by Dave Noble, City News Editor
ELMHURST – Previously described as unskilled, unthoughtful, and not reflective of their primary customer base, Jewel-Osco employees working tirelessly to keep the shelves stocked and distribute the proper number of Monopoly game tickets to customers during the COVID-19 pandemic are now being hailed as “heroes” by Elmhurst residents.
“These people are working very hard, and they should be treated as if they were one of us,” said S. Lawndale Ave. resident Belinda McKay, who complimented every Jewel-Osco employee she came in contact with while shopping at the S. York St. location Wednesday morning and then graciously offered cigarettes to off-duty employees sitting on benches outside of the store. “I may not have anything in common with them, but I’m very thankful for how they are serving my community.”
Common criticisms from the past including deli meat slicing skills, slow product scanning, and a lack of respect for the customers “who pay their salary” have been quickly forgotten as Jewel-Osco employees are now being lauded for their job performance which by most accounts hasn’t really changed since the coronavirus outbreak began.
Over at the Schiller St. Jewel-Osco, customers who tried to exceed the purchase limit on milk and disinfecting wipes were impressed by the polite – yet stern – scolding delivered by employees and their “fair” asking price of only $10 for information regarding the next delivery of toilet paper.
Both Elmhurst Jewel-Osco stores have scheduled priority shopping hours from 7:00-9:00 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday to allow seniors the opportunity to select lesser-expired food items from the shelves.
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