tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38902647.post4340445809224164783..comments2024-03-26T05:19:42.852-04:00Comments on Professor Michael Roberto's Blog: Satisfying the Grocery ShopperMichael Robertohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01658740999927721412noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38902647.post-5348007596406881872009-10-02T16:54:59.049-04:002009-10-02T16:54:59.049-04:00Great point. Self-selection is definitely part of...Great point. Self-selection is definitely part of the story. However, I also know that the metrics differ across these grocers. Many mainstream grocers focus on items scanned per minute as a metric for clerks at the checkout, often without counterbalancing this with other service-oriented metrics. Thus, they are, in effect, rewarding speed at the expense of other elements of service.Michael Robertohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01658740999927721412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38902647.post-31753764702546648072009-10-01T22:56:33.427-04:002009-10-01T22:56:33.427-04:00While training and effective monitoring likely pla...While training and effective monitoring likely play a role in improving the Whole Foods check out experience, I think it probably has more to do with personnel differences at the entry levels. The average clerk at Whole Foods is of a different caliber then the average grocery store clerk in general. The seemingly obvious explanation for this disparity would be compensation, however, all else equal (training, monitoring, compensation) I believe Whole Foods is likely to still attract a more motivated and committed employee. This is due to the company’s image. Whole Foods has a mission that goes beyond just sales (at least it appears that way). Whole Foods looks to provide healthy and organic food items to consumers at a reasonable price. Employees can relate to this mission and therefore Whole Foods. This creates a disparity in the quality of Whole Foods workers that is greater than just monetary compensation would dictate. For this reason working for Whole Foods does not have the same stigma surrounding it as other grocers.moylan7https://www.blogger.com/profile/18169666649773251320noreply@blogger.com