Hellopeter
Share Your Experience
DJ
Des J

1 reviews | Active since Aug 2016

11 Dec 2018, 15:06

Pick 'n Pay - Sweet Prices Turn Bitter!

The highlight of completing the weekly shop at Tokai PnP used to be finding a spot of sweet confectionery at bread counter. A ****in, chocolate éclair or brownie made the perfect ‘sweet’ for the weekend meal.

A few months ago, these little ‘luxuries’ began to increase alarmingly in price and are now almost DOUBLE what they cost a short time ago!

Believing that the increases were neither justified (a wage increase to protesting ***s?), nor reasonable (from R10 to R17?), I ceased my custom for confectionery there and did a little research…

I found that Spar Supermarkets (upmarket to PnP, remember), sell their confectionery at very reasonable prices, with bigger portions and absolutely delish… (see photo attached).

Now, in the name of fairness I like to give this supermarket a ‘heads up’ on an aberration, to buck up their pricing policies or alternatively, an opportunity to explain how this situation has been allowed to occur. So I made my way to the office...

But when I raised the issue with ‘Thabo’ the Tokai manager, he told me that the ‘buyers’ are the product ‘gods’ and set the prices that he has to abide by. In short; he had nothing to do with it and could do nothing about it!

Really?

Since when does someone in an office in distant Jozi tell a manager at the 'coalface' with his finger on the pulse, what he must sell and at what price? The performance of the shop should be in the hands of an accountable manager who knows his market and clients, not?

Anyway, whether he just could not be bothered by my complaint or wanted to get rid of me, ‘Thabo’ has absolved himself from responsibility in the matter. This message must then be directed at the faceless 'gods' up in retail heaven - the Pick ‘n Pay ‘buyers’…

Buyers…? You’ve lost your franchisee a client who now delights in making a trip to his local Spar and receives DOUBLE the size éclair at almost HALF the price you are charging!

You claim to offer the best produce at competitive prices?

You claim to be the consumers ‘friend'?

This is patently untrue.

What do you have to say to that!!!!!?????

0
Replies (3)
DJ
Des J's update06 Mar 2019, 09:06
Reviewer Update
Some things, it appears, never change. Finally received a phone call and acknowledgement from Esme Pelser, head office manager for foods a month ago. Expressed my concern about finding expired food items (3 months, no less), on the shelf of a PnP outlet. Problem solved and said items removed forthwith. As for the pricing and constituent issue surrounding the chocolate éclairs, I was passed on to someone more qualified to answer the issue as to why the company does not (at least), offer competitive products at competitive prices…. Well, here we are. Just on a month (8 Feb), since this instruction from head-office and still no response from ‘Heidi’…? Either they 'lost' the original complaint or they don't have an answer? Perhaps if PnP had a competent ‘Customer Service’ manager along with trained support staff and a system to efficiently process customer complaints, they can rightfully claim to be “inspired by you”, the customer?
DJ
Des J's update27 May 2019, 16:46
Reviewer Update
Would love to show a pic of the product, but the page doesn't seem to have an upload function!
DJ
Des J's update04 Sept 2019, 21:26
Reviewer Update
Now 3 months on, so one must conclude that PnP have decided, despite the flurry of churn, intention, and hollow promises, not to respond to my query. Clearly a major failing in the customer service component of this major brand!