An Open Letter [Feedback Form] to Whole Foods
Hi. I went to the Kirby location for lunch on Monday. While there, I asked [the hot deli] team when they’d have Moroccan Chicken again, because I really like it. They told me to come back Wednesday (today). So I drove over after work in order to pick it up for dinner. They didn’t have the chicken. A female clerk on staff apologized, then suggested that I speak to the manager. I said I didn’t want to wait. But she said he’d find a way to make it up to me — that maybe he would have the staff prepare the chicken the next day and then give it to me on the house, for my trouble. I thanked her and started to leave, but then the manager, Andre, walked up. The female clerk explained the situation to him.
He said, “Oh, I don’t think we make that salad anymore.”
The clerk explained again that it was chicken, and that the staff had told me to come back for it today.
Andre suggested that I come back the next day or Saturday. I said I didn’t want to do that. He suggested that next time, I call ahead. I asked why I should call ahead if showing up in person hadn’t worked. He had no response, other than “Sorry!” with an insincere smile. He was very glib about it, and didn’t seem to fully comprehend what had happened.
I wasn’t *too* upset, because I figured that the staff had misunderstood me on Monday, and there was nothing Andre could really do about it, anyway. But his uncaring attitude had annoyed me a little.
I went to put back my other purchases, not wanting to stand in line for just a few things. As I did this, I overheard Andre complaining about me to clerk at the cold deli. He was shrugging his shoulders and saying, “Well, what was I supposed to do?”
Maybe you guys can give Andre some tips on what to do when customers drive to his location after work in order to buy an item that his staff has incorrectly said would be available.
Maybe you can at least instruct Andre to carefully look around his department and make sure the unsatisfied customer is gone, before he starts talking about said customer to his coworker friends.
Or, hey — maybe you can demote Andre and promote the female clerk in his place, since she actually had some ideas about providing customer service?
An Open Email to Central Market
To Whom It May Concern:
Hi. I am a frequent Central Market shopper and prefer you guys to Whole Foods.
The only thing Whole Foods has that you guys are missing is Moroccan Chicken. Their deli sometimes has chicken that’s been marinated with olives and preserved lemons.
Unfortunately, they aren’t very reliable about providing that chicken, or even about telling customers the correct day to show up and purchase said chicken.
Do you think you guys could make a similar, Moroccan sort of chicken? I’m sure it isn’t copyrighted or anything — Whole Foods’ tastes a lot like the chicken tagine you can get at Saffron and other Moroccan restaurants.
I hope that you’ll consider it.
Sincerely,
Gwen
