Food Basics
reviews and complaints

He following was my email to metro head office.

Hello I was in your store today sept 18 2011. 3-4 pm store #937

I did my shopping as I usually do at your store and upon getting home and reviewing my receipt, I noticed an over charge on on sale chicken of 74.36. I first called the store to see if we could credit the problem back on my card, we could not. I then went to the store with the chicken in question and went to the first available cashier. Her name was jen b, a short blond woman. After 5 or so minutes of her figuring out what to do she handed me a blank form that said cash back and asked me to sign it and said it was company policy. I paid with my gold mastercard so I was unsure and confused as to why I was being asked to sign a blank paper stating cash back, I refused to sign the blank document as would anyone. She insisted and I still refused and stated that I would more than gladly sign the credit card statement for the credit to be issued.

She then seems to have just lost it by stating loudly that I am an # and not just a mumble under her breath, I replied pardon and she loudly without any form of regret in front of at least 20 people or more shouted clearly # again and stated that she deals with #s like me all the time. I will admit that I was upset at the fact I had to drive all the way back to the store to deal with such a huge overcharge.

My actions were not warranting of this type of public humiliation. I went in very calmly expecting a credit to be processed on my card. I was in no way disrespectful throughout her ordeal but I was firm in the fact I was not signing something that was blank, is that too much to expect? Jen b took it upon herself to disrespect me and the very customers you serve with no apparent fear of reprimand. I know this is a terrible neighborhood and full of un desirables and she must deal with some real whackos, but I am not one of those people, I am an home owner in the neighborhood, 45 years old and university educated.

After me refusing to leave without my credit and signing something that is blank makes no sense and her throwing the chicken and throwing my exchanged product down the checkout ramp. Also accusing me of having my credit card when she had it throughout this whole terrifying transaction and again giving her more opportunity to lose it on me a little more. Again out of line and she was wrong. I asked jen b if she was fearful of losing her job over behaving like this by calling me an # 3 times loud and clear for all to hear and she simply stated again "I been dealing with #s like you for 5 years and I will never lose my job over an # like you". I gave her many opportunities to calm down and perhaps take back what she was saying over and over but she seems to have no fear of being corrected for her behavior.

She called someone else to authorize the credit without me having to sign some blank document again, she quickly said she needed a witness for this credit and after quite a few more minutes and terrifying attitude processed as expected a credit to my gold card which I gladly signed. Why was this not done before she lost it? It would have saved me a allot of embarrassment and perhaps her job.

I am very upset and was completely shocked that this person is allowed to deal with good customers in this manner and publicly yell # at me the whole time for something so simple.

I did not yell or curse or call her names at all throughout this and tried very hard not to lose it myself. I asked for a manger afterwards and another woman gave me the information. I left calmly yet extremely stressed out, it has ruined what was a perfect sunday afternoon.

I'm still in shock and would expect that you will reply shortly before I go any further with this.

One really upset customer,

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Food-Basics-Complaints-Dept/286270901398527

To whom this may concern,
On december 21st, my mother and I went to food basics to return a coffee mate that she mistoke for a vanilla coffee mate, but we had just discovered the night before that the cashier did not give her the receipt and she was certain of this because the store was closing up and the cashier was in a hurry, she purchased items for 102 dollars. We went to the cashier that was there the other day (paula) we asked her very nicely and calmly, she gave us lip service and started shouting at us, I told her to speak politely and then she glared endlessly at us, we asked her for the manager, so she turned her back to us and hid behind the column by her stand and spoke on the intercom while making suggestive hand gestures, we told her to speak when the manager comes and not to try to lie behind our backs, she ignored us. A short man came over who for sure wasnt a manager judging by his unifom, gloves and attitude, he stook his face up against my mother and asked her in a rude and loud manner "what do you need honey!". My mother was astonished and told him to call her madam or mam as what hes calling her by is unethical and unprofessionl, he then started to tilt his head towards her and approaching her even closer, she turned around and asked paula for the real manager, I told him firmly "hey, look at me, talk to me" over and over again but he ignored me then finally turned as he was leaving when I asked him for his name and he put his chest out which up until he stopped seemed as if he was going to push me, he said "its hugo, not too hard to remember right,?! Show me what your gonna do", I told him your going to lose your job thats what, he turned to his colleagues and laughed while he said "talk to the kid man", he said this repeatadely, and I am 22 and graduating from architecture at u of t, I replied and said "we'll see whos the kid when your out on the street and cant support yourself or your family. Then came in a guy named boriz, he was extremely cold and saw the whole thing and calm, he said that he couldnt do much since the employees are unionized, he stood cold bloodely to listen to our side of the story as hugo stood 5 feet by laughing with a friend of his. He was going to return the item without the reciept but we had forgot it at home, he gave us a number to call and complain to but every day I called there was no answer and nobody replied to my voicemails, this caused my mother and myself much disturbance over the next week as we do not treat people with misrespect and therefore do not accept to be treated with such rudeness. I hope that action will take place, but I assure you that this is and will cause further damage to your reputation that is already going down hill. Many other incidents such as employees being impatient and unhelpful in claiming to be a witness when a customer is rude has occured many times in the past but this time its gone too far.
Regards,
Farres yasser