… no matter how often I think I could run their store better than they run it.

But I’ve always taken grocery shopping in a personal way.  I have to love the store.  And when there’s something I don’t like, I hate it.  Either way, I have strong passions.  And after months of being frustrated with 2 different issues I routinely encounter on my weekly visits to Kroger, I finally felt I had to get them off my chest with this e-mail to their customer service form on their website:

For background, our records show our family has spent about $6,000 at this particular Kroger store already in 2009.  We’re very loyal shoppers.

We wouldn’t be so loyal if we didn’t think the store was nice, or the people were friendly, and the prices were competitive.  The store is all that.  We like shopping there. But there are two things that detract from my shopping experience every week, and I’m hoping you can fix them.

1) Your rain check policy is onerous at best, ridiculous at worst.  When I’m tasked with the family shopping, I usually shop on Sunday afternoons.  I’m never surprised to find at least 1 or 2 of the weekly sale items already sold out.  That’s not what bothers me.  What bothers me is that your managers won’t ever substitute a similar product (competitor or house brand, for instance) and award a similar discount.  Last week, Froot Loops were on sale, but only the smallest box had a discount.  The medium-sized box was not on sale.  Why can’t your store managers approve a discount on the same product, when one size is out of stock? 

RAIN CHECKS ARE NOT THE ANSWER.  They require 2 things for me to get the savings:  1) for me to remember to bring the rain check next time to go to the store, and 2) for me to still *need* the same item then that I tried to buy now. Rarely happens.  I have been issued at least 10 rain checks this year by your customer service staff, but I’ve only redeemed one of them.   Beyond that, more than once I’ve had to wait 5-8 minutes at your customer service counter just to be seen by a clerk, and then wait another 3-5 minutes while the clerk runs off into the store to find the exact description of the sold-out item so he/she could then hand-write it on the rain check.  That’s ridiculous.

2) I always use self-checkout, even with bigger orders.  I LOVE self-checkout because I’m fast at it, and because I can scan every price to make sure I’m paying for the right things.  The only thing I hate about self-checkout is having the clerk come up to you midway through your transaction and put little security stickers over all my loose soda, juice and milk bottles.  Those stickers 1) damage the product, and 2) are just a symbol of Kroger *NOT TRUSTING* me as a customer.   I’m a good customer.  I pay a lot of money to you, and I get good value in return.  But if Kroger DOESN’T TRUST ME, then why should I continue to shop there?   What’s even worse is when the clerk puts the sticker on your loose items, but doesn’t even acknowledge you otherwise, by simply saying “hi” or “welcome” or ask you if you found everything OK. 

I brought this to the attention of an assistant manager of this particular store, about 5 weeks ago.  I was told the store manager would be able to call me back the next business day.  I’ve yet to receive a call from him.  That’s a shame.

Those are my two issues.  Thank you for listening. I’m sure I’ll be back in your store next weekend. 

We’ll see if/how they respond.  Either way, I’ll be back.