Did you know that Whole Foods employees are allowed to give you free stuff even when they aren't manning those little sample tables? True story—to a degree. And it's a good reason to be kinder to Whole Foods workers when you finally get to check out.
One Laura Oppenheimer uncovered this very important bit of information:
I discovered this when I went to go buy mayonaise and expressed to the cashier that I was bummed they didn’t have Best Foods (which is obviously the best mayonaise ever, no tough decision there). So she told me she’d give me the 365 brand one for free to try it out since my preferred brand wasn’t available.
Now, yeah, that is a free Whole Foods brand product she got (one that isn't that isn't even artisanal) but still. Free is free and our interest was piqued. According to the employee Oppenheimer talked to, they were allowed to give out one free thing a day! Was this something employees could really do?
Yes they can, says a Whole Foods publicist, who tells us, "Customer service is extremely important to Whole Foods Market. Included in their efforts to ensure customers have an enjoyable experience, a team member is given the authority to open a package of any product and give customers a sample when warranted. In certain cases, a team member may even offer a customer a product to take home with them." We are so going to be flirting more at the checkout line.
