DISRESPECTFUL AND CHEEKY ECOUNTER WITH WOOLWORTHS COUNTRY ROAD MANAGER (KHAYALETHU) AT V & A WATERFRONT

On the 31st of April, I visited Woolworths (Country Road) with the intent of exchanging a Country Road brand Trench coat for other items, as this trench coat was bought and received at this specific Country Road store. The trench coat item was a present for my eldest daughter's birthday, which was gifted to her by my cousin. Therefore, I had no till slip to present at the till and only wanted to swap it for another item. The size had been small for her, and we ended up getting her another trench coat that was her size at the Zara store instead. I wanted to exchange the trench coat for the Country Road trainers instead. After all, she wanted the trainers in place of the coat, as she no longer needed the trench coat, as she replaced it with the one at Zara.

At my request, the staff (the cashier) refused to grant the exchange for me, even though I thoroughly explained that the item was bought in that specific store on Good Friday, 18th April. I then told them to check on their system that the trench coat was purchased at this particular Country Road branch, to prove that I was not wasting my time by coming to that store to lie about where it was purchased. Instead, they told me that they could not see it on the system, and eventually I asked them to call a manager, which would end up being KHAYALETHU TSHEMESE. The manager that I have named arrived with an apparent and obvious attitude, and asked what he could assist me with. Either way, I ignored the attitude this man had and I would continue to explain the situation to him. As I was explaining, he told me that he was the one who told the cashier not to grant the exchange for me. While saying this, he was hitting his chest, repeating that he was the one who denied the exchange. He then would continue to put his hands in his pants pockets, still with a distasteful attitude. My eldest daughter then questioned him about the attitude and shoving his hands in his pockets while speaking to a customer, which was very unprofessional and dreadful to experience.

I then called my cousin, Ntombi, so I could get her to speak to the man and let her know that she did purchase the trench coat in this store. I couldn't reach her as her line was busy, but eventually she reached back out to me, and I told KHAYAKETHU that the lady who purchased the coat is on the phone. After telling him, he would proceed to ask me what he should do. Which confused me entirely, as he had requested that I call the woman, which I did. He then said that I should come with her, my cousin who made the purchase, to the store the following day. The following day, as requested by the manager KHAYALETHU, I arrived in store at past 8 pm with the woman he wanted to see.

When we got there, I asked one of the cashiers to call Khayalethu for me. He then arrived, and I greeted him with utmost respect, and he greeted back, and then I let him know that the woman beside me is the woman he requested I come with. There was a change in his facial expression when I let him know. He then would briefly look at my cousin, Ntombi, and then look back at me with the same attitude from the day before, and then he proceeded to ask me, "And what did I say I would do again?". This then infuriated me heavily, as he was the one who told me to come with the person who purchased the coat, and somehow he is suddenly asking ME, the customer, what to do in that situation. This was very confusing to me and my cousin, Ntombi. I then told him that he can not ask me that, as he played in my face the day before and he thinks he can play in my face and waste my time and petrol again by telling me to come with the person to him, in store, and then continue to ask me what to do and not assist me with anything.

I then asked him, again, why he would tell me to return to the store with the person when he knew that he never intended to assist me with the exchange in the first place. He then asked for the till slip, again, this time from Ntombi. Ntombi responded that she never received a till slip, as she had made an exchange of a jacket for the trench coat prior to all of this. Ntombi, who was infuriated herself, then questioned KHAYALETHU about asking to see her in the store when he knew he would not assist us with anything. KHAYALETHU then told Ntombi to go, on her own, and find the person who helped make an exchange for the trench coat that she gifted to my eldest daughter, so that he could "deal with them as they had done what he would have never allowed", his words verbatim. When we were arguing with the manager and raising our voices as we were frustrated, he called the security on standby and the lady to escort us out and that we would be returning the following day. This caused more frustration which led to anger and we were shouting at KHAYALETHU about his mistreatment. My middle daughter, who was there as well, along with my youngest daughter, then confronted him about telling us to return the following day and would ask if if he still intended to not assist us. In which he responded "yes, I am not going to help you".

This is very unprofessional and ill-mannered, as he was still playing in my face by not assisting me on the day, and the day before, and ordering me to return the next day when he never intended to help me. I then asked if, by any chance, he knew how expensive petrol is, if he maybe had a vehicle, he would understand. He never responded, which tells me he does not own a single car. While we were shouting, he then said "If you want me, come to Khayelitsha, you"ll find me there" verbatim. I have this on video. This caused another uproar as he was threatening us, I then told him that I do not stay in Khayelitsha. Then my daughter responded that he wouldn't do anything in Khayelitsha and that we could indeed find him because we are fami**** with the area, as we have family there. I want to know if the Woolworths group intentionally employs ******* such as Khayalethu Tshemese, as not a sane, ethical, and professional employee would threaten customers about finding them in the townships, especially in the workplace. What is outrageous to me is that he would insist on telling us that we would find him in Khayelitsha as if we asked him in the first place. This shows that it was no longer a professional or corporate argument but a personal disagreement.

He then called for "backup security", and we told him that he could call all of them and that we would still not leave the store. I even told him he could call the police if we stole anything and that we will not leave. More and more people, customers and staff members, gathered to watch the scene unfold, eventually a man namely "Rameez" arrived and tried to console us and calm us down. He then asked what had happened, and we explained while he listened intently. This man also witnessed Khayalethu's outrageous behaviour as he had ordered Khayalethu to leave, and instead Khayalethu refused and said we were insulting him, as if he hadn't been insulting and threatening us, and said he would stand right there and not leave. He would not listen, and eventually another staff member, a black woman with cornrows and brownskin, and spectacles would pull Khayalethu away from the scene while saying "masambe chomi". This lady then stood to the side after Khayalethu left and took out her phone, mind you, this is a Woolworths staff member, and recorded us. My middle daughter then noticed and took out her phone as well, and took a video of the staff member recording a video of us. We have the video. You can see in the video she is asking why we are attending to her because the situation is not about her, and you can hear my daughter asking her why she is recording. This is very unprofessional and upsetting that she saw it as entertainment and thought to take a video of us in the store. What type employees is Woolworths employing? And its so confusing as she could have been doing her job elsewhere but she thought it was funny to a video of us and stand there and laugh.