Mormon Towns - My Rexburg Experience

[Calm]

It was completely down when I lived there. But then again, I did work in Sandy, so that was worse on the north side of the point of the mountain. Speaking of your area, Smiths market was always good down there.

I like Allens for convenience and selection and meat stuff as they don't add preservatives and the pharmacist of the one we use is good (they are quick and it's extremely rare they are out of my stuff unlike every where else I've tried and they've made only one mistake in the years we've used them unlike everywhere else I've tried), but bad for fruits and veggies (I think there is not enough turnover at our local one), Reams for the fresh stuff...great produce. Go to Walmart for specialty salads that are so expensive but so delicious and easy, (spring mix...yum, yum) but hate their meat department where they shoot up everything so it tastes the same whether it's beef, pork or chicken. Walmart does have some great pajamas though and since I tend to live in those..... We have our milk delivered from Winder's. Their skim tastes like 2%, I love it and no more sour stomach when I drink too much. If it sits in the refrig for two weeks than it tastes like the stuff we get from the grocery store. It's expensive, but one of those things worth paying for. Husband hits Costco after work from time to time, some good stuff there, but I hate the crowd and closed in feeling even if the ceilings are ultra high. I think I have a touch of claustrophobia that such places set off. Makes me feel I am underground for some reason.

We are going to try to hit the farmer's market more this year. Discovered some delicious cheeses there last year right at the end of summer, didn't go before because we grow much of our veggies during summer (except for peppers...can't grow decent peppers for some reason) or buy them at fruit stands along the highway. Now we know there is lots of good stuff besides rabbit food so we will make the effort.

I hate driving up to Salt Lake City, my daughter's diabetes doctor works in Sandy so I have to a few times a year at least....but I do get rewarded by being able to stop by Ikea now (got hooked on them when we lived in Canada). I try not to look up as I crest over the Point so I can avoid getting creeped out by the wall to wall pollution. The valley reminds me too much of why I won't ever be comfortable moving back to my home town, so many people squeezed into a limited space with so many cars. It looks worse than it is because of the mountains closing it in...anyway, I don't have to live in SL and only go up there on rare occasions and instead get to live down here in the green part of Utah Valley so I can at least pretend I am not in a desert.

[volgadon]

These days it would seem that customer service is the first thing that businesses cut. Remember the day when the grocery store would not only bag your groceries, they would take them out to the car as well?

The same type of thing can be said for many other types of businesses. I've lived in Rexburg for a number of years and there are some benefits, but one of the worst disadvantages is customer service. In many ways living in Rexburg is a lot like going back in time to the 40's, along with American honesty and integrity, but customer service is the worst here.

I would love to support my community, but it’s difficult when fish is rotten at the grocery store, the lettuce is brown, and you have to wait in line for 45 minutes to buy it. Sometimes I wonder if their customer services skills were simply left in the barn in which they were born.

Perhaps I would feel more sympathy for this position if custimers didn't feel like they could dump a pile of clothes down the salsa isle, leave chicken fillets behind the window washing fluids, or let their kids build toilet-paper castles or propel their shopping carts at full throttle into a stack of apple cider. I'm not saying that you are that kind of customer. For my first year in the US I worked at walmart. Trust me, retail employees have to put with tons more crap than customers ever do.

[Messenger]

Perhaps I would feel more sympathy for this position if custimers didn't feel like they could dump a pile of clothes down the salsa isle, leave chicken fillets behind the window washing fluids, or let their kids build toilet-paper castles or propel their shopping carts at full throttle into a stack of apple cider. I'm not saying that you are that kind of customer. For my first year in the US I worked at walmart. Trust me, retail employees have to put with tons more crap than customers ever do.

Yes I get it. I work in customer service on the phone. No doubt that people take advantage. But we really arent talking about that are we? All isnt caused by people themselves. Lets face it, Walmart knows how to deal with customers, I shop there and Sam's Club. And, I will go a bit beyond that - since we both work in customer service, you probably would agree with me that its an occupational hazard - we expect what we give, at least to some degree. All I'm saying is that wouldnt it be nice to have a set of standards?

I once went to McDonalds in Utah. I couldnt hear a word that the person spoke to me, so I said "#1 large with a diet" then something else was said I didnt understand. When I got to the window, the accent was so heavy I still couldnt understand, so I just paid them, got some change, and took whatever they gave me. It was wrong.. not even close to what I ordered. So I drove back, asked for the manger, and she couldnt understand me. So I left it there on the counter. I wrote a letter to McDonalds corporation requesting where the English speaking McDonalds was. Surley there must be one around somewhere. And if there was not, please install a button labeled 'Mystery Meal' so that they could put whatever they wanted in my bag and I wouldnt have my expectations dashed. They never wrote back.

Standards are a good thing - in church, also in retail. Those that have them do well, those that dont, dont.

[emeliza]

These days it would seem that customer service is the first thing that businesses cut. Remember the day when the grocery store would not only bag your groceries, they would take them out to the car as well?

One of our chain local stores does this. They bag your groceries, cart them out and put them in your car. They are not allowed to take tips either. And oddly enough, the store is closed on Sunday's for worship. The store is not owned by Mormons and living in the Midwest, Mormons are that abundant. I like this little store though. They are kind, fair, have the best meat around and match prices of the competitors. The only thing you have to watch for is that their canned goods have a much shorter shelf life (probably how they compete with the bigger stores is by buying older food). We buy anything we plan on eating soon there. Great little place.

[katherine the great]

Any suggestions on how I can support the stores in my community without getting ripped off? Further, is this typical with Mormon towns? If so, why?

I'd just shop in Idaho Falls. I've only been to Rexburg once. I was there for less than an hour to pick up my daughter and I couldn't get out of there fast enough. I can't really explain it, I just hated the place. I'll give it another chance this summer when I take my younger daughter to EFY there.