Practical Managerial Approach

Unprofessional,inconsiderate conduct of admin manager at WOOLWORTHS FOODS AMANZIMTOTI,KZN. Woolworths Pavilion wrongly advised me to travel to Woolworths Galleria for a food item.I was further inconvenienced when Galleria Woolies had no stock and was told to try yet another store.This unnecessary travel was directly caused by incorrect staff advice. When I requested an inconvenience discount at the Woolworths Foods Amanzimtoti the manager was dismissive,hiding behind protocol and refusing to acknowledge the clear frustration and wasted time I had experienced.

Protocols exist for accountabilty,but they should never be used as a shield against empathy or service recovery.A better approach would have been acknowledging the inconvenience with a sincere apology and offering a goodwill gesture.Instead the rigid refusal left me feeling disregarded.This incident felt short of Woolworths claim of customer care.

I urge management to train staff and managers to balance protocol with discretion ensuring customers are treated with respect to their Constitutional right to dignity and fairness when errors and misdirection originate from the company itself.

Furthermore the Consumer Protection Act No.68 of 2008 exists to promote a fair marketplace and it is to be interpreted with purpose,with specific attention to Section 40 under the rubric right to fair and honest dealing.