Atrocious service from local supermarket
2006-08-10
ON Friday, 28 July, we were doing grocery shopping in Pick’n Pay Paarl Mall. I reached over into a fridge with perishables when someone bumped me from the side. There were suddenly three people around me.
I saw two men and a women walk quickly towards the exit and instinct told me something wasn’t right. I looked in my zipped bag for my cellphone and it was gone.
We went to the info desk at the entrance immediately. The three were nowhere to be seen. There was no visible security, despite it being the end of the month and peak hour.
The manager was called and we explained what had just happened. We went to the monitor room to see if anything was caught on camera.
Firstly, the operator wasn’t even in the room and eventually pitched up about ten minutes later.
Secondly, the area where I was mugged did not have a surveillance camera on it. I went to have my cell phone and sim card blocked whilst my husband paid for our groceries.
Later that evening I phoned Pick ’n Pay to ask if they had a camera on the entrance, because my husband would be able to identify the men.
They were going to call me back. They didn’t. I went back to Pick ’n Pay the next morning and asked to see the footage. I recognised the three people from the footage and asked if they could print me a copy.
They said they could download onto a DVD (which I was asked to purchase!).
The manager went to get a disk after I said I did not have any money on me. The controller tried to copy the footage, but was not able to.
I said I would come back later and collect it so he could do it without any pressure.
I came back about 45 minutes later and asked my husband to collect the disk and make double sure it was the right people.
More than 30 minutes later he returned with no disk!
He was told that the SAPS must get the disk themselves.
After all the time, petrol and effort I was not impressed. Why the sudden turnaround?
I am disgusted at the way this was handled. The cellphone was given as a gift and I cannot replace it as it was an expensive one.
I already had to pay to get a sim card with the same cell number.
I feel that Pick ’n Pay should compensate me in some way, considering their lack of security, their attitude and that personally we often shop at that specific branch.
Their lack of security and lack of surveillance on that aisle should be addressed. How many others have been ripped off there.
Zindy Visagie
Wim Theron, Corporate General Manager of Pick ’n Pay Western Cape, responds: The safety and security of customers is a top priority for Pick 'n Pay and we were extremely sorry to hear about Ms Visagie's experience.
We would like to take this opportunity to apologise for the inconvenience she was caused and to assure her that we have taken every precaution to ensure incidents such as this one don't happen.
Groups of cellphone and handbag thieves have been targeting high-density shopping centres in the Western Cape for some time now, and unfortunately thefts such as these do occur from time to time.
We are happy to report that upon investigation we established that the store in question is equipped with a more than adequate amount of cameras and security personnel, and that this was an isolated incident.
However we accept that there is no excuse for poor service and apologise profusely for any bad treatment Ms Visage may have received.
This is not the standard Pick 'n Pay aspires to and we assure you that every effort is being made to ensure this doesn't happen again.
With regards to the video footage, we will gladly pass it on to the police.
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