With ‘Food’ in the subject heading, one may expect a discussion about a delicious recipe or a wonderful restaurant but, this time I am going to discuss something interesting (at least for me) about grocery stores.
When I was young ... now, isn’t that the quintessential opening line. Anyway, there was a time when superstores were nonexistent. One had the luxury of individual butchers, bakers ... and candlestick makers ... with an emphasis on the plural.
One could visit a butcher and give detailed instructions about the required piece of meat, and this was the normal practice. Once taken home and cooked, if the meat did not meet one’s satisfaction, a complaint would be made and, usually, the butcher would offer a bonus portion next time.
The same would occur at the fruit and vegetable shop. If there was a rotten apple somewhere, an acknowledgement would be made and an acceptable recompense would be agreed at the return visit, much in favor of the customer. It was considered very important to maintain good customer relations.
Today, there is usually just one superstore serving each neighborhood and, in my opinion, good customer relations have virtually disappeared.
For example, some time ago, I bought some chicken pieces from a well-known supermarket. When the package was opened at home, it was necessary to hurriedly open a window to remove the terrible stench of putrid chicken. Being angry, I immediately returned to the supermarket. The manager, when confronted quite politely, said that I could choose a replacement package. This done, I returned to the cashier, who pointed out that the new package had a higher cost (approximately 20 cents), and insisted that I pay the difference. When the manager returned, I explained that the journey to return the original chicken had cost me more than 20 cents, he simply gazed at the ceiling and refused to negotiate further. Therefore, I retrieved the putrid chicken, but cannot explain what I did with it. It should be sufficient to say that, when discovered some days later, the cost of cleanup would have been much greater than 20 cents. And I have never returned.
I recently bought some mouldy strawberries from a superstore and, to be honest, did not trouble myself with a return visit, knowing that I would simply be offered a similar container. So much for Mexican strawberries.
My point here is the attitude of large supermarkets that believe that you are obliged to be a return customer, no matter what, because they are doing you a favor by establishing themselves in your neighborhood. I find this unacceptable when all imperfect groceries could be returned to the wholesaler for a refund ... and probably a discount on the next order.
Just a final thought; would they get more respect if, instead of marking dated produce with a ‘50% Off’ sticker, they sent it to the local Food Bank?
I wonder if I should name the aforementioned supermarket?
Hi Bernie
ReplyDeleteYou must be anxious for the end of winter considering the leafy theme of your blog page or are you simply promoting the "green" life style.
The lack of concern for public relations in supermarkets is the price we pay for purportedly low costs and variety of choice. I'm sure store management don't care much for you. They don't hesitate to charge us five cents for a cheap plastic bag and pocket the extra profit. Isn't that typical of an uncaring organization. We can easily spend one hundred dollars on product and be charged fifteen cents more plus HST for bags to take it home. As for out of date food, it goes in the dumpster to be recycled by hogs and later resold as pork product. Isn't that nice to think about.
Well, to be honest, I originally planned to change the page template each month but soon discovered that it would involve too many advance changes to the settings. Therefore, I decided that the present "green" setting should be suitable for the foreseeable future.
ReplyDeleteRegarding my comment about attitude, I fail to see the connection between the price of things and a basic, common, gratitude with a smile. I am not asking for Japanese personnel at the entrance bowing and saying, "ようこそ" (Welcome), but the alternative is unacceptable.
The thought about pork produced from expired food is quite acceptable to me ... just do not serve up any internal organs ... thank you.
Kmart? Meiers?
ReplyDeleteAs to marking down the produce or sending it to the local food bank . . . I vote for the first. I vote this way because I am in the habit of cruising my local, average-sized, non-chain grocery store, Heartland Market, for their discount shelf on Tuesday or Wednesday. On that day, they package and discount deeply all produce they want to move out of their store because it is blemished. Generally each package of perfectly edible tomatos, broccoli, cauliflower, berries, squash, eggplant, cucumbers, peppers (all colors), oranges, grapefruits, etc. are repackaged in units priced $0.99-$1.39 max. I can buy a week or more of veggies and fruits, freeze them for the future when I have too much to consume in a reasonable time, all for about $12 to $14. It would have cost three or four times that much at any other store. They like my return business, too. Other customers who shop this wheeled cart nestled at one end of the produce section and I all love the idea that the market wants to share with its customers. Since it is a new market trying to build a customer base, we have a win-win situation. I have to confess that they are more generous in the summer and fall than they are in the winter . . . when all the produce is shipped in from Mexico.