SUMMERHILL MARKET SUCKS WITHOUT COMPASSION
My family have been loyal customers of Summerhill for two decades. We have spent countless tens of thousands of dollars in their stores. But I will never spend another penny in Summerhill because of their cruel and callous mistreatment of an elderly family member who is battling stage 4 cancer and hasn't much time left.
In September, we visited the Mt. Pleasant location, as we have done so often. My brother, who at the age of 77 is frail and looks like someone who is battling cancer, was standing with the support of his cane in front of the refrigerated milk and eggs section. Suddenly, a store clerk pushing a large cart of strawberries burst through a door and knocked him over. He fell into the shelf of milk cartons. I saw it happen and rushed to try to get him back on his feet. It was a struggle, and he was in terrible in pain. There was no help of any kind offered by anyone who worked in the store. The employee who was responsible just rushed on his way as if nothing had happened.
The experience infuriated my brother because it added to his pain and caused him considerable humiliation. He was very angry about what had happened and had to return to the hospital. We later discovered that he has a fracture in his vertebra which has been extremely painful on top of the bone pain caused by the cancer. He also has a serious heart condition, which according to his cardiologist, leaves him exposed the risk of sudden cardiac death.
In the last four months, his life has changed in a way that is beyond words to describe. He is barely recognizable from the robust, active, professionally productive person he was not that long ago. Such is the fickle finger of fate which can touch us all, including people who own stores like Summerhill. But they are happy to evade any responsibility, atonement, or basic human compassion. Did you think those high prices were a barometer of management character?
We went to Summerhill that day because my brother was given a short respite by his cancer team to take a day away from the hospital. He wanted to do some simple things that gave him pleasure -- taking a short walk in his favourite park, attending our church, and joining me in the Summerhill store that he had always found to be an enjoyable experience. It would have been clear to anyone from his appearance that he has a serious medical condition that has left him very frail.
Summerhill's response to this incident? The first one came from their director of HR. You can probably imagine how that went. Far from making the situation better, it made it much, much worse.
I then sent several emails to Brad McCullen, the store's owner. I had a lengthy telephone conversation with him. He promised there would be an apology directly to my brother and a tangible gesture of compensation for the pain, suffering and humiliation he experienced. But there has been nothing. Zero. That is unforgivable.
Apparently, Summerhill sees loyalty as a one-way street.
Clearly, decades of business and the dignity of an elderly man they have harmed mean nothing to the McMullen family. So, for us, Pusateri's and Harvest Wagon will be just fine in the future. They have always shown appreciation for our business and have been welcoming to my disabled brother. None of their employees has knocked him over and left him to struggle humiliated and in pain.
Well done, Summerhill. Well done, McMullens. You've shown your true character. read more