Posts Tagged ‘customer service’

Grocery store managers don't have time to take calls.

My partner and I are both involved in Show Tune Showdown, a fundraiser for great Ottawa choir Tone Cluster. The event is a lot of fun to put together.

Except when some people are utter jerks.

One of my partner’s tasks has been to try to drum up food donations for the afterparty for performers, the production team, and the volunteers. One of the approaches she’s made has been to a local chain grocer located around three blocks from the venue. The goal? A sandwich tray, a $25 gift card, something like that.

At every turn, it’s been a frustration, for WEEKS. Hand-delivered a personal letter of request to the manager. Waited. Called. Sorry, the letter never got to the manager, and besides, a letter won’t do it. You need a form. No, can’t e-mail the form. No, you have to pick it up and either mail it and drop it off. Dropped off the form. Nothing. Call. Yes, they’ve received the form. No, don’t know when there will be an answer. No, the store manager isn’t here right now. No, you can’t leave him a message. No, you can’t e-mail him. You need to keep calling.

Compare this with the other big chain with a store in the neighborhood, which promptly replied: “We don’t give food, but here’s a gift card. Go shopping.” Or to our local greengrocer, the Herb & Spice, which with a simple ask offered up a box full of fruit, drinks, and the like. Or the local coffee chain Bridgehead, which is providing coffee during the  day for our volunteers and production team, based on a simple ask.

An open letter to the manager of the big chain grocery store on Rideau Street that isn’t Metro:

Seriously. Dude, you run a grocery store. You sell commodities. I can go anywhere else to get groceries. The price differences aren’t so immense that I won’t make that choice. You aren’t so important that you get to not take messages and ignore existing or potential customers.

The people who gave us a little stuff are going to be publicly thanked for their generosity in front of 460 people tomorrow night. And again at the volunteer party. And again on the Show Tune Web site. You, on the other hand, get this cranky blog post. Who do you think gets a better deal? Who do you think doesn’t seem like a jerk?

So Yay:

Herb & Spice shop

Bridgehead

Metro

And Yay Show Tune Showdown and Tone Cluster.

Customer service photo from the Captivated Customers blog.

Hi blogsters! Remember when Technorati used to be relevant? Me too.

Of course, they likely don’t know about this blog, because it still isn’t in their directory despite me having followed their procedures in MID-NOVEMBER. Now that’s the real-time web, eh kids?

So I’ve decided to make a contest. Leave a comment with your best guess as to what date they’ll approve my blog (Never is not a valid option; “when hell freezes over” isn’t either) and finish the review process they began 90 days ago, and the person who gets closest to the actual date will get a coffee and a pastry date with me (or without me, if you prefer)  if they’re in the Ottawa area, or I’ll paypal you enough to buy yourself a coffee and a donut.

Multiple correct answers will result in a random draw for the prize.

Good luck!