Whether it's at the department of motor vehicles, an amusement park, or an airport, waiting seems to be part of our culture.
But when it comes to supermarkets, I fear that long lines will be it's undoing. At the end of the day there are far too many new websites out there like Peapod trying to get people to quit shopping in stores like Aldi and start shopping online instead. They have even offered free shipping for your groceries to get you to make the switch!
That's why when I came across a few recent Aldi customer complaints about Aldi supermarkets I was a bit shocked at what they revealed. Usually consumer reviews against a pricing problem or a poor manager. In this case it seemed totally avoidable on Aldi's part.
It seems that Aldi still hasn't heard the message. Customers hate waiting in lines.
Just read this recent consumer complaint...
I have been an Aldi fan for a long time. However, while in this store on Friday April 4th, I noticed the line was unusually long, which, it usually is. I then noticed that a female cashier (wearing a wrist brace) had opened up another register, I assumed to relieve the giant line forming in the only other lane. So I got out of line, losing my spot, as well as a few other customers did and went over. So, after a couple of minutes of standing in line, she rings up two people in front of me and out of nowhere, steps from behind the counter and slaps a “lane closed” sign down on the counter. Me and the other customers behind me are shocked!A few things immediately jump out at me after reading this. The thing I cannot get over is that this customer claims to be a fan of Aldi! That means he is a supported turned antagonist. Why? He was forced to wait in line.
There have been plenty of psychologists over the years who have talked about how demoralizing and frustrating waiting in long lines are. Yet in today's modern world of technology they seem 100% avoidable.
I looked over the Aldi website and found their customer feedback page, it sure does make it difficult to provide accurate feedback in real-time. You have to wonder if Aldi is just putting a band-aid on this problem instead of fixing the source of the complaints.
What would happen if anytime there was more than a few people waiting in line an employee alert immediately called people to the front?
Does it really matter if there are 10 people stocking the shelves for product that hasn't been bought yet when there are 10 people getting frustrated with items they are ready to buy?
Just a few questions from a concerned customer and from someone who continues to see more completely preventable negative reviews about a great store like Aldi. As a supermarket you depend on your regular shoppers, just like our friend who filed the complaint.
Don't make your customers wait in line. They have too many options (including buying online) to wait around for you to get your act together.
Have you been forced to wait in line? Leave a comment.
