Through various family updates, we learned that Adria got a job as a bagger at Maceys. She applied and they hired her on the spot. She's not the first Westra to begin at bagging. Mom/Margie enjoys the conversations between kids, and the memories that come up because of them. So here's a little more remembered store lore ...
Uncle Derek wrote:
Congrats to Adria on her job as a bagger! That was my first job as well (at The Store). Her grocery career won't stop at bagger - I was promoted to checker, then to produce department salsa maker, and then to the prestigious role of dairy manager! ;) I have a funny story of my days as a bagger at age 15. The Store had a strict policy that any customer with two bags or more had be helped out of the store (we had to carry their bags to their car). They were pretty serious about this policy since (as you can imagine) most customers would rather carry their own bags than to have a skinny 15-year-old awkwardly follow them out and load their car. One time, I was loading an older woman's backseat of her car, and she took the opportunity to slip two dollars into my back pocket and to pinch my back side. No joke. But that isn't even the story. :)
One day, Karl Malone came into The Store on his Harley (wearing cowboy boots and a cowboy hat) and bought one gallon of milk, and one loaf of bread. Two items. Because he was a big (literally - the man was a mountain) star, there were lots of eyes on him as the checker checked out his items and gave them to me. He held out his HUGE hands.
Me: "Umm...I have to take these to your car Mr. Malone."
Karl: "I got it kid."
Me: "Ummm...it's a store policy - I have to take them to your car."
Karl: (Smiling) "I don't have a car."
Me: Looking out the store window at his motorcycle. "I can take them out to your bike."
Karl: (Not smiling) "Fine. Follow me."
He walked out and I awkwardly followed. He opened his Harley's saddlebags and I put his milk in one side, and the bread in the other side.
Karl: "Am I supposed to tip you now?"
Me: (proudly) No! We don't accept tips. Store policy.
Karl: "Okay. Thanks kid."
Karl then loudly started his bike and rode off. My boss was watching, and was pretty pleased that I held my ground and exerted my "store policy" authority, even though, by the looks of his upper body, the Mailman was perfectly capable of hefting the two purchased items. :)
Jen added her bagger memories ...
I worked as a bagger as one of my first jobs too. Skaggs Alpha Beta, there on VanWinkle. It's now Vasa (gym). I always liked bagging groceries. I'd put enough groceries away that I knew it was good to put all the freezer/cold stuff together (I hate it when there is one random freezer thing in a different bag that I have to go track down). Like things together. No foods with the cleaning supplies. Don't put something heavy on top of the bread. Once, they redid the whole store, rearranged everything. They had a few of us girls wear dresses, and we would "hostess" ... we'd learned where everything was after the change, and then would help people who now didn't know where to find things. Just easing the transition. It was fun.
Mom/Margie added to Adria:
Once when I was shopping at Harmon's many years ago, I complimented the clerk I had (can't remember what for--maybe her friendliness/cheerfulness/helpfulness or something. I remember she said, "Thanks you so much! ---- Now will you go tell my manager over there! (There was a head checker hovering in front of all the check-out stands, that would oversee all the checkers and solve problems). Maybe after you receive all these helpful hints and experiences, you will end up "running the store" in no time at all!
Reading through these recollections reminded me of my only grocery store teen experience: My friend Barbara Millet's father worked for HiLand Dairy. So Barbara and I were hired at times, to pass out samples of HiLand Dairy product, as Costco passes out samples. It was a fun easy job. I remember around the holidays, we were giving out samples of eggnog, and the men would tease us and ask if there was anything stronger in it! (I guess for Christmas and New Years, people add booze to their eggnog!)
No comments:
Post a Comment