Tuesday, October 26, 2010
I live in Oshawa, as you can tell from the outside of the envelope. If you’ve been here before, you’ll likely remember it as a place more closely resembling an organized landfill with roads, but where seagulls and rats barely outnumber people.
I have a meager paycheck to live on, the result of working no more than 4 days a week, so when I go somewhere local to buy food I have a tight budget in mind. I occasionally shopped at Price Chopper, which is in the same location as the new FreshCo on Simcoe Street North.
I received your wonderful flyer in the mail boasting a new way of thinking about groceries. Great, I thought, something new. New, taking into account that your new store is the same company that ran the Price Chopper at the same location. But a new way of thinking, a new way of doing things. Sounds good to me, and probably to a lot of people in the area as well.
To be honest, I was moderately pleased with how the ‘fresh’ in Freshco seemed to make sense. Produce seems decent, and priced lower than Loblaw’s Superstore which is right down the street from me. How long will it be this way I ask? If there’s one thing I can’t stand it’s a company that claims something, follows through at first but then lets the top button of their drawers open, letting their gut spill all over the table. I am hoping and praying for your Freshco location at Simcoe Street North that neither your food, nor your flyer-worthy values get moldy.
But down to the beans here. You’ll see I’ve included my receipt from Thursday, and a $5 coupon which came attached to your flyer. Here’s the scenario: I was checking out, had just paid, and had started to bag my groceries. I remembered the coupon in my top pocket, and asked the cashier if she could honour it. She told me in one swoop that it was too late for that, her computer wouldn’t let her do it, and there was no one in “the office” that could help me.
Now, the real asshole thing of me to do would be to make a return of all my purchased items, then have them ringed through again, this time with the coupon. This indeed crossed my mind instantly. However, there was quite a line building, and instead of giving grief to a bunch of people I don’t know, I said OK, and walked out. This was the typical submissive reaction most people would have in this situation. I figured if it was still bothering me in a couple days, maybe I’d write a letter.
The truth is, it doesn’t really bother me. But this exact situation is representative of what our little world is like here in Oshawa. We all have our individual beliefs, our little constitutions and values that we hold strong and really, really believe in. But slowly, almost mechanically, these things are chipped away. “Oh well,” people say, “There’s nothing I can do about it.” And they’re right. Every single day we get screwed just a little bit. What can we do about the price of this, and what can we do about the condition of that, and what about our jobs that the Chinese are now enjoying, and what about the money we used to have? All gone. Oh well.
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| "Put that in your mouth" |
I reiterate, I don’t care about the $5 I was hooped out of because I apparently didn’t follow proper “coupon protocol”. What bothers me is that as your company is trying to paint a new face on itself, old habits shine through, like having a computer that isn’t set up to honour a coupon for a transaction that was completed 5 seconds prior. That’s something that does a lot more damage to a customer than simply losing 5 useless dollars.
I just want your company to know that not everyone in Oshawa is stupid. Yes, most of us are dumb as sticks, and some people will probably keep coming back to your store no matter what their experience. But know that some people notice the little things, good or bad, and go by what they see, not simply what they believe.
If the person reading this only able to respond with pre-written form letter because of your computer, please don’t bother wasting the paper and a stamp.
As far as me, I’ll be wondering what is happening to the company behind the flashy new logo that seems every bit as redundant and typical as the store it replaced. However, I am cheering for Freshco nonetheless.
Sincerely,
Borriffick
