Mommy Mojo says, Publix- Not your ordinary grocery store

Going into Publix, it’s pretty much standard fare.  You grab your cart, and you start working through your shopping list.  Most people think of grocery shopping as another chore; something you do as quickly as possible to get on with your life.  There are three areas that make Publix excel: their Customer Service, Pharmacy and Entertainment.  When I stroll in with my toddler on Saturday mornings, I get a message: Pay it forward.

The greatness of this store is found in the detail.  I can ask almost any employee of this store where the “Horseradish” is (for instance) and they not only can tell me where the item is but always walk me to the location. This one small thing saves me a large amount of time with a toddler.  At the cash registers, the bagger always asks you if you’d like help getting to your car.  To top it off, when I’m in the parking lot unloading groceries, someone almost always offers to take my empty cart.

Of course their pharmacy provides answers that you would think a pharmacy would provide (Can x and y medicine be taken together? Can you recommend a good decongestant?) But like so many other facets of this store, their pharmacy is always seeking out ways to provide the customer with the best experience possible.

Earlier last year I was having an issue with nausea and I went to a new doctor.  The doctor sent me home with a prescription for a drug (let’s just try it, he says).   I went to Publix Pharmacy, who informs me that this drug was $250.  Seeing the distraught look on my face, he says, “I know of a drug that just went over the counter and provides the same type of relief.”  Its $9 and I have a $5 coupon I can give you for it.

This store always is decorated for some kind of occasion or holiday, but they do more than that to try and entertain their customers in unique ways.  They have a cooking station in the front of the store (my favorite guy is Jack) who is so funny he should have his own cooking show.  Every time I don’t feel like being happy I go and see if Jack is at the cooking counter.  He always has the inside scoop on some new fantastic dish.

Twice a year they have big tastings in their store, where they offer a variety of new foods to sample. My favorite this year was Christmas Eve, when the people behind the deli brought their own musical instruments and broke out in Christmas Carols.  I was getting teary right there between the tea and the breakfast cereals.

I don’t think one of these employees knows how much brighter they make my life. I don’t think they have any idea how much it means to have people constantly offering to help.  It creates chains of good deeds every day, big and small.

Thank you, Publix.