Traumatic Service

Good day Dischem

My name is Nonhlanhla Buthelezi a super loyal Dischem customer. Ever since Dischem opened, I have been very loyal to you. I buy ALL my toiletries and baby things at Dischem and find myself spending so much money at Dischem merely evacuee of the quality, variety and price of the products that you sell. The. Customer service that I have experienced over the years has been a 6 or 7 out of 10 it was usually one or two incidents that I would not like to dwell on based that the good service that I’ll allow to override the bad experiences.

So my son got admitted into hospital and eventually discharged on Monday the 25th of February 2019. My son’s paediatrician gave him medication but he was not really getting better hatter having given the medication a few days to its clearing. I then thought maybe I should get him additional medication which I thought DISCHEM is the perfect place to get it from.

On the Sunday the of March I drove to Melville, Campus Square. I walked into Dischem at 02:55 if not earlier. I had a plastic from PnP. I put the plastic in the Dischem trolley and went to the baby section as I have a 1 year and 7month old baby. I looked I realized that they usually have specials on bulk items. I left the trolley in the middle of the isle and walked to the entrance area to get a specials paper. Indeed I eventually got it and browsed through it as I was on my way back to my trolley. About 3 metres away from the door, an assistant Store Manager walked closer to me and told me “mam, the store has been closed”. Baffled I was as to okay why am I being told this because I’m already into the store. So I asked him and? The store is closed and ? He responded and said to me I’m just that the store is closed and the staff need to run for transport. I was shoo****! I asked him and how is that my problem because I was already in the store. I got angry and said to him sir all you needed to say was mam please be mindful because the store is about to close (because when he approached me the door was still open) I also asked is he then saying I must leave the store? And he was just attacking because there where plenty other customers in the store and also not so far from me. It was just drama that could have really been avoided. Now my question is, is this guy really in a hurry to go home he the store could rather loose the money and as I manager is that the type of mentality you’d want to display to your employees? Because the other Dischem employees witnessed that. Instead of instilling extra mile mentality he’d rather instil the let’s go home ***** the customers type of mentality. I reason this way because I too am I manager where I am employed and an extra mile behaviour is what I would want to display and instil with my guys

After all that I wanted to actually leave because obviously my money is no longer valued at Dischem but because of the urgency of the medication that I needed to get I had to continue. Now to be sensitive of the fact that now indeed the door has been closed I hurried though the isle and took Nido milk, pampers premium, other nappies Baby Panda premium and looked for one of the packers to assist me because I was looking for Creche Guard but I was in such a hurry I could not find it and the guys from the floor helped me to find it and threw it into the trolley. Then I asked him where I could get yellow packaged baby wipes and he showed the various ones that he and they were not what I was looking for but because of time constraints I just grabbed 2 packets of wipes and grabbed bioplus and ran off to the till. I was hoping at least if I can get to the till while there’s still other customers to not be an inconvenience and indeed waited a few seconds and I was called to teller 3.

At 15:09 is when the slip was printed and the shop had closed at 3pm because it was a Sunday.

The lady assist me asked if I have a Dischem card and I gave it to her and scanned the products and asked if I wanted a plastic and I said no because I was just parked downstairs. So I ended to the exit/entrance. So I said to the security while I was inside the shop that by the way I cannot leave the shop with this trolley right and he agreed with me. So as I was still inside the shop and trying to spot a trolley that may just be laying around the mall so that I can offload from the Dischem trolley to the other. Then the other guy. Who do me said he can walk to to the car and come back with it and as I was about to respond a guy walks up to me and requests for my slip and gladly gave it to him and he asked me where is the Crèche guard on the slip and realised that I had forgotten to pay for it and grabbed my bank and wanting to make my way back to the till point to pay for it and they refused. I explained myself that I’m still in the shop and requesting to pay for it but why are they refusing. The footage guy said he has to go call the store manager while I waited by the door and when he came he gave me the SICKEST look! A very intimidating look and said to the footage guy hey you know what to do call the police. Now this is the same guy who realised that it’s me that he interacted with he continued with the same emotion to handle this matter. It’s like he was saying good shot now I can react to the matter that we had. This Crèche guard was found in the trolley with the other products now because I had not requested for a plastic I could spot that it was not paid for. All the items were all over the trolley. Soooooo I was take to the back of the shop in the footage room. Wrote down my residential address and was asked to take a pic with the product mistakenly not paid for. The footage guy left to go speak to the store manager to make a final decision and store manager said No call the police because he said I had given him the worst attitude. Now the footage guy went to the store manager because apparently at times he is lenient with such matters but still he refused. So after all the writing from the footage guy he said I must walk with him the Mall security guard’s office. I asked to just put the stuff that I had purchased for an amount of R567.60. That crèche guard cost R84 as it was on special. Then I was locked up in a cage while waiting for the police. A colleague of mine came though after I called her to advise what happened. After probably an hour or more the police came I was in tears out of disbelief and not wanting to be understood or given a chance to explain and I was just told I will explain that in court.

The police came rode at the back of their van and was taken to Brixton Police Station. I obviously had to follow all instructions that were given to me by the police and gave in my phone and handed it to my friend. I was then locked up in a cell while my son was still not well. Eventually I was bailed out at just past 11pm for R1000 after spending the amount I spent at Dischem.

I was given a court date for the following day, the Monday. I indeed appeared and my court date was postponed to the 26th of March 2019 as they were awaiting evidence from Dischem.

This experience has been thee most traumatic experience I have ever had. Ever since that incident I have never bought from Dischem and probably never will. I could not even walk into a mall. I don’t think I can even go to Campus Square. Is my picture all over the mall? Am I on the look out?

I need this footage please I want to take a legal action against Dischem for such a disgustingly traumatic experience. What am I to Dischem just a number?

I have attached the slip and the loyalty card so you can see how often I buy from you! All of that has become a waste. I very very angry. My name is now being messed for something I requested to pay for. Really? Is that it?

I spoke to Genevieve who had advised that she will escalate this matter to the director but I advised her that I will send an email to accompany the complaint.

You will take me through each and every step of how far you are will this query.

I wanted to take back these items and get a refund but I couldn’t even step my foot at Dischem because I was seriously traumatised by Dischem.

Please forward me the name and surname of the Store Assistant Manager.

Genevieve has my contact details. Please contact me.

I’m going big on social media!