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Whole Foods hates kids?

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by rico_the_redneck, Jun 30, 2007.

  1. Mrs. Prince and I just recently brought a couple of those usable shopping bags from Trader Joe's so we could use them at both Joe's and Whole Foods when we just want to get a couple of things. After hearing this story, I wonder if someone will say something to me if I stroll around the aisles of Whole Foods flossin' a Joe's bag. I'll report back after a trip there in the next couple of days.
     
  2. If the manager had any class or skillz, he would approached you guys with a smile and offered you 4 Whole Foods balloons and laughed while he offered to take the Trader Balloons away ... didn't have to be a miserable experience.
     
  3. Just an update:

    I called the regional VP and his secretary today and neither answered. I left a voice mail for the secretary ... I left one with the VP Friday ... and neither ever called me back. It's possible they could be taking vacation this week with the holiday.

    I tried the corporate office in Austin Friday and the lady there said issues with stores were usually handled at the regional offices and not by corporate.

    So, do I just assume that these people are busy or on vacation and keep trying them via phone, or do I start firing off letters to these same folks and maybe cc the CEO in Austin? In other words, if you're really pissed at a company (my wife felt threatened by this guy, which should never happen with any manager at any store I'm spending money in unless I pull a gun or try to shoplift), what is the best plan of action to take to get some sort of compensation and the a-hole manager into some deep shit?
     
  4. Compensation?

    At what point do you just let it go? I would. Just take your service elsewhere.
     
  5. slappy4428

    slappy4428 Active Member

    Keep trying... it's 5 minutes a day (during July 4th week) and it might make you feel better...
    Even if you dont get anything out of it, it lets management know that you are still so pissed at this manager that it's in his permanent record. And hell yeah, tell him your wife felt threatened.
     
  6. When the regional VP or another higher up tells me that a manager trying to take balloons from small children is company policy and that acting in a threatening manner over balloons is acceptable conduct. At that point, I write them off.

    But as I mentioned before, we were stockholders in WF, so we obviously believe in the concept. And we've spent a lot of money in there the past few years ... they charge a premium for their goods and I believe we should in turn expect a premium in both the quality of items they sell and in customer service. Boycotting a place is good and well, but boycotts don't matter to the company if they don't know you're boycotting ... especially if it's one family out of millions of customers.

    I hear you about letting things go. And I generally do ... I'm not the type to complain if the food's a little luke-warm at a restaurant etc. I just eat it anyway because I don't like confrontations. If find a hair in my lasagna, I'll probably ask for another dish, but I won't be a dick about it ... because I realize accidents happen. But this one struck a nerve. I think I'll just wait at least until next week and see if I get a call back and then go from there.

    Moddy had asked for an update, which I was providing ... with a question I guess ... of how do people usually deal with these types of situations. I know a lot of people would just let it go and never go in that store again. But there are others who would demand they be treated right and that their patronage to a store be valued. I'm trying to give WF that chance, but just want to make sure I'm going about it the right way ... since I really haven't been down this route before. Starbucks shorted us coffee once by accident and I called their 1-800 number to let them know and got four free coffee coupons in the mail. That's about as involved as I've ever been in one of these deals. Never had to call corporate about a psycho store manager ... hence I come to SportsJournalists.com, the web's premier source for advice on damn near any topic under the sun!
     
  7. Freelance Hack

    Freelance Hack Active Member

    Rico,

    As a current parent and a former retail guy, that's a dick move by the manager. He should be ashamed of himself.

    As for you, if you still own stock, I'd suggest you contact the Investor Relations department. Might have better luck there.
     
  8. Me personally? I'd let it go. That's me. But I'm not judging. I've been in this situation all too many times because my wife is not one to let this shit go. If it were us in your place, she would still be on the phone with Whole Foods, sending them "strongly worded letters" ::) ... and reporting them to the Better Business Bureau ... though it's possible she would have knocked the fuck out of the manager right on the spot had he tried to intimidate her.

    It's always an adventure at the Write-Brained house. ;D

    But from my perspective you've got one asshole manager who did something unpleasant during an experience you could have avoided by not bringing a competitor's balloons into a rival store. At some point you got to call it a wash. Like I tell my sweet, little wife: What are you trying to achieve? Justice? Revenge? What will make you happy? The guy losing his job? Maybe he had a bad day. Maybe he's really a nice guy. You mentioned compensation. WTF? What do you possibly want in exchange for this incident? More stocks? A payoff? Free food for a week?

    If it were me, I'd want peace. Only you can give yourself that. Let it go.

    My two cents.
     
  9. CaliforniaRed

    CaliforniaRed Member

    I guess we know who wears the pants in the write-brained household.
     
  10. Compensation was probably too strong a word. I'm just thinking a $25 gift card ... which I believe is a reasonable thing to expect in these situations. No, I wasn't thinking they'd refund me the $180 I spent there that day or anything near that.

    With the rival balloons, somebody earlier in the thread made the analogy I've liked best: If you wear a Gap t-shirt into American Eagle, does the manager at AE ask you to leave the store or take off the shirt? Never. If you take a Happy Meal from Mickey D's into Chick-fil-A, do they confiscate it? Never. I just don't understand harassing a mother and two small kids over something this idiotic. As another person pointed out, it wasn't like everyone in the store didn't know TJ's was up the street. And have you ever tried to take a balloon from a 3-year-old? Then we've got a kid screaming, driving customers away instead of a stupid balloon that no one but Mr. Psycho is looking at. It was harmless and we were dumping a lot of money in that guy's store.

    I'm with you on the peace thing. Peace would have been talking to the VP today and having him tell me I was right and apologizing on behalf of the company. Maybe I'll get that peace later in the week or next week or maybe I'll wind up making Whole Foods No. 1 on my shit list and never go there again. We shall see.
     
  11. She wears 'em but I'm always free to get into 'em when I please :D

    Seriously, just cuz I don't want to launch a letter-writing campaign doesn't mean I have to turn in my man-card. Exact opposite. As a guy, I don't have the emotional stamina for that. I yell. Argue. Knock a fella out if I have to, but in the end I basically say what I want to say and then I'm done. It's all good.
     
  12. CaliforniaRed

    CaliforniaRed Member

    Write-brained, your first reponse was the appropriate one, lol.
     
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