Scotmid-What's it like?

Brian McCrow · Post by **Brian McCrow** » 06 Mar 2005, 21:05

There are a number of crazed hippies and mountain men/pan handlers.

There are a number of military installations including Norad and the Air Force pilot training centre.

As aliens we don't express all of our views out loud!!

The Land of the Free can be scary.

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 06 Mar 2005, 21:20

Our check-out girl offered our grumpy four year old a bag of sweets to cheer her up this afternoon. She isn't allowed them of course, but it was a really nice gesture and much appreciated. So, OK maybe not all the staff passed their customer care course with flying colours but I don't think they're half as bad as they pretend to be.

No, they don't always meet the professional standards of other supermarkets, but I think you have got to blame the management for that.

So let's have some big smiles next week for the scummy, grumpy, moany customers. Who knows? We might even smile back.

Post by **wangi** » 06 Mar 2005, 22:04

Still no bread

Skeely · Post by **Skeely** » 07 Mar 2005, 13:15

wangi wrote:Still no bread :)

Or organic milk. While I'm on the subject, why is there never paper and a pen at the suggestions box?

Jay · Post by **Jay** » 07 Mar 2005, 13:21

Skeely wrote:
wangi wrote:Still no bread
Or organic milk. While I'm on the subject, why is there never paper and a pen at the suggestions box?

Actually, I have seen an improvement since I first moved here (10 years ago), especially after the big re-furbishment. Their coffee range and selection has improved by light years, the wine selection is good, and some of their household items are a boon - especially since the demise of the Red Giant. Their non-meat range could do with improving, though.

CatzVP · Post by **CatzVP** » 07 Mar 2005, 21:45

Jay wrote: especially since the demise of the Red Giant.

O.M.G. that was there forever...what is it now???

Check-out_Chick · Post by **Check-out_Chick** » 13 Mar 2005, 23:02

Trust me you dunt want to speak to sum of the customers we get ! heehee all you lot are great compared to sum!! heehee i smile when i get my break ...if im not getting my break for hours n im hungy i will be depressingly bored .... yeah im not sure why there's not a pen and paper beside the box but im sure if u ask one of us 3 lovley and kind people we would leand you our pen

Whilst we are on the subject of Scotmid ...jus to tell you all that im leaving!!! and my last day is next sunday of if u wish to be served by the greatest check-out operator that EVER existed then come along before then!! Ill need to think of a new screen name now tho .......*thinks*

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 13 Mar 2005, 23:19

Checked Out Chick.

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 13 Mar 2005, 23:34

CatzVP wrote:
Jay wrote: especially since the demise of the Red Giant.
O.M.G. that was there forever...what is it now???

Going to be a dental practice according to Dame Rumour!

mehitabel · Post by **mehitabel** » 14 Mar 2005, 23:01

fairly new to Porty but suppose I can compare our Scotmid with a number of 'oldfashioned' Coops I've met in the last decade. Musselburgh for instance (-our one is positively 21st century with a cosmopolitan range of foods compared with that one) and in Nairn in the Highlands where my Mother shops ( no room to pack your own bags or offers of help there either).
My main impression of our Scotmid in recent weeks, (though the range of foods is pretty good for a shop of its size) is of being totally ignored by staff and of Sunday afternoons with no staff on the main tills and one poor lassie left to serve a growing queue of shoppers juggling heavy baskets at the fag till - while two other staff ignore the crowd and count the leftover newspapers..very slowly..... Customer service it ain't.
No idea what Head Office policy is - if there is one - with the threat of a larger competitor on the horizon- but I'm pretty sure that the staff have not been trained to be this disinterested - more likely a combination of low pay and zero motivation.
Most interesting and relevant to Porty would be the Coop where I used to shop in the village of Aboyne, Aberdeenshire where old fashioned tills and inaccessible aisles were replaced 5 years back by a newbuild by the Coop. The team of friendly local staff were moved en masse to the new bigger and better premises(about the size of our store) after a lengthy 'shop local' campaign by local businesses which ensured the new store was not allowed to have an in house butcher or baker so as not to compete directly with other village stores. Different geography/economy from Porty I know, with nearest larger store(Tesco) 14 miles away in next town, and superstores 30 miles away in Aberdeen, but the new store proved to be a successful community led compromise as local shops have stayed open (mostly) though a definite shift away from food/essential supplies to upmarket specialist shops, delis and cafes catering for tourists and locals who turn up in cars from a few miles away as well as on foot. (a bit like Bruntsfield has changed over the years- and it makes me wonder whether that is what we are evolving towards in Porty if we are to keep all the smaller shops 'going' ?- and if so where on earth are the 'visiting' shoppers going to park if they want to spend their money in Porty? They can't all come on the number 26 - or perhaps we even need a special Portybus to entice more shoppers/tourists to the seaside from the City Centre on weekends.
Change is the only certainty here but I'm glad that the community here is gaining an effective voice to influence how public and private money is invested in the local area and gain enough control to ensure it doesn't have to be a change for the worse.

mehitabel · Post by **mehitabel** » 14 Mar 2005, 23:09

Blah, people. Blah.

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 15 Mar 2005, 14:04

Welcome, Mehitabel and you make some very valid points. In actual fact Scotmid did get a revamp a while ago. What you behold now is an improvement!!

I hope you are not too upset about people taking a while to respond. The board is a bit quiet at the moment. Don't give up on us.

DG · Post by DG » 15 Mar 2005, 14:52

Welcome, mehitabel

. What can I say about your experiences in Scotmid...? Scossie5 said 'what goes around comes around' but I do try to remain polite when I shop in Scotmid and I don't go in with a bad, rude attitude and still have an unpleasant experience when I'm there.

Anyway, hope we hear more from you mehitabel!

DG

Mimpty · Post by **Mimpty** » 16 Mar 2005, 14:24

Check-out_Chick wrote:jus to tell you all that im leaving!!! )

What are you going to do now, COC?

mehitabel · Post by **mehitabel** » 16 Mar 2005, 17:18

just to explain that mysterious blah blah entry - that was my 12 year old resident computer expert testing the mehitabel avatar...!

mr magnolia · Post by **mr magnolia** » 16 Mar 2005, 22:52

It's a shame really that there IS an explanation.

I quite liked the fear and uncertainty generated by reading the two posts together...

I think I shall take it that this is an ALLEGED explanation and that there may still be some horror to come (if you don't mind)

mr magnolia · Post by **mr magnolia** » 16 Mar 2005, 22:54

Oh and CoC:

I hope you will be wearing something to make you recognisable on Sunday?

foxy · Post by **foxy** » 17 Mar 2005, 12:20

mehitabel wrote:just to explain that mysterious blah blah entry - that was my 12 year old resident computer expert testing the mehitabel avatar...!

I did wonder mehitabel

but like Mr M, I thought it made you sound very mysterious

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 17 Mar 2005, 17:56

[quote="mehitabel"]and one poor lassie left to serve a growing queue of shoppers juggling heavy baskets at the fag till [quote]

And that poor lassie was none other than our very own Check Out Chick

To say she was a tad unhappy when she came home was an understatement!

Mimpty - she's now going off to become Canine Kid - a full timer at the Dog and Cat Home

teddygirl · Post by **teddygirl** » 17 Mar 2005, 18:11

Congratulations to COC, she'll be much more suited to working at the Dog and Cat home.
Maybe Freddie will have a new girlfriend soon then ?

bearcub · Post by **bearcub** » 17 Mar 2005, 22:03

Congratulations too COC, I'm sure that will be a much more rewarding job......no offence, Scotmid

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 17 Mar 2005, 22:07

teddygirl wrote:Maybe Freddie will have a new girlfriend soon then ?

Well, she starts on Monday.......so maybe Wednesday?

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 17 Mar 2005, 22:08

All the best, CoC!! We'll miss you at the checkout!

Mimpty · Post by **Mimpty** » 18 Mar 2005, 14:52

Yes, good luck Coc - at least your "customers" will always be pleased to see you there!

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 18 Mar 2005, 17:52

Good luck COC (bet you won't miss Scotmid)

CatzVP · Post by **CatzVP** » 18 Mar 2005, 21:29

Well done Coc on the new Job...

mr magnolia · Post by **mr magnolia** » 18 Mar 2005, 22:19

Indeed CoC

I hope your new job turns out to be the Dogs ********

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 19 Mar 2005, 21:45

Epykat COC might bring you a nice dog from Dog & Cat Home, you did say you were missing the walking

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 20 Mar 2005, 22:48

Just what her Dad's afraid of Sandra! Unfortunately I'd have to give up work before that'll happen

bouncie_kiwi · Post by **bouncie_kiwi** » 04 Apr 2005, 15:26

yeah just a wee comment about the 'nobody packed my bags boo hoo' business, i packmost peoples bags - unless they specify they want to do it themselves, and STILL i manage to conjure up a pile of customer complaints about "that wee lassie put ALL my shoppin in the SAME bag- its DISGRACEFUL - DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT", then expect 'something' to be 'done' about staff attempting to be 'helpful'
....bugger it i dont know what the point im trying to make is she had a bottle of wine, one tin of soup and 3 chocolate bars. how many bags did she flippin want!??? LOL!
(and in the end, no your bitchin didnt pay off

)
other complaints ive had:
apparently i attempted to 'steal' a womens cashback - she didnt ask for it, it wasnt on her card/reciept, she hadnt been charged for it, and after the longwinded explanation that it wasnt on her card (because apparently she DEFINITELY asked for it) i still got told i was 'stupid plus other obscenities) my poor manager still got dogs abuse down the phone and in the end her bank was contacted,who then contacted her informing her this:
SHE HADNT BEEN CHARGED FOR CASHBACK!!!!!

i got talked about by 2 women standing a metre away from me "whisper whisper - naw that looks like track marks to me.....whisper aye drugs...whisper....teriible...disgraceful" it them occured to me they were talking about a small bruise on my arm with a small dot in the middle. no - ive not been shooting up herion ive just been to the donor centre yesterday.
but no because i work in scotmid- they just HAVE to assume the worst!

just a wee moan anyhoo- about half the customers are nice and chat away to you (smiles and waves at nice customers!!!you guys brighten up the day and believe me, the day needs a lot of brightening up in that place!)
then again you cant please all of the people all of the time...

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 04 Apr 2005, 17:18

It's always the same when you work with the public Kiwi

I worked at the sharp end for years and believe me it's not just people who go to Scotmid who are rude and abusive - try a Doctor's Surgery

Anyway, look on the bright side - it'll give you the impetus to find a nicer job and your 'training' will hold you in good stead in the future......

Pal of Porty · Post by **Pal of Porty** » 05 Apr 2005, 16:26

Sounds like the pits Kiwi. It's sad and annoying to see people being so discourteous to others, especially when help is being offered!

bouncie_kiwi · Post by **bouncie_kiwi** » 05 Apr 2005, 18:33

lol i had the most idiotic couple in the other day:
a guy bought a bottle of beer, they proceeded in banging the top off of the bus stop to open it - cracking the glass off the top. now if you think thats not stupid enough, his next trick was to try and drink out of the broken top. sucessfully cutting his lip.
heres the fun bit:
his girlfriend comes charging full speed into the store, informs us she is 'callin tha fakkin polish cuz thish ish fakkin helf n shayfteh likesh an yays ur aw gettin pure chibbed fur thish likesh - am callin tha fakkin polish ah shware tae god'
after ranting and raving with these precise words re-arranged in a wierd and wonderful variation of phrases (because i had sold her the bottle, it was therefore my fault i had possessed her boyfriend to smash the bottle then drink out of it) i was considered to be a 'fakkin wee bitch likesh' and i was ordered to give her 'fakkin munny back right nooo'.
i got the manager who tried to reason with her, with no success.
heres the even funnier part: i picked up my mobile and proceeded in "phoning" the police 'hello is this portobello police station?' i got that far then she just said 'dinny bothur wi the polis am fonun heed oaffus' then stormed out. this was almost a week ago and head office hasnt said a word.

yup just felt like another wee moan!
oh, and to the guy the other day who asked for boxes and then said 'thank you very much for your help, then reported it to my manager how helpful i had been, thanx that was really nice! (see there are some nice people!)
buh bye

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 05 Apr 2005, 18:46

B_K, your work sounds a lot more exciting than RoS!!

[except the other week when we had a French Connection type incident involving a small time drug courier or somesuch speeding into our carpark purused by cop car.... and hitting a wall. No-one hurt and the baddie caught by the polis!!]

ecm · Post by **ecm** » 05 Apr 2005, 19:09

Great story, b_k. It's the way you tell 'em.

It's nice to see you have such a good sense of humour when you have eejits like that to put up with.

Hopefully, you won't get too many like that.

Talk Porty ~ Portobello

Scotmid-What's it like?

Coops I have known

Re: Coops I have known