Is it just me, or are these really stupid questions to ask at the grocery store.

Yes some of those sound pretty dumb.

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YES...terrible questions....We are required to use one of the questions exactly...I did over 300 grocery shops for Trendsource last year...Once when I returned to a store the next week, the produce man told me. Can you believe a man last week asked me which tomato was best for hamburgers? It was a different man and he was still laughing at what he had heard...so he said , no your question is not silly at all compared to that.

Of course, everyone I know freezes cranberries. I'm just saying why would I ask the produce employee which is better, fresh, frozen or canned. Who would go OVER to the freezer department and buy frozen( older) cranberries when fresh are available. I've never seen canned berries( unless it is sauce), and they are probably much more expensive than fresh cranberries.

@gbarnes wrote:

Please know that when fresh cranberries are on sale, I buy them and then freeze them. At the holidays I make cranberry nut bread and give them as gifts. I think it is okay to freeze cranberries with this specific purpose. I would rather have frozen cranberries and then cooked vs. canned sauce or jelled sauce.

@calicakes wrote:

Of course, everyone I know freezes cranberries. I'm just saying why would I ask the produce employee which is better, fresh, frozen or canned. Who would go OVER to the freezer department and buy frozen( older) cranberries when fresh are available. I've never seen canned berries( unless it is sauce), and they are probably much more expensive than fresh cranberries.

@gbarnes wrote:

Please know that when fresh cranberries are on sale, I buy them and then freeze them. At the holidays I make cranberry nut bread and give them as gifts. I think it is okay to freeze cranberries with this specific purpose. I would rather have frozen cranberries and then cooked vs. canned sauce or jelled sauce.

Of course it is fine to freeze cranberries (like anything else), they last longer and you have them
when you need them. I buy frozen blueberries for my oatmeal...same thing. Nothing wrong with frozen, you have them when you need them. I thought all cooks knew that.

edited to correct mispelled word.....eye allergies today...

Live consciously....

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/2016 04:49PM by Irene_L.A..

Cranberries DO last a long time! At this time of year, when cranberries are sold fresh, I buy a lot (I love them) and freeze them But some I roast in the oven for 15 minutes and those keep for weeks & weeks in my fridge. I put them on cold cereal, bananas & yogurt or cott. ch.

And a lot of sugar.

I actually like the questions. I used to do another store for a different MSC and I had to make up my own questions. I had the worst time coming up with fresh questions each time. I ask for Velveeta and gluten free crackers as my grocery questions.

I did one yesterday, and the Produce guy was in his 50's and told me he loves to cook. I asked about cranberries and he said, fresh cranberries last about a week, frozen last 6 months, people like to get them frozen for the holidays, baking cranberry loafs and such. I knew all that, but so did he......I do different stores, so, I do't ask the same guys the same questions, it does get old. I looked and saw canned cranberries (not sauce), bur personally get frozen without perservatives. Getting a whole package of fresh, I have to freeze them anyway, too much to use.

Live consciously....

I did one yesterday too. I asked the Mango question. The guy said " People use them for smoothies". He couldnt come up with any recipes off the top of his head.

I use the "holiday dinner" question in the deli( without the Boar's head) and they just hand me the flyer. No follow-up questions at all.

@calicakes wrote:

I did one yesterday too. I asked the Mango question. The guy said " People use them for smoothies". He couldnt come up with any recipes off the top of his head.

I use the "holiday dinner" question in the deli( without the Boar's head) and they just hand me the flyer. No follow-up questions at all.

I do make fruit smoothies, whatever i have in the house..that was a good answer. Yesterday I ask for my 1/4 pd.of BH turkey and the guy gives me 1/2 pd. wasn't listening...oh well. Got one near you today, hate the 4:00, wish it were earlier, my biggest gripe.

Live consciously....

Right, in Whole Foods or New Seasons, the 18 year old in produce could probably answer those questions. At Safeway, they wouldn't be able to identify a mango, much less provide a recipe.

@raincade wrote:

Right, in Whole Foods or New Seasons, the 18 year old in produce could probably answer those questions. At Safeway, they wouldn't be able to identify a mango, much less provide a recipe.

Safeway went out of business here in L.A., but are the main supermarket up North in San Francisco.

Live consciously....

They are odd questions when i first see them. I ask a couple of questions like wheres the blah blah or does blah blah ever go on sale and then i hit them with the dumb one, or i say my crazy neighbor wanted to know blah blah or i have a bet going with my crazy ex....

Today the meat lady told me to let the turkey sit in a bowl of water on the counter for two days. She said that is what they do in the store to defrost the ones they cook and sell in the deli as a part of the complete meal. Last week she told me to just leave it on the counter for 24 hours. Note to self: Never buy their cooked turkey.

I get answers like "why would you want to bake nuts". So much that, lately, I'm getting a little burnt out on these. I started having thoughts like, if they are checking on certain criteria, why are the employees not on it? Do they train them in these areas, questions, criteria and so they are checking on the training? Or are these random questions to check on the "try" and ability to be friendly? The reports I do that require a lot of narrative are so much harder, emotionally draining even, than the positive ones and these are beginning to equate.

@calicakes wrote:

I did one yesterday too. I asked the Mango question. The guy said " People use them for smoothies". He couldnt come up with any recipes off the top of his head.

I use the "holiday dinner" question in the deli( without the Boar's head) and they just hand me the flyer. No follow-up questions at all.

I did one yesterday too and used the mango question. I had it in my hand when I asked the question. The older gent couldn't figure out any recipes so he told me about how he likes them raw and explained how to peel and pit them... guess my question made it seem like I'd never had one before.

I had to ask about "star fruit" once... or carambola. The associate had never heard of it. It's not uncommon for folks to think you're making it up until they do a quick search on it.

But yes, the questions can be eye raising at times. My meat guy thinks I'm learning to cook -_-

MegglesKat

@AZwolfman wrote:

It is obvious that the questions are conjured by someone who has never mystery shopped a grocery store. I feel elated if even one of the question in each department makes sense and doesn't scream, "I am a shopper!" What fruit can help in weight loss??? Duh, none of the fruits have calories! However, I got a Produce employee in a competitor shop last night who had no idea and asked someone else for the answer.

All fruits have calories.

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Is it just me, or are these really stupid questions to ask at the grocery store.

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