Trader Joe's Love

Trader Joe's has so many great qualities.

Last year, we went to another Trader Joe's about an hour away.  I asked for pretzel bread, only to find out that this was only a mid-west product.  However, the employee that I asked empathized with me about the fact that they didn't have it.

She said that she had had it and loved it and wished that it was available everywhere.  Even though I couldn't get it, I wasn't mad because I felt so understood.

The friend who introduced me to Trader Joe's told me a story a little while back.  She moved to the mid-west from California (where Trader Joe's originated).  On one of her first stops to the Trader Joe's in her new area, she asked about a product she had always gotten in CA.  She was so sad about the fact that she couldn't get it anymore.  The employee replied, "Well, you're not in California anymore."

She said that she hasn't seen that employee in Trader Joe's since not long after that.  You know why?  My prediction is this - he was not the kind of person that stays at Trader Joe's (and actually, usually not the kind of person that gets hired).  Trader Joe's employees are happy, friendly, and know what they are talking about.  I have a pleasant interaction with an employee each time I go in our store.

If you want to read a couple other stories about other people's experiences, here some are... :)

Customer Service Done Right

Trader Joe's Customers (it's one part of the post)

"On My Way to Buy Eggs"

I've just finished reading On My Way to Buy Eggs to Evee.  It is such a sweet and simple book.

In the back of the book the author, Chih-Yuan Chen talks about traditional Chinese stores and convenience stores.

Although it is a stretch...and even though Trader Joe's and Whole Foods are both very convenient in many ways...  I thought I'd share these lines from the author since the feelings of our experiences are so similar (for me, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Farmer's Markets feel like the traditional stores the author writes about).  It is as much about the people and the atmosphere as it is filling a need to buy food for your family.

From the author:

"Today when I looked out my window I saw a little girl carrying a bag of eggs.  She was coming out of a traditional store.  There are modern convenience stores nearby, but...there are still many traditional stores, quietly doing business...

 When I was little I would hear my mother call from the kitchen, asking me to buy salt, soy sauce, or eggs from the traditional store.  I would always see neighbors and friends in the store.  It was a place that was much more than a shop for buying and selling.

 It is nice to see that even though times have changed there are some things that remain the same."