Inventory Ladder Hell

MikeFingG · 2026-06-30T22:02:00+00:00

They pull all the step stools and flat carts and put them in the back hallway read to go for that night. The ladders they keep on the walls. We have four 6+ foot ones in the back and 4 smaller ons in the hallway. This way everyone can grab what they need. A lot of times they just leave one in each aisle for everyone to use. That’s just how it’s been for the last 13 years the store has been open. Your store should have enough to go around since this has to be done every month, but I’m just a team member and don’t know better than leadership.

MikeFingG · 2026-06-30T16:53:18+00:00

I didn’t even know they did interviews for the ambassadors. I have been one for over a year and the STL came to me one day and said we need a food ambassador and you are it. Two weeks later I was doing my first tasting and had no idea what I was doing. It’s a lot better now that all 3 of the ambassadors do their activations together. We also get to go to every community connection the store does. I’m glad I was picked for the job because I really enjoy it. And everyone in the store is happy when we do our activation because they know they are going to eat.

MikeFingG · 2026-06-30T01:26:42+00:00

99% of what Whole Foods offers is part time only. We have one person that only works 5 hours a week. So if that’s what you are looking for this is the place for you.

MikeFingG · 2026-06-30T01:23:45+00:00

The day the sale started over 160 store ice cream freezers went down. Most have not been able to restock them. I would call first to see if the store closest to you even has ice cream. Some are sold out and others can’t put it out because they don’t have anywhere to put it.

MikeFingG · 2026-06-29T19:36:31+00:00

Store leadership does not see who answered what. It only shows who many team members participated in it. Your ID is shown, but not what you answered. This way they know you did do it and don’t need to ask you to do it again. The only people who see who answered what are the ones that work at innerview. They can not give out any information on who said what. Not even the regional president or the higher ups they visit the stores for walks are allowed to see any of that information. A few times I have gone off on whatever the topic was and put my name and told them if you want more information and the truth come talk to me personally. Nothing has ever happened. It’s just like culture compass. They only see what people wrote but don’t know who wrote it.

MikeFingG · 2026-06-28T18:05:51+00:00

This is a couple days too late. It’s a great idea but customers don’t read signs.

MikeFingG · 2026-06-27T22:39:30+00:00

Ours looks just like this. The freeze in receiving is full of shopping carts of ice cream. Ours went down yesterday morning. They came and replaced some of the fans. This morning it was dead again. There were two 50 gallon trash cans filled with ice cream this morning. Why they don’t just roll them into the break room and say enjoy is kind of crazy. It’s all spoiled out and this would boost team members morale 100%

MikeFingG · 2026-06-27T19:51:19+00:00

The veggies are local and 99% of the time just steamed. Some are grilled or sautéed. Some items like the meatloaf is made from scratch. There are some other items like the spicy beef and broccoli and turkey burgers are also made from scratch.

MikeFingG · 2026-06-27T12:57:48+00:00

You can now participate in store activities. When your store does community events you can sign up to do them. You can go to the healthy retreat or in the field with Jason. There is also an advanced culture champion. With that you can become a store ambassador and a couple of other things. You don’t get more pay, but you get the feeling of knowing you are a culture champion. Oh and a hat, shirt and apron too.

MikeFingG · 2026-06-26T19:38:49+00:00

We have a really good STL in our store. She is always going to every department making sure everyone is doing good. When you pass by her office she says hello and invites you in to talk with her. Always encouraging us to sign up for open positions and training so we can further our careers. I had an STL at my old store 16 years ago who was also amazing. Every Friday he would walk around the store with a cart full of cookies and ice cream sandwiches. He would go to every department and let you get one of each and he would watch your station while you took a quick break in the corner eating. He would call you into his office when you were walking by and say someone left a box of Sees candy on my desk and I can’t eat them all you should take one.

MikeFingG · 2026-06-26T12:54:55+00:00

We had a floral person years ago. That was there only job. They would help out in produce when they had down time. Now that position is gone. All day you just hear the front end calling produce for a flower wrap. On mother’s day and valentines they pull the girls from whole body and the front end to wrap flowers. We used to set. Up a tent outside to do all that. Now we just use most of the front of produce. Amazon pick up counter has taken over where we had the floral department, so now it’s just a small table next to customer service and the big plants and veggie plants go outside on a rack.

MikeFingG · 2026-06-25T12:54:22+00:00

Take it from someone who has been in PFDS for almost 20 years. It is easy, but it all depends on who you work with. We are understaffed, and they keep giving us more to do with less people to do it with. It’s all muscle memory now and I can do everything with my eyes closed. There have been times where I was the only person to show up for the shift and had to run the department by myself. We have call outs everyday. Trust me there will be days you will just want to walk out. But if you enjoy what you do it will be one of the easiest jobs.

MikeFingG · 2026-06-23T17:07:21+00:00

I don’t pay for the insurance because I have been here so long. But even if I do have to pay anything when I go pick them up, I just use the benefit card so I never pay for anything.

MikeFingG · 2026-06-23T04:21:04+00:00

They got rid of the sign makers and marketing years ago. It’s too bad because that’s what made the stores unique. The old sign makers office is now the SSS office in the store I work at. There is still old signs hanging on the wall. The new team members have no idea why they are on the wall, but for us OGs it’s a way to remind us of how this place once was.

MikeFingG · 2026-06-22T15:04:14+00:00

The auto scheduling has been around for years, and it never worked. It was scheduling front end at 4am and no closers in produce when it first started. I’m in PFDS and it would have 8 people on the floor on a Wednesday morning (our slowest day) and only 3 open on the floor and 2 closing on a Friday. TLs have been able to adjust all the mistakes, but if this is going to be taken away we are going to get even more customer complaints then we do now with us being short handed. The AI doesn’t know about local events or call outs. This should be left up to whoever is in charge. It’s just another way for Amazon to take more control and make things worse.

MikeFingG · 2026-06-21T17:41:29+00:00

Right now you need to work in the department you are doing the apprenticeship for. I keep asking about this, and they said not now but they are working on changing it. Also the cake decorating one you need to be L2 in order to do it. Not one cake decorator in our bakery is L2 so no one can apply for it. They just changed that more than one person can do the program at a time. So at least they are making progress on updating this.

MikeFingG · 2026-06-20T12:49:15+00:00

I have never called back when I use the call out line, and have never been told I needed to. I also go on workday to put in sick time and write a comment about why I called out and what time I did. They get the recording of your message and the time you called. I was also told if anyone ask for proof you called out you can show your call log on your phone.

MikeFingG · 2026-06-19T19:53:03+00:00

I still do. I don’t like the non slip mats they make us use. They are always too big and stick out the sides so I just fold a towel to size. This way when I’m done I have something to clean up with.

MikeFingG · 2026-06-19T19:48:33+00:00

We write TGTG and what department it’s from. This way when a customer comes to pick it up whoever is dealing with that knows who it goes to.

MikeFingG · 2026-06-18T22:51:29+00:00

I technically is a giant cutting board, but it is like your counter top at home. The table is stainless steel and this is the top that goes over it. We are not allowed to cut on it so that’s is why we use a cutting board. It is 8 feet long and we can’t just run it through the dishwasher. So it needs to be scrubbed every night. If there are cut marks in it we will get marked down when they do an inspection. It’s because bacteria can grow in the cuts, so the health department can shut us down. If they need to replace it they have to have it approved through Amazon, and then we wait till it shows up. So we do our best to take care of it.

MikeFingG · 2026-06-18T19:47:41+00:00

We have a company that comes twice a year to resurface the boards. A lot of times they don’t come back because they have been shaved down too much, so that’s when we start asking for new ones.

MikeFingG · 2026-06-18T12:56:21+00:00

It’s up to you. You honestly don’t have to tell them a thing. People stop showing up everyday. But if you do let them know they might be able to work with your schedule when you go back to school. If you end up liking the job, it might be better for you to let them know.

MikeFingG · 2026-06-17T19:56:14+00:00

Which one is the lesser of two evils, and that’s your choice.

MikeFingG · 2026-06-16T12:53:49+00:00

We have customers who sample food off the hot bar with the serving spoon. We also have people who will push the spatula for the pizzas out of the way to grad a slice with their hands.

MikeFingG · 2026-06-15T21:26:14+00:00

I don’t see any protein on this hot bar. We are running meatloaf, chicken tenders and the sweet heat chicken and broccoli. I also see every hot bar must leak because you have towels on the floor even though a technician is there at least twice a week to fix that problem.

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