Appalling Service - Pick and Pay Elspark

To whom it may concern

Had a terrible shopping experience at PnP Elspark…after shopping about in this store today, 20 August 2021, I proceeded to the cashier and while she was ringing up my purchases I discovered that the packaging of the 2.5kg sugar I purchased was defective because grains of sugar had spilled onto the cashiers counter. I asked the cashier to please swop it out for another one and we proceeded to ring up the other items in my trolley. During this time I was under the impression that somebody (presumably the till packer) had already arranged to have the sugar swopped out because the cashier assisting me assured me that they would swop it out. Just before making payment I asked the cashier to confirm that the defective sugar had been swopped out and she then asked the till packer if this had been done but to my dismay the till packer rep**** that she did not swop it with another because there was nothing wrong with it. I was furious because there were grains of sugar all over the cashiers counter whilst she was ringing up my purchases which she also wiped off afterward so it was evident that something was defective with the packaging. Angrily I told the till packer that I am not happy with this product and I asked to have it swopped out but why hasn’t this been done already. With a terrible attitude, backward rolling eyes and an abrupt tone she rep**** to me that I did not ask her to do it…I got even more infuriated at this point and I said to her that I had already told the cashier and I don’t work for PnP to have to tell you as well. The cashier told you about my request and that on its own should have been sufficient for you to take action…while still talking to her she just abruptly picked the sugar up and walked away…rolling her eyes backward and frowning at me in the most insulting way. I could not describe the level of anger and humiliation I was feeling at this point to be treated this way being a loyal customer to this very store. Just then a lady intervened and after asking her what her designation was she rep**** that she was the Supervisor and she apologized for the till packers behaviour toward me. Being fami**** with this stores llayout I Kew that the till point I was using was right under the managers nose…I turned around to look for the manager at his workstation and to my surprise I found that he was looking right at us so I asked him if he witnessed the till packers attitude toward me to which he just rep**** yes and that he would sort it out. I expected more from him especially considering that he witnessed the way I was being humiliated but my expectations were evidently too high as he just continued sitting there diverting his attention to the computer screen in front of him. Nevertheless I let it slide and waited for the rude till packer to return with my sugar…shortly afterward she returns with the sugar and places it onto the cashiers counter with the rest of my parcels. Expecting that she would pack my parcels into the trolley now as she should have and at the very least apologize for her behaviour I proceeded to tell her that I did not like her attitude but once again, showing her insolence, while still talking to her she just left the sugar there on the counter with the rest of my parcels and walked straight past me. This was truly the limit… I was extremely infuriated and terribly shocked that this lady had no regard for me the customer, the Supervisor that stood nearby right across us or the manager as this incident happened literally right under his nose. I asked the cashier for the till packers name to which she rep**** it was Johanna but then I also approached the manager to find out his exact designation as he just sat there at his workstation in complete complacency throughout the incident without even the slightest courtesy of taking the initiative to get off his chair and approach me the customer which is the least I felt I deserved after the way I had been poorly treated and humiliated. I noticed his name badge read Nico and after I asked for his designation he rep**** it was Branch Manager but then he also asked me what the problem was. I mean I couldn’t believe this poor excuse of a managers audacity to even ask me this question after all he had just witnessed or perhaps customer service and customer relationship management is a concept he has yet to grasp. Nevertheless I rep**** back to him that I was extremely unhappy and disgusted with the way I had just been treated as a customer and the way the situation was handled. He rep**** back in a very annoyed and I could care less tone saying that he told me he would sort out the issue and that I couldn’t possibly expect him to do anything at the exact time the incident was transpiring…I could not believe his response coming from a Branch Manager and I said to him that I expected more from you in that you should have been more involved…instead of just sitting on your chair and making me run about back and forth to your workstation to complain to you about what you can already see transpiring in front of you between myself your loyal customer and your arrogant staff member. The Branch Manager still just sat there as if he was glued to his chair…with the same no care for customer service attitude. To top it all off my parcels still just stood there on the cashiers counter…even here I had to point this out to the Manager although he could see that nobody cared the slightest to pack my parcels into the trolley…not even the supervisor who just stood there. The so called Branch Manager then yelled at the supervisor saying “Yassis" just pack the parcels into the trolley!

What pathetic service levels from the till packer to the Branch Manager…it is evident that the till packer Johanna gets her level of complacency in respect of “customer service” from management…after all one has to lead by example. This was by far the worst shopping experience I have had thus far….a branch manager literally sitting idle and watching all the events unfold in front of his very own eyes and not even moving a muscle to get of his chair and show some sort involvement. Yes I don’t expect the till packer Johanna to be dealt with on the spot and I understand that is an internal process but at the very least the store manager could have approached me and apologized for the way I was being treated as opposed to sitting idle and complacent. He could have assigned another till packer to complete the service delivery to me as opposed to me having to run back and forth to him practically begging for intervention and service. I am terribly appalled at and disgusted with the level of service I have received at this store today not to mention the way I was treated and humiliated. I feel that the Branch Manager lacks complete customer relationship management skills in that he could have taken pro active measures to ensure that I left the store satisfied that my issue had been resolved rather than sitting by idle and complacent despite being an eye witness to the events. The store is equipped with surveillance cameras…surely there is footage to validate my complaint…by all means take the time to view it!

Terribly disgusted, Ashveer Sookraj ***