Arrogant and rude staff

Today, 08/03/2024 I visited the Pick ‘n Pay Quali Save store in Jabulani Mall. I had already made some purchases from other stores thus I had parcels in my trolley (a plastic from Ackermans as well as my little boys' nursery school bag). The store doesn’t allow customers to enter with parcels in your trolley you have to leave them at the designated parcel counter by the entrance.

When I was done with my shopping, I realised that I had misplaced the parcel counter tag to collect my parcels, I explained my predicament to the lady at the parcel counter and she said she would tell the security guard and that I would have to pay R50.00 to which I responded that I didn't have that money. When the security arrived, I repeated my story and he said I would have to pay R50.00, at this point the whole situation was beginning to be tedious especially because I said I could name every article in the bag and the plastic, he refused and insisted I pay the R50.00.

I then asked why I had to pay he said it was the policy at this statement I then asked for them to call the Pick ‘n Pay office so they could tell me how this policy is ethical, he then backtracked his statement and said it wasn’t the head offices policy but their store policy, I remained steadfast in that even if that may be the case how is it ethical and what happens if you don’t have the money to pay and he said then it means you don’t get your parcels. I then just requested to speak to the store manager because he would have the last say in how to resolve this issue. The security guard left me standing there saying he was coming back which he never did.

At this point I was frustrated and a little disappointed at the customer treatment I was getting from the staff. I asked a cashier who was nearby to please call the store manager for me, initially she passed me on to a supervisor and I insisted that at this point I would like to speak to the store manager because I was not getting the help I needed. That cashier called another manager (Khanyie M), I told her my story and she blatantly told me that if I didn’t pay the money, I wouldn’t get my things. I asked her to call the head office and she outright refused and told me to call them myself since I was the one wanting to speak to them, I told her that the phone that I could make calls on was in the bag that’s at the parcel counter and that as a manager she must call the head office if a dispute requires their assistance. She also refused to call the store manager and told me that they were not available when I told her that even if they’re not at work they can still be reached over the phone she again told me to call them myself, the way she was addressing me was very distasteful and arrogant because it was as though she was showing everyone in close range that she is untouchable and above reproach.

When I addressed the issue of the fact that this policy wasn’t ethical and low-key ******ion and that I was going to report this matter to the Pick ‘n Pay head office she responded that their store is not dictated to by head office and that theirs isn’t an ordinary Pick n Pay or Hyper it was someone’s store, so it's not owned by the head office.

A second manager came onto the scene, and she listened to what had happened and then she told Khanyie M to accompany the security with me to identify the parcels and that I would have to name the articles inside as proof that these were indeed my parcels. I told this manager what her colleague had said to me and that what they were doing was a form of bullying because imagine if I had allowed myself to be worn down by their delay tactics, I would have left that store completely powerless and vowing never to return to the store because of individuals who see it fit to abuse their power.

This whole incident has raised some questions, if their store policy is that you have to pay R50.00 if you’ve lost a parcel counter tag, who does that money go to because there were a couple of misplaced tags that have just been replaced with the number written out on a piece of cardboard, and if you don’t have this amount then what happens to your parcels?

My biggest concern is that there is a vast number of elderly persons who frequent this store, and it pains and angers me that should they have the misfortune of finding themselves faced with the same issue as myself they will be bul**** and antagonised by people who think they can say and do anything because theirs is a family-owned Pick ‘n Pay store.

I have never felt so humiliated and belittled by someone who doesn’t even know me from a bar of soap, It is very distasteful on your part to have a person with such arrogance and poor customer service on your team it brings into question the caliber of the Pick ‘n Pay Groups work ethic and customer service. I wonder what example she is setting for the staff members who report to her- it takes one rotten apple to spoil the bunch.

Going forward when you train your staff it needs to be stressed that just because a store is placed in an area where e the customer demographic is predominantly black that doesn’t mean the staff should take advantage of this as an excuse to abuse their power thinking that every customer coming into that space is ******** or uninformed on the correct and ethical process of doing things, this notion that you can treat black customers in any way that you please because they won’t or don’t know how to complain needs to be done away with. Had it been in Cresta Mall or Northgate I never would have received this treatment. Stores such as Woolworths, Clicks, and Dischem to name a few have metal sensors at their entrances, so they don’t have to use outdated methods such as parcel counters which goes a long way in preventing issues such as the one I found myself faced with.

I would appreciate feedback on this matter because you will find that I am not the only customer who has been bul**** in this store.