"The ***** who didn't *****..."

<p>Yesterday morning at about 3:30am, my sister and I stopped off at the Woolworths Food Store at the Engen garage in Claremont/Newlands. We were about to leave for Johannesburg, yet promised our niece, studying and resident at the UCT, that before we leave, we'll purchase a few basic groceries and drop them off when we greett her, hence our reason for shopping there at that time.</p> <p>We browsed through the aisles, selected all we wanted, and proceeded to the cash tills. Upon request for payment, my sister presented the cashier, namely Nadine, with a Woolworths gift card for payment, she was informed that they do not accept gift cards as payment, with no acceptable reason provided, despite being requested.</p> <p>My sister then provided Nadine with her banking debit card, yet simultaneously advised her that she cannot ensure that the payment will be successfully processed, or authorised, as she has been experiencing problems with her card when she tried to swipe it. They proceeded to attempt using it.</p> <p>However, as advised, the payment was declined.</p> <p>A mutual agreement was reached between the two of them, this being my sister was to go withdraw the cash from the ATM located in the building across the road.</p> <p>Amongst our shopping, a few of the items included in the sale, was for us, and not for our niece. When Nadine scanned these, we advised her of this, and she suggested I rather just pop them in my handbag, as they could fit, and I did just that.</p> <p>Then, as we were about to leave to go to the ATMs, both Nadine and I remembered the items in my handbag, and I returned them to her, directly to her. When I took the items out of my handbag, the inside of my bag was fully visible to Nadine.</p> <p>We didn't quite trust to walk across the road to withdraw cash, especially NOT at that time of the night, this for obvious safety reasons. So instead we proceeded to our car, and I started to position it in order to drive across to the ATM. However, before we could leave, Nadine approached us yet again, this time accompanied by a security guard, informing us that there were "apparently" still some items "missing" - She then instructed the security to search our handbags, as well as our vehicle, which he did.</p> <p>After his search, he confirmed that the items claimed to be in our possession, was in fact NOT. He then went to advise Nadine of this as well. Nadine dismissed him, and instead went to call her Manager, namely, Johan. They both came out of the store to us, where she rather vocally, accused me of *****ing. "Mr. Manager", with no further investigation, or attempt to assitain the facts regarding the situation at hand, acknowledged Nadine's accusation, and advised me that he'll be calling the local SAPS station to come and arrest me.</p> <p>The two of them then went back inside the shop, leaving us outside, with a different security guard from the previous. Had it not been for this security's professionalism and civility, we would have been left to sit and wonder what was happening. It was HE who informed us that Johan and Nadine were upstairs monitoring the video footage. He also informed us that he was instructed to clamp our vehicle, this to prevent us from, and I quote, "running".</p> <p>After quite some time, Nadine, accompanied by Johan and anothercolleague came storming out the store. Nadine and her colleague immediatelyy proceeded to search our vehicle yet again, she didn't even bother to inform us that she was about to search. They grabbed our handbags, emptied all the contects thereof onto the ground in the garage courtyard, rummaged through our luggage, tearing open packets and our shoeboxes. She then as did a bodysearch of us both, yet again not acquiring our consent.</p> <p>After her "crazed searching tantrum" - during which she literally turned the inside of our vehicle (for lack of a better term) "upside-down" - she STILL FAILED to find the items I allegedly STOLE!!!</p> <p>From the onset of the accusation made by Nadine, I desperately tried to highlight to Nadine that she herself was the prime eye witness of each step we took from the moment we left her till. In fact she witnessed the remaining contents of my handbag, this even before I got into my car. This I tried to advise, but failed miserably, as Nadine did not even attempt to listen, nor allow any of her colleagues to either.</p> <p>She was well aware of the fact that between leaving the store and our car, there was absolutely no possible place we were able to either hide or discard of any items claimed missing.</p> <p>Despite all this, she, along with the manager of the garage and Woolies store, publicly accused me of theft, humiliated me, disrespected both myself as well as my property (by the way she handled my goods), and deliberately chose to eliminate any other possibility of where the items missing may be, or who may have taken them from Nadine's till after she got them back from me.</p> <p>And even after her THOROUGH search of both us, and our vehicle, not finding anything, she STILL turned to Johan, seeking his approval to proceed with charging me with theft. Even at this point, after so many of the staff searching and witnessing no items in our possession, she continued to accuse me. Johan however advised her that she has no further option but to allow us to leave.</p> <p>After concrete evidence we did not have the items claimed missing, not once could the "MANAGER" acknowledge both him as well as his staff inappropriately accused us of something we did NOT do, and apologise for doing so, instead he turned and comforted his "traumatised staff member" and returned back to the store.</p> <p>Only, yet again, their security guard, whilst unclamping my vehicle, took it upon himself to offer somewhat of an apology.</p> <p>All of this behaviour from the staff at Woolworths Food Store Claremont, I find absolutely disgraceful, utterly humiliating, and completely unacceptable.</p> <p>Line staff members should NOT be allowed to conduct themselves in such a manner towards customers, more so members of the management team. Adding to this the fact that they are staff members afforded the positions to represent one of the most reputable companies, chain stores in South Africa. More than just a company, rather a BRAND, who pride themselves in second--to-none customer service standards, an admirable level of professionalism (in general), and underlined by an international UK brand, Marks and Spencer. I was, and am most certain majority of the rest of the country, is led to believe that Woolies really does have a difference, a very distinct manner in which their customer is treated, this with no exception made.</p> <p>How terribly misled I was, how dissappointed I was coming to the realisation that Woolies did not set benchmarks across the board. However, me writing this review, is but only the beginning. I was left with a very bitter taste in my mouth, and I intend to fully ammend this.</p> <p>I intend to seek and proceed with legal action, namely *** Defamation of Character ***False Accusation ********** Detention.</p> <p>I t is with deep regret that I intend to proceed with such course of action, as I was, a very loyal and proud customer of the Woolies brand, and now having to proceed to publicly challenge the brand's Code of Conduct, Standards and Values. However, I seek satisfactory ammends and compensation (even if merely emotionally and mentally), and will not rest until such has been obtained by me. </p> <p> </p>