Yesterday, I tried to return two empty large water bottles and purchase one new full large bottled water at Panorama Save On Foods. Each full water bottle you purchase there costs $15.95. When you buy the full water bottle, you are paying $5.95 for the water itself and $10.00 for the empty water bottle. When I tried returning two empty water bottles that I had purchased, while also trying to purchase one full bottle, the cashier said I owed her $11.00. I knew that was not right. I told her this repeatedly but she kept saying it was right. Then, she hit a few buttons and said "There. You owe me $9.99." I knew this was still incorrect, yet she continued to state it was.
I knew that she actually owed me about $4.05 because it costs $15.95 for a full water bottle and I get one $10 deposit back with every empty bottle I return, which is $20 for my two empty bottles. $20-$15.95 = $4.05. This is very simple math every employee there should be able to do. The fact that the staff are not aware that empty water bottles are exchanged by the customer for $10 and have a deposit of $10, concerns me. The management's training of their employees is clearly very poor and/or some of the employees there are very bad at math and/or their jobs.
I was not able to exchange my empty water bottle in order to get back my $10 deposit for the bottle, because of a new policy change, which I was unaware of, that stated you needed a receipt for returning all empty water bottles. I never needed a receipt to return empty water bottles until yesterday. A couple of weeks ago, I had no trouble returning an empty water bottle without a receipt.
Yesterday, I asked the cashier, trying to overcharge me for a water bottle exchange and return, to call a manager. When the young female brunette manager, who was pretty short and probably in her early to mid 30's, came by, she was incredibly rude to me and very unprofessional. None of the staff apologized for the mix up and this foolish female manger kept saying that any type of return, even a return that I thought was considered an exchange, required a receipt. Considering the return of two empty bottles of water and the purchase of one occurs is one transaction, I assumed that that type of transaction was considered an exchange.
The rules about water bottle returns are not clearly defined and told to customers, yet the customers are all expected to know these rules and are mistreated when they do not. None of the staff, except one manager, was able to give me a pass for not knowing the new rules of water bottle returns. This manager was male, overweight, had light brown hair, and was in his early to mid 30s. I think his name was Josh. This manager even admitted to not knowing that you needed a receipt to return empty bottles of water now. When I tried explaining my bad experience with the other manager and employee, this manager stopped me from finishing what I wanted to tell him about my bad experience at Save On Foods recently. He was also rude to me also and spoke to me in a rude tone of voice.
Members of my family think what happened to me shows that Save On Foods Panatella has terrible management and some incompetent employees. It is also clear that many of the staff have poor ethics and morals. If the employees were properly trained by management, I would not have to constantly deal with staff not knowing how to correctly return and exchange the bottled water at Save On Foods Panorama. I also should not have been dealt with in the disrespectful manner I was just for not knowing about a very recent policy change at Save On Foods Panorama. I should not be expected to know every new rule Save On Foods has if it is not clearly. I was criticized by the female manager for not seeing the e-mail about the recent policy change about water bottle returns, which was wrong. I can't be expected to read every single e-mail I get from Save On Foods. Employees should be constantly telling people about important new policy changes as well.
Obviously, now I know the rules and have no excuse for not having a receipt when returning empty water bottles at this Save On Foods store. Because of the poor conduct and poor skills of the cashiers and management are Save On Foods Panorama, I probably will not be shopping there much anymore. It is a shame because the store is very clean and organized, has a great produce and local and organic food section, and has some great employees. Most of the pharmacists at this Save On Foods store, like Amy, are great. Some of the other employees at this Save on Foods location are great as well. read more
