Kroger — Local services in Contiguous United States

I was in Kroger a week ago and went there for a sales item specifically on that visit. Although I shop there about 3 times a week, this visit was mostly for the sale item and pick up a few extras. The item was not on the shelf and the shelf was empty. When I went through the self scan check out and finished I approached the Kroger employee standing at the podium for that area. The associate was turned away from me speaking to another associate. He turned and realized I was standing there and turned back to the conversation for another about 2 minutes which I found to be not very good customer service. When they ended their conversation and said goodbye to each other he turned to me and said, “can I help you?” I ask, “would you please write me a rain check for an item you are out of?” Hunter (was on his name tag) just said, “no.” I waited and said, “no what?” He said, “no I can’t write you a rain check, we are not allowed to do that anymore.” I said, “really? Well could you please get someone to check in the back and see if you have this in the back? I really need it and made a special trip here just for that item.” Hunter said, “we do not have any in the back. I said,”how do you know if you don’t look?” He said, “because we put all of our stock out every night and there is nothing in the back.” I said, “Hunter there is stock in the back and its possible that there may be some back there” He said, “there is not anything back there” I said, “well is there anyway maybe the would let me do a substitution for a similar product and he simply stated no and left me to attend to another customer at one of the registers. I ask him to speak to a manager when he returned to the podium and he said that there was no managers on duty that night and I would have to come back the next day if I wished to speak to one. I left the store. I usually do not write letters complaining about things unless it is very bad and I have to tell you I left that store feeling like they did not care about what I needed or care to try to help me get what I came there for. I said to myself I don’t think I want to shop at this store anymore . I left feeling very much like Hunter did not give a darn if I was a happy customer or not. He was not going to make any effort to help me and it left me with bad feeling for that store. I have been a loyal customer at Kroger for 40 years and come from a long line of Kroger employees. My father and step father, my cousin and one of my best friends all worked at the Kroger warehouse and retired from there. My brother in law is head of the meat department and has been with Kroger for over 40 years and getting ready to retire, my aunt and cousins were all cashiers over the last 40 years so my family is loyal to Kroger. I do not want to get Hunter in trouble and would not want him to loose his job over this but I difienately think he needs more training and needs to take more pride in his job. I am stilll bothered by the way I was treated and the lack of care for my issue while shopping there just left me feeling like I want to go somewhere and shop that cares about my grocery needs. I waited a week to write this hoping the feeling would blow over but it has not so I am writing. Please get Hunter some training and still would like a rain check on the item you were out of but I guess you do not give those out.

Thank you for letting me get this off my...

I have been a loyal shopper at this Kroger for 20 years. Within the last few years EVERYTHING about this store has DECLINED. When walking into the store you are greeted with the smell of cigarette smoke from employees smoking at a picnic table just outside the doors. The store is dirty (carts with items piled up beside the doors, things on top of the ice coolers, dirty floors, dirty carpets in the entrance, the self check out registers are nasty) and has an overall foul stench throughout the store. The quality of the produce and meats have dramatically declined over the past few years. The pharmacy staff is always friendly but the lines are frequently very long and the app to view/refills prescriptions is very antiquated. There is never anyone at customer service and the light is always off. There are a few career employees who are very helpful and friendly. There were younger individuals who were chatting away at the front of the store. I didn’t not even know they were employees until one finally came over to assist me. Then I saw a small name tags pinned to his t-shirt. I was never greeted by him rather he just started entering numbers on the screen and walked away. This store is located within close proximity to several other grocery stores which has made it very convenient for me to take my business elsewhere. There I am greeted and offered assistance by staff - who are easily identifiable by their neat uniforms, shelves are stocked, and I don’t have to hold my breathe during my doing...

Today it took 20 minutes to get two pieces of chicken and broccoli/cheese from the hot deli. Almost every time I come to this store, and I get lunch from here 4 times a week, there is only one person working the entire hot/cold deli. The usual employee was caught up cutting stuff for customers at the cold deli. She is great, btw, and was able to tell me there was a wait. Thing is, I have never experienced so few employees working this section at any other Kroger. I have been using Kroger deli for my lunch for many years, since around 2014. I've never had this long of a wait at Cave Spring, Towers, Bonsack, Daleville or even Rutgers. Eventually another employee came by and was asked to help me but it was clear she has never worked this section before and it took her 5 minutes to prepare my food because she had to ask questions. There have been times when other people are waiting in front of me and I have watched them leave over the wait. I work behind the DMV at Valley Park so this is the closest Kroger. I'll have to start riding down to Rutgers instead because I can't wait another 20 minutes for my lunch....