Gwen's blog

Current Events

May 3, Houston: The big one -- the Inprint reading -- occurs at the Alley Theatre on Monday, May 3. Do not miss it or you'll be sorry. I'm not kidding -- I'm going to say the craziest, most intellectual yet hilarious stuff I can think of, and I'll be sharing the stage with the ultra sexy Oscar Casares, too.

June 24, Houston: I'm one of the peeps scheduled to read at Poison Pen, at Houston's famous Poison Girl bar. Besides me, everyone there will be ultra, *super* sexy. Come see me and drink!

June 26, Washington, DC: I'll be reading at the American Library Association conference. Come on down.

My other blog: Go read my the Houston Chronicle parenting blog (or my ChronMomBlog, as I like to call it) and make sure my kids won't resent me more than other kids resent their own parents.

Buy my new novel, Lone Star Legend. Already did? Well, buy a few more for your friends, then. :)

Wednesday, August 13, 2008
An Open Letter [Feedback Form] to Whole Foods

Hi. I went to the Kirby location for lunch on Monday. While there, I asked [the hot deli] team when they'd have Moroccan Chicken again, because I really like it. They told me to come back Wednesday (today). So I drove over after work in order to pick it up for dinner. They didn't have the chicken. A female clerk on staff apologized, then suggested that I speak to the manager. I said I didn't want to wait. But she said he'd find a way to make it up to me -- that maybe he would have the staff prepare the chicken the next day and then give it to me on the house, for my trouble. I thanked her and started to leave, but then the manager, Andre, walked up. The female clerk explained the situation to him.

He said, "Oh, I don't think we make that salad anymore."

The clerk explained again that it was chicken, and that the staff had told me to come back for it today.

Andre suggested that I come back the next day or Saturday. I said I didn't want to do that. He suggested that next time, I call ahead. I asked why I should call ahead if showing up in person hadn't worked. He had no response, other than "Sorry!" with an insincere smile. He was very glib about it, and didn't seem to fully comprehend what had happened.

I wasn't *too* upset, because I figured that the staff had misunderstood me on Monday, and there was nothing Andre could really do about it, anyway. But his uncaring attitude had annoyed me a little.

I went to put back my other purchases, not wanting to stand in line for just a few things. As I did this, I overheard Andre complaining about me to clerk at the cold deli. He was shrugging his shoulders and saying, "Well, what was I supposed to do?"

Maybe you guys can give Andre some tips on what to do when customers drive to his location after work in order to buy an item that his staff has incorrectly said would be available.

Maybe you can at least instruct Andre to carefully look around his department and make sure the unsatisfied customer is gone, before he starts talking about said customer to his coworker friends.

Or, hey -- maybe you can demote Andre and promote the female clerk in his place, since she actually had some ideas about providing customer service?

An Open Email to Central Market

To Whom It May Concern:

Hi. I am a frequent Central Market shopper and prefer you guys to Whole Foods.

The only thing Whole Foods has that you guys are missing is Moroccan Chicken. Their deli sometimes has chicken that's been marinated with olives and preserved lemons.

Unfortunately, they aren't very reliable about providing that chicken, or even about telling customers the correct day to show up and purchase said chicken.

Do you think you guys could make a similar, Moroccan sort of chicken? I'm sure it isn't copyrighted or anything -- Whole Foods' tastes a lot like the chicken tagine you can get at Saffron and other Moroccan restaurants.

I hope that you'll consider it.

Sincerely,

Gwen

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7:34 PM #

Comments:

 I love it when management flunkies start shit with writers. Public payback is the only real power we have in the world.


# posted by Blogger Rob : 8:02 PM  

 Next time you're in CM you should absolutely tell the manager just that. They're so accommodating I'd be amazed if they didn't have some kind of solution.

I lurv Central Market. :-)


# posted by Anonymous Jennifer : 8:14 AM  

 Dang, Central Market is so much better than Whole Foods!

Also, I think I have a recipe for something that sounds like Moroccan Chicken. I must try this!

Also, you rule!

-Lisa


# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 9:32 AM  

 That's seriously lame that a manager from Whole "Friendly" Foods would do that. Aren't they known for always trying to please the customers, even if it takes opening up a package to let you try something you know in your heart you're not going to buy?
That's what real customer service is all about!

Central Market is better any way.

- DVL


# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 11:11 AM  

 I'm sending this link to my friend Randy who works at the Central Market on Westheimer.

Disgruntled online writers, unite!


# posted by Anonymous Tracy : 5:28 PM  

 Great letter, I hope you sent it to both places.


# posted by Blogger Melis : 8:45 AM  

 I love open letters more than breathing.


# posted by Blogger That Chick Over There : 12:50 PM  

 I have a customer-service related story I've been burning to share, so bear with me:

I am a regular customer at a Starbucks in my small California town, and I recently went there with a friend of mine. The staff has a preference for loud indie-rock. Now, my friend and I both like to have long, semi-deep conversations over our lattes, so we don't like having to shout at each other. My friend is more particular about this than I am, but I understand her preference. So, I politely asked a barista if she could please turn the music down. (We were the only people in the shop at the time) She quickly complied. A few minutes later, we noticed the music had been turned up again. This time, my friend made the request to the young "manager." He replied that it was company policy to play the music at that level, and he couldn't lower it any further. Somewhat mystified, we left a bit later.

We went there several times over the next few weeks, and my friend did ask them to lower the music from time to time (usually over my advice to "let it slide"). Obviously, word spread among the staff, since one afternoon, we were walking up to the entrance when a middle-aged female barista hailed us over her shoulder with, "It's not very quiet in there today, ladies." I stopped, probably with a puzzled expression, so she went on, "We have lots of children here today, so it's anything but quiet. You probably wouldn't be comfortable in there." I must have been in shock, since I only realized later that an employee had basically told me not to bother patronizing their establishment that day.

I haven't been back since, and I still shake my head when I think about it. I can only surmise that very popular places feel they can spare the loss of a customer or two.


# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 3:48 PM  

 Anon: That is so bizarre. I mean, on the one hand, I *guess* she was trying to help you out? But, yeah -- not the right message.

Good customer servants really are hard to find, I think. Or else good trainers are...


# posted by Blogger Gwen : 7:07 PM  

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