FEZEKA T

Appalling service from 3 retailers withing Gugulethu mall. They are never tasting my money again!

I come to hello peter today wanting to share a stance I have taken against my neighbourhood shopping centre named Gugulethu mall. I was sick to my stomach with the appalling service I received on the 29th of May 2018 from a handful of retailers within the entire mall. Sadly so this poor service was rendered by my beloved culture and it pained me to watch them conducting themselves in such a poor fashion confidently so. I went into the mall with an intention to walk into almost each and every store as I was looking for a number of things. Firstly: teal coloured earrings, secondly: alcohol, thirdly: withdraw cash, fourthly: deposit cash, fifthly: buy airtime and data and lastly: buy toiletries. The earrings I knew I would have to go into a number of stores simply because I wanted this particular colour and so I started with my first store. I don't know the name of this store, but I can confirm it is one of those Chinese stores which sell mostly costume jewellery, shoes and handbags. I walked in and greeted, there was a lady and gent lounging around at till point, then gentleman acknowledged me and greeted back but no response from lady. I looked around, saw a pair of earrings I was thinking of buying but because I was still planning to go look at other stores I went up to the lady to ask if I may take a picture. I called the lady 3 times as she was busy typing on whatsapp on her phone and it was only when the gentleman said to the lady HEY a customer wants to ask something then she stopped texting and was like: ‘oh how can I help you?’ I looked at her and I was like I have been standing here trying to get your attention but you just demanded to ignore me. Her response was oh I thought you were still there faraway, I did not realize you were next to me. I just looked at her and asked if I could take a picture of earrings, she agreed and I took it and put earrings back and walked out, put very much off by experience. I walked past Capitec and saw the withdrawal line extremely long so I thought I would buy toiletries then withdraw money at Shoprite then go deposit at Capitec ATM. I got into Shoprite took my few items and went to go stand at an express queue which was not express at all but being mindful it was month end I decided to apply patience. I eventually got to the till point only to be told operator does not have R1000 and I have to wait aside until he accumulates and mind you no signage is put up to communicate this with customers. I was like you cannot be serious! I asked if the supervisor cannot get me money from another till so I may do this transaction all in one and operator said no I must wait or go to another queue and my response was you must be joking, this is pathetic, and I just left everything at his till table. Operator could not be bothered and I heard him shouting next! I then walk out of Shoprite store and walked into Shoprite liquor. There is where I got my 2 drinks I had intended to buy and there was no long queue so I made my purchase and left. I then walked into a Pep Cell with the intention to purchase 2G data and R60 MTN airtime. I stand in a short queue which took extremely long to work through as there was only 1 person at till point, with 3 till points available. This 1 person was slow in all she did and when I eventually got to the front to make my purchase she tells me no we don’t accept Nedbank cards, our machines have a problem and don’t accept Nedbank cards. I ask her: are you serious? She says yes. I ask her do you understand I stood in an extremely slow queue applying patience as I knew my purchase was important to me therefore I will suffer, and now you tell me when I eventually get to this front you cannot help me? She shrugged her shoulders and said yes. I asked her why don’t you have signage that advises customers of this so we may know if we do decide to stand in line we will use alternative cards or cash or simply just walk out again? She tells me no management never put up signage. I ask her but why don’t you make them aware because I am standing in front of you wanting to make a purchase, I have money in the bank, no cash at the moment and I need to make this purchase and all you’re basically telling me is that I have wasted minutes of my life and now I must leave and go be serviced elsewhere because you could not be bothered in advising me prior that your systems do not accept Nedbank cards? This lady just stood there with a blank face and by then I was livid!!! I now furiously walk out of this mall because I just could not take it and I am thinking to myself why are our people acting like drunken robots? Why can they not voice these issues to management to be mindful of the customers, their wants and needs and expectations. It is so pivotal that retailers meet customers’ needs and expectations. These people at that mall make it seem as if they are doing us a favour in servicing us or bringing this merchandise closer to our homes, almost as if we will be getting them for free - I really don’t understand this mentality, it is absolutely horrendous! That mall, it’s absent management and retailers within it need to shake up or move out. It really does not serve us any purpose when we get mediocre produce, lack of variety, s****y service and to top that up we are still not safe whilst shopping. As much as I stay 5-8 minutes away from that mall, they will never taste my money again! They might not feel the loss now or possibly ever but best believe I will share my experience with other people and hopefully their attitudes will change towards that mall too. We all deserve beautiful and fruitful things in Gugulethu, just like all the other malls – I personally will not stand for this nor support such poor service.