Covid power trips

[frus1rated]

I know this is going to be a hugely unpopular thread so I am willing to be flamed.

I am just finding that COVID is giving people an excuse to be difficult and go in a sort of 'power trip' where they completely ignore the needs of the customer under the excuse of 'Covid' and you feel like a dick challenging any of it because they can play to Covid card over and over.

Example 1: coop near us - large coop. They now close for a random hour in the middle of the day when they get deliveries to re stock shelves. That has been 1130 on a Saturday when the post office inside closes at 12. Why not wait 30 more mins! This has happened several times and I have seen people walking home with empty bags having walked all the way there to find it is closed for shelve stocking. Can't be annoyed of course because of Covid.

Example 3: nursery (crazy expensive one as well) have decided that they will only have 1 15 min window for pick up. It is 1630. Doesn't coincide with school run, doesn't coincide with end of the workin day. I now have to lose another hour out of my calendar every day to go the nursery. . Can't schedule calls for either 1600 or 1630 - screwing me out of 5 hours of work a week. That's on top of the drop off and then actual school run at 1500. Tried to talk to them about picking up at 1520 - can't do that -why not, CoVID. This is a paid service and they ate showing no flex and without good reason.

Argh! Anyone experiencing this?

Few typos - I am on my phone

These examples don't really sound like power trips or as if someone is taking advantage, OP, more just a result of everyone having to adapt and that it will take time to iron out some of the issues.

They now close for a random hour in the middle of the day when they get deliveries to re stock shelves. That has been 1130 on a Saturday when the post office inside closes at 12. Why not wait 30 more mins!

Have you asked them why?

I'd imagine it's probably because delivery times have changed and they either have nowhere to store the delivery if they don't get it straight onto the shelves (and might understandably worry about leaving stock outside while staff can't watch it) or because they wouldn't have the staff at a different time because of shifts (possibly those people restocking have their own DCs to collect from nursery and can't be flexible on shifts).

It's worth explaining the issue to them in case they do have any flexibility though.

But Tesco don't need to shut during the day to re stock. They control the incoming people at the door anyway so can just reduce that number and keep tbe shop open to restock. It is a substantial shop and I would be very surprised if they didn't ha a large fridge and freezer in the store room. It had a full bakery.

And I have asked. Covid is the answer given.

They now close for a random hour in the middle of the day when they get deliveries to re stock shelves. That has been 1130 on a Saturday when the post office inside closes at 12. Why not wait 30 more mins! This has happened several times and I have seen people walking home with empty bags having walked all the way there to find it is closed for shelve stocking. Can't be annoyed of course because of Covid.

I used to work for the Co-op. Deliveries had a window of time to arrive but were very often late or early by a few hours. Often with a chilled/frozen delivery there was no back up chiller big enough to store the cages to the stock has to go out immediately. There is also a chill chain policy which means that the chill/frozen stock cannot be outside of the chiller/freezer for more than 20 minutes. Would you want your raw meat or cream sitting outside the fridge for over 30 minutes?

Could the Co-op thing be about being unable to maintain social distancing while taking in deliveries and dealing with customers?
The timing maybe to do with the drivers delivery run?
The Nursery? - no idea.

I understand the rules surrounding chiller/frozen food. But do they really need to close the whole shop? They could just reduce the number of customers. They have taken tbe most inconvenient decision for tbe customers when I think there are alternatives that could have been worked out.

Surely the nursery thing is counter productive, everyone arriving at the same time to collect would mean more close contact than staggered pick up times, sounds like they are pulling a fast one to me.
Presumably the hours you pay for are up til 6pm or suchlike?

But do they really need to close the whole shop? They could just reduce the number of customers

I should imagine they need all hands on deck to deal with the delivery as quickly as possible - it's hard to get stuff on shelves quickly while also worrying about getting too close to customers or having to wait with a load of frozens while someone is blocking the freezer aisle dithering about how to substitute a missing ingredient and asking you whether you have any self-raising flour out the back, etc.

The person monitoring numbers of customers going in probably has to do something else during deliveries so it sounds like it makes sense (and is less risky) to shut down briefly. It might not even be the individual shop's decision.

And once people have walked home empty handed, they tend to clock the times and plan accordingly. Our post office and chemist, etc are doing odd hours and midday closures too, so after the first annoying time, people plan around it.

Surely apart from social distancing the coop needs the staff to put the stick away as quickly as possible there isn’t going to be enough staff in a coop compared to a Tesco to get the order away and serve customer while someone else is also having to restrict the number of people in. I work in a pharmacy and company wide we are shutting for an hour at lunch at one point we had much more restrictions than that because we don’t have an endless supply of staff and we were getting literally no time to do any of the day to day stuff so had to shut the shop to customers to let us do that.

The nursery I have no idea about but I’d imagine there was a reason they have done that and I’d ask them why.

I have asked the nursery. They have said they don't have the ratios to bring my daughter to the front door for collection. My thought is when how do you ever have lunch breaks or use the bathroom or in an emergency pick up situation. I think they are just doing what is easiest tfor them without worrying about impact on the customer and can use the Covid card. They are only charging until 1630

Entitled much?

Our Co-Op sometimes closes in the middle of the day too because they get their delivery quite late in the morning. They need all hands on deck to restock, especially during covid19 - with those narrow aisles it wouldn’t be possible to socially distance staff and customers as they restock all the shelves and fridges. I don’t think it’s a power trip solely to wind customers up, it’s just something they have to do.

It’s more the people who speak to you like shit now. For example, directing you somewhere within their convoluted queueing system with a “here. Now.” and a shitty tone of voice.

I’m sure it’s stressful working in a shop, but being polite makes everyone feel better. Happy to be an entitled bitch on this one. I don’t walk into a shop and forget my manners because there is a virus and I’m stressed by my own pretty shit situation.

One example of this I experienced last week was posting something guaranteed next morning delivery at the Post Office. Two days later when I called about why it hadn't been delivered they basically just shrugged down the phone and said Covid.

Obviously I understand there are logistical issues at the moment, but if you don't make me pay a significant premium for a service you can't offer!

This is your opinion after very many years running a supermarket right OP?

I definitely think companies are using it as an excuse for offering shitty services for sure! I’ve had so many “covid says no” conversations with people when you know full well that it won’t effect them at all!

I think yabu op, but surely if you arrive at the creche at a time that suits you they have to hand your child over? They can hardly refuse to give you your child, can they?