Makro – A Final Straw

About a year ago, I vowed never to shop at Makro again due to repeated issues with their service. However, this morning I happened to be near Makro Silver Lakes, and against my better judgment, I decided to step into the liquor department to pick up two bottles of wine that are stocked by very few retailers in Gauteng.

I quickly found the specific wine, and while browsing, I noticed that several items we frequently use for company functions were on promotion. Since I had a vehicle capable of transporting a bulk load, I thought it would be convenient to stock up for the business while I was there.

Unfortunately, this is where the typical Makro dysfunction kicked in once again.

I proceeded to the pay point with a fully loaded trolley. As the cashier rang up the items, I noticed that the total didn't reflect the promotional pricing. I queried it, and as has happened before, a manager was called. The manager took one of the items and disappeared into the office — leaving me standing at the till with a growing queue behind me and no feedback.

After quite some time, the manager returned only to inform me that the specials only start tomorrow. Then why display the promotional signage today, without any clear indication of the start date? This is misleading at best and deceptive at worst. Makro, you're not a backstreet shop in Marabastad — these bait-and-switch tactics are unacceptable for a company of your size and reputation.

By this point, I had been standing there for quite a while, frustrated and embarrassed. For the third time in a row, I abandoned my full trolley at the till and walked out of a Makro store.

While driving away, I decided to contact Makro’s customer care line (***), only to be told that the number connects to a generic call center. I was further informed that for complaints, I would need to contact the head office directly — yet another layer of passing the buck, showing zero ownership of customer issues.

This entire experience is a clear demonstration of how little Makro values its customers.

As a result, I will be issuing an internal company memo informing all staff across the four countries in which we operate that no purchases from Makro will be approved unless the required item is unavailable anywhere else globally. I would rather wait seven weeks for an international shipment than tolerate Makro’s service again.

The only language some companies understand is financial impact — so that is where we will make ourselves heard.

To my colleagues who may read this: this is the exact incident that will be cited in our procurement restrictions regarding Makro.