Some Chains Fall Short on Customer Service

I’m noticing a real change in customer service at my grocery store, and can’t help but wonder whether store management’s short- term efforts to save money will have a negative effect on their profitability in the long term.

Over the years, I have tried shopping at many types of grocery stores in an effort to spend my money wisely, including no-frills stores that let you bring your own grocery bags or buy theirs at 3 cents apiece. When I go to those types of warehouse stores, I do not expect extraordinary customer service and am willing to accept their service level in exchange for rock-bottom prices.

I am seeing a decline, however, in customer services at some “full-service” grocery stores, and I am wondering whether you are as well. I would love to hear from you and hear your impression of your store’s customer service and any obvious cost-saving measures.

In my case, there are two major supermarkets near my home. I shop equally at both, depending on their sales and promotions that week. One is a national, publicly held chain and the other is a large regional, privately held chain. Overall, their prices and promotions are fairly equal, but their service levels are dramatically different.

I am noticing the most dramatic decline in customer service at the national chain. For example, there rarely are enough employees available to bag the groceries, so I tend to bag my own. I expect to do this at a warehouse store, but not at the store that charges $3.39 for a gallon of milk.

The national chain also changed the size of their paper bags. They are about 25 percent shorter and the paper is thinner. Although I’m certain that a financial analysis revealed a major savings by making this change, I find it irritating to have several small, flimsy bags to unload from my car.

In the produce section, the national store is still generously providing plastic bags to bag my produce, but they no longer provide the wire twist tie to enable me to close the bag. Although I try to tie the bag shut, my produce has come out of its bag and rolled all over the checker’s counter more than once. I wonder how much money the national chain is saving by eliminating that expense? The manager of the national chain store says they need to implement cost-saving measures in order to be profitable.

In contrast, the privately held regional chain consistently exceeds my service expectations. Their employees seem happy to work there and they offer to help find items, carry groceries to my car, and never question product returns. They have full-size grocery bags and plenty of twist ties. They provide free coffee near the front door and free diapers at the baby changing area in the restroom. The deli worker always offers to give a taste of the meat I’m buying, and the bakery has free cookies for children.

There is one advantage to shopping at the national chain, however. The store is rarely crowded and if they have enough cashiers working, I can shop quickly. The regional chain is always bustling with customers, so it can take me longer to complete my shopping trip there. I imagine there is a direct correlation between the regional chain’s service levels and their customer loyalty, which most likely provides plenty of extra profit to pay for those wire twist ties. Perhaps the national chain’s financial analysts should do some shopping at the regional chain to get ideas that will impact profit levels more dramatically than eliminating twist ties.

STEPHANIE NELSON SHARES HER SAVINGS TIPS AS A REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR ON ABC NEWS’ GOOD MORNING AMERICA. YOU CAN FIND MORE OF HER SAVINGS TIPS IN HER BOOK THE GREATEST SECRETS OF THE COUPON MOM AND ON HER WEB SITE AT WWW.COUPONMOM.COM.