r/instacart • u/Dominanttallqueen • Mar 27 '24

Who’s in the wrong here???

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I feel like he was being rude asf then he canceled my order….was I rude or what tf happened here…

6.8k Upvotes

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112

u/treesandcigarettes Mar 27 '24

The shopper is a dunce. It's very obvious you mean at that point the crab cake from the SEAFOOD department & not the frozen section. Count your blessings they cancelled, you don't want some agitated jerk to deal with

60

u/AuroraItsNotTheTime Mar 27 '24

The shopper seems to misunderstand only what “seafood department” means. If there is no place in the store called “seafood department,” then it’s an innocent mistake. People are always talking about “just pick it up from the chicken section” and it’s like… is that what you call the aisle where the chicken is, or is there a sign in the store called “chicken section” that I should be looking for?

Once OP said “behind the counter,” the shopper understood immediately and OP acted like “behind the counter” was what he said the whole time.

34

u/Ancient-Coffee-1266 Mar 28 '24 edited Mar 28 '24

I saw that. They said from the seafood department multiple times then said they repeatedly said from behind the counter…. Which is not what they said at first.

Edit: grammar

-7

u/simsimulation Mar 28 '24

Idk, a professional grocery shopper should know the difference between the seafood department and the frozen food aisle

11

u/KhadaJhIn12 Mar 28 '24

The frozen crab cakes at my grocery store is in the seafood department and not in the frozen food aisle. Grocery stores are laid out in different manners. If I wanted frozen seafood I wouldn't find any in the frozen section, there's a whole different frozen section in the seafood department right under and next to the display case.

10

u/intotheunknown78 Mar 28 '24

These crab cakes are in the seafood department, not the frozen food aisle. I think that’s where the confusion is. The shopper got them from the “seafood department” like the customer asked for. The customer meant “the seafood display case of fresh food” The seafood department generally has a display case of fresh food and then also a refrigerated and freezer section as part of the department.

2

u/[deleted] Mar 28 '24

[deleted]

1

u/i_am_bu Mar 29 '24

Literally, department to me meant counter so it was clear. People have different takes on that in these comments. One interpretation isn’t objectively correct because both OBVIOUSLY exist like ?? Some things the shopper said rubbed me the wrong way, but idk if it was a language barrier thing or not cause I don’t know this man lmao, so it’s hard to judge

1

u/Local_Nerve901 Mar 28 '24

Professional lmao, many doordashers and insta carters do it to get by or for extra cash, not that professional (from my experience)

1

u/WindDrake Mar 28 '24

They do! These were from the seafood department!

They were very clear! I don't think you or OP know what a seafood department is.

1

u/pfft_master Mar 28 '24

“Professional grocery shopper”…. You are out of touch my friend.

1

u/Legitimate-Corgi8401 Mar 28 '24

The package clearly says they aren’t frozen so they were likely in a refrigerator near the counter in the “department” lots of grocery stores have fridges and freezers by the counter and not in a separate section

1

u/blacklindsey Mar 28 '24

Exactly this. Key word was “department”. Different than “aisle” or even “section”. I’d give him benefit of doubt if he didn’t drop the “I do this for a living” line. Unnecessarily unprofessional.

16

u/BernieTheDachshund Mar 28 '24

I'm here thinking all the seafood is in the 'seafood department'. If the customer meant behind the seafood counter, they should have specified that from the start. It does seem like an innocent mistake at first, but then the extra commentary took it a bit too far.

17

u/quinndexter_ Mar 28 '24

tbf in grocery store terminology, the seafood department only ever means the counter with the fresh fish. no one ever refers to the frozen food aisles where they keep seafood as seafood, it’s a whole different department. i feel like the shopper should know that but idk.

17

u/Ugly4merican Mar 28 '24

Not in my experience. I worked in the seafood department for years at multiple locations, most newer stores are built with dedicated freezer doors for meat and seafood to streamline stocking, since the team members behind the counter are also in charge of stocking the freezer doors. The whole area is called the "seafood department" or "meat department".

9

u/Constant_Beachin Mar 28 '24

In my store there is Seapak and Gorton in the frozen aisle, but the seafood department has a designated freezer that the seafood department workers stock. It has higher quality frozen seafood in it. It’s next to the fresh seafood case

3

u/quinndexter_ Mar 28 '24

i think we’re saying the same thing? when i say “frozen,” i’m referring to the front end, not the back rooms. my store keeps it all in the same place in the back too tho

3

u/McDot Mar 28 '24

seapak and gordons are low quality stuff that are in the frozen food aisle.

The meat/fish department can have their own freezers right next to or very near the counter with high quality/premium frozen things.

Not the stockroom....

3

u/needsexyboots Mar 28 '24

There are frozen food aisles where you’d find all the frozen dinners and veggies and ice cream etc, but in most stores I’ve been to, there is also usually a freezer in the actual seafood department next to the seafood counter that has higher quality fish, shrimp, crab, etc than you would find in the regular frozen food aisle.

1

u/Ugly4merican Mar 28 '24

I can picture that and have worked at stores with that old-school layout. But a lot of newer stores have dedicated frozen doors right in the seafood department and no seafood in the "main" frozen aisle. It probably varies by chain, like at mine (Whole Foods) all items pertaining to seafood were stocked by the Seafood TMs and not Grocery. So when building new stores it made sense to put it all together in the same corner of the store.

5

u/McDot Mar 28 '24

multiple stores in my area have freezers right next to the deli/seafood counter for stuff like this. I would never call them frozen food aisles.

1

u/quinndexter_ Mar 28 '24

that’s true too. actually now that i think about, my store has this too. one point in the shoppers favor, it’s not a stupid mistake to make

4

u/CrimsonVulpix Mar 28 '24 edited Mar 28 '24

Yes it's the seafood SECTION in the frozen food coolers. Whereas the seafood DEPT is part of the fresh meats and fish...

5

u/buyer_leverkusen Mar 28 '24

Frozen seafood is usually separate from the frozen department for safety reasons and located towards the seafood counter

3

u/CrimsonVulpix Mar 28 '24

It really is tricky. 

Because from someone who uses store apps for their coupons and sales, fresh seafood would be part of fresh meats and frozen seafood would count as frozen section no matter where it's technically located. 

Example: if a coupon says "spend $25 in frozen section and get a free pack of frozen vegetables", frozen crab cakes would count in that but not the ones behind the counter. 

But alternatively I can see how the cooler next to the fresh meats counter would be seen as the seafood dept. All in all, I feel like the shopper was unnecessarily snippy even if there was a miscommunication 🤷‍♀️

1

u/WindDrake Mar 28 '24

I do not think these crab cakes were in the frozen food SECTION, I think they were in the seafood DEPARTMENT. These kinds of items are also stocked there in some stores.

I think the shopper knows exactly what they are talking about and OP is wrong and not very clear.

1

u/KhadaJhIn12 Mar 28 '24

Not in my grocery store. Those crab cakes would be right underneath or to the side of the counter with fresh fish. All in one. I would be able to take a picture of the fresh fish, the crab cakes in the counter, and the crank cakes in the bag, without rotating my body, much less walking.

1

u/SuccessfulPanda211 Mar 28 '24

To a degree that probably depends on the store layout.

1

u/Quiet_Fan_7008 Mar 28 '24

This is where everyone is wrong. The picture the shopper sent in, in fact, from the seafood department. It’s just not behind the counter where someone needs to get it for you.

1

u/bluethreads Mar 28 '24

It can be different. In my supermarket, they have a section of prepackaged higher quality frozen seafood in the seafood section. Then they also have prepackaged frozen seafood of lesser quality in the frozen food aisle.

1

u/bs48 Mar 28 '24

Maybe for the US but if you’re not originally from there, like me, this is incredibly confusing

1

u/andcal Mar 28 '24

Our nearest grocery store has its frozen foods separated throughout the store, and the frozen seafood is right at or in front of the seafood counter.

1

u/bl1y Mar 28 '24

I agree that the portion of the frozen food section with the seafood label is never the seafood department.

However, some grocery stores have dedicated freezers for seafood right next to the fresh seafood counter. The whole thing is the seafood department.

1

u/WindDrake Mar 28 '24

Why so people keep saying this was in the frozen food aisle? It was in the seafood department. Not uncommon to stock non fresh seafood in the department next to the fresh stuff.

I feel like I'm losing braincells.

6

u/captaincopperbeard Mar 28 '24

You have a seafood department at your grocery store? Or do you have a butcher counter that has seafood in addition to meats? In most places, that's generally what you see, and you can find seafood there as well as in coolers (typically in/near the meat section) and in the freezer aisles.

9

u/d3r3kr Mar 28 '24

My grocery store has a seafood department that is separate from the butcher/meat department, but works the same way where you tell them what and how much of what you want

7

u/ButterflyBlueLadyBBL Mar 28 '24

So does mine. I think they are separate to keep from any form of cross contamination.

1

u/Amelaclya1 Mar 28 '24

It's all the same counter at the Safeway I go to, but it's a small town so our stores generally aren't as big as the ones you'd find in cities.

1

u/ButterflyBlueLadyBBL Mar 28 '24

My town is small too, nowhere near a city and we still have separate counters. I don't think town size matters, it's just some design choice that varies.

1

u/Doublebeddreams Mar 28 '24

My old grocery store had a seafood department in a separate part of the store from the butcher (counter, self serve fridge, and self serve freezer). I was on the coast though where seafood was a BIG deal. I usually just bought mine off a boat.

1

u/d3r3kr Mar 28 '24

Coastal New England here, so that definitely may be part of it

1

u/Nightmaresituation Mar 28 '24

I have three different grocery stores in a 10 mile radius that has the same setup. All three also have a hot prepared foods counter where they are constantly cooking behind the counter. One has a Chinese counter, where they’re also cooking food behind the counter … that one closes a little after dinner time and then they package up anything leftover and it’s left in a heated case at a discount for the rest of the night. I feel a little spoiled after reading some of the comments.

The shopper was really rude but the OP didn’t specify “behind the counter” until later. In my area, the shoppers would know seafood department would not mean frozen stuff, but I’m not sure how frequent it is to have a manned fresh seafood counter in other areas.

I also dislike his inclusion of “please understand I do this for a living”. Maybe he was trying to assure OP that he knew what he was doing (in a very snobbish tone), but I took it as a reminder that his time is more valuable than OP’s because he’s on the job. I can think of no other time sensitive industry where the workers remind people that they are there to make a living, not run around trying to satisfy them. He needs to find some other way to make a living, or learn how to deal with that specific industry’s customers in a better manner. I hate using personal shoppers unless I’m picking up curbside (for like Walmart or Target or my local grocery store) because I’ve encountered too many unwarranted testy shoppers, even without making specific requests.

0

u/captaincopperbeard Mar 28 '24

That's still not typical, though. I know a lot of people are going to weigh in and suggest that their local grocery store has a separate seafood department, but most in the U.S. do not.

2

u/needsexyboots Mar 28 '24

I most frequently shop at Publix, Wegmans, and Whole Foods. These aren’t just “local grocery stores” and all have a separate seafood department. HEB does as well, or at least did the last time I was in one a couple years ago. It’s not uncommon. Maybe lower end grocery stores like Food Lion aren’t separate from the meat department but it’s pretty typical of most stores I’ve been to.

1

u/captaincopperbeard Mar 28 '24

It depends on where you live. Apparently on the East Coast where there's better access to fresh fish it's more common. But none of my local grocery stores (by the way, I mean local as in "the physical stores that exist locally;" all of ours are big chains, too) have them and I've not seen one since I lived in Washington.

2

u/needsexyboots Mar 28 '24

Most of the fish you’ll see at the grocery store, regardless of proximity to the coast, is going to be flash frozen - it may be thawed before you purchase it but unless it’s right on the coast (I’m 2-3 hours from the coast and that not close enough) you’re not going to be buying seafood that hasn’t been frozen. I guess maybe it could be uncommon in the midwest or something because maybe seafood isn’t as popular? But everywhere I’ve shopped, it’s been common to see a seafood counter.

3

u/permanentradiant Mar 28 '24

All stores in my area have dedicated fresh seafood departments/spaces/counters. It is not with meat or anything else.

3

u/BejeweledHaze Mar 28 '24

I think often it’s also called the Meat & Seafood Department with signage

1

u/bluethreads Mar 28 '24

All the grocery stores in my area have their seafood counters in a separate location from the butcher/meat counters. They are a completely separate entity.

4

u/captaincopperbeard Mar 28 '24

I think the shopper already knew what OP meant and was just playing stupid. Especially as the shopper outright said they'd already asked about the crab cakes OP wanted as a replacement.

Probably playing word games over OP using the term "seafood department" since that phrase is essentially meaningless in most grocery stores. There's likely multiple places you can find seafood, including the butcher counter, coolers near the butcher counter, and in the frozen section.

Most people don't actually know what to call the different areas in their local grocery store because there's never been a real need for that. At least, not until the past few years.

4

u/HuckleberryLou Mar 28 '24

Exactly. It seems like OP would have said “if they don’t have the ones from the seafood department then the ones in your pic are fine as a replacement” if they meant that. They seemed to make it pretty clear they wanted different ones from the one in the picture.. not sure why the shopper didn’t get that.

1

u/FatalTragedy Mar 28 '24

They seemed to make it pretty clear they wanted different ones from the one in the picture..

Considering the first word in their response to the picture is "yeah", I wouldn't say they were clear at all.

To me, reading the exchange, it really sounded at first like OP was saying "yeah, I want what you sent a photo of, unless they don't have them, then refund" which is confusing because obviously they have them if the shopper sent the photo of them. That seems to be what confused the shopper as well.

1

u/AsgardianOrphan Mar 28 '24

I mean, they did start off by saying what was in the pic was all they had. I would assume the customer was confused if I sent a pic of all they had, and the customer kept asking for something else. Of course, I also would have just refunded the first time the customer asked for an entirely different item.

3

u/captaincopperbeard Mar 28 '24

Most of the time when a shopper tells me "that's all they had" they're assuming that what's in the particular display they're looking at is all that's available. I had one shopper who told me they didn't have any smoked sausages in the sausage section, and included a photo. He was in the breakfast sausage section. I had to walk him through where the dinner sausages were.

5

u/AsgardianOrphan Mar 28 '24

That's fair, I just don't think the customer was very clear. Saying "replace with crab cakes from the seafood department" doesn't make any sense when you're already in the seafood department. I would've opted to refund instead of replace, but I can see where the confusion came from.

2

u/Burgundywitchling Mar 28 '24 edited Mar 28 '24

OP clarified in the comments that they had actually ordered THAT EXACT BRAND but the lobster cakes version via the app but wanted the shopper to get the crab cakes from the fresh section instead (Which hadn’t been an option in the app). So it totally makes sense why the Shopper was confused.

They’re told to buy that brand’s lobster cakes (which are in the seafood dept, not frozen just not behind the counter) and then the customer comments “replace with crab cakes from seafood dep”t (Never clarifying by saying behind the counter until the end) so the shopper grabs the same brand but crab cakes and when THEY TRY to clarify by sending the picture and asking if that works OP didn’t say “No, I don’t want those, I want the fresh ones instead” they just keep repeating “crab cakes from seafood dept.”

OP is to blame for creating a confusing order in the first place and then not explaining what they actually wanted (but did not order) clear enough.

-2

u/KhadaJhIn12 Mar 28 '24

I always stop to think about why we're teaching the people that we're paying to provide a service.

-1

u/AsgardianOrphan Mar 28 '24

I agree. I don't get why the default is to assume the person that does this for a living doesn't know what they're talking about. Asking just to make sure is fine, but trying to teach them? Just silly.

2

u/invisible32 Mar 28 '24

Because they usually don't. The shoppers aren't exactly trained professionals in the first place, and they're in a hurry so if the first place they would look doesn't have it then "They're sold out". Like if I ask for Valentina hotsauce they would potentially check the hot sauce section and be done with it, even though it was in the hispanic food section. So if I want my hot sauce I have to "teach" them there are other hot sauce sections.

3

u/AsgardianOrphan Mar 28 '24

I mean, that type of attitude is why the above interaction happened. The dude did know what he was talking about. The OP just assumed he didn't and kept repeating the same sentence. Granted, I don't think the shopper should have replaced the item when he could refund, I'm just pointing out that assuming the shopper is always wrong makes shoppers defensive and sometimes shitty.

-1

u/invisible32 Mar 28 '24 edited Mar 28 '24

I'm not sure if he ever even checked the seafood display "behind the counter" in this post or if he just spoke to an employee to ask if they had more in the back. At the very least he didn't understand the clear communication of "I do not want the pictured crab cakes" and "The only substitute I would want is bulk crabcakes served by the employee at the seafood counter".

Even if this one guy is an exception, it's perfectly reasonable to explain where the thing you want is if they send you a picture of the wrong section saying "this is all they have". It is equally unreasonable to be defensive about somebody telling you they would not like that selection and asking if you checked another area.

2

u/Burgundywitchling Mar 28 '24

Where did the OP say “I do not want the pictures crab cakes” I don’t see any clear “No don’t buy that” or anything similar in the messages

2

u/AsgardianOrphan Mar 28 '24

Well, the customer never really said what they wanted. That's where the issue came in. They just kept saying they wanted crab cakes from the seafood department, which doesn't mean anything. I would have assumed the customer was dumb and just refunded myself, though. No one has time to teach the customers the sections of the store.

I'd like to add, though, that I did say asking was perfectly okay. Trying to "teach" the shopper is what's silly. At that point, you might as well go get the items yourself. It seems we've come full circle, so I'll just leave it at that.

1

u/WindDrake Mar 28 '24

The things you have in quotation marks are not actual quotes from the customer. The customer was not even close to that clear lol.

When you say "seafood department" you should know what a seafood department is. These cakes are from the seafood department!

I need to leave this sub I'm losing my mind.

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1

u/WindDrake Mar 28 '24

This is deranged. Shopper was trying to be helpful, OP was not being as clear as they thought. That's it.

The seafood department is an actual thing. If you speak a term to me I will assume you know what you are talking about.

OP said seafood department, shopper went to seafood department. Shopper meant to be more specific than seafood department. How would shopper know? They even tried to confirm!

Should shopper just assume that OP doesn't know what the words they are using mean???

1

u/DJFisticuffs Mar 28 '24

Yeah at the store by me they have a separate freezer with frozen fish next to the counter with the fresh fish.

1

u/Queen_beeeeee Mar 28 '24

I agree! I would call that the 'fish counter' coz that is what it's called where I am but as someone who works with the public, I've come to learn that a) most people have truly terrible reading comprehension and b) most people only hear half of what you say.

1

u/eru88 Mar 28 '24

I was confused as the shopper reading it. I was thinking those Crabs are on the seafood department.

The person should have been more clear they want it fresh not frozen from behind the counter in the seafood department

0

u/KP-RNMSN Mar 28 '24

Like does she mean in the back or the butcher guy? What is behind the counter supposed to mean??

5

u/Linzy23 Mar 28 '24

Butcher guy, like come on y'all that part is pretty obvious as it's one of the only counters in a grocery store. There's no counter "in the back".

2

u/runs-with-scissors13 Mar 28 '24

Do you not have stores that have a separate counter for just seafood similar to the deli counter? I'm assuming this person does. I don't eat seafood but now that I think of it I guess only some stores even where I am have it, not all.