Shopping

Our simple outing to do the big shop took a turn for the interesting. We had barely begun and were looking for our usual choice of laundry powder – Planet Ark or Aware, because of the grey water thing. Only Coles didn’t have it any more. While Kaitlyn continued shopping, I went to the service desk to *complain* and that was when the fun began!The lady at the desk called for the department manager – let’s call him TRENT BEAN – and I went with him to confirm they were not on the shelves. I explained that they are the only two recommended for use when you are diverting the wash water to the garden and that was when he turned on me! Who told me that? It was rubbish! He used these and they were fine. Were my plants dead? See not a problem ….. and on it went. I was speechless – being told off by a supermarket guy! I went back to the desk and said I wished to make two complaints: one about the lack of laundry powder and two about Trent! The lovely lady (who wears a badge noting 15 years service) walked me back down to check and agreed he had been arrogant and gave me two complaint forms. I asked to speak with the store manager and she called to him as he passed. He didn’t hear her, but Trent did and came storming over to the two of us. He was then rude about me to her and to me and then, when I said calmly I was waiting to speak to the store manager, he told her quite strongly that he wanted to see her in the manager’s office and stormed off! She looked at me dumbstruck and I was stunned! We walked up to the desk where she called for the store manager and then – amazingly – back came Trent for another round! Ignoring me and referring to me as She, he told the lady and another young female staff member that he had tried to help me. I said excuse me, these two ladies are now witness to how you have treated me and he turned and said “get your things and get out or I’ll call security” and stomped off again! The other two staff just looked at me stunned and I said it’s okay, it is him there is a problem with, not them or the store.Then the duty manager finally arrived and I explained the whole thing. I pointed to kaitlyn who was walking past with an overflowing trolley and said that’s my normal shopping, you don’t really want to lose a customer over this. I said I have worked in retail management and there was no way his behaviour was acceptable. He could only agree! I made him take my details and he is passing it on to the store manager. When I got back to Kaitlyn, there was an announcement for Trent to go to the manager’s office immediately, so hopefully his head would roll. When we were at the checkout, I went back to the young woman at the desk and gave her my name and number and said if the other lady had any fall-out she was to call me.This guy is probably about Melissa’s age, if not younger and is 2IC and in management training! Kaitlyn, with her Macca’s experience agreed with me that the customer is always right – even when they are wrong – and there is no way one of their staff could get away with treating a customer that way.So we paid for the $250 worth of groceries and went on our merry way. Ironically, when we got to the fruit and veg shop, they were in the midst of celebrations, having just been awarded the Best in Melbourne!!!