Observation Assignment Site Location: Harris Teeter

Kimbell

Description of location: Harris Teeter looks like any other grocery store. When walking through the sliding doors it enters into a giant lobby that holds shopping carts and the famous harry the dragon ride for kids (and teenagers). The lobby also leads into the main store. Looking on from the main store entrance, the produce department is to the right and the front end/ check out is to the left. The front end department consists of a couple things. There is a customer service desk that has two registers used for check out and refunds. In front of the desk there are eight cashier registers that are used for customers to check out, and 4 self-check out stations. Behind the customer service desk there is an accounting office, and a customer service office mainly (Felicia and Meghans office) that is used for different things. To the left of the desk is Jeff, Michael and office, and department managers office. Figured World: a figured world is a large social environment that has its own conventions of appropriate behavior, manners, and community-specific communication. 250 word summary: I have chosen to observe the figured world of Harris Teeter Supermarket. I chose Harris Teeter because I have been an associate of the company for three years. I am interested in observing this company because outside of school, and my family, this is like a second home. Harris Teeter is a large chain business that sells groceries to many different kinds of people. Depending on the day of the week and the promotion that is being offered, there can be a more frequent group of people in the store. At certain times during the day, depending on the volume of customers the noise level can increase or it can be very quiet. Within the store there is a customer check out, customer service desk, multiple aisles of food, and a receiving department. All associates are required to wear the light blue Harris Teeter shirts, khaki pants or shorts, and slip resistant shoes. Associates must treat each other as well as customers with respect. There is no playing around in the store at any time. The upmost rule in Harris Teeter is The customer is always right and never argue with a customer. Communication between associates is to be polite and courteous to each other. On store headsets between people there is supposed to be no joking around and is to only be used when assistance. There is an intercom that can be heard around the store and it is not to be used by a toy. Specifically on the front end there are certain rules that apply. No one is supposed to be in the customer service office. There are to be no personal belongings, food or drinks on the front end, unless it can fit in your pocket. If a customer is seen waiting, no one is to be seen waiting/ standing on the front end. Be on time and prepared to work. There is no leaving early unless appropriate reason and when shift has ended only a customer service clerk can send you home. Be prepared to stay late; 5-10 minutes will not kill you. Inappropriate behavior can be horse play between associates, yelling, and just standing around talking in front of people. Within my observation I expect to find a group of new hires, the previous associate, customer service, managers, and cashiers. Actors: actors are people that play a significant role in a figured world.

Comment [ds1]: There is good detail about the location.

Comment [ds2]: There is enough detail about the rules.

Comment [ds3]: The paper is organized to where is separated out.

Observation Assignment Site Location: Harris Teeter

Kimbell

Jeff Hall: He is the store manager that is basically over everyone in the store. Jeff makes sure that the store looks good and is running the way it is supposed to be. Normally when Jeff is talking to someone he stares directly at them while they are talking and will not interrupt, ever. If he is in a good mood he will joke around to an extent and make others laugh. Michael Lind: Michael is the Co-Manager of Harris Teeter. He makes sure that the meat and deli department are running in an orderly fashion and customers are being helped correctly. Sometime Michael is seen wearing a hair net if he has to help out in the deli department, even though he is bald. If he is ever closing, he is often never seen out n the store even when called up front to help. Most of the time he stays in the back doing who knows what. Michael is also always seen carrying CAO (computer- assisted ordering) scanner but never seems to use. Steven Beck: Steven is one of the best Assistant Store Managers at the store. He makes sure that the grocery, dairy/frozen and produce department are in good shape and running correctly. He is the ideal associate that works for Harris Teeter and works hard for his job. He knows exactly what he is supposed to do and never slacks off any day of the week, even if he is sick. He is always willing to give his help whenever someone needs it. He knows almost everything about the store by memory, like all the department codes and customer service codes. He always misses the same belt loop on his pants. And he is always seen in his office drinking out of a 2-liter bottle. (grocery, dairy/frozen and produce) Felicia is the customer service manager that transferred in a couple months ago and changed how the front end worked. With her there is no play time in the work place. She came in and immediately started making changes that no everyone could handle. People now see her and immediately get serious and the air gets tense. She always shows up late for her shifts, never letting anyone know, and if she can leave early she will. Megan is the ideal assistant customer service manager. She is always on time and tells someone if she is going to be late. Meghan does her job correctly, and does not slack off ever. When she shows up for work she is always in a happy mood no matter what time it is. Over time is nothing new for her. Meghan always stays over on a shift, sometimes even hours to just help out because she doesnt want to leave customers and especially the front end hanging. Bailey: He is the very hardworking customer service clerk at Harris Teeter. Ever since day one he has done what he is asked and has always tried very hard to do his very best. Bailey has always been on time for his shifts and has stayed over time when asked to do so, sometimes working a double shift. The managers have seen how hard he works and the potential he has at going far in the company, and even becoming a great manager himself someday. He always is nice to the

Observation Assignment Site Location: Harris Teeter

Kimbell

customers and figures out how to resolve their problems in the best and timely manner. Beverly is the lead home shop selector at the store. When people place an order online that they want to pick-up at the store, her job is to shop all the items, bag them, and bill the order. Beverly is always very outgoing, happy and never afraid to say what she is thinking. Beverly is never quiet about what she says and is always wants to know what is going on in the store. She is always seen wearing her Harris Teeter jacket.

Artifacts: artifacts can be feelings, emotions, or physical items that are in some way significant to an actor in a figured world or the figured world as a whole. Dark button-up long sleeved shirts: Jeff Hall is always seen wearing a solid color long sleeved button up shirt. Never is he seen in short sleeves or a non-primary color. Missed belt loop: Steven Beck always misses the same belt loop on his pants to hang his manager phone on. Pen behind the ear: Steven beck also always has a pen sitting behind his ear. It is never the same pen but is always there in case he needs something to write with or to sign. Meghans black book: every single day Meghan brings with her a black book that holds all of her notes for the store. She brings it in and puts it in the office, and adds to it throughout the day.

Discourse Communities: discourse communities are groups within the figured world that share common interest and have their own ways of communicating that is different from that of the figured world as a whole. The current workers: Meghan, Bailey, and Beverly. These three are some of the most hardworking people at Harris Teeter and work hard to keep their jobs. They have seen many changes of Harris Teeter, including manager changes. The managers: Jeff, Michael, and Steven. When at work together, the managers are seen standing together talking about what still needs to be done. They sometimes are seen talking and joking around with each other depending on who is in the group. The new hires: this is Felicia and all the new cashiers that she has hired. The workers that were there before Felicia came in, do not get along with her now and defiantly do not like the rules she is implementing. She has been hiring four new cashiers until she gets a front end team that she likes. So, all the new people that have been hired all group together and mostly only talk to each other.

Observation Assignment Site Location: Harris Teeter The observation One: Friday, September 6, 2013 9:00p.m.-3:47p.m.

Kimbell

3:00p.m.- Bailey comes in to replaces another customer service clerk (Hailey) that had opened that morning. 3:20p.m.- the front end starts to get more customers and opens up to four cash registers. 3:25p.m.- the new hires talk in between checking out customers. 3:35p.m.-Lines start to form at the cash registers with customers and Bailey is running back and forth form bagging groceries for cashiers to the desk. new hires are only helping each other bag, but are not moving around to help other cashiers bag their groceries. 3:32p.m.- A customer comes up to the desk that brings back cheese because she bought the wrong kind and wanted to get the right one. Bailey take care of helping the customer and Beverly is standing at the desk listening. Once the customer walks back to go and get the cheese, Beverly takes the cheese that needs to go back and starts to play with it. 3:35p.m.-Michael Lind has to get on a register, which is rare to see. Meghan has to d oan audit on him, meaning she has to count his till. He also has to get on there because everyone else is busy helping customers. Bailey is once again running back and forth helping customers and trying very hard to keep wait times down. 3:38p.m.- lines start to die down. Bailey and Meghan stand at the desk joking and laughing. 3:43p.m.- there is a customer in lane 3 that has been waiting for a very long time and starts to get very frustrated. 3:45p.m.- Michael Lind decides to check Beverly out instead of pulling the customer that had been waiting the longest. Meghan goes over and all three start talking and laughing with each other infront of customers. 3:47p.m.- Hailey mentions to Beverly that she wants dounts, but only the one with sprinkles. Meghan makes a face to Beverly and so Beverly follows her into accounting leaving the front end up to Bailey to watch.

Comment [ds4]: Specific about times.

Comment [ds5]: Lots of artifacts in the observation.

Observation Assignment Site Location: Harris Teeter Obervation Two: Saturday, Septmeber 7, 2013 11:30a.m.-12:17p.m.

Kimbell

11:30p.m.- Harris Teeter is like any other Saturday, maybe a little busier. There is two cashiers, three customer service clerk on the front end, which is normal for a Saturday morning. 11:36p.m.-Out of nowhere there is a huge rush of customers that slam the front end. The front end begins to look like Christmas Eve night. Everyone is called to the front of the store and even people from other departments are called upfront to help bag and get carts. The lobby was half full of carts is now empty and the person that was outside getting the carts is not able to bring in enough carts to keep up with the people. 11: 42p.m. Jeff is called the front end so everyone available is able to get on a register to assist customers. Lines are still three to four people in each register. 11:49p.m.- a home shop call comes in and it takes longer than usual for someone to answer the phone. Normally a home shop order is taken out to the customer immediately, but there was a long delay with this order. Meghan answered the phone and grabbed the clip board to take out the order. When she was walking toward the door, she had to help a customer at the customer service desk and then give an override to a cashier at self-check out. 11:55p.m.- Meghan finally takes out the home shop order to the waiting customer. The front end still had many long lines and chaos occurring. 12:01p.m. Meghan returns inside from the home shop order and jumps right back into helping move customers out of the store quicker. 12:17p.m.-the front end starts to slow down, but there are still 5 registers open with three to four customers in each line. Jeff is still managing self-check out, while the other customer service clerks control the desk and registers. Observation Three: Sunday, Septmeber 8, 2013 11:37 a.m.- 12:11 a.m. 11:37 a.m.- The front end is running smoothly and nothings is going out of the ordinary. Felicia was not there today, therefore people were more relaxed, but they were also still serious. 11:40a.m.- Michael comes up the the front end and starts to joke and talk to Meghan, like he is looking for something to do. Although he says he is really busy, he asks someone to complete his store walk.

Observation Assignment Site Location: Harris Teeter

Kimbell

11:45 a.m. The front end starts to get lines of customers. There starts to be at least two to three customers in each line. 11:47 a.m.- Michael is called to the front end to help assist the front end. He was needed to help watch self check out so that the cashier there could get on a register. 11:52 a.m.- Michael is still has not shown to the front end and is over talking (more like joking) to one of the department managers. Over the headsets it is heard that between Michael and the department managers are making jokes to each other. This means that Michael is ignoring the front end all together. 11:57 a.m.- a customer attempts to buy beer before 12 oclock on Sunday. Since it is a law that no beer or alcohol can be purchased before 12 on Sundays he is denied. The customer gets frustrated and asks to speak to Meghan. The customer then informs Meghan that if Harris Teeter is not going to sell beer until 12 on Sundays, then there should be a sign up. 12:01 p.m.- beer can finally be sold to customers, since it is a Sunday, so all the customers that were waiting now come to the front end and get their beer. 12:07 p.m. Michael finally shows up to the front end wondering what was needed on the front end. Once he finally showed up, there was no need for him to watch self check out after all. 12:11 p.m.- The front end slows down enough to let people do what they were scheduled for. Meghan and Beverly stand at the customer service desk and talk about the schedule mess up. Interview:
http://mckenn1.wix.com/test
Comment [ds6]: Make sure the link works.

My inter questions: 1. Tell me about what it is like to work at Harris Teeter. 2. Why did you choose to work at Harris Teeter? 3. What does your job position consist of? 4. How have you seen the store change this year with management changing? 5. Do you like your job working at Harris Teeter? And why? 6. If you could change one thing, what would it be? 7. Explain how working at Harris Teeter has helped you with aspects of your life? 8. What do you like/ dislike about working at Harris Teeter?