OFFICIAL COMPLAINT

Good evening,

I am writing to formally express my frustration, anger and disappointment regarding the service I received at your Riversands store.

This is unfortunately the second time I have experienced extremely poor service at this branch. What concerns me even more is that it often feels as though customers at this store, particularly African customers, are not treated with the respect and professionalism that they deserve. The attitude displayed by some of the staff creates the impression that because this store is located in Riversands rather than areas such as Sandton or Fourways, customer service standards are not taken seriously.

On this occasion, I arrived at the store and placed a simple order for six hot wings at the drive-through. At the first window, the cashier informed me that the wings were not ready and that I would need to wait about five minutes. I had no issue with this and was happy to wait.

However, when I drove to the second window, it was closed. Since there was no one there to assist and no instruction given, I drove forward, parked and waited. After waiting for approximately 30 minutes, during which several cars behind me were served, I decided to go inside the store to follow up on my order.

When I approached the staff and presented my slip, they appeared confused and did not seem to know what I was referring to. I explained that I had been told to wait five minutes, yet it had already been about 30 minutes. Only then did someone say, “Oh, here is the order.” At that point, frustrated, I asked them to please bring the order to the place where they had instructed me to park, but they refused to do so.

I then returned to my car and waited an additional five minutes, but no one brought the order. Eventually, out of frustration, I decided to block the drive-through entrance because it seemed like my order would not be brought out otherwise. During this time, another customer became aggressive and threatened the situation, which caused my 7-year-old daughter to become very upset. She even went inside the store crying and asking staff for our order.

After blocking the drive-through entrance, I went back to the first window to request the contact details of the shift manager as well as the complaints department.

The shift manager responded by saying, “I don’t even know what you are talking about,” despite the fact that she had been present earlier when I had raised the issue. I explained that the reason I had not waited at the second window was because it was closed and there was no one there to assist.

When I tried to explain the situation further, I asked her not to assume that I was confused or did not know what I was talking about. Her response was simply “Aaah,” after which she walked away without addressing the issue.

What disappointed me the most was the lack of leadership shown in that moment. As a shift manager, one should lead by example. Instead, what I experienced was a clear lack of customer care, urgency and accountability. There was no sense of priority, no willingness to resolve the situation, and the overall attitude reflected a concerning “I don’t care” approach.

It raises a serious question: why employ individuals who ultimately damage the brand and everything it is meant to stand for? Customer service requires passion, professionalism and respect for the people who support the business.

This incident was particularly upsetting because it is my second negative experience at this store, and I do have all my receipts as well as the exact times reflecting when my order was eventually received. Additionally, I was accompanied by my 7-year-old daughter and spent approximately 30 minutes waiting, yet no apology was offered and no attempt was made to acknowledge the inconvenience caused.

I would really appreciate receiving feedback regarding this matter and understanding what steps will be taken to improve the level of service at this store. Jobs are scarce in today’s economy, and it is disappointing to encounter staff who display such disregard and poor attitude towards customers.

Your brand is capable of much better than this, and I hope that appropriate action will be taken to ensure that customers receive the level of service and respect they deserve.

I look forward to your response.