In the early days of our collective madness, the stampede was from the front door to the far corner of the store, to our stash of toilet paper. That craze died down as customers realized we have a steady supply of paper goods. The next shopping binge is likely to be meat, as processing plants…
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Not today, thanks
In the products-that-become-even-more -ridiculous-during-a-pandemic aisle…
Don’t tip your cashier
How thankful are some Wegmans customers? Human Resources had to send out a reminder recently that gratuities are not allowed. It’s the duty of every Wegmans employee to be prompt, courteous and respectful, the memo pointed out. Accepting or soliciting a tip is a fireable offense. (And don’t forget, Wegmans is paying its employees a…
Burgers and dogs
From the number of hot dog buns and hamburger rolls we’re selling, I’d say most people are shying away from all those exotic recipes flooding the web. I totally get that. When the mind is fogged by anxiety, simple is good. The number of recipe steps I’ll commit to has been reduced to two, maybe…
Dazed and confused
A regular customer at my store wraps every item in a plastic produce bag before checkout. By every item, I mean not just obvious foods such as fresh vegetables or poultry, but toilet paper, potato chips, and boxes of cereal. I don’t know why he does this. Wegmans workers are too polite to ask. All…
Junkyard dawgs
This is the store scrapyard – a resting place for equipment we can no longer use. The salad bar, the steam tables for the Asian buffet, the hot chicken wings, the signature meals, all parked in a dark corner of the store, like cars on cinder blocks. Self-serve, in the era of COVID-19, is a…
Positive steps
Big day. Wegmans issued me a cloth mask this morning, telling me it must be worn and must be washed between shifts. In the afternoon, I was notified that the $2/hour hazard pay bonus has been extended through May. (The hourly increase previously was set for March and April.) “While there’s light on the horizon,…
Wegmans: no longer a group activity
I hope the day comes when Wegmans returns to being a social outing as well as a shopping destination. Before the virus, the stores were hangouts for people of all ages. Nerds, taking advantage of free wi-fi, would play video games together in the cafe. Codgers would gather for coffee and doughnuts. High school students…
Masks and wellness checks make their debut
My co-workers have finally begun to wear masks. Not all of them, but some, which indicates not only that they’ve received the required training but that the company has reduced the pressure not to. Beginning yesterday, Wegmans employees undergo wellness checks before starting work. We’re asked whether we’re experiencing any symptoms, including a new or…
Shifting sands at Wegmans
I’ve been searching for the word that best encapsulates the change in Wegmans, pre- and post-coronavirus. How have perceptions been altered by the company’s response to the pandemic? The word trust comes to mind, certainly. Although Wegmans maintains a loyal and enthusiastic customer base, many of us trust the company less today than we did…