By Clive Redman
Cape Town - This is an open letter to the CEOs of Pick n Pay, Checkers and to whom it may apply.
What an unpleasant experience shopping at these stores has become.
Trying to address my grievances as a customer in an in-house capacity was an exercise in futility. My letter to Pick n Pay’s head office, highlighting decade-long issues with staff behaviour, apart from a polite email assuring me the issues would be addressed, has not culminated in any observable change in ethics.
What makes shopping such an unsavoury experience is the demeanour of floor staff, packers etc, which reflects their, and ultimately their bosses’ ignorance, of what constitutes respect and consideration for the well-being of the customer, who ultimately pays their salaries.
There is no more a “You first” demeanour by packers or staff in the aisles. The attitude suggests “I’m doing my job, you can wait” or “go around”. How many times I’ve had to go back to access a product from the other end of the aisle or been obliged to step aside for a staff member bearing down on me with a laden trolley or intentful stride that tells me it would be best to give way to Mr/Mrs/Miss Important.
Likewise,I have to interrupt group discussions to get service from attendants behind the deli counters.
At the checkout tills, I often feel I am intruding in the animated discussions between packers and till staff. I often get the feeling I am only something to be tolerated by staff.
The second issue is the piped music on the address system. Many musicians will tell you they are asked not to play restful music at busy restaurants as the owner wants patrons to eat up quickly and move on to make way for more patrons.
One might be forgiven for concluding customers shouldn’t dally in your stores but pay up and get out ASAP. Is the music perhaps all about what the staff prefer?
The current and recent renovations in Checkers and Pick n Pay are not going to incentivise me to shop there, nor will it make shopping there the slightest bit less unsavoury.
The indifference to customer sensitivities evident at Muizenberg and Blue Route Centre Checkers stores under renovation is enough to make sure I look further afield to do shopping. Instead of focusing on cosmetic façades, rather concentrate on cleaning up staff attitudes!
I conclude with these words by the great Mahatma Gandhi, “A customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption to our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business.
He is a part of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him. He is doing us a favour by giving us an opportunity to do so.”
Cape Times
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