r/Safeway

Wow! Terrible. Cucumbers were rotten when they arrived. Many things missing. Never contacted me asking for an alternative. Never again!

I guess I'm 86'ed from Safeway gas station. I was getting gas there out of convenience because I was dropping something off at the UPS store. My old coworker Todd asked me why I quit, I told him it was because of the way I was being treated. The gas station manager came stomping out to my truck and said "you will not be talking shit about Tim (store manager) you are never allowed here again". First of all I was not talking shit I was telling Todd about one experience that led to me quitting. I'm in the privacy of my own truck, he was ease dropping and didn't even hear what I said correctly. This is a great example of why I quit. The managers should never treat a paying customer like that I was quietly telling Todd my own experience. I wasn't dragging anyone and I sure as hell didn't need a 600lb man screaming at me for something he thought was being said.

This requires a LOT of context so buckle up. I’m in a licensed store. A Safeway. So I’m technically a Safeway employee. Been there for 3 years. And I love it. Now, typically my availability is the following, closings only, but since I’m on summer, any day of the week, any amount of hours is ok.

Rewind 3 years. One of my first managers actually texted me and said I could actually have thanksgiving off. That’s so sweet of her! However I was scheduled for a mid shift (I was also doing 9-3 kind of shifts during this period) and I had nothing happening, were not eating dinner till like 6. so I said thank you and I had nothing going on so if she needed me I totally didn’t mind since it was a holiday and it’d probably be busy.

I gave her an inch, and she took a mile.

She asked if I could cover her open for her then. Umm… I’ve been there for a few months and never did an opening or trained on one. (You usually work alone since the kiosk literally makes under 3K a week and I was never supposed to do openings when I got this job in high school) She just texted me the instructions on what to do. Ok… I guess I’ll do it then. And I ended up just making it a part of my schedule. This manager later left since she graduated college and got a new job.

Well eventually I had to stop doing the openings. They were taking a toll on me since I am not a morning person and am more of a night owl. That was fine. Closers are usually harder to get at my store anyway.

Well fast forward to a new manager. She was great. Now here’s the thing. There were occasions she asked if I could open, and I agreed because it was just one and I knew ahead of time. But there were a couple times she just put me down for opening shifts… without talking to me. Eventually I did have to just say I couldn’t do them anymore. That was fine.

Well… manager recently quit. She found a job at a new coffee shop. First of all, so happy for her. But…

Here’s the thing. I asked if I could see the schedule for next week before it was posted. The reason is I normally do Sunday closings. So I’d be working Mother’s Day. Which is fine. I already asked for my birthday off earlier so I didn’t want to ask again. I just wanted to know when I was working so my mom knows when we can celebrate a different day.

Well she informed me that since she’s quitting, the schedule would be weird, and she informed me that I was opening on Mother’s Day. Ok… already I am already not thrilled that I am being scheduled opening without her talking to me, but whatever I’m sure it’ll only be one or two next week right?

Wrong.

I got the schedule Thursday night as it was texted in the group chat. And I am working 4 8-HOUR OPENING SHIFTS! No other times. Yeah, I’m gonna be fully honest, I was not happy, especially since I wasn’t asked first. But whatever, it’s one week, but the store director (Safeways version of the general manager) needs to know this cannot continue after this week.

If you’re wondering why I’m doing it. Well there are 3 openers, manager, girl who is cross-trained in produce, and guy who is cross-trained in customer service. Manager quit, produce girl is needed in her department, and customer service guy is needed over there since one of the cashiers/customer service guys sadly passed away recently.

So I get it. But I’m also confused. Why did we not get a manager in sooner, and why are we not asking other stores for help, since we have done that before… like I don’t think it’s fair that I should have to take 4 openings, I literally opened (I clopened actually) on a holiday, and we just got the new Starbucks connect system (if you don’t know what that is it’s the sticker system since we used to write on the cups) and learning to navigate that. And I was alone from 6-12:30…

Ok, well I’m just going to make it until the end of the week and if they ignore me and schedule me opening again next week, I’m going to need to speak to someone.

So cross trained customer service guy is acting kind of as the fill in manager since he used to be a manager. As in he’s writing the schedule and ordering. So today, he asked if I can open Sunday. Yeah I just said no. I can’t do this. I’ve done two openings this week and two more to go. Well he’s out of town. So he asked me if the other closer can open.

Ok so I don’t know that. However, I can already tell you she is not going to want to do that. For starters this girl has literally never done an opening shift before. I literally trained her on closings. And literally like Sunday, I told her what time openings involve and when I said you have to be here at 5:45 she was like “oh hell no” so yeah she’s not going to want to do that. And again, it’s out of her availability.

Well, this dude literally said that he’s just going to have to put her down anyway since somebody be has to open. He even said we can just text her the instructions on how to open since that’s what happened to me.

Um… EXCUSE ME?

That’s not how this works. For starters, not that it’s your business, you don’t know why she can’t do openings. What if she has a second job, what if she has an appointment scheduled since she knows mornings are off the table. This sort of thing. I also don’t think she drives herself.

Also on top of that, you can’t expect her to do an opening without training. The difference is when I did it years ago I agreed to it. You can’t expect that of her. Like I already know if he goes through with this without asking her, she is not going to be happy, and I’m also scared he’s going to schedule me instead.

Look I get it. Being understaffed is hard. But you can’t demand employees work outside of their availability because the store failed to hire more people.

Like am I crazy for not liking how this is being handled? This seems really inappropriate.

I'm a cashier at my local Safeway. I usually dont have issues with customers. I'm told that I'm friendly, sweet, fun, but I live in a small town. Like.. 3,000 people small.

Recently, I had a customer reach over my register to scan his own Safeway card. I explained to him that I don't feel comfortable with him reaching over my register, because it doesn't make me feel safe.

He got *quite* angry when I told his this and demanded my manager come down to the register so he could speak to someone "with a brain bigger than a pile of shit" as he quoted. Truly, a certified classic.

I just want to know if I'm wrong for not wanting them to reach over? I'm still a bit new, but I'd like some tips for what to do if that happens. Should I call my manager down when that happens or if I see him again? I don't know if I can deny him service if I don't feel safe? Any tips ir input is helpful, and I appreciate it.

Hi, I have been working at Safeway for four years now. When I was first hired, I worked in the GM department with a schedule I loved (4:00 AM to 12:30 PM). However, after some friction with the previous store manager, I was transferred to a smaller location.
In this new store, I was assigned to the night crew. There are only two of us in the department, and we receive between 600 and 700 pieces five days a week. Out of the seven days of the week, there are four days where either my coworker or I must handle the entire load alone.
Furthermore, our responsibilities keep increasing. The last cashier leaves at 11:00 PM, so we have to manage the registers while working the load. We are also responsible for taking temperatures, doing the 'sweeps,' and opening the doors at 5:00 AM to act as cashiers because the first morning cashier doesn't arrive until 6:30 AM.
I would like to know if this workload and these expectations are standard policy or if this situation is specific to this location, as it feels unsustainable

I placed a flash order today which cost $3.95, well it said on my end that my flash order is delayed. I guess if an associate does not start on the flash order is start in a certain amount of time it is free. I looked at my receipt and it showed $0.00 under flash order

Not an employee here but my wife is. Lately, after 6:00pm there is no front end coverage. One person in SCO, no check out aisles open. No management of any kind. Cutting back on payroll hours. No maintenance, just hair on fire when a freezer goes down. Bathrooms look like a trail head outhouse. Besides the obvious, is ACI purposely doing this? Thanks!

I learned that some of the deals advertised in store were only available if I download the app while in checkout line and clip each coupon to not get charged full price. The checker kept apologizing and apologizing like she knew the frustrations this "app" thing is causing customers. I had to calmly tell the checker I would pay full price anyway without the app. I really tried visiting Safeway today. But I'm looking for something a little more simple. Anyways, your Chinese food tastes great

Hello. Without sparing too much information, I have a coworker who is loud and loved by most of our customers, but is very rude to people he doesn't agree with.

I am a transgender male and I don't bring that up at work ever, because it's not the right place to do to nor is it anyones business. (I am medically transitioned, name changed, and passing). This coworker of mine finds it to be his responsibility to remind me what I was born as, and also threaten me while talking to other people (he told my manager "i'm going to jail for punching a woman" regarding me).

Back on Valentines day, he had a little freakout because I was annoying him, and he threw floral shears (and broke them), threw roses at me, and then got up in my face demanding the "same respect" he gives me.The store director came by moments after that happened, and all he had to say was "you guys need to act like adults".

He is constantly making misogynistic, racist, and transphobic comments towards customers. When we have delivery drivers come in and they aren't completely fluent in english/have an accent, he expresses concern about them "stealing the product" and he takes pictures of the product before it goes- ONLY when hispanic delivery drivers show up.

I've made a formal complaint to HR, and nothing happened from it. I can't quit due to my financial situation, but I dread going into work every day because of the fact I have to work with someone who will more likely than not make an uncomfortable comment towards me or others during the day.

I don't come to work to feel like I'm being bullied by someone who insists he's better at the job than I am despite me doing this position for 5 years and he's going on 1.

What can I do about this? He's said before that HR is "too afraid" to do anything to him because of his lawyers, and at this point, I believe him. I think it's bizarre that he can report a coworker and get them sent to another store but multiple people report him and nothing has been done.

Please keep your beliefs out of this if my identity upsets you. Out of everything in my life that is the least important thing about me.

Why is it that Starbucks Kiosk can accept tips but if DUG or a CC does so, we get torn to pieces IF we get caught. (So far I haven't been caught....)

But still...why can they accept tips but we cannot? Starbucks Kiosk employees are employed by safeway. They just help run the Starbucks Kiosk for them.

Safeway San Antonio Rd location just installed new security gates and fencing this week which swing open automatically when entering the store. They also function as emergency exits with alarm on them to exit the store in a emergency which will sound a loud alarm if you trip the sensor when approaching them from within the store or if you push them open from within the store. It’s kinda surprising that a location in Mountain View got them since most Safeway locations that got them got them a few years ago and they were in higher theft locations in San Jose and San Francisco. Do the Safeway stores at Rengstorff, Shoreline, and Miramonte locations have them too?

Hey everyone, quick question. I don’t drive and sometimes I have to wait for my ride after getting dropped off near Safeway. It’s often cold and raining, so waiting outside isn’t really an option. Does anyone know if Safeway allows people to sit in their seating area for like an hour even if you’re not buying anything? Or is that considered loitering / against store rules? Not trying to cause any issues, just want to stay warm and out of the rain while I wait.

if you’ve worked at Safeway (or similar grocery stores), how does alcohol ID verification usually work? Are there specific policies for carding, manager overrides, fake ID handling, or mandatory checks by age appearance?

The new Safeway paper bags with no handles are cheap and useless. I’ve seen multiple articles, across multiple outlets that the bags are useless - WHERE IS SAFEWAY CORPORATE!?!???!? They’re losing business, and I’m not joking. The bags are that bad. They didn’t just lose the handles, they are structurally weaker and are resulting in broken merchandise that gets refunded.

What an awful, stupid way to “save money” and lose any goodwill your brand might have accrued.

Those who are not unionized, how does your pay increases work? Is by the number of hours worked just like those who are unionized or is it just a yearly bump. TY