Customer service? Does your Food Lion know what it is?

[Alice of the Palace]

We have 4 Food Lion stores in our small town and they have no clue as to the meaning of customer service. I went to one today that is more convenient for me and they had one 60+ year old cashier working and 4 self check outs. No bag boys,no smiles,and if you actually want someone at customer service for help,well good luck as they are not to be found. The parking lot was pretty deserted,its that way most of the time and I can understand why. On one trip I needed to use the handicap rest room,waited and out walks the girl that worked c/s that day. I told her she shouldn't use the handicap stall but leave it for those of us that need it,she shrugged her shoulders and said "I use it all the time its more comfortable"! I spent less than $10 today,just went after a few sale items and it use to be my main store for grocery shopping. If they don't wise up the parking lot will be a lot emptier than it was this morning. AND I feel like if I have to use the self checkout I should get a discount as I'm taking the place of a much needed cashier. I don't feel that way at other stores that I have the option of using it or going to one of the MANY cashiers they have working. I'm not the only one complaining either.

[leqet]

I wish my Food Lion stores had self check outs. I prefer them, especially when I'm only going in for a couple things. They usually just have one check out open at the cigarette lane and the line gets long. Sometimes they do call people over to CS to check out when the line gets to be 8 people long but that is rare. I think they must be not be able to afford more than one person on checkout during the day or something. Reminds me of K-mart right before they closed up a bunch of stores.

[hburnette3]

We have 4 Food Lion stores in our small town and they have no clue as to the meaning of customer service. I went to one today that is more convenient for me and they had one 60+ year old cashier working and 4 self check outs. No bag boys,no smiles,and if you actually want someone at customer service for help,well good luck as they are not to be found. The parking lot was pretty deserted,its that way most of the time and I can understand why. On one trip I needed to use the handicap rest room,waited and out walks the girl that worked c/s that day. I told her she shouldn't use the handicap stall but leave it for those of us that need it,she shrugged her shoulders and said "I use it all the time its more comfortable"! I spent less than $10 today,just went after a few sale items and it use to be my main store for grocery shopping. If they don't wise up the parking lot will be a lot emptier than it was this morning. AND I feel like if I have to use the self checkout I should get a discount as I'm taking the place of a much needed cashier. I don't feel that way at other stores that I have the option of using it or going to one of the MANY cashiers they have working. I'm not the only one complaining either.

You're talking about Wilson NC. Right?

[Alice of the Palace]

No,New Bern,NC. Guess they have lousy c/s at more places than just here!

[PHmom]

I agree with leget - I prefer self checkouts and almost always use them when they're available.

If you feel all the stores in town have poor customer service, perhaps you should either call or email FL and let them know how you feel. You can give them specific cases where you have needed help at CS and weren't able to locate anyone and I'm sure they will contact the district manager. Hopefully he or she will make more frequent visits to the area and see that things are changed. You're always certainly welcome to come here and tell us about it but it will be more beneficial if you also let FL know about these issues.

I can't say I've really had any problems at the stores near me - one has self checkouts, as I said, I use those and rarely even interact with anyone in the store - which is fine with me as I'm usually running in just to get a few things. At another FL, where there aren't self checkouts, the cashiers are almost always very friendly (if I occasionally get one who is not, I chalk it up to a bad day since it is out of the ordinary).

[everprincess]

My closest one stinks bad but I've mentioned that before. It's on the same stretch as my LF and HT are which is weird that they don't have a cleaner nicer store . Parking lot is always empty, no one is ever at CS, one or two cashiers working, store is dirty looking and no one knows what a rebate is or where to find it. Lately I have been getting freebies and maybe a rebate if I'm lucky. Now the other store on the other side of town has been remodeled and it is the total opposite of this other one. So it's not all stores just some.

[Alice of the Palace]

I agree with leget - I prefer self checkouts and almost always use them when they're available.

If you feel all the stores in town have poor customer service, perhaps you should either call or email FL and let them know how you feel. You can give them specific cases where you have needed help at CS and weren't able to locate anyone and I'm sure they will contact the district manager. Hopefully he or she will make more frequent visits to the area and see that things are changed. You're always certainly welcome to come here and tell us about it but it will be more beneficial if you also let FL know about these issues.

I can't say I've really had any problems at the stores near me - one has self checkouts, as I said, I use those and rarely even interact with anyone in the store - which is fine with me as I'm usually running in just to get a few things. At another FL, where there aren't self checkouts, the cashiers are almost always very friendly (if I occasionally get one who is not, I chalk it up to a bad day since it is out of the ordinary).

I have contacted Food Lion and its not the first time,it doesn't do any good though. In my last email I told them how little I was now spending at their store and how much I was spending at another. Food Lion use to be the main store I shopped at,but I prefer one with good customer service.

[TeePee]

My closest one stinks bad but I've mentioned that before. It's on the same stretch as my LF and HT are which is weird that they don't have a cleaner nicer store . Parking lot is always empty, no one is ever at CS, one or two cashiers working, store is dirty looking and no one knows what a rebate is or where to find it. Lately I have been getting freebies and maybe a rebate if I'm lucky. Now the other store on the other side of town has been remodeled and it is the total opposite of this other one. So it's not all stores just some.

I feel like I need a bath when I got to that store.

But I love love love my Startown store. It is small but always clean.

OP Sorry about the bathroom but I always use the handicap stall where I go. I don't make a career of staying in there and think if you need to use it, whether or not it is handicap makes no difference because sometimes you just have to wait until a stall is empty---from schools to restraunts to malls

[ScrappyDoo]

You're talking about Wilson NC. Right?

I thought for SURE this post was about Garner, NC. Must be that FL in a lot of NC places has issues.

[$Saving!]

My closest one stinks bad but I've mentioned that before. It's on the same stretch as my LF and HT are which is weird that they don't have a cleaner nicer store . Parking lot is always empty, no one is ever at CS, one or two cashiers working, store is dirty looking and no one knows what a rebate is or where to find it. Lately I have been getting freebies and maybe a rebate if I'm lucky. Now the other store on the other side of town has been remodeled and it is the total opposite of this other one. So it's not all stores just some.

Ding! Ding! Ding! - You're ringing the same bell I ring when I visit almost all the FL in my area - except one. It was supposed to be a Bloom store but then corporate decided not to open any more Bloom stores and it was made into a regular FL instead. I went to that store once and about fell over!!!! It was like being in a HT instead! Immaculate, friendly staff, well stocked and everything

Too bad it's not one of the dozen within a 5 mile radius of me - they seem to have the most stores of all the chains and yet ... they have the least business of the other chain stores in my area.

Yup, cleanliness, friendliness and consistency in CS does make a difference!