Shocking shocking service

On Tuesday I went to do shopping at pick n pay Benmore Gardens. One of the items I purchased was an 850g block of Parmalat white cheddar cheese. Upon arrival at home to make lunch for my daughter I opened the cheese, cut a big chunk off and realised it was mouldy. I emailed benmore pick n pay to advise them of this (knowing I couldn’t get back that same day). I sent pictures and an explanation of what happened (see below) and received a prompt response from Jeff asking for my smart shopper number and my cell number, which I provided. Jeff later called me and was very nice, he said he’d found my fill slip from earlier in the day and he said I could go in and exchange it.

I explained I never had a car and that I could only get there on Thursday he said no problem. Yesterday my car wasn’t ready so I emailed benmore again to advise that I could only come in on Friday. Friday still no car so I arranged for my sister to collect the new cheese from Benmore, drop it at my house and then return the old cheese to Benmore which Jeff said would be no problem. It was a huge ask of my sister who works and had to rush to get it all done for me, and go about 20km out of her way. She fetched the cheese this morning from Jeff at Benmore Gardens. Came to me, I grabbed the old cheese, gave it to her and took the packet with the new cheese. After she’d left I opened the packet and in it was a packet of LANCEWOOD YELLOW CHEDDAR. Not what I had purchased. I’m now so irritated and I cannot call my sister back to take me yet again to benmore and knowing I have a friends child staying the weekend, along with my own todddler and 8 month old children there was no way I could get out on a Saturday, besides which I needed cheese for their meals, I have no choice but to go back to Benmore myself. I had to arrange my neighbours nanny to watch my children while I went out (at a cost) and I had to Uber to Benmore Gardens. By this stage I’m very irritated but I took the slip and the cheese provided by Jeff and found him at customer service. I explained who I was, and that I had been given the incorrect cheese. I said I wanted to return it for store credit and get other items (I wasn’t chancing it again with the parmalat mould and I didn’t want the lancewood as the kids don’t eat yellow cheese). Jeff said this was not possible as my old cheese had not yet been returned. My sister had not arrived back there to return the cheese yet. She arrived within minute. I left empty handed and took another uber (at a cost) on a busy Friday, to Pick n pay south rd Morningside. Over there I went to customer service.

I asked to please return the cheese for stored credit. The customer service lady had to wait for another lady who could help me. I waited 20 MINUTES at customer service in front of two of the most miserable faces. I am still in good humour at this point and even asked the ladies if they were having a bad day as I was the one smiling and receiving s***ls in return. Not even a response. The lady who could help finally arrived, also miserable, said she could give me a voucher, but not for the price on the slip as the slip said lotto ticket purchase not cheese. And the slip was for R152.99 and the cheese cane up as R119.99. Again, irritated and hot and two hours have passed since I left home I said fine just give me the 119.00! The misery handed me my voucher card and I swapped it for formula, bread and milk as I couldn’t find the cheese I wanted and went to SPAR to buy cheese (another Uber, another cost.

I work from home and I have two small children. 3 hours out of my work day costs me a fortune. I’ve sent my sister out of her way, twice, to remedy a mistake made by pick n pay which is a) embarrassing to have to ask and b) costly for her of her time and her fuel! I’ve left my kids and my work for 3 hours to Uber around joburg to replace a mouldy block of cheese. When I think about it, Jeff could have said, if you don’t have a car, we will collect the old cheese and give you a new one. It’s what I have to do when I mess up with a client. I was happy to go in and return it. Once. After that what is the excuse for poor service.

The total financial cost to me today for 4 Uber’s (R140.00), the nanny for 3 hours (R100), petrol for my sister (R100.00), my time away from work (I lost a R3500.00 order because I saw it too late) and extra shopping at the spar (R 559.00) totalling almost R4500.00, plus my time driving around in this heat in an Uber while my kids sit at home with a virtual stranger and I lose business is unacceptable. If they had just been polite, and helpful and friendly, even just polite rather than making my life so difficult, I wouldn’t be so angry. The fact that Jeff gave me the WRONG CHEESE at the WRONG PRICE with a til slip for LOTTO not cheese at a DIFFERENT PRICE, and not helping me when I came back in an Uber was inexcusable. I’m sorry. I never complain even when service is bad, and it often is. But for goodness sake when is enough enough? For FOUR days this cheese has taken time out of my day. I did not deserve the runaround I had today. It was not fair on me, my sister, my neighbour, her nanny or my kids - all these people being put out over a stupid block of cheese. Looking at those unhelpful, miserable faces at customer care in Morningside! I WILL NEVER AGAIN SHOP AT PICK N PAY BENMORE GARDENS OR MORNINGSIDE. You can bet me on this and check my smart shopper card in a year and you will see I will not have been back!

I’m unbelievably disappointed in the service, the lack of assistance and no responsibility taken when mistakes were made by pick n pay staff were made that cost me a fortune today in time, effort, energy and cash. Today, Jeff called and reprimanded me that I handled my complaint incorrectly. Sorry am I not the customer? Jeff’s manager just called me to say I could go BACK to benmore and fetch a new cheese!