy... just people genuinely wanting to know if I am doing alright is what I have always assumed. posted by
vanityfair
on Nov 18, 2008 at 07:12 PM
I'm a loyal Vons shopper as I think the produce and meats are better quality than other stores in Bakersfield. I frequent two different locations (Coffee & Hageman as well as The Marketplace), and while customer service has always been excellent and the faces are familiar after so many years, I can't help but sense a feigned optimism in the last few months. I've noticed that the supervisors/managers are working more and they look stressed out and preoccupied. There is definitely a customer service priority going on right now there ... in the past, I could be second in line and waited to be checked out, which is fine with me. Second in line is nothing ... but now, even the most senior of managers is whisking shoppers to another checkout.
posted by
Laurah
on Nov 19, 2008 at 09:04 AM
We go out of our way (literally) to shop at the Marketplace Vons. They've always been very helpful. Like vanityfair, I also notice that the supervisor/managers seem extremely busy, but the service is still good. Jenny, are you sure they all were teenagers, or are you just getting older? ;-)
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