i got kicked out of Whole Foods!

what kind of hippie store is it, that they won't let me be barefoot there! i rarely shop at WF because it's more expensive, and it's a little more out of the way than the local market and the safeway. but i went in there to get some homeopathic stuff, because i figure it's prolly cheaper there than at the local market.

and the guy tells me i have to put on shoes. i asked why. he said "because we carry glass items, which might break." i said "and i'm perfectly capable of looking where i step." to which he replied "but we don't always get all the pieces when we sweep it up, and you need to be wearing shoes to shop here." so i just left.

on my way out, a woman wearing "store approved" high heels fell flat on her face because of her rediculous foot apparel. it made me laugh.

 

I shouldn't laugh at the lady who fell but.....


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Hang in there NTH Im not trying to piss you of but i spent the entire day today in Wellington city with my daughter barefoot we went everywere from the upmarket clothing stores to the alternative lifestyle section of town were being barefoot is more the norm than the exception I guess there is something to be said for living in a smaller country more laid back.

But i understand totally what you are saying how some stores will not allow you in barefoot in case you stand on somethig or something heavy falls on your feet yet a simple pair of jandals a rubber sole & two rubber straps are going to give your feet total protection DUH!

Anyway keep up the good fight I will best wishes

 

no pissed off here. i do envy the laid back style down under. the thing that shocked me with this whole thing is just that sonoma county (where i live) is pretty hippified and laid back. and whole foods is THE hippy place to shop for groceries in this town. so i was really surprised when i was told i needed to put on shoes or leave. i'm sure it's a corporate thing and all that, but some branches of chains seem to be much more laid back than others. this one, apparently not.

and yes, i took all my willpower not to make an example out of the poor woman in the high heels and pester the poor employee trying to do his job, by telling him they should ban high heels and promote barefooting. it was just the ironic funny i needed to help me walk out of the store with dignity... and bare feet.

 

Yes I do understand what you are saying it is only innocent staff following company rules but im sure youll agree some of these rules do defy logic.

Never mind we will just have to battle on.

 

oh, of course i agree that the rules are stupid. but i bit my tongue and reminded myself that this guy was just trying to keep his job so he could pay his bills, just like i do. i uphold a lot of rules at my job that i don't believe in, just so i can have food to eat. so i can't really complain or get mad at him. i was just surprised.

 

I've never had problems barefooting at the Whole Foods. But I also tend not to take it terribly personal when asked to put shoes on.

 

definitely your errand was worth the time you wasted, facts proved your point lol.

 

That's interesting. I've never gone barefoot to Whole Foods but have been to lots of other groceries. I've never had a problem; in fact, I've had some pleasant interactions with employees when I've been barefoot.

Sometimes I think the problem is that people are startled by unexpectedly seeing bare feet and don't know how to react. Some think it's different so it must be bad. I surprised myself a few weeks ago with my reaction. I went to a grocery store about 8:00 P.M.. Upon entering, there was a girl, about 16, dirty bare feet, talking to her friends, one of whom worked at the store. I was a bit startled. It just caught me by surprise because I'm not used to seeing bare feet when I go out, but it's probably no different than the reaction people have when they see me. The difference is that I just smiled and thought "she's one of us" versus striking out and saying, "that's wrong, go home and get some shoes."

 

That's terrible.

 

I love the title of this one:

http://autumnalequinox.deviantart.com/art/no-shoes-full-service-100272689

Now why can't they have a sign like that?

 

whole foods isn't a hippy store.

 

You should have said your feet were hard enough to walk on glass and hope they didn't challenge you to prove it...

 

Isn't it funny, that their web site shows a picture of the original first Whole Foods store, with at least one staff member in the front row in her bare feet...? At least, the bad resolution does not show flip-flops or sandals...



And, not to forget that hairy shirtless guy in the second row, left!!!
My, my, how they converted to a shoddist mindset...

What do they say about treating customers...?

We offer value to our customers by providing them with high quality products, extraordinary service and a competitive price. We are constantly challenged to improve the value proposition to our customers.

Yep. I daresay, in case of what happened to NTH, they were challenged and lost.

Another nice one:

We go to extraordinary lengths to satisfy and delight our customers. We want to meet or exceed their expectations on every shopping trip. We know that by doing so we turn customers into advocates for our business. Advocates do more than shop with us, they talk about Whole Foods to their friends and others.

I daresay, in this case, the length was measured in inches, only. And by no way an extraordinary one, either. At least they are correct on that last part... we are actually talking about WF... but I guess not in the way they desired.


Perhaps, next time any barefooter gets challenged in a WF store, slap those "core values" from their own website into their shoddist faces.

But then, it might have been just one anal-retentive employee on a power trip, too.

Still doing my grocery shopping barefoot,

~*Ganesha*~

 

Ah, go easy on them. It sounds to me like the guy in charge had nothing against bare feet, per se -- he knew, for example, that they didn't pose any health hazards. He was just scared to death you might hurt yourself and decide to sue the store. I'd gladly cover my feet to help a store manager cover his ass.

 

This has been debunked numerous times. A search of Lexus Nexus and other engines will yield maybe 2 or 3 cases of a person bringing suit against a store for hurting themselves while barefoot in the store. None of them won their cases as the rulings were that the barefoot patron assumed the risks by choosing to go barefoot.

The vast majority of lawyers will not even take the case.

 

if there's food there, the fda requires you wear shoes. i honestly dont think it's a big deal. i imagine theres a pretty good sanitation reason for that. dunno what the lady who said something about glass was smokin.

 

no, the chain is not... but it's where a LOT of hippy people in my town shop. not me anymore though.

i'll go to andy's from now on... they seem to like it that i go barefoot, and they have a better vibe anyways.

 

Wrong.

Specifically - employees must wear footwear; clientele is not regulated by law to comply. There are state-by-state examples of this on the barefoot living website.

We just 'assume' the regulation is unilateral.

 

congratulations?

next time i'm in that area.. i'ma make sure i go into a whole foods.