What A BUMMER!
I have been a many-year patron of this business for the sake of location and convenience. I probably have visited twice-three times a week for almost 5 years now.
That said, I just can't keep to myself the disappointment I hold for the relatively new crew and manager in regards to their sanitation and horrible customer service. On several occasions in the last few months, I have been treated rudely, specifically by their manager (tall, blond lady)....so rudely, in fact, that I finally felt compelled to call their District Manager. I usually don't take the time to care about the rudeness of others, but holy bananas.....
Today took the cake:
I entered the store for a quick browse and to stop and grab a pack of smokes on my way home. It was decided by my palate that an iced tea should be had, as well. I went to pour said tea after filling the really cool, sturdy cup with ice....only to find that after oddly spurting, the machine pumped out a few white chunks. It was, indeed, mold. Not calcification from hard water, but mold.
I approached the cashier, who was pretty nice until the manager got involved, and showed her the drink and let her know that there are white chunks of mold exiting it as well. I certainly wasn't going to drink it, and I don't think anyone else should until the system is cleaned, either. That said, I'm a Chef....I've worked in many the restaurant with soft drink dispensing machines (albeit, in the back or service station, because fine dining or bar), and can absolutely tell when something has gone awry or when the tubes need servicing.
Now, the cashier started to get snippy and went to get the manager. The manager appeared and tried to tell me that it was foam that I was seeing. Of course, the chunks had begun to sink in around the ice (because that's how gravity works). This woman very tersely arguing with me about the white chunks that came out of their iced tea dispenser. She very condescendingly informed me that I was seeing foam, which, thank you, wasnt what I was pointing out. Of course pressure driven liquid dispensing machinery produces foam, but it certainly shouldn't dispense chunks of mold. She very loudly, in front of other customers (one of whom came to my defense, bless her heart), proclaimed that it wasn't mold, shook her head at me....the whole gammet. I informed her that I was confused as to her method of customer service, and she went so far as to insult me as a result by a) indirectly calling me a liar, and b) questioned my method as a customer. Yes, she said that out loud in retort to my confusion and shock at her reaction to a very simple problem to address!
I wasn't going to continue to banter with this clearly affected manager, in front of my child and whomever else happened to be behind me in line, so I bought my smokes and left. I ended up calling their District Manager, who seemed very helpful and grateful for the information.
Bottom line, if this lady were in my employ, she'd be looking for a new job after treating people in a completely undeserved manner. I will surely be visiting their kitty-corner neighbors at Shell from here on out. The extra few pennies spent there is worth not getting treated like a subhuman in conditions that the health department didn't appear to pay close enough attention to. read more