Some experiences have been surprisingly pleasant; these are the stores that get an A+:
I go here often because a) the people there are awesome, b) they have the kind of food vegetarians like me tend to flock to, c) it's close, d) I'm always finding out about new kinds of foods they have because I follow them on Twitter (@traderjoes). When I went there on my lunch hour one day, the community relations manager was extremely pleasant (this is typical of the Trader Joe's employee; they actually seem to like the people who shop in their stores!) and told me, "Of course we'll help you. We always say yes."
Then she proceeded to take my information down and told me when to come back to pick up the supplies. The form she gave me was the last thing we did (making me feel like an actual person instead of just an annoying consumer she had to deal with). I have yet to pick up the supplies so I don't know how much room they gave us in the budget, but the whole experience was so pleasant that I've decided to once again make Trader Joe's a regular part of my weekly shopping adventures. Thanks a lot, Royal Oak on Woodward south of Campbell store!! :) :) :)
I went in to Kroger one day a few weeks ago and had a great experience in the checkout line. The store at 12 & Dequindre is set quite a bit back from the road, which is why I've lived close to it for nearly 5 years and just discovered it in 2008, but man are they nice.
The woman in the checkout line was so kind that I went online and entered it in the survey, and was spontaneously rewarded with a $5 gift card in the mail. Now that's customer service! When I went in to thank the manager, Isadore, he gave me a $25 gift card for baking supplies after hearing my request. Thank you Kroger!
I have the number of the community relations person and plan on calling her next week, but the way I was treated in that store was just great. This is the store at 12 & Campbell that used to be a Farmer Jack (ugh, produce department = rotten vegetables what?) and has recently transformed itself. The store is now pretty and thought the people have always been nice, they actually seem like they care a bit more now.
When I couldn't find anyone at the customer service desk, one of the guys in the produce department helped me find the number to their corporate office (which he came back laughing about, as the only thing he had to write it on was part of a cardboard box!). He said they are good about pitching in for the community, and thanked me for shopping there.
I didn't even buy anything that day! But I will this weekend.
Others have been like pulling teeth, but finally gave in; this store gets a B:
I had to fill out the community relations form no less than 3 times at Meijer (once because it's standard procedure, a second time because they lost the first one and a final/third time when I was given a $50 gift card). A few weeks after I completed it the second time, I was given a letter stating that they couldn't help me, even though part of their mission includes supporting communities in Michigan (go figure!).
After calling the store manager to explain exactly how much I'd spent at his store in the past eight months, he asked me to come in and see him personally. He asked if a $50 gift card would work, and after his taking the time to meet with me, I gave in and said ok (originally I asked for $100 but he was nice about it). They gave me the most so far, but wasted a lot of my time.
These stores get an F in customer service/community relations:
Save A Lot
A friend I used to work with at a financial planning firm told me about Save A Lot at 11 Mile and John R. (go figure; a financial planner saving money. What a novel idea!). We both live close to it, and after checking it out a couple of times, I began shopping there regularly. They make you bring your own bags or buy theirs (encouraging recycling) (and frugality, both of which I endorse) and the people are usually nice. Because of this, it use to be one of the three stores I frequented on a weekly basis.
So I was blatantly taken aback when the manager of the local Save A Lot refused to let us hold a back sale for a Team in Training fundraiser because the owner was "concerned about food allergies." Seriously? They're freaking chocolate chip cookies. No nuts; just cookies! If you're allergic to fun, I suppose you really are in trouble. Then, they wouldn't even give a donation in the form of supplies. Needless to say, I'm crossing Save A Lot off my list.
KMart
I haven't shopped at the John R @ 12 Mile KMart in months, ever since the cashier (rudely) asked me to take my groceries out of the little basket I'd been using to shop, and the manager never even apologized.
Their store is dirty; the people there are worse than horrible when it comes to customer service, and their produce rarely lasts beyond 2 days when I used to bring it home. I refuse to go into that store even though it's less than a mile from my house; I'll go out of my way to hit the Meijer a little further up the road simply because the people are nice. KMart is awful!
The bottom line: customer service still matters!!
I wish I would have been able to just work with one store to get all the supplies we need, but since no one would go for the whole amount (around $300), I had to do all this running around. In that time, I had enough interactions with the people in charge of the stores that I was able to decide where I would spend my time in the future.
Most of the experiences have been positive, but since most of the stores basically carry the same stuff, customer service is one of the most basic ways a grocer can differentiate itself. Those who chose to, I give money to. Those who don't, I scorn.
Again, a big thanks to Trader Joe's, Meijer, Kroger and Hollywood Market! You guys rock, and I will support you just like you supported me.
