Do you complain when a sale item is out of stock?
This week, RCSS had a special on pork shoulder on sale for $1.28 a pound. I went to my local store Sunday around 1 pm to get some. I looked around the meat counters and bunkers, still not finding any, I approached an employee, who was either the meat manager or assistant manager and asked if they had any more.
He replies.." We sold out Friday by 10 am, Saturday by 9.30, and today we made it till noon (Sunday Jan 10th). he said I don't expect to get anymore this week."
I question how a company Like Loblaws can advertise this great price without having enough stock on hand or at least coming to the various stores during the week the special is one.
This isn't the first time this has happened to me at this particular store, a few weeks ago they offered Gatoraide on sale at .98 per 1 liter. I went into the store, and count not find any. I found a grocery clerk and asked if they had any. He was able to find some in the back room, Kinda hard sell it when its back in the stock room.
I posted a comment on RCSS facebook page, basically saying the same as I have above. Their response screams what they think of the customers...
They deleted my question/ comment.
Im lucky enough work in a city where a Zehr's store is. They also were offering the same special as RCSS but at a little higher price. I get talking to the meat manager as he is walking over to show me what they had in the meat bunker, I said that the city I live in, RCSS are sold out. I said it blows me away that they can't get anymore pork for the sale. I said I had commented on FB about it..
He says you did what..?
He then goes on to tell me that I could have costed the meat manager his job and that I should have had not made a comment.
The zehrs meat manager tells me that they can be written up for these complaints and after 2 write ups, they usually get fired. He says I should have considered that the meat manager at the RCSS could have a wife and family to support, and I may have cost him his job.
My reply " then the store/company should ensure that they offer enough stock to supply customer demand so early in the week, if I had shown up on the last day of the sale, and they were out, then that's my mistake.. not his or the stores."
This guy was so put out that I made the comment.. He goes on again about me making the comment, and instead of really helping me, like I thought he was going to do..
He says" Here's your pork, slapping a pork shoulder and walks away."
So my question is two fold, would you have complained that the RCSS ran out of meat in the first place, and secondly would you still complain if you knew ahead of time that someone could lose a job over your complaint?