This place has great selection, and I supported them almost daily since I moved to Surrey two months ago, dropping close tot $40 a day. As I used to work in a liquor store, I know that employees rely on their tips - and so I always tip between $1-$2 each time I go through the till.
Last week, I arrived with close to 90 empty cans. I was told that they only take back 24 at a time, and would not make an exception. I was confused, because one of the other fellows had returned 60 cans the week before, when I brought back 4 15 packs of Granville Island beer. He never said a word about a limit. The girl got quite rude, and told me that if anyone took that many cans from me, they would have told me that they were making an exception. She was under no circumstances willing to make an exception for me. Now, this wouldn't have been so frustrating had I been driving, but the fact that I was on foot, on top of the fact that I know that particular employee has had a lot of tips out of me - made me very angry. I swore at her, and she told me to leave (I was already on my way out). No customer deserves to be told they are a liar. Since she's been there a long time, she should know who I am, she should also know that I never bring in empties. In two months, I returned a total of 60 cans, ONCE.
I later wrote to management, apologized for swearing at the employee, but expressed my concern with being treated like a liar and a nuisance. I have never heard back from the management. Apparently they don't return emails, regardless of how much money one has spent, nor even to acknowledge the fact that I apologized for swearing at their staff member (which most irate customers would never do).
All in all - this is a crappy business that doesn't believe in fair trade. Fair trade would have been returning my empties as an exception, and maintaining a customer friendly atmosphere. Instead, for spending hundreds of dollars, I was called a liar, treated like a nuisance, yelled at and kicked out of their store because I rejected being treated like a piece of trash.
FACT 1: I worked at a liquor store for years, and we took back 10 flats at a time. It never occurred to me that any liquor store would have a 24 return limit
FACT 2: In 2 months, I could have brought this business 1440 empties at 24 cans per day, and they would have found space for all of them. I only ever returned 60 cans, and for the sake of 90 cans - they have lost business from 4 people (myself included) who refuse to support now.
FACT 3: I don't have a problem with the 24 can limit - I have a problem with being called a liar, and having a staff member treat me like a nuisance after I have supported the business and tipped the staff.
FACT 4: This place won't miss me, because they are in a busy location - but I'm sure the rest of the staff members will, because most customers don't tip, and even fewer tip $1-$2 every time they go through the till. read more