Open Mic Day
Today is Open Mike [sic] Day at Green Valley Moments.
It’s your turn at the podium. Rant, rave, or just let us know what’s on your mind.
Enter your topic in the form of a comment, or feel free to comment on some other person’s topic.
Just be kind to each other.
January 27th, 2006 at 4:26 pm
Well, I went to the new Wal-Mart Supercenter on opening day. Judging by the experience, Safeway and/or Basha’s will still be getting a good share of my business. Among the things the new Wal-Mart did not have: (1) my favorite brand of pasta (DeCecco, available at both supermarkets); (2) mango salsa (or any decent variety of refrigerated salsas), (3) dressing for Chinese chicken salad; (4) tonkatsu sauce; (5) prosciuto and/or pancetta, (6) pickled green tomatoes. These things may or may not seem “exotic” to you, but they are things any Bay Area supermarket (and the Safeway here in Green valley) would carry and things that, after 24 years of living there, I use fairly often. Outside of the grocery section, the new Wal-Mart also did not have: (1) any frames I liked in the optical shop; (2) a fondue pot (I know, very retro but I have a craving); (3) any larger sizes of pants (largest size I saw was 38); (4) a scratching post tall enough to satisfy my cat. All in all, I was disappointed but maybe things will improve over time. I also noted the Subway place inside the store–which is MUCH busier than the old independent location (not sure if that’s still open).
January 27th, 2006 at 8:22 pm
I did a walk through of the new Wal-Mart also. Not as many people there as I thought, given it was the first open day and people have been watching it go up for a year.
I wasn’t really shopping for anything much, but found the one item I wanted.
I noted they now carry hard liquor, but the prices are no bargain–several dollars over Walgreen’s prices. Also, not much of a liquor selection–pretty much just the basics.
I was glad to note they now do lube work. M
January 27th, 2006 at 8:26 pm
Hey OldGeezer—-the blog cut off the balance of my comment, even though it showed up in the preview.
Not that it was so profound, but why did it do that?
January 28th, 2006 at 7:15 am
Sure, blame it on the blog!
If you want my honest opinion, it didn’t do that.
There is no limitation on the size of comments. I wasn’t working on the blog at the time of your comment either of which might have caused the condition you describe. Sorry, can’t help you.
Try re-entering.
January 28th, 2006 at 9:53 am
I haven’t tried the Walmart yet; but my recent experience with the ‘New” (redone) Safeway was really a bummer. I got this neat little thing in the mail suggesting if I would transfer a Rx prescription to the Safeway pharmacy, I would get a free $20 mordida (bribe). I fell for it, and had my doctor call in my meds to the Duval Road Safeway on Monday. On Wednesday (2 days later) I was rushing to Tucson for business; but decided I could afford a few minutes stopover at Safeway to pick up that called in prescription. No such luck, when I got there; I had to wait in the pharmacy line for 30-minutes while the clerk was explaining to at least two customers why the $20 certificate was not valid for “most” items in the store. Very confusing for the elderly customers to understand. When it was finally my turn to get served, the clerk checked the status of my order, and informed me that it was not ready, in spite of the fact that it had been called in on Monday. She said I would have to wait another 30 minutes or so for the druggist to fill the order. I was short of time and needed to leave right away, so I politely asked them to fill the meds order and I would return that evening to pick it up.
After a tough day at work in the “town of Tucson”, I stopped off at the Safeway again to pick up the needed meds. I rushed straight to the drug area and waited for ten minutes for the only person back there, the pharmacist, to get off of the telephone where he was having some juvenile conversation with some buddy about girls, etc. and other non-job related b.s. Finally he tells the person on the phone, “I gotta handle this customer here and I will meet up with you later…” At which time this fat pig of a young man with dark hair and a beard or goatee of some sort, shuffles over to me and very indignantly asks what I want. I explain I am there to pick up a prescription that I could not get earlier. He had his jacket on and looked ready to close up shop, so he very unprofessionally- like handled my request like it was a big bother to him. He brings the package over to me and I reached into my pocket to get my wallet and was surprised to realize I had left my money out in my car. I asked him to hold on for a minute while I went out to get my money. He immediately responded that it was closing time and he would not wait for me. I explained to him that my car was right out in front of the store and this would only take less than two minutes. He again refused and said he would have the pharmacy closed by the time I got back. I told him the medicine was very important; but again he appeared put out with me, and said “I’m outta here Mister, if you want this medicine you will have to come back in the morning”. At first I accepted his demand like the passive senior citizen he perceived me to be; but then as I was walking away… I stopped and thought… I am NOT going to be intimidated by this a-hole employee. I walked back to him and said I have no need to do business with people like you or Safeway if they have this kind of customer attitude. I told him to cancel the order, I would find elsewhere to do my business. He was happy to oblige me. He reached into the package took out the medicine, kept the $20 certificate attached to my meds, and at my request closed out the order. I was steaming mad, but held my cool and calmly asked for his name, upon which he handed me a business card calling him a “pharmacist”. What a joke that is! This guy is just a punk and has no business dispensing drugs to anybody except maybe roofies to his girlfriends. I wanted to rant and rave to the night store manager’ but felt it best to just leave the store calmly and think about how and who I wanted to report this incident.
My point here, is all these new stores opening here have the kind of staff that can’t even spell the words “customer service”. Perhaps we are all better off driving into Tucson to get supplies and food, rather than put up with the low-level help that I often find in these kind of outlets around GV. I haven’t figured out which Phoenix Safeway execs I plan to complain to; but I think starting here with the community that must put up with these kind of jerks is the right start. As for me…I believe, the drugstores should all handle the medication needs of the community; while the grocery stores should sell food and leave the drugstore part to better trained people. As far as Safeway in my book these days; I have decided to spend no more of my hard earned money there ever again; and just find elsewhere to buy things I need. I HATE SAFEWAY!
Thanks for letting me vent this frustration.
Max
January 28th, 2006 at 12:41 pm
Max–I think you had it right in the part about “all these new stores” having lousy employees. It was obvious to me at the new Wal-Mart that most of the employees knew less about the merchandise than I do–one of ‘em even asked ME about something I was looking at. We just have a lot of people new to retail at the moment because of the huge expansion it is seeing here. And you can expect that the “pharmacy” situation will be worst than most because there’s a national (not just local) shortage of pharmacists amd trained assistants. If I were you, I would have gone straight to the STORE manager and told him what happened (i.e. that if the jerk hadn’t been conducting personal business on the phone, he would have had plenty of time to fill your prescription before closing etc). I’m betting they would have figured a way to solve your problem or at least compensate you and they certainly need to know if a subordinate is treating customers like that. It’s not Safeway’s fault until you make it their fault by getting someone in management involved.
Apropos of this blog, I may as well say that I find since I began entering “seniorhood” that I am less tolerant (not more tolerant) of being misstreated, especially by the very young. Punches that I might have rolled with in my 30’s and 40’s really p_ss me off now and I have to try harder to watch my temper. Had I been treated as you were, I would have been boiling mad and had to ask myself whether I was over-reacting. But as an objective observer, I think not. Don’t let it pass without let someone in Safeway management know what happened.
January 28th, 2006 at 1:22 pm
For once I agree with Spencer in his suggestion that if someone has a complaint with any business, please let someone in management know. There have been other rants on this blog about several businesses, and to my knowledge, the rantor never made the business owner aware of the situation.
Telling others may help with the anger or frustration created by a an unpleasant experience, but unless someone with “enough pencils” is told, nothing will change.
On a side note, the comments on Friday’s Open Mic day are usually closed by now. Since we have a hot topic going, lets take some more comments.
January 28th, 2006 at 5:01 pm
We went to the new Wal-Mart Supercenter today. The parking lot at noon was probably 95% full. We had two items to buy (found one) and I was impressed with:
• The number of people there,
• The number of checkout stations open,
• How quickly we were able to checkout, and
• The sheer size of the store.
We didn’t go to the grocery area but if we did, I doubt that we would have found any prepared Porketta or hand-parched wild rice, even though both items are readily available in Northern Minnesota in almost any grocery store. This is Green Valley, AZ, and retailers here will only stock those items in demand by a majority of residents.
Everything you need you can buy in Green Valley. Everything you want you can usually buy in Tucson or online.
January 29th, 2006 at 12:08 am
Great that you kept the open mic open a while longer. Yes, I have sent my complaint directly to Safeway headquarters via their website. I expect to hear back from them soon and will post their response if it s worth it.
January 29th, 2006 at 10:49 am
Geezer–One of my points was that the lack of so many items I want to buy at Wal-Mart means there’s plenty of opportunity for grocery stores like Safeway in Green Valley and that opportunity lies in both mango salsa and porketta. Although, as I said, I mentioned items that I know Safeways in a nearby state have and, to my knowledge, they don’t have porketta, they certainly could (and should) have it in Green Valley, given the number of transplants from your neck of the woods here. And if they do respond to the market in that fashion, then I don’t think they risk being put out of business by Wal-Mart as has been suggested.
PS–Went back to the new WM last night (in GV, going to WM passes for a social outing) and pretty much struck out again in my search for biscotti (Safeway has them), a cover for my scooter and gloves to wear while riding it, clothes that fit me, a shotgun I’m interested in, outdoor lighting to match what I have (purchased at Wal-Mart 3 years ago) and some other stuff. This store is a plus to the community and I’m a WM fan, but it’s not like there’s nothing left for independent merchants to sell.
January 29th, 2006 at 5:26 pm
Although Wal-Mart stores may look the same, each one is different. Every Wal-Mart store is tailored for its community. They stock items that their customers normally buy.
Safeway, Bashas and probably every other successful grocery store operate under the same business model. Sorry, Spencer, but if you want to buy Chinese chicken salad dressing or tonkatsu sauce, you’re going to have to shop elsewhere. If demand is slight or nonexistent, don’t expect those items to be regularly stocked. Save your time, and save yourself some frustration.
Better yet, open a specialty grocery store in Green Valley, and find out for yourself the hard way.
January 29th, 2006 at 11:01 pm
“Sorry, Spencer, but if you want to buy Chinese chicken salad dressing or tonkatsu sauce, you’re going to have to shop elsewhere.”
What’s to be sorry about? My point in all this has been that I and most other Wal-Mart customers will have to do a considerable part of their shopping “elsewhere” (in GV, read Basha’s or Safeway) since we all have tastes that aren’t common enough to generate the kind of demand Wal-Mart requires. Actually, I’m celebrating the fact that you now evidently agree with me–quite a change of view for you.
But no, I’ll not be joining the grocery wars–I can make money easier in other ways. So, in fact, can Wal-Mart which is why they are seeking a banking license (you know about that, right?)
By the way, I went to the Safeway today (in your terms, did my “shopping elsewhere”) and noted that the number of cars in the parking lot seemed about what it has always been.