Why on earth would any Yelper write a review on a grocery store? Read on to find out!
I have only been interested in writing reviews about restaurants, and have been taking my time in adding comments for restaurants I recently visited. However I was so disappointed in Safeway Lloydminster I had to put this in. I have always avoided going here due to generally poor service, but those darn Airmiles tempt me to go there on bonus days. Let's see... I approach the dairy section, there is a worker doing what I assume to be re-arranging products. As he is right in front of the item I need, I ask to get by. He asks what I need, I tell him, he hands me the product. Excellent, right? Well as I walked on something made me look back, I don't know what. I watch him and realize he is removing all the product. So I look at what he handed me, and find it is expired! And this was a grown man in his 40's or 50's who I know has worked at Safeway for many years. No problem, I go change it for another one, reaching back for a better expiration date. As I proceed to the next area I am taking my time as I am reviewing what I need. I stop about 10 ft away from the back area where the store keeps items and an employee walks straight towards me. At the last moment he stops, stares, waits for a minute then makes a deep sigh like he is exasperated. I thought, "maybe I was blocking something" so I look around. Nope, there I plenty of room around me and no other customers. He continues to walk to the front when it hits me - he is one of the managers (their outfit with black pant/white shirt/tie gives it away). Oh, but wait. I finish paying and realize there could be a problem with my receipt. I return to the cashier (did I mention they never have enough cashiers on) and wait until she is done with the current customer before I ask for her assistance. She directs me to customer service. Guess what? No one at customer service. No worry, I am patient. She will page someone to help me, and sure enough she does. 2 minutes becomes 5 and slowly crawls to 10. I am not alone at customer service. Then I see him walking towards customer service, I would love to say briskly but no. You know how people sometimes walk when they daydream, dawdling along as slow as can be? That was his rate of speed and best of all, it was the manager who previously had to adjust his trajectory to walk around me. I'm still calm, because I like to be nice to others (due unto others and all that). I explain my concern, show him the receipt and he points to a different section of the receipt and says (I'm not making this up) "no, you are wrong" and then attempts to talk to me about that item. I politely stop him and point at the item I am actually asking about, and keep my finger on the receipt. He replies "there is nothing I can do". Seriously. No offer of a solution, not "let's see if there is anything I can do". Nope.
So, if you've taken the time to read this all the way through, you might understand why I added this business and review. I don't know how many people will take the time to read this, and let's be honest - how many people will look for a review of a grocery store. But if you were, and you've stumbled onto this review, and somehow you've managed to make it all the way to the end of this review, let me conclude with two statements: 1) you are also very patient to make it through this long winded review and should get a medal of some kind, and 2) avoid this place like the plague unless you are in dire need of Airmiles, enjoy being punished, or you happen to be walking by and realize you are out of toilet paper and need some before returning home or life at home will be more unpleasant then the grief you will face shopping here. Toilet paper always trumps horrible shopping! read more
