MaNdaba O

Beware Quality’s big broad bully

If I had zero stars I’d give them. The new store is cleaner than the old branch so there’s one positive thing. Unfortunately some of the Indian staff is so rude they forget who supports them enough to keep the store running. I’d long seen how short, impatient and uninterested they seemed to be especially towards the older black customers , yesterday I experienced it first hand. One particular overweight Indian lady(nothing ladylike about her, so I use the term VERY loosely) was checking the till slips at the exit of the store. I was now at the front of the disorganized store exit with my slip in hand patiently waiting for my packed trolley to be checked. Now since it’s packed, unorganized and people not maintaining social distancing there was a family of customers that were aggressively asking me to move out of the way so as to leave the store with their trolleys. The only move I could make was move closer towards the exit so as to let them through and then try to drag my trolley back into “line” and wait for my slip and trolley to get checked, which I did but by then scores of other trolley clad people were already packed up the narrow space. The “lady” noticed this and at the top of her voice proceeded to scream at me for trying to “leave” the store. I stood there dumbfounded because I clearly was moving out of the way and remain patiently waiting on a crowded exit. I responded politely that I was not leaving rather standing aside for the people behind me so that they can pass. She must have misunderstood what “aside” meant because she responded in a very mocking tone “what’s wrong with you? How can you stand OUTSIDE and expect to be checked?” I stood there stunned because I was still clearly inside the store and my trolley was then tilted at an angle to avoid leaving the premises, my hand still out holding the till slip. She proceeded to give me a filthy look and I responded, very calmly that “Ma’am, I’m not leaving..” she immediately aggressively cut me off and said she’s not stupid and that there’s a difference between leaving and what she said. By that time I’d become so disappointed with her demeanor and was embarrassed of how she was ridiculing me to the point where other customers were staring at me. I just stood there speechless and watched in horror as she did her job. Waited till she was done and wheeled off the trolley outside. A very decent black male employee who was standing outside must have noticed my defeated body language and escorted me to the lift. As we drove off I couldn’t help but shed a few tears, I’d never been bullied so much as a consumer. I’m NEVER going back to this store. Neither is my family.