Complaint Regarding Food Quality and Customer Service

I would like to raise a formal complaint regarding very poor service and food quality experienced at Pick n Pay.

On Tuesday, I purchased a chicken meal from the store. When I later arrived at the office and opened it, I noticed a very strong and unpleasant smell. A colleague of mine had purchased the same chicken and experienced exactly the same issue, confirming that the chicken smelled off.

I had to leave work during office hours to return the chicken to the store. Upon returning it, I was informed that the smell was allegedly caused by the sauces, as the chicken was mixed with chilli sauce and two other sauces. This explanation was disappointing, as the smell was clearly not normal.

The department manager, whose name I prefer not to mention, was abrupt but did attempt to assist us. However, instead of asking for our preferences or dietary requirements, she decided on our behalf what replacement food would be provided. We were not consulted, which I found unacceptable.

The replacement food was delivered to our office a few hours after we returned to the store; however, by that time I had already left the office. I was extremely dissatisfied with how the matter was handled. The following day, I returned to collect the food that was offered as compensation. Unfortunately, this meal was just as disappointing, as it appeared to be the same food that had been kept aside. The salad was not fresh and looked as though feta cheese had been removed, even though it was originally included. I had expected that a fresh meal would be prepared.

Although compensation was provided, the overall experience remained disappointing.

As someone who works in customer service myself, I believe this situation could have been handled far better. A sincere apology, asking for food preferences, checking for allergies, or even offering a small voucher (R50 or R100) to allow us to choose our own meal would have gone a long way.

Ultimately, I ended up giving the food away, as it was clearly not fresh. I work opposite the mall and regularly use Pick n Pay as my preferred option for lunch. This experience has left me extremely disappointed, as I believe the matter could have been handled with much greater care and professionalism.

I trust that this feedback will be taken seriously and used to improve both food quality control and customer service going forward.