April 19, 2011
Rite Aid Store #5788
35 South Milpas Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93103
Dear Store Manager:
I sometimes drop in the store mentioned above because it is relatively convenient on my way to and from work, etc. However, I have decided to cease my visits to your establishment at all costs; even if it means driving to the other side of town.
Just in case you're still interested (which is doubtful, based on our phone conversation and your own blasé attitude when I told you I was sending a formal complaint), here's why I'm livid: Aside from never really having a particularly enjoyable experience at your store, I recently went in with my mother and sister who were visiting from out of town. Several things were not priced and were potentially expensive seasonal items so we asked a nearby employee (don't remember his name - don't care) to let us know what the prices were and he proceeded to act as if this was a major inconvenience. If your employees don't want to work, there are plenty of vagrants in your parking lot who could do a better job. And if they do, perhaps they should do some simple things like create some resemblance of a price-tag on merchandise. It's pretty simple if you really, really think about it long and hard. Make sure people know how much things cost and they won't have to bother you with such "insane" questions. Voilà!
Here's the straw that broke the camel's back: To make matters much, much worse, my mother and I had to stand at the counter for quite awhile because NO line was open. Tesa was several feet away helping someone with something at the end of the counter. This is not a jewelry shop - it's a drugstore and a register should be open at all times. She eventually came over and apologized for the wait (so it was obvious she was conscious of the fact we were standing there waiting for her to acknowledge a paying customer's existence). However, after knowing full-well that we were the only ones waiting for her, she went ahead and let someone else walk right in front of us while we were standing a couple of feet from the register. My mother paid for her things after that and I was next in line. Tesa then, after knowing how long I had been waiting, allowed another person to literally cut right in front of me. It was blatantly obvious that he was not next in line and she proceeded to wait on him anyway. I have never had people purposely cut in front of me in line before and now it had been ALLOWED to happen twice in five minutes. I must say that there very nearly was an altercation at the front of your store because your employees have no logic, whatsoever. Instead of making a spectacle of a ridiculous situation, I walked out and decided the CVS downtown is way better. Congratulations!
I am sending this anonymously because my identity doesn't matter and I don't want your apology letter or your coupons. Your rude and unprofessional employees are the problem. And so are you. You can choose not to rectify the situation - and you probably won't because it is blindingly obvious that there is a severe lack of motivation to run a professional establishment on your part. However, don't be shocked when the entire store (or company) is out of a job and something better moves in. Rite Aid stock is only $1.02 per share so maybe we'll all get lucky and it'll go bankrupt or get bought out by someone who knows that relentlessly poor customer service is not how to run a successful business. I'll be crossing my fingers until then. Meanwhile, my friends, family, co-workers, acquaintances and I will be taking our business elsewhere.
I am sending a copy of this to the Rite Aid Corporation in Harrisburg, PA and posting it online. Perhaps the individuals who own this corporation care about quality of service more than the store managers do. But then again, that might be too logical. Anyway, have a nice day.
cc: Rite Aid Corporation - Harrisburg, PA read more