Humiliated and Bul****

Subject: Formal Complaint: Bullying, Humiliation & Poor Service at Chicken Licken Brits Mall

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing this letter with a very heavy heart as a long-standing and loyal Chicken Licken customer who has always supported the brand across different locations. Unfortunately, my recent experience at Chicken Licken Brits Mall has left me deeply hurt, humiliated, and questioning whether customer dignity still has a place in this establishment.

On [25/08/23], Time 14:05 I walked in during my lunch break with two colleagues and stood in line as usual. On this day there were two tellers assisting customers, and a small board stating “order here.” While one teller became available, a staff member who identified herself as Beauty Marekwa refused that teller to assist me, insisting I should re-queue behind everyone else, claiming it was “one line for two tellers.” Nowhere is this procedure displayed clearly to customers, nor was I ever informed of this in my many visits as a regular customer When I calmly asked for clarification and suggested there should be proper signage to align with fair customer service, this staff member raised her voice publicly, showing me blatant disrespect in front of colleagues, customers, and even her own manager who stood by and did nothing. She went as far as to declare she has been “monitoring me as a regular customer,” which makes me feel targeted and bul**** for merely being loyal to the brand.

Her behavior escalated into shouting, undermining me with arrogance and attitude, and even mocking my right to complain by pointing at the complaint number and email as if I could not read. She took my order with hostility, making the process unnecessarily difficult by asking irrelevant questions, and when I finally received my food, the bread was dirty clearly mishandled or toasted in unhygienic conditions This is not an isolated incident. Merely two weeks ago, I had another unpleasant experience at this very branch, which I reported on the Brits Mall community page. It is now becoming a pattern of bullying, unprofessionalism, and humiliation of customers at Chicken Licken Brits Mall.

(Why This Is Serious) Violation of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA), 2008: Section 54 guarantees the right to fair and honest dealing, proper service, and safe, quality goods. What I experienced was the opposite – unfair treatment, humiliation, and even receiving food in an unacceptable condition.

Violation of Labour Law Principles: South African labour regulations expect employees to uphold workplace discipline, treat customers with respect, and refrain from misconduct. Shouting at and bullying customers in full view of others is not only misconduct, but also creates a toxic culture of arrogance where staff act with impunity Human Dignity: Section 10 of the Constitution of South Africa guarantees the right to dignity. No paying customer deserves to be stripped of dignity in such a public and hostile manner.

(My Expectations) 1.Immediate investigation into the conduct of the staff member (Bertie) and the overall management at this branch, including review of CCTV footage on the date in question.

2.Corrective action – staff need urgent retraining on customer service, professional conduct, and adherence to the CPA.

3.Assurance in writing that measures will be put in place to ensure no customer is ever again bul****, disrespected, or humiliated at Chicken Licken Brits Mall.

4.A formal apology for the unacceptable treatment and the repeated humiliation I have endured at this branch.

I am not just a walk-in customer; I am a regular who has consistently chosen Chicken Licken over competitors. To be treated as if my loyalty is a crime is beyond hurtful – it is an attack on my dignity as a customer and as a human being Should this matter not be addressed urgently, I will have no choice but to escalate this complaint to the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud as provided under the Consumer Protection Act.

I trust this matter will be taken seriously and handled with the urgency it deserves.

Sincerely, [Peter Mashamaite] [***]