I was there last week and the checkout person recommended the whole foods butter over theirs. I guess they go off script sometimes.

Anonymous wrote:You do know the people that work there are in the business of making sales, right?

Yes, they know, hence the thread.

It’s no different to me than finding anything else to comment on while we wait in line. They generally only comment occasionally about foods that are, indeed, awesome. They also ask me what I’m doing for the rest of the day. Small talk is generally considered polite in the US and it doesn’t surprise me that an employer suggests topics for their employees.

Any good customer service company wants their employees to engage with the customers. Positive interaction is obviously preferred. There is probably at least one thing in your cart an employee can find something nice to comment on.

I've probably only thought a small handful of those interactions are truthful.

I love that there is only human power at Trader Joe’s. I despise that self checkout is 80% of most checkouts.

I used to work at Trader Joe's. We were never instructed to lie about liking something we didn't. We were never told to exaggerate our opinions, either. If I liked something, I was honest about it. if it wasn't for me, I was honest about it.

As someone of South Asian descent, you would hear me being honest about how I think all the Indian products are overrated.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You might want to complain over on the Food forum
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/forums/show/46.page
Trader Joe's = frozen food galore store

Is not about the food.
The OP is referring to the employee's instructions to comment on something the customer is buying. Forced rapport.

It's about the store -- means food forum

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You do know the people that work there are in the business of making sales, right?

And you're already at the checkout getting the things scanned. It's not like they are convincing you to buy. They are just making you feel awesome about what you bought. Which you already should because their stuff is so darn good.

Only it doesn’t feel awesome, somehow it feels almost like an insult, because you know they’ve been instructed to pick a random item and praise it. It’s weird and unnecessary.

Anonymous wrote:You do know the people that work there are in the business of making sales, right?

And you're already at the checkout getting the things scanned. It's not like they are convincing you to buy. They are just making you feel awesome about what you bought. Which you already should because their stuff is so darn good.

You do know the people that work there are in the business of making sales, right?

You...are just realizing this?

Anonymous wrote:You might want to complain over on the Food forum
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/forums/show/46.page
Trader Joe's = frozen food galore store

Is not about the food.
The OP is referring to the employee's instructions to comment on something the customer is buying. Forced rapport.

You might want to complain over on the Food forum
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/forums/show/46.page
Trader Joe's = frozen food galore store

that they’re only telling me that they also love the Vegetable Samosas because they’ve been instructed to do so. Imagine if every compliment you received possibly wasn’t true, they were just fulfilling a quota and chose your shirt, or your hair, or your earrings, just to tick off a box.