This morning we received a voucher for ten pounds in the post from Aldi along with a letter not containing any word of apology - but a back-covering set of paragraphs about investigations not having turned up a reason for the chicken being stinky.
I'm afraid this just wound Hubby up a tad. Last Monday he had been told that we would be getting a 'free shop' which at the time had sounded a generous offer in mitigation of them having refused us a refund when we returned the chicken.
Nothing had materialised by this Monday and so he had a fairly heated exchange on the phone with the acting area manager who managed to make a tricky situation worse with shall we call it 'diplomacy skills that left a little to be desired'. We weren't cross because we wanted the dosh (although it would have been nice) but because we felt we'd been fobbed off.
So when a ten pound voucher arrived it hardly seemed to qualify as a 'free shop'. I mean I don't know about you but we spent more than ten quid when we go shopping - Aldi is cheap but you can't get a full shop from a tenner can you?
But given the horrible news from Christchurch, us being miffed over a voucher and the general lack of satisfaction from our experience with Aldi, hardly seemed worth wasting blog space on today. We decided to just chalk it down to experience. One of life's flies in the ointment. Just don't use that ointment again.
But just now something surprising happened.
Hubby & son are out for the afternoon as Sprog had a hospital appointment as his eyes are showing signs of deterioration which is part of one of the genetic conditions the menfolk in my family share.
The doorbell rang. I went to answer and was surprised to find a smart gentleman in a suit carrying a bunch of flowers!
It was Kieran from Aldi, recently returned from leave and 'gutted,' at the problems we had encountered from our chicken purchase what seems now so long ago.
I have to hand it to him, he seemed genuinely bothered. He was polite and respectful - despite the fact he had caught me in my scruffy hanging around the house top and 'blogging track pants' with my hair up and frankly making
Waynetta Slob
and Vicky Pollard
look like elegant fashionistas! I had also decided today was the day to thaw the lobster left over from Xmas and eat it slathered in garlic butter while the men were out of the house. So my breath is biological warfare grade hazardous at the moment!
He was surprised to learn that there were a number of people following this situation via the internet and that I had a popular well followed blog, 1,600+ Twitter followers and a large facebook community.
I do think that Aldi do themselves no favours by not having an easily contactable 'trouble shooter' at the end of an email address. Though to be fair neither do ASDA, but Tesco do have a good internet response.
Since moving back to the UK - we've had the Smelly Bridgend Tesco incident - which was handled quite well via a customer complaint form at the store and an email via their website. It didn't cost them anything other than timely communication and politeness.
Then we had the disappointing chocolate swiss roll - supposedly recommended by customer tasters from ASDA - our complaint about that disappeared into the ether never to be responded to by ASDA. Their packaging says you can send them feedback but when you try it is well-nigh impossible to do so.
And then this fiasco with Aldi at Bridgend.
One lesson to be learned here for Supermarkets who want to keep their customers - politeness costs nothing, rudeness costs everything.
But thank you to Kieran for making an effort. What a pity the person at Aldi who does 'polite' was on holiday when we needed his special talents. Maybe they can train someone else to be polite for next time?
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