Weis markets.... Management ties issued one size too small

.
So, I'm walking into Weis Market this evening for a few needful grocery items, and.....


A few years back Weis remodeled their local store (Kendig Square). All well and good, but somebody decided the only entrance to the store should be one door that slides open sideways. In other words... one, and only one, lane of travel into AND out of the store. Not a design to make entrance easy. In fact, it's downright moronic as there is plenty of room for separate entrance/exit doors side by side. Weis intentionally made it hard to get into their store, and even harder to get out, as the exit path from the registers is one old lady + a cart wide, and lined with vending machines. Brilliant!

Well, as I said.... I stopped there on the way home today. I just needed creamer for coffee tomorrow, and some cereal.... I swear, that's all.

As I walk up to the store, in the rain (unable to get under cover because that's where Weis stacks their carts) I had to wait my turn to enter the store. Two people ahead of me trying to get in, with two more trying to get out. Understand... this store is right next to the largest old folks home/complex in the state. These were not..... rapid..... people stacked up at the door.

Once I get into the door, another jam up. People had to crab walk sideways to get around two men standing just inside the door. Men in suits. Men in suits and ties. Men in suits, with ties, and with 'Weis Market' id badges hanging off their pockets. Men discussing onion arrangement or lettuce styling or something like that.

I was a heartbeat from just turning around and leaving, but my tongue refused to go with me. It has a mind of it's own, and was already warming up to unload. Who am I to argue with it? It's usually smarter than me anyway....

"Excuse me, are you two gentleman Weis market management? I see your name tags and the really nice suits...."

"Yes, we are Weis Manag........."

"Then maybe you can tell me why Weis market installed a door system that makes it so difficult for customers to enter the store here? You could have put in two doors during the remodel, but someone decided to jam everyone coming and going, all of them, through one small door. Can you explain that to me?"

"We're sorry... maybe that could have been done better, and we'll certainl........"

"I have one more question..... Which one of you decided to hold your conversation standing right smack in front of the only door into and out of this store? Which of you decided Weis market didn't need to have any more customers in the store this afternoon? When I call Weis's home office, who shall I give credit to for this stunning act of managerial excellence?"

"We're sorry, we didn't think.. we'll get out of the door... thanks for telling us about it....."

No sweat with the names fellas... I took your picture while I was waiting in the rain to get in the store. I'll just send that along to the home office when I write them.....

As I was leaving the store, some guy riding an electric scooter stopped dead right in the doorway. He could not go forward as people were trying to get in, and couldn't back up as people stacked up behind him. As I stood waiting for someone to dust off a few brain cells and recall how to work a doorway, I sent a friendly wave to the Weis guys in suits. They were over in produce, polishing tomatoes or something. The eight or ten people piled up at the doorway didn't even catch their attention, nor did my wave. Guess they were just too important (those really were very nice gray suits) to pay attention to such picayune things as customers getting pissed off by the dozens right in front of them.

Moral of the story? I'm not sure there is one. The best I can come up with.... any business that would tolerate such an idiotic design, intentionally make it hard for customers to come in and give them money, and hires two super genius managers like that... well such a company will not end up well in today's competitive markets.

If I owned stock in Weis Market, I'd dump it. Soon.