It's Service With A Smile - Or Else

The grocery clerk, a longtime employee at Safeway, was working alone late at night, stocking shelves at a Reston, Va., store, when he spotted a woman customer coming down the aisle. Worried that she might be a Safeway "mystery shopper" popping in for an off-hours critique of his performance, the clerk sprang into action, making eye contact, smiling broadly and greeting her warmly, in accordance with the company's "Superior Service" rules.

The woman nodded briefly and continued shopping. The clerk, going about his duties, passed her again. Knowing he might earn a poor grade on the company's 19-point friendliness report card if he failed to acknowledge her fully each time, the clerk again made eye contact, smiled and asked how she was doing. This time she looked quizzical, the clerk recalled recently.

But after it happened a third time, the woman's face darkened as he approached. "That poor lady," the clerk said ruefully. "You could see her thinking, 'What is his problem?' "

Surely this is not what Safeway had in mind when it instituted Superior Service. But the company's unusually aggressive program to mandate friendliness is leading to some unexpected and uncomfortable side effects. It has sparked a spirited debate on the Internet and among customers over faux friendliness vs. genuine congeniality, has generated complaints by female workers in California who say male customers have misinterpreted their greetings and, according to some

Safeway workers, is contributing to growing morale problems.

Yet mail from customers is running 90 percent in favor of the friendliness policy, Safeway officials said.

"If you're in the retail business, you deal with people and you deal with people every day," said Gregory TenEyck, a Safeway spokesman. "And if you don't want to be friendly, you shouldn't be in the retail business. But it's a way for Safeway to set ourselves apart from our competition, to provide the best shopping experience for our customers."

Programs such as this are viewed within the brutally competitive retail industry as important tools to combat lackadaisical assistance by clerks and gain a greater share of consumers' dollars. Wal-Mart and Target stores have long been at the forefront of the trend. Nordstrom is an acknowledged master.

But, in recent interviews, half a dozen Safeway workers said the rigid implementation of the Superior Service program has left some workers feeling so stressed that they quit. Safeway officials said they were not aware of any employee who has resigned because of the program.

"It's so artificial, it's unreal," said Debra Wood, 38, a second-generation Safeway employee who quit her job as a cashier at a Manassas, Va., store last month after 20 years with the chain, partly out of frustration with the Superior Service program. "I used to say when I clocked in, 'Oh, I forgot my Magic Marker to paint my smile on today.' "

Other employees and recent retirees said they think the Superior Service program is great. "It brings out the best in everybody," said Joseph Kitts, a 40-year Safeway employee who retired two years ago. "You're supposed to be giving superior service. That's what they deserve."

To Kitts, it boils down to: "No customers, no money, no eat."

Safeway launched its Superior Service program nationwide about five years ago. Among its rules: Make eye contact with the customer, smile, greet him or her, offer samples of products, make suggestions about other possible purchases that could go with the items being purchased, and accompany customers to locate items they can't find. It includes thanking shoppers by name at checkout by using information from their credit, debit or Safeway card.

To encourage compliance, Safeway employs an undisclosed number of "mystery shoppers" to act like regular customers. They grade workers on the 19-point scorecard, and the results affect performance evaluations of the worker and his managers. Workers who do well earn a chance at winning $500 worth of company stock, and managers whose workers are extremely friendly can receive additional bonuses.

"Sometimes people won't do what you expect, but will do what you inspect," TenEyck said.

Those who are graded as having poor customer service skills are sent to a training program. Some cynical workers call it smile school; others call it clown school.

Many customers are clearly pleased with the niceties.

"It makes you feel good when you're spending $50 to have them know your name," said Arthur Albert, an 82-year-old retiree who lives in Fairfax, Va.

But Michael Hensley, 29, of Alexandria, Va., a bakery store manager, said he resents checkout attendants who are "too chatty," especially when lines are long. It irritates him when they comment on what he's buying. And he doesn't like his name being used at the cash register. "It's almost too personal, if you don't know the person," he said.

TenEyck said customers can request that Safeway delete their names from the information on the checkout computer screens.

The major complaint of some local Safeway workers is that they must override their own instincts to hew to the friendliness formula. A Silver Spring, Md., employee, for example, said she is required to warmly greet harried customers whose body language tells her they want to be left alone.

And some shoppers appear to be reading too much into the cheeriness. Along with the complaints by employees in California, the Silver Spring, Md., employee said that on several occasions, the standard "May I help you?" has elicited lewd comments.

Safeway's TenEyck said the company has a strong policy banning sexual harassment of employees by co-workers or customers, and women who feel uncomfortable should take their concerns to management.

Leading customers to a product they can't find also causes problems, Safeway workers said. Some shoppers seem to relish having workers take them from item to item around the store.

And the sampling policy is being abused, workers said. A Woodbridge, Va., employee said some customers plant themselves in front of the deli counter at midday and ask to sample item after item, knowing the clerk will keep smiling and passing portions over the counter.

"It gets crazy," she said. "They come for lunch. I'm not kidding."