Ah, Grocery Stores

I love statistics! One can be so creative with them.
I heard that two local grocery stores are rated among the top ten. Two others are rated among the lowest.

Bel Air and Raley's are considered among the best. Here's why, in my opinion. They both have wonderful products some of which are hard to find. They are also expensive and people that shop there clearly are willing to pay the higher costs. The service is excellent as is the ambiance, what with the cozy lighting in the deli and bakery area. They know my name (if I pay with a check or card) haul my purchases out and stow them in the car.
In addition I suspect that the clientele is mostly literate, willing and able to answer a questionnaire about about their store.
These two stores are a bit far for impulse shopping, so I don't get there very often.

On the other spectrum is Food Maxx and Wal-Mart both of which I patronize . Food Maxx has a great indoor fruit and vegetable market cheap prices, good quality. There is new management and when I can find a worker they seem eager enough to help.
And then there is Wal-Mart. OMG the service at the deli is so slow. So very slow! No,
no one there seems to know that 8 ounces is the same as .5 pounds. It's pretty much a self-serve store after all. I generally use the self check-out, but when I pay to a cashier, no, they don't know my name, nor will anyone load my car for me.
I suspect that a good many of the patrons don't speak English and many of those that do are probably unwilling to bother with a customer satisfaction survey. (Those are, perhaps, the same people that shop wearing their pajamas) Another reason Wal-Mart's rating is low is because, well, service there really sucks!

Today at Food Maxx I selected a shell of raspberries listed at $2.99. At the check-out the price had become $4.99. After a discussion with several employees, some insisting that that was indeed the price, people backed up behind me glaring, the vegetable clerk came up with the sign that agreed with me, $2.99. That means that I got the berries for free, as per store policy. The day has not yet come where I will pay $5 for such a small amount of berries.