Since it came into the country, shoprite, the retailing giant, has assumed a household name. Everyday both the young and the old, long to visit the store to have a feel of what it is to shop there. So, at any point in time, there is a rush at the store, especially at the pay point.
A customer, Mrs Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha, recalls her ordeal at the store last week as she was treated shabbily by some workers. “By choosing the Ikeja Shoprite, which is nearer home, I reasoned that I would be able to manage my time as the haggling, cheating, rudeness and other pranks associated with open regular markets would be circumvented. The first few weeks proved me right. But not anymore.”
When a senior colleague, Chido Nwakama, wrote on his Facebook wall, how some of us would queue up to obtain a particular brand of bread, in fact forming a snake like lane, I knew we were on the same radar. I always pick that brand of bread and raisin bread as well, despite the queue, and my protruding tummy- a sign of my being advanced. Outside the country, that is what obtains, everybody queues up to pay at designated points.
In addition, abroad, there are other points where customers can easily pay if their purchase is below certain amount. But at Shoprite, even if you pick a chewing gum, you have to queue with others who may have loads of purchases to pay for.
“I was at the store last weekend. After my shopping, and as I was advancing to the pay points, I saw a tilapia and went for it. The price could buy two in the open market, but I went for it anyway because I was managing time. I asked if I could have it sliced and was directed to another point where a tool for such exists. I was told by some workers wearing blue aprons, with the inscription, ‘merchandise ’, to go to other points and I went searching for same. After about 17 minutes of roaming in the expansive cold section of the store trying to locate the optional elusive points, it dawned on me that I could have been given a ‘9ja’ answer.
“An experience ran through my mind. During my trip to Washington D.C, this summer, I bought some edibles in one of the eateries. They got cold. I walked into another eatery and requested that my edibles be ‘micro waved’. It was done. Free of charge. It was no big deal. Such was the liberal world in the US, despite my being a dudu (black). But why won’t such treatment be obtained in my own country.
I went looking for the office where I can state my grievances. It’s by choice that I chose Shoprite. What I intended obtaining exists in the open market and sellers would not only cut to satisfaction but would remove the scale and possibly clean up the fish.
“I located the office behind the pay point. A woman attended to me. After hearing me out, she apologised and explained that actually the tool that could process my request broke down and is being repaired. She took me to the selling point which was my first port of call and requested that my request be done. I handed over the purchase and showed them my receipt. And it was in tandem with the price tag when cross checked.
“After she left, a woman in white coat suddenly started talking aloud to other obviously junior staff in that section to delay my work, that, that way I won’t be able to come back again, some other time, to them. And their section would be able to sell their own fish.
“She did not stop at that; she vowed that should anybody come with similar request again, she will personally tell the woman that brought me not to direct such requests again to her section. After over 20 minutes of waiting, my fish was eventually cut. A man packed them in the yellow polythene bag I handed it in and was looking for a newer bag for it, but the woman looked threateningly at him and said he should hand it over to me like that. The yellow polythene that was screaming ‘the lowest price. . .’, instantly became repulsive. I kept my cool and went to another cashier at the pay point and requested for a new polythene bag. He obliged after seeing my receipt. I left for the ladies since l was pressed after being tossed up and down in my condition.
“At the ladies, the attendants were rolling out toilet papers to intending users. I recalled how in some countries l have been to, toiletries, washing basins with liquid hand soap and hand driers dotted similar malls. Thankfully, I was with my handbag that contained such essentials and dashed in to ease myself. I left the Ikeja Shoprite. And I am yet to return.
When, I shared my experience with my colleagues, they burst out laughing. I was stunned. I enquired why they laughed simultaneously. They chorused that the only real Shoprite in Nigeria, attempting to maintain the standard is at Lekki. The Ikeja Shoprite is fast losing steam and the one at Surulere is the worst when it comes to customer relations.
“A colleague recounted that recently at the Ikeja branch, a terrible show down was averted between her and one of the cashiers. How?
She said: “I picked cornflakes where such were arranged, the price tag read- N999.99. And I picked some, going by my calculation, I was confident that the money with me would be enough to settle the bill for the purchase and other things I have bought.
When I got to the cashier, the total amount exceeded my estimate and I brought my handset and recalculated and had a different total, I showed the cashier my results. She recalculated, and it was discovered there was error on the cornflakes’ price tag. The machine was fed with N1,450 yet the tags read N999.99. I requested that she deleted the purchase, so I can also return the cornflakes to the shelf, but she said it was not possible, because it has been punched and recorded by the machine. The saving grace was that I had extra money with which I paid for the ‘excess’ unbudgeted money.
“When she was through with her narration, several others shared how they declined to leave their laptops and some other sensitive personal effects at the check-in counter because the staff manning such posts could not give them guarantee on whatever they leave behind despite being issued tags that are paired with their properties which the staff insisted are not allowed into the mall.
One even pointed out that, for instance, in the US and South Africa, you get back your cents and other coins after payment, but not here in Nigeria in any of the Shoprite branches. The question is where does the ‘pool’ of coins go? Your guess is as good as mine.”
