Mistreated by PnP Mokopane

I am writing this complaint in absolute frustration and disappointment following a very unpleasant experience at your Mokopane branch this morning. As a regular and loyal customer of Pick n Pay, I am appalled by the way I was treated, and I feel compelled to express my dissatisfaction.

I was in a hurry and quickly grabbed 10 small packets of chicken noodle soup before heading to the cigarette counter to pay. Both express tills were completely unattended, and the main queues were extremely long. Given the circumstances, I believed the cigarette counter would be an appropriate alternative.

However, once I reached the front of the queue at the cigarette pay point, I was abruptly told by what I assume was a manager (unfortunately I didn’t catch his name) that I am not allowed to pay there because I had more than five items. I was then told to go back and queue in the already very long line.

What shocked me even more is that there is absolutely no visible signage indicating this restriction at the cigarette counter. How are customers supposed to know this rule if it is not communicated clearly? And even worse, how can a staff member insist on sending a customer back to a long queue when both express tills are unattended?

This entire experience was extremely upsetting and felt unnecessarily humiliating. I was purchasing those items for a sick friend, and had it not been for that, I would have left the goods and walked out.

Please treat this complaint seriously and provide urgent feedback on how this will be addressed. At the very least, a clear and visible notice should be placed at the cigarette counter to avoid future misunderstandings, and staff should be trained to handle such situations with more empathy and common sense.

I look forward to your prompt response Pick n Pay!