This is part venting and part seeking advice
I work as a fuel center clerk for a *well known grocery store chain*
I either work the opening shift or the closing shift
The fuel center is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. 7 days a week
For the opening shift the fuel center clerk has to restock the merchandisers 7 days a week
There are 4 reach in merchandisers
Unfortunately, store management at the grocery store that is “attached to” the fuel center does not provide a trained and certified employee to cover for the fuel center clerk when they are away from the fuel center collecting the products from inside the store
So, the fuel center has to do that on their own, which means the reach in merchandisers are kept locked up
But the fuel pumps are open for self serve only, and a sign is posted at the window stating why it is closed
The front end manager of the grocery store that the fuel center is attached to has told me that customers are asking him if the fuel center is closed since the reach in merchandisers are locked up while I am collecting the products.
He asked me in the past “what should I tell them?”
I would think he would know what to tell the customers.
When I work the closing shift, I usually go on break between 7:45 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.
I lock up the merchandisers, and when I return from break, I keep them closed for the following reasons… 1) not many customers buy product after 8 p.m., 2) it is one less thing to do before beginning my closing duties, and 3) when I left them open in the past, I forget to close them until the last minute before beginning my closing duties, which leaves me scrambling to complete everything before clocking out at 10 p.m.
Customers have asked me if the fuel center is closed since the merchandisers are closed.
This happens when I am working outside, and the fuel pumps are open.
If I say yes, the customers say “but those *the merchandisers* are closed.”
So, I ask them if they need anything from one of them, and they say no
This is confusing to me, and frustrating to me when I say yes, but then the customer questions me.
What is a better way to handle this situation?
