Grocery Connect - Concierge

What is Grocery Connect?

Grocery Connect brings grocery shopping into urban communities traditionally referred to as food deserts. Composed of service centers in the community, Grocery Connect is staffed with a concierge, computer center, and training space. The concierge will train users on how to order via the Kroger platforms, support clients in the order placement process, assist them snap eligibility and registration to increase their purchasing power, and liaison with Kroger for situations that may need special support. With Kroger as our grocery partner, we will utilize their online shopping platforms as well as Kroger trucks and drivers for deliveries to the service center. Deliveries to the center are free and will occur at times driven by community order volumes and determined by Grocery Connect and Kroger.

Who We Are

Grocery Connect is an initiative under the Bonton Farms organization. Bonton Farms’ mission is to “Transforming lives by disrupting systems of inequity, laying a foundation where change yields health, wholeness and opportunity as the norm.” Grocery Connect is a team of pilot team members and concierge staff who are working to disrupt the systems that have created food deserts and to bring grocers into the untapped grocery market that these communities makeup.

Job Overview

As a Concierge at Grocery Connect, your primary mission is to encourage and assist community members in moving to utilizing online grocery shopping as an efficient and cost-effective means of completing their grocery shopping within their community. You'll play a crucial role in empowering and supporting customers on their journey towards improved food access. Working closely with Grocery Connect and related platforms, you will become proficient in system training, enabling you to effectively navigate and assist customers in utilizing the online resources to their fullest potential while maximizing the consumers shopping dollars. In this role, your personable and approachable style will go beyond transactional interactions, fostering meaningful relationships with clients. For most clients, online grocery shopping will be a dramatic shift in how they shop, and a trusted, patient concierge can help them overcome the challenges of a new way of doing such a crucial life task. Your training as a level 3 specialist in SNAP benefit qualification will also help increase the purchasing power of those in the community who have been unable to navigate the qualification and registration process on their own. By walking alongside the community members in transitioning to the world of online grocery shopping, you will be able to guide them with compassion, curiosity, humor and patience through learning new skills and improving their access to food at the same time.

Compensation and Benefits: The Concierge role is a part-time position (20-25 hours weekly).

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

Responsibilities:

Attend Grocery Connect training sessions including Bonton Farms orientation, Grocery Connect process training, Kroger systems training, Texas Health and Human Services food benefits support certification training.

Discuss with each site visitor their state of access to fresh food, as well as technology experiences.

Set agreed goals for Concierge services and confirm the details with the visitor.

Track each site visitor's progress and types of requests, keep accurate and timely records, and report outcomes as required.

Train community members and community trainers on Kroger systems for online ordering.

Create a welcoming environment at the center where community members can feel seen and supported.

Assist with food benefit qualification and registration.

Provide support for the usage of Connected Dallas systems and communicate with DIA staff on cross support situations between the GC and DIA teams.

Offer online grocery ordering support for individuals ordering onsite or with call-in questions.

Proactively resolve grocery order issues and work on avoiding future problems.

Manage new client data collection.

Perform periodic metrics reporting and data collection during both pre and post launch activities

Work with Kroger Delivery Drivers and Customer Support to ensure clients of the service center are getting great service and having their grocery order/delivery issues resolved effectively.

Attend Pre-Registration events to help bring awareness to Grocery Connect including: attending event, working with community partners to create events calendar and preparation for the events like gathering materials, set up, and tear down.

Other tasks as necessary.

Skills and Aptitudes:

Ability to embrace the challenge of learning and teaching basic technological concepts necessary to support shopping for groceries online.

Curiosity and openness to learning to online shop for groceries using the Kroger systems in a variety of approaches to support the various client needs.

Training facilitation skills.

Excellent self-organization, language capacity, and cultural competency.

Excellent telephone and online communication skills, establishing trust with diverse community members.

Positive attitude, interpersonal skills, and cultural sensitivity in working with customers and coworkers.

Creative problem-solving and handling of stressful situations.

Demonstrate strong interpersonal skills.

Willing to work hours that are nonstandard business hours including some weekend and evening hours.

Possess knowledge of local resources.

Maintain confidentiality and empathy.

Exhibit strong organizational abilities.

Collaborate effectively with the team.

Comfortable sharing workspace with team members from a variety of organizations and cross supporting one another.

Stay up-to-date with relevant resources and services.

Prioritize customer service.

Attention to detail and organization

Comfortable with data entry and reporting

Fluency in English and Spanish preferred, but not required.