Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
EDITOR’S NOTE: Like all posts on Aldi Reviewer, this piece is the opinion of its respective authors. Also like all posts, comments are welcome, although we ask users to be mindful of our Community Guidelines.
Aldi fans are a special group. They love the store. A lot. Maybe even too much. They show up in stores and on social media, singing the praises of the everyday items and limited buys alike. They’ll talk up chicken or scoop up furniture, and they’ll tell everyone else about it in the process. They might even use a code phrase or battle cry while roaming the aisles.
Is it a cult? Yeah, pretty much.
We get it. After all, there’s a lot to like. Low prices. Clever inventory. Surprising food quality. Entertaining limited-time finds. And a speedy checkout experience. Start to finish, Aldi runs an astonishingly efficient and effective operation. That’s why the grocer is one of the most successful and profitable, not just in the United States, but in other parts of the world, too.
If you’re one of the really grateful Aldi fans, you might want to repay the love in some way. Not just by buying more Aldi stuff, mind you, but maybe also by paying back the hard-working workers with a gift or even a cash tip.
Is that appropriate?
The answer: probably not.
There is language in more than one place where Aldi either discourages or outright prohibits gifts. In the published Aldi Code of Conduct for employees, for example, the grocer forbids employees from accepting gifts from suppliers or business partners outside of certain gifts or promotional items under $50, and even then only if they don’t cause a conflict of interest. Shoppers aren’t suppliers or business partners, so that language would not seem to apply: it does, however, set something of a tone.
What is more relevant is the company policy on tipping for curbside pickup. Now, if you order Aldi products through Instacart, you can opt either for curbside pickup or home delivery. Home delivery is handled by dedicated Instacart workers, who welcome tips. However, curbside pickup is handled by Aldi store workers. And Aldi has some specific language on that on its website. To the question, “Should I tip Aldi curbside shoppers?” Aldi answers, “We appreciate the gesture, but please do not tip ALDI Curbside Shoppers. Tips are not accepted.”
In other words, tips for curbside are explicitly prohibited. It’s not clear if that applies to checkout workers, and I can’t find any specific language on that front online. That doesn’t mean there isn’t internal documentation, though. At the very least, offering a tip could put a worker in an awkward situation, including with their supervisor.
What about gifts? A while back Aldi fans cooked up the idea of giving Snickers bars to Aldi workers. On paper, it sounded good, but it also could backfire: not only could it create an aforementioned awkward situation, but it could also make it look like the worker was stealing something from the store.
So my take is that it’s best if shoppers don’t give gifts or try to offer tips.
The good news is, there is still plenty else you can do. You can be kind to your cashier, try to organize your items on the checkout lane to make it easier for them, and you can use the information at the bottom of your Aldi receipt to complete a survey over at at tellaldi.us. You could even write a positive note and mail it to the store.
Those things may end up making a bigger impression than trying to give a tip or gift.
