Happy to take my $$

I am the least sustainable person in any kitchen in the Chapelboro area. How can I assert that claim? Because I am always running out of something and have to stop somewhere to get it. For instance, despite loading up on groceries for company this past weekend, I still had to stop this morning to get turkey for my son’s school lunches this week. Of course, it would help if he were a little more flexible in the “what’s for lunch?” department, but this edition of the Savvy Spender is not so inwardly focused.

It dawned on me as I realized I had to add a stop to grab the turkey that, as I’ve written previously, I had many choices. It also dawned on me fairly quickly that I had a first choice. About to pass quick turns into Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and Harris Teeter, I headed straight for Trader Joe’s.

I shop at all of those places (and others: Southern Season, Cliff’s, Li Ming, etc.) depending on my list but this time, I needed one specific thing and I needed also to not go out of my way and so the three in the first list were my best options.

How did I make my choice? Part of it has to do with the speed and ease of navigating a smaller store. The real answer lies in the difference in the experience I have had repeatedly in the checkout lines of all three stores.

The following scenarios have occurred many times in each location. I make this point to make clear that my decision-making is not based on one person’s bad day, nor one store’s unusually low staffing for some random reason.

I have been third or fourth in a cash register line at the Chapel Hill Whole Foods when more lanes are closed/unstaffed than are open. I have seen the “customer service” staffer look over at the long lines and return to what he/she had been doing without calling for more cashiers nor calling over a waiting customer.

I have been third or fourth in a cash register line at the University Mall Harris Teeter when more lanes are closed/unstaffed than are open. I have looked toward the customer service area to try to make eye contact to see about getting more cashiers. Occasionally it has worked. Other times that desk is also unstaffed.

I have been second in line at Trader Joe’s. Other than just before major holidays, I’ve never been more than second. Before I can even think about looking around to gain some line advantage, an employee has come up to me or to my cart and escorted us both to a newly open line. In fact, the time just prior to today’s turkey run, I strolled past a staff member stocking one of the end units near a register. He looked up and pulled my cart over. I protested pointing to the next row saying, “That’s okay, she’s [the next cashier] is almost finished.” He responded by saying something to the effect of “You’re our first priority. Customers first.” It may have been a mantra or something. I can’t tell you exactly because it’s the kind of customer service that makes me swoon. He was happy to take my money and therefore I was happy to give it.

Have you had a great customer service experience you’d like to share? Please do so below or write to me at Donnabeth@Chapelboro.com

On Air Now: 97.9 FM