An Open Letter to Aldi Employees: Thank You

To the employees of Aldi,

Thank you.

Thank you for keeping your stores running, so that Americans — and people in other countries Aldi serves — can get what they need.

Thank you for dutifully opening your buildings every morning with your usual spirit and grace, even when you don’t feel like it.

Thank you for keeping your stores running during the day: cleaning everything, replenishing inventory, guiding customers, answering all the questions, working the registers, dealing with the difficulties, and wearing all those different hats you work in a shift.

Thank you for stocking the shelves every night, when the public isn’t watching, so that we have what we need the next day.

Thank you for adapting to all the constant change: the heightened rules, the social distancing measures, the in-store limitations, the government mandates and regulations, the changes in how shoppers shop.

Thank you for putting up with customers. We know that while most of them are good people, some are not. We would like to formally apologize on behalf of anyone who has ever cursed at you, acted entitled, behaved unreasonably, or otherwise treated you like anything less than a fellow human being and an equal partner in this world we live in. If we could give you bonus pay just for being nice to bad people, we would.

Thank you for doing all this while also juggling the demands of your own families and your own personal mental and physical health. Behind each worker is a story, and that story may include kids who are now home, family members who are out of work, older relatives who are at higher risk, or one of a million other challenges and crises, big and small. We know for some of you, especially, it is hard right now, and we appreciate the way you gamely head to work in spite of it. We know that you may do it because there are bills to pay, but you’re still heroes in our book.

Thank you to to the store associates, who are on the front lines every day, for all your ceaseless hard work. You are the face of Aldi, and you are still the fastest cashiers we’ve ever seen.

Thank you to the store stockers, who do the heavy lifting to make sure everything is where the customers need it, even at the risk of soreness, pain, and potential injury. Thank you for the extra labor you’ve put in to cope with the recent surge in shopping.

Thank you to the store managers, who have to deal with so many new challenges: scheduling headaches, worried and perhaps sick workers, grievances from customers, and new mandates from above. We know that when there are employee absences, you have to fill them, sometimes working very long hours that the public never realizes. We know this, and we see you.

Thank you to the truck drivers, who keep the supply chain running despite the fact that over-the-road travel is different now. You’re the backbone of our civilization, more than you might realize.

Thank you to the people who work at the distribution centers, with all the lifting and sorting and packing. Thank you for your labor. The average shopper may not see what you do, but behind those great walls, you’re absolutely indispensable.

Thank you to the customer service reps, who have to answer phone calls, field emails, respond to live chats, and reply to letters. We know you deal with customers who may be angry, frustrated, confused, or downright out of their minds, but you’ve always been some of the best CSRs we’ve ever dealt with, and you still are. You’re the reassuring presence that helps make Aldi one of the best at what it does, even if it doesn’t always feel like it.

Thank you to the Aldi divisional and corporate teams, including their support staff, who have to figure out how to manage this new normal. You have to figure out where to lead your company even as the regulatory and marketing winds are changing even more than normal. You’re constantly having to make course corrections while inventing a new wheel. We appreciate the support you bring to your managers, and workers, and everyone along our crucial food supply chains.

Thank you to everyone who works for Aldi, for the work you do that we see, and for the work you do that we don’t see.

Again — and we can never say it enough — thank you.

Sincerely,

The writers at Aldi Reviewer

If you think we’ve left anyone out, or you’d like to give a shout-out of your own, feel free to add it in the comments.