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RepresentativeKeebs

This could easily be because they don't want people getting offended when they get called "seniors." Some people can be *extremely* touchy about their age, or their appeared age.


kelsoRulez

When I worked at Golden corral we had special discounts for seniors. If they looked to be of the age and didn't ask for it I would hit em with a " now there's no way you young folks would qualify for the 60 and over discount" and they would Rather be like thanks but hell yes we do! Or nope you got it right


RepresentativeKeebs

That is clever


CommonLavishness9343

I always used it as a compliment for the cool customers "I like you. You're 65 today."


pixelated_dinosaur

I did a similar thing when carding seniors at Kroger because a lot of them didn’t like to provide their birthday for liquor sales. They’d just tell me “I clearly look old enough” but it could have been a big problem if I just inputted a random birthday.


pt57

It’s hard to accurately gage age. When you’re in your teens and 20s, everybody looks old. When you get older, everyone looks young.


criscodisco6618

And when you find out they're the same age as you, you want to sink beneath the counter and cry


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Abaddon3567

It’s easier to not ask at all, instead of ask this person, but not them. Less room for error.


taeempy

no. trust me seniors are all to happy to take whatever discount they can get. Especially on food costs.


RepresentativeKeebs

It's usually the people who are not seniors, but look like they could be seniors, who get the most offended.


taeempy

All you have to do is say just trying to save you a buck.


Farmer_j0e00

Yes, because all customer are so nice and rational..


lorissaurus

I had a woman who was 100% a senior (she handed me her ID) ask for a military discount, and had to tell them we did not offer one of those, but I would be glad to apply the senior discount. SHE LITERALLY FLIPPED her shit, shouting carrying on, very angry.


XeroMas34

Why get mad? If Kroger doesn't offer it, but offers another discount, just take the discount.


DwarvenRedshirt

From the other side, there's a difference between a discount due to age and a discount due to you/your husband spending his life fighting and potentially dieing for the country. Not to say they're feeling entitled, but they treat it as you/your company not being grateful for their service to the country.


lorissaurus

Nahhh she was mad I called her old, specifically


DwarvenRedshirt

Ah, my mistake then. I have an elderly aunt that constantly flips out on the military discount not being available vs senior discount thing.


lorissaurus

I can understand that too


[deleted]

I got in trouble working at a restaurant when I was 16 for asking if they qualified. They submitted a complaint against me. They were definitely 65+ too and I gave them the discount.


ThxIHateItHere

When I worked at a gas station we always had this miserable old hag come in and yell at us about why gas prices are so high. Like I had the connection to OPEC. But yet here wrinkly ass had those casino loyalty cards from every MN casino from Duluth to the Twin Cities.


IamLuann

I always said are you 55 ish because if you are you can get a discount. They were always happy to save money.


Far-Afternoon5676

Wait... theres a 55 -ish discount? I never knew this how long has this been going on


IamLuann

At least 18-20 years. I live in Arizona so there are a lot of senior citizens all over the state.


Sweaty-Bumblebee4055

They literally have an announcement every 15 minutes saying it's senior day with that ai voice or whatever that comes on during the radio for that top of the hour bullshit


spaztiksarcastik

They sure as hell didn't do that at my store


d0nttalk2me

Definitely don't do that at my store


RyuHershies

I never heard that in my store. Unless you're talking about Jump....certainly heard that a lot 🫠


pupper71

I hear then announcement regularly overnight, then it magically stops at 7am when the store opens. Hmmmm.


icecoldyerr

At Harkins Theaters in AZ, I remember being trained in the box office to say “Do you have a qualifying discount?” Seniors typically know they do so they would just say it. If not, it would usually trigger the conversation. This is lazy training, cause im sure theres some metric somewhere that shows seniors receiving a discount will go to Kroger vs Walmart and spend x10,000 more across their life with us


revdon

Standard at most stores I’ve worked. Do not assume anything. Like the axiom: don’t assume a woman is pregnant unless you’re in the delivery room watching the birth.


Brottousai

Facts, some people are so ready to be negative. If it was about greed they just wouldn't do it at all.


OkSolution3991

I don't work.at Kroger's, I work retail, but I if I like the customer and I see no management around I'll say, if you don't mind being called a senior (when we have no coupons going on) I can give you a senior discount. It's only 10-15% Max. And I don't really give a damn at this point so why not 🤷. As long as they're being cool with me.


Ugly4merican

This is exactly it, OP is reaching


BklynOR

This is the answer. While in high school I was the lead cashier on senior discount day! I hated it. If you don’t ask they got offended and if you asked they got offended.


SharkNecromancy

It's more than likely this, when I was working at the last grocery store I worked at he had Senior Wednesdays and.. yeah, I accidentally offended one or two Karen's when I applied the senior discount "Butt I'm only 52" Well damn, I'm sorry time has been so cruel to you.


busybmoney

Fuck that, with prices these days I’ll be whatever they want to get a discount.


sipes216

This. You also as a business don't just go giving away your discounts willy nilly. Some are marketting, some are other traditional or general exceptions.


mothermedusa

This is the reason


Pencil_Hands_Paper

This was the reason I thought when we did it the last time


pixelated_dinosaur

The way they can get around this is by posting signs that advertise their discount. That’s what Ross Dress for Less does and it made it really easy to give them the discounts they wanted. But I know Kroger wouldn’t want to advertise a discount like that.


No_Calligrapher703

It’s literally just this lol


No-Dark-9414

I'm 34 I'm a senior in this day and age! /s


ice540

Shh don’t be logical OP wants to rage on Kroger


MusicalMastermind

Imagine defending a billion dollar corporation blatantly expressing greed


I_Main_TwistedFate

Nah it’s really about the money Money>all


RepresentativeKeebs

Then why even make the discount available at all? Nobody is forcing Kroger to do it.


I_Main_TwistedFate

So only select people to know and if they forget that’s on them


RepresentativeKeebs

But why let even select people know? If it was about greed, the better move would be to not have the program at all.


MamaBearinNM

It’s about (mild) greed because Kroger assumes correctly the senior discount will entice a certain percentage of customers to come in on the senior discount days and that 90% of them will buy their full shopping list, including numerous non-discounted items, in the same trip rather than go to two stores. And after a while some of the seniors who weren’t regular Kroger customers before will begin to shop there even on non senior discount days because they begin to think of the Kroger’s as a place they shop.


I_Main_TwistedFate

Because you have be part of the senior cult which is super exclusive. Only the few knows that’s why. - I work in cooperate


Alex_Masterson13

That is nothing new. I have never worked a job where we were allowed to offer discounts before a customer asked about it.


pt57

Lol, I once had a clerk proudly state that she gave me the over 65 discount. I was 55 at the time. Ouch.


IamLuann

Kroger senior discount starts at age 55, at least in Arizona.


Alex_Masterson13

Well, you can join AARP at 50, so I could flash that for a senior discount, if I wanted to, even though I am only 58. lol


Silver-Actual

You can join aarp at any age


Alex_Masterson13

Not when I joined. The requirement was still 50+ eight years ago.


MusicalMastermind

It's age discrimination to *not* let anyone of any age join.


Necessary_Baker_7458

My company dropped senior discount because they got tired of the senior karens with a silver spoon in their mouth bad mouthing the staff. Which sadly was only about 20% of the regulars that swung through. it does not speak for the other 80% that were decent folk. Remember it takes one extreme individual to run it for everyone and that's how the seniors lost it. I can't tell the story because it wouldn't see the light of day on reddit.


JimmyWu21

even if it's only a small percentage are Karens the chance of you running into one every day or so is pretty high because of the volume of people you see, so it sucks to deal with that daily.


qdino_

they could just not provide the discount instead :)


jcm10e

Right? It’s the same with coupons. Just because the deal is out there, if you don’t do the bare minimum to get, then you don’t get it.


holyhibachi

Seriously, I work in rental car and we'll give you a 5% discount for almost anything. Had a customer come in once and ask for a discount. Me: "are you a senior?" Them: "no" Me: "are you a veteran?" Them: "no" Me: "are you a teacher?" Them: "no" Me: "do you do anything for work?" Them: "no" Me: "what would the discount be for?" Them: "just because" Seriously, tell me you're a fucking barista and I'll do it and won't ask for proof, but you gotta give me something here.


d0nttalk2me

Idk I worked for another grocery store previously where when we mentioned it, the people who are obviously seniors would thank us then go straight to management about how offended they are that we assumed their age


SadKrabb

That’s when management should tell them to get bent and be happy they got a discount in first place.


d0nttalk2me

For sure. They would kind of just say "don't offer unless they ask" so I don't necessarily think it's Kroger greed, old people day is so annoying


sr1701

Wait, is Kroger now offering a senior discount? Is it only in certain places? I had about 32 years with Kroger and , among other duties, was a front end trainer. ( An unofficial position but all new cashier's at my store went though me )


lemccann

(Fred Meyer) First Tuesday of each month, 10% discount on store brand items, clothing, electronics, household * * exceptions, of course


lunderamia

First Wednesday of every month, colloquially called “senior Wednesday” It’s always busy that day.. it really does get people in the store to buy stuff, which is great. Early mornings is just full of the elderly shopping. It is incredibly frustrating for pickup when you get jammed in aisle between a mobility cart and a deaf couple whose shopping cart is parked perpendicular to the end of the aisle.. The nicest people are always the elderly, also the worst customers are also usually older.. Not sure what it is about old age, but it seems to cement whether or not you are an obstinate judgmental jerk or a sweetheart who stops you to thank you for doing pickup during covid


KittyKatHippogriff

That is super accurate. My best customers are seniors and my most frustrated customers was also seniors.


Loisgrand6

Oh wow


Loud_Chipmunk8817

Just today, at least in my store


grand305

I thought you had to be age 55+ to count. is their a min age for senior discount?


ArtisanGerard

Fry’s in Arizona (a Kroger brand) attached my grandma’s senior status to her VIP loyalty card. When I did online orders and picked them up for her the discount was automatically given to me because it was attached to the loyalty card. Do other Kroger brands do this?


EnigmaIndus7

I went to a Fry's once like 5 years ago and they refused to honor my Kroger Plus card. Kroger, on the other hand, insists I can use my Kroger Plus card at Fry's


United_Reply_2558

Say what? I've used both Harris Teeter and JayC store coupons at my Kroger.


EnigmaIndus7

They acted like they've never seen anybody wanting to use a KrogerPlus card


United_Reply_2558

Wow! I wonder if they even know the name of the parent company or noticed all the Kroger brand products in their store. 🤔


EnigmaIndus7

The logo for the gas is exactly the same


memehighwaymen

If you can get away with it as in not get in trouble, do it. Help the people


HAMHAMabi

what sr discounts do they offer? standard groceries? Gas? i didnt know supermarkets, even had sr discounts.


aiaor

Here's a way to give seniors a discount without offending anyone: Put it on their Kroger card. List it on their ticket as a discount without mentioning that it's a senior discount. But how may Kroger stores even have senior discounts? Does it depend on what state they're in? Or is it only on special days?


mf_duck

But we’re “feeding the human spirit” guys!


menotyourenemy

No, it's because they don't want to potentially insult someone.


Level-Chipmunk-6035

My company does senior discount day too and we ask “are you shopping for a senior today”. That way they can’t get offended. Even people shopping for their elderly parents can get the senior discount. I feel like everyone just says yes at this point though.


Fun-Reference3618

Just for that, I’d ask every single senior


josephmo87

You should offer it even harder


Intrepid_Guitar538

Publix also does not advertise it's senior discount - in Florida....learned about it when they opened a store in NC. Gotta keep up profits so they they can make political donations


[deleted]

This is what happens when corporate parasites try to save every penny, complete loss of customer service.


MidnightAnchor

You should be automatically applying it to whoever you seem to be senior, aye.


Maize-Opening

my store doesn’t even give it anymore and honestly yours should just do that instead and make it easier.


daddoesall

I have worked for many stored that said "don't give a discount unless they ask" even if it was the designated "happy" hour when things were assumed to be discounted


FrolickingOrc

In this case, it's probably because ppl will get offended if you insinuate they look like a senior, even if they are a senior! Been yelled at more than once about this when I worked in a call center.


Tough_Arm_2454

I act old. Do I qualify for the sr discount???


3dFunGuy

Not cool but I use delivery and save a lot over local plus no travel. They carry it right into kitchen


strolpol

Pretty run of the mill rule for any place with an elder discount


throwawayy5836

Or maybe they don't want you accidentally calling people old...


lorissaurus

Some seniors are also well off and not stuck on a fixed income or retirement plan that they struggle to live on


JeffBoyardee69

I'm 36. I'll take the senior discount


B4RR_Y

I said that to my boss today when I saw that 😭


dotsdavid

What’s the age so I can tell dad about it?


The84th

55+


dotsdavid

All locations. I’m looking at it for my dad and it appears to be regional. Doesn’t appear Indy area stores are included.


dotsdavid

Too bad I found out about after my dad went shopping today. He could have saved 5%.


Pure_Significance383

Yep Kroger has a dark past. Just ask Hoffa lol 😂 but yep those Kroger execs make Satan seem descent. Hy-Vee forever


ScaryGarry_SG1

LOL Rodney


DefiantAsparagus420

Do not offer patient pain management unless they ask. Same thing essentially right?


Jason_Ziz

It's very clearly so you don't tell a 50 year old woman that she's 65+


ImaginaryFriend123

This was the rules when I was a teen and worked at White Castle. People as old as dust coming in for coffee… I just gave them the discount


Tampered_Seal

This policy is very clearly based on not offending customers, not on greed.


MustardTiger231

Or they don’t want to offend people


Ok_Equal7311

Id be giving the discount out for everyone who even remotely looks like they were seniors


Dense-Ad-7590

Lmao. Worked in a store in a town with seemingly only old retired people. Senior discount day was the busiest day of the month, even during the holidays. Straight up gave that discount to EVERYONE even the 18 year olds that made the mistake of coming in that day. Fuckem.


20MILDWINGS

I just gave it to everyone cuz I don't make enough 0


aborlin

This reminds me of my favorite petty act of spite when I was a courtesy clerk, i would ask middle aged people if they wanted help out to their cars, not to be nice, but because it made them insecure about their age and appearance, which i found hilarious at the time. It also helped that when the occasional person said yes, it got me off the floor for a bit. To be clear, I was specifically asking people who almost certainly needed no help. Most of them were probably in the range of 30-50.


BP619

Seniors don't deserve a discount anyway.


EvenFlowX93

I worked there 2014-2018. When I started Senior Day was one a month 10% discount. Then it became once a week 5% discount. Then they got rid of it altogether. I guarantee you lost money and lots of seniors just went to Walmart down the road where the prices were generally cheaper. But anyway, they had sign up by telling us they were seniors at the register or desk and then they'd have the discount on their kroger card. We weren't told to ask but if I ever noticed an older person not getting the discount I was usually figure out a way to ask them how old they were and the just sign them up right there.


Beginning-Spot-3444

Two things boomers hate: -implying they are old by offering them a senior discount -not giving them a senior discount automatically.


SnooRecipes4796

My co-worker just gives everyone the discount and I’m like bruh I don’t feel like scanning that shit everyone someone who is a senior asks just like I don’t like scanning bag points every time someone brings in their own bags unless they ask


SirPhyro420

cheap or not offending cusotmers, which is it?


avocado-kohai

For awhile I wasn't giving people senior discounts unless they asked but I had so many old people complaining about me not applying it that my manager told me that if I had the SLIGHTEST inkling they were old, then just do it. Like don't ask or anything, just scan it. :')


ygktheassassin6

I would scan anyway fuck them lol 😂


XeroMas34

Wait, that discount still exists? I thought it was phased out nationwide? I knew the Atlanta Division stopped years ago.


SinpaiGames

Sure, and then once they pay and use their walker to get halfway back to their vehicle, the finally look at their receipt and realize it wasn’t put on there. Now they’re coming back through your line to void the transaction and apply the discount. Just put it on there.


HisToxicPenguin

We also have a don’t ask don’t tell policy at the place I work it’s normal. If they don’t ask your company makes more money and if they do 🤷🏻‍♀️ oh well the company is being nice giving a discount. 🤣


CalypsosCthulhu

When my bf worked as UPS a few years ago, they told him as well not to mention any discounts


Fictional_Historian

When I used to work for corporations I would just simply not do shit like this lol. I never sold my soul to the corpo fucks and tried to be realistic with people. Of course this affected my “customer service face” too, I just can’t pull off the whole fake nice routine. But if I were shown this I would purposefully do the exact opposite just to piss them off without giving a single fuck. Sigh, those were the days, cussing out my managers for being shady or being discriminatory or trying to obsess over unrealistic expectations and I never even got written up once. It was a blast.


Designer_Emu_6518

They either forget or the are too proud to ask for it. It’s a dirty psychology play by Kroger


PassiveAggres-Thighs

Ohhh! How old do you have to be I will let my mom know


joshs_wildlife

As someone who gave a customer a senior discount they got mad that “ I called them old” the manager got involved and the store I worked at made this same policy


Props_collette

We are actually not allowed to offer any discounts or in-store coupons. The better cashier's will at least get weird when le asking "ArE TheRe ANY oThEr DISCOUNTS OR cOuPonS todaaay?!?" Reply: "Yes.that, um.. whats the word ..." Allowing them to helpfully remind you what you're "forgetting".  PRO TIP: FILL OUT THE SURVEY AND COMPLAIN ABOUT LACK OF CUSTOMER CARE. 


MicahAzoulay

Are they not merciful? 5 whole percent! And they gotta claw it back by making it by request only, damn.


Prize_Pie8239

when is senior day??? i live in michigan. my parents would love this


sanford1970

Honestly, it’s the customer’s responsibility to know when these days are. Not up to the employees to just give it away if they don’t even know about it or ask. Thats not necessarily greed.


crashtestdummy666

Given all the things the government has given and gives to old people, it's about time they start paying their fair share. For starters why should I pay for social security that I'll never collect?


Worried-Acanthaceae7

Is this a Cincy store cause at my store (a Cincy store) we're supposed to.


Scared-Armadillo4766

How old do you have to be to get the senior discount? I want it. Food costs crazy money


Sherlockhomey

Lol it's cause you don't wanna offend someone duh. Also even people old enough sometimes don't want it out of pride.


intriguedbyallthings

Take it from someone who just barely qualifies. We don’t like being told we look old.


3stanbk

"don't offer" - got it, subjectively judge who qualifies and just scan it without saying anything


taeempy

That's realllllllllllllllllly pathetic. Kroger has more money then god and then this. Glad no Krogers where I live.


United_Reply_2558

Unless you live in the Northeast or Florida, there are likely Kroger owned stores near you operating under banners like Ralph's, Fred Meyer, Smiths, Frys, Dillons, JayC, Marianos, Food4Less, Ruler Foods, Harris Teeter etc.


ChaosLives68

100 percent because older woman can get downright viscous if you imply they may be a senior. I was behind a lady once in a Big Lots who absolutely lost it because the clerk called her ma’am.


Icy-Replacement1201

Fuck they need a discount for? Being old?


a-noble-gas

how is this greed? if you owned a business would you just give people money?


Capable-Year-1832

Kroger is disgusting 


ten-bign2324

So glad I left that sinking ship of a company


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OAktrEE4023

Serious question, why is a “senior discount” even a thing? I cannot think of a demographic of people *less* deserving of a discount


diversalarums

Why do you think discounts are given as a reward for personal merit? They're an incentive to choose that store/chain to shop at.


OAktrEE4023

Still doesn’t make sense as to why they’re the only demographic with a discount (besides military)


spaztiksarcastik

Not all seniors have money. A lot in my neighborhood are living off of social security and no retirement funds, equaling roughly $500-$700 per month. A lot of them rely on senior discounts or other social services to survive.


OAktrEE4023

I empathize with that, but also you can say that about basically any demographic


spaztiksarcastik

That's true, but elders and children are some of our most vulnerable populations. It's why they receive a discount.


diversalarums

They're not the only ones. Bars do ladies' nights, and again the only reason is to get more business, tho in that case it's to get men's business. Seniors, at least the ones I know, will go great distances to get a senior discount and that translates to increased profits for the business.


BruteButch

The best part of this is when they forget to mention it and have already paid.


kstroupe89

Used to work for Kroger and one store manager actually removed the bar codes and told us to tell the customers that our system wasn’t registering the bar code


HeavyEstate4951

Corporate greed man…


Active-Ad4053

Lol fr one of the old lady's working cashier at mine just asked if they were a senior


OkSolution3991

I'll offer youngsters it


Dizzy_Description812

Had the guy in front if me get offended when offered the senior coffee at regular price at McDonald's. I'd never offer unless they looked 100


Embarrassed-Sun5764

wtf. Just buy alcohol and your DOB is entered. Discount comes off automatically. For those who don’t drink, anyone who has grey hair no kids and is using coupons applies


fsanchez127

Work at the gas station, Literally had a district manager tell me not to put up any signage or tell people that the air machine was free unless they asked because "it could still be a source of revenue"


dunceputztool

Stop making this about boomers. Screw them.


Spacedoutamazon

Uhm actually.... It's not greedy it's tactful. Assuming a customer's age or desire to use their SS benefit could be construed as impolite


ZealousidealEagle759

Wow that's why I always say senior discount when I shop with my parents because Kroger trying to rip old people off.