PicknPay Claremont again falls down on "Specials"

Yet again I feel as if PicknPay's so-called "specials" and smart shopper points system could all be a **** to trick shoppers into thinking they are getting something and then don't get it. This afternoon (a few minutes ago) I walked into PicknPay Montclare building in Main Road, Claremont, Cape Town. I walked to the Smartshopper automatic kiosk, and selected a number of specials. Beacause of these specials I bought multiple units of some items (e.g. Pnp white toilet paper (18s) R7.90 off each, and specifically the PnP brand of some other items, e,.g. Diced tin tomatoes (again multiple units, as per the specials printout). After shopping for about half an hour I get to the tille, present my SmartShopper card, which is duly swiped. After everything is rung up, I state to the teller that I want to check that all of the discounts have been app**** before paying - because of my previous experiences at this branch of PicknPay. The teller then informs me that "oh, sorry, SmartShopper is offline, and no discounts have been app****". I ask to speak to the manager and Lethu, the manager, is called. I ask him what he is going to do about it. He says he will take a copy of my tillslip and the SmartShopper kiosk printout, and the SmartShopper points will be credited. I asked him - whata bout all the other shoppers who don't check and don't complain? Lethu's respsonse was - if they do, I will do the same for them. I did not have time to hang around as my free parking period was about to expire, so I left the tillslip and the SmartShopper kiosk printout with the teller.

My I will wait and see if: (a) the SmartShopper points I would have earned are credited, (b) the Multiply extra points are credited, (c) the discounts that I would have had (in the region of R50) is credited.

I am still very concerned that (a) only customers who complain (may) get the benefit that are used to entice them into the shop, and purchase specific targeted items and (b) that all the other customers are fleeced of their discounts and their SmartShopper points. I am beginning to have serious doubts about the PicknPay CIO's ability to let the systems deliver what the business promises. I also have my doubts about the training of the local branch managers on how to handle this type of technical situation - not disgruntled customers, but the situation before a customer becomes disgruntled.