Re: Re: PDXLUG Digest, Vol 3, Issue 15

On Mon, 22 Mar 2004, Russell Evans wrote:
> On Mon, 22 Mar 2004 09:22:38 -0800
> "Joshua Schmidlkofer" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > On Sun, 2004-03-21 at 14:12, Russell Evans wrote:
> > > On Sun, 21 Mar 2004 13:07:48 -0800
> > > "Kurt Harlan" <[email protected]> wrote:
> > >
> > > >However, your attitude could stand a check at the door . . .
> > >
> > > Was this meant to be ironic? I personally think the checking at the
> > > door is the biggest reason people rag on Fry's. Treat your customers
> > > with respect, and maybe they will do the same.
> >
> >
> > Russel,
> >
> >  That is kind of short sighted.   One fundamental reason those people
> > are there is a check and balance of the cashiers.   At Costco, they
> > check my cart every time.  WTF.  I don't bitch about it.  It's not a
> > hassle, etc.   So I don't think it's exactly an object lesson about
> > mistrust.
>
> Everywhere that I have ever worked uses Nordstrum as the the best
> example of a place that provides service to its customers. You're saying
> the check is a added service for me  in that I get someone to check the
> cashiers. Seems like Nordstum would be all over this added service for
> its customers as I imagine a lot of money changes hands at Nordstrum
> everyday. So do you see this working at Nordstrum?
That's because Nordstrom pays their cashiers more, so they value their jobs.
Also, Fry's has more small high-value stuff which is easy to fence. I'm sure
stores which sell diamonds watch their employees very carefully (although,
with higher concentration of $$$'s per unit area, and more attention to the
image, they likely find less in-your-face means). So Fry's does provide a
service to me, sort of: they keep their prices down by paying cashiers less
and reducing losses from theft. Nordstrom provides different service, a more
pleasant shopping environment, for a different price, too.

By the way, feel free to ignore the check at the door at Fry's. I shop there
often, and every time when they say "can I check your receipt" I answer "No"
and keep walking. They can't do anything do you if you refuse to be checked,
the stuff in the bags belongs to you, not the store (ownership is transferred
the moment money changes hands). BTW, the same does not fly in Costco, because
of the membership agreement.
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