Not So FreshCo

You know, if you go to a grocery store, you'd think that there would be fresh food there.  You'd think.  Especially when the store's name is FreshCo.

On June 25th, I went to "FreshCo" to get my usual prepackaged salad and yogurt.  Salad has always been hit or miss there. It's not uncommon for me to look through 3 or 4 bags until I find one where everything is green.  But when I got to the yogurt section, I got pissed.  There were 8 - 10 expired yogurt containers.  My favourite was the one that expired in early May.  I like the Yoptimal yogurt because it's not fat free.  Just thought I'd mention that.

I didn't buy any yogurt that day but I did go home, hopped on their site and typed this up:

Category: General question or comment

Message: Just a comment on how poor the store in LaSalle, Ontario is.

2 things in particular - rusty pre-packaged salad and 2 month old expired yogurt on the shelves. I did take pictures but don't have anywhere to upload them.

Might want to give a wake up call to the manager to smarten up. It's just as easy to go to Zerhs right across the street. I'll pay more if it's going to be fresh.

Thanks,

Then I got this back:

Hello Gregg:

Thank you for contacting Sobeys Customer Care. Customer feedback is an integral part of our business and we welcome all comments from our customers.

Food Safety is the number one priority in all our stores, and we make every effort to ensure that all food is within code and is safe to consume. We apologize that these items were not rotated as is required when new stock is added to the shelf.

We have shared your comments with Malden & Delmar FreshCo store operator John Raheb, and as a result they will be verifying the inventory on their shelves. Our store operators appreciate being able to speak with customers directly regarding any concerns as this provides the opportunity for them to fulfill our promise of making it right for our customers.

Please provide your phone number and John will contact you in the next few days. Or, if you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact John directly at 519-250-6555.

Again we regret this experience and hope you will give us a chance to regain your confidence in FreshCo.

Thank you for taking the time to share your comments.

Kindest regards,

Crissy Post

Sobeys Ontario Customer Care

1-888-821-5557

fax: 905-671-5275

Just Add Sobeys!


In short, Crissy passed the buck.  Why is my responsibility to talk to the manager?  That's right, it's not, especially if this is considered a formal complaint.  If it's not, it should be.  And if I called the manager, what would I get - free "fresh" food from them as compensation?

In the meantime, a bag of rolls that was supposed to be fresh until June 29th, started molding two days before hand.

But I don't think John got my comments. Why?  Because I went there yesterday and took pictures of what looks like the same expired yogurt I complained about 2 weeks ago.  Even better, I took that picture of that bag of salad.  Looks pretty yummy, eh?

I'm pretty sure brown salad isn't like a green banana and that I should come back next week when the salad ripens.

So I just sent off a reply to her e-mail with this (and the pictures):

Hi, Crissy
I'm guessing John didn't actually get the comments forwarded to him. The attached pictures I took yesterday afternoon.

I was disappointed you directed me to talk to John.  It's not my responsibility to talk to John about his inability to run a store.

Any confidence you hoped to regain went out the window yesterday. And word of mouth is a great thing; I'll pass on this experience with everyone I can.

Thanks for not trying too hard,


A little mean to Crissy?  Maybe, but justified.

If I get any kind of response, I'll update this post, but in the meantime, I guess I'll be going to Zerhs.