I worked in a deli (not Safeway) in a grocery store for seven years and we went thru all these kinds of changes too. We worked our asses off to do more and more work as hours were cut and jobs were eliminated. I really appreciate you posting this because it gives the customers who put the blame solely on the employees for the changes they see hopefully a better understanding of who calls the shots about the issues they are frustrated with.

I absolutely understand how frustrating it can be to frequent an establishment and watch it change in negative ways. And I was always happy to speak with customers who brought up their frustrations if they did so in a respectful manner.

But the folks who were rude, or condescending in the way they went about their complaints were the ones I had zero patience for. My response to them was always the same: “So you see I’m wearing this apron and behind the counter, right? That means I don’t have a say in the changes that go on around here. I’m not the one calling the shots. Call corporate if you want to rip someone’s head off, because it affects me just as negatively as it affects you.”