Those of you who have been dipping in here for a while will, doubtless recall that I spent a year working for Sainsbury’s. At the time, I commented (much against their policy on social media but fuck ’em) about their policies towards their workforce – or “colleagues” as they quaintly like to call them in their patronising manner.
Now, it seems that their patronising manner continues apace.
A poster telling staff at Sainsbury’s to encourage customers to spend more during every shopping trip was put up in a shop window instead of the staff room by accident.
This idiotic “challenge” is just the sort of cack I endured on a daily (well, nightly) basis. We were expected to engage in this kind of idiocy – treat every pound as if it were our own (but it isn’t, is it?) and other such puerile fuckwittery. As I had little dealing with customers apart from an hour in the mornings before heading off home, I ignored all such entreaties. I stacked shelves and that was it. That was what they paid me for and that was what they got – nothing more, nothing less. I didn’t get involved in any of the patronising silliness that was found on just these kind of posters or the monthly briefing on a DVD that we had to watch. Nor did I take any notice of the cack that was thrust at us during the “huddles” jeez, but that made me cringe. Indeed, the whole ethos made me cringe. If you work for one of these large organisations, you are nothing more than a drone. A little honesty from the organisation would be nice. The faux “we are all friends” is intensely irritating and downright insulting.
If this campaign had happened when I was there, I’d have ignored it as I did all of their campaigns. When I am shopping, I don’t want someone trying to influence my shopping decisions. I extended that courtesy to customers when I was there. I wouldn’t have dreamed of trying to get strangers to part with an extra 50p.
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “We often use posters to make store targets fun and achievable for our colleagues.”
It’s not fun, it’s irritating, patronising and it treats adults as if they had just walked out of the kindergarten. That attitude pissed me off no end during the year of misery that I spent working for this organisation.
“This is a colleague announcement…”
Every time I’m in there; it makes my skin crawl.
Unfortunately the small company I work for is trying to go down the same road. They think that becoming a clone of everyone else is going to help them get business. I think our individuality is a better way to do that.
As a customer, shop staff trying to sell me stuff that I don’t want pisses me off. When it happens my reply is generally “No thanks and if you ask me again I’ll walk”. If customers all made it clear that they objected to this kind of thing it would be dropped instantly.
They would have more chance of getting me to buy something extra if they actually sorted out their piss-poor stock management. I’m sick and tired of finding basic everyday items missing from the shelves, either because they have simply run out, or because they’ve been “discontinued”. I guess the “Try something new today” slogan is an admission that you probably won’t be able to get what you actually came in for. And how do they expect “colleagues” to acheive targets when there are never enough checkouts operational?
The only reason I grace their floorspace is that we have a branch 5 minutes walk away.
I don’t shop at Sainsburys; their shops are horrible. Morrisons are equally claustrophobic but a vomit colour instead of maroon. I like Asda because it’s cheaper than most and the staff are always pleasant.Tesco is only about a mile and a half away and so convenient but you have to watch out for their special special offers – you’ll have seen them, one for a pound or two for two pounds fifty. The best bit of fuckwittery I’ve seen for a while was at Lidl – posters asking “What’s your LIDL surprise? My Lidl surprise would be there being more than one 4king checkout open and less than ten people queueing at each.
And then there is the ‘team building’…
Dilbert has a nice cartoon where the ‘team’ are asked to cross a muddy patch using a rope. The final frame has the ‘facilitator’ (yuk!) lashed up with the rope and laid down as a bridge.
Yup, team building is one of those industries that really needs a place on the B Ark.
Get your own back the next time you have completed paying for your shopping at the check-out. If the shop till assistant asks: “Would you like some X” (X is the item being sales pushed). Say “yes please” and when the item is handed to you, immediately put it in your pocket or in your bag without paying for it. Then wait a bit for the shop assistants reaction. Then say “Oh I’m sorry, I thought it was a promotion freebee!”