The Worthington Mall Kroger has been experiencing a produce shortage following months of unfulfilled orders. Many customers have been frustrated with the sight of empty shelves and the employees’ inability to help with the ongoing issue. This issue has left some tensions between shoppers and employees, and has been dimming the environment of the store as a whole. Rick Young, a Produce Employee, has been working hard to solve this issue.
“We really can’t do anything about not having any stuff out.” Said Rick. “People are cussing us out and getting mad, but we’re all doing our jobs the way we’re supposed to. I just wish people would understand that instead of coming at me and my coworkers with so much hate.”
Customers, on the other hand, have been unsure of who to blame for the missing items. Amist all the confusion and missing answers, frustration had continued to bubble over. Many shoppers had been looking for someone to throw the blame on.
“I have been going to this store for years now, and this has never been like this before for this long.” Said one shopper. “I mean, I can understand that it’s not an employee issue, but I ain’t thrilled that I’m having to run around town for some damn lettuce.”
Another shopper shares the same frustration.
“I mean, am I just supposed to believe that everyone is doing their job perfectly?” said a second shopper. “It’s ridiculous, almost nothing is out. I come and look just for dinner for the week, and now i have to go hunt for maybe 10 things. Best part, every employee tells me there’s nothing they can do, or blows me off.”
As days continued to pass with more pressure on the store, the problem seemed to be slowly improving. More customers are satisfied with their shopping experience, and employees can work peacefully with customers more often. However, there are still several interactions that turn sour over missing items and no one to blame. These heated customers have left the store with a tainted environment and a team of stressed employees.
Although not all shoppers are contributing to the negativity, fortunately. Many locals are still working to help solve the issue with missing items. Tisha Hall, OHLQ co-founder and frequent shopper at the store, has been trying to help as much as she can.
“I used to work somewhere like here when I was younger, so I get the struggle you guys go through,” said Hall. “I try to do my part when I can when it comes to the liquor store, but that’s all I have any control over. I mean, I try to talk to managers to see what is going wrong, and try to annoy district managers as much as I can. At the end of the day, this is my store, too. I want food just as much as the next person.”
