I'm heartbroken! Poor little Safeway Phal

[ardera]

So Saturday I was at our locale Safeway grocery store, and just for the hell of it, I was looking at the Phals they sell. They had this poor little baby, that was clearly in SERIOUS need of help (he wasn't going to make it without help). So I brought it up to the counter of the floral dept, and asked if I might be able to get a discount on him. YEAH, first of all, bad choice of words. "We don't offer discounts on our plants." Apparently she felt that if they did, everyone and their mother, would wait until the orchids there are dying, and then they would try to buy them for a discount. Funny thing was there would be no way I would ever buy an orchid from them, I only wanted this one because he needed me. So I went to put him back, and then she tells me I have to leave him at the counter, because they can't put it back on the shelf in that condition. I asked her what they were going to do with him, she replied (throw it away). Again I offered money for the plant, although I couldn't justify paying the full $20, when I didn't know if he would even make it at all. Once again, she told me she couldn't give me a discount. I tried to point out that I was offering to pay money for a plant they were going to throw away, and not get any money for. She told me I would have to speak to her dept manager the next day. Well I did, no go, they would not let me purchase him, and had already thrown him away. Unfortunately, I was not all the keen on the idea of dumpster diving for him, in a grocery store garbage. Who knows what kind of surprises I would find.....

[RosieC]

What a shame. Isn't it stupid when they won't give a discount on something they would otherwise throw away.

[ardera]

I know! I was trying to reiterate to them that I was willing to give them money, for something they were not going to get any money for. I was told "we would lose our job if I do that". What a bunch of BS. I seriously doubt that the store would fire them, for making the store "free" money. He was such a little cutie too...

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by ardera

So Saturday I was at our locale Safeway grocery store, and just for the hell of it, I was looking at the Phals they sell. They had this poor little baby, that was clearly in SERIOUS need of help (he wasn't going to make it without help). So I brought it up to the counter of the floral dept, and asked if I might be able to get a discount on him. YEAH, first of all, bad choice of words. "We don't offer discounts on our plants." Apparently she felt that if they did, everyone and their mother, would wait until the orchids there are dying, and then they would try to buy them for a discount. Funny thing was there would be no way I would ever buy an orchid from them, I only wanted this one because he needed me. So I went to put him back, and then she tells me I have to leave him at the counter, because they can't put it back on the shelf in that condition. I asked her what they were going to do with him, she replied (throw it away). Again I offered money for the plant, although I couldn't justify paying the full $20, when I didn't know if he would even make it at all. Once again, she told me she couldn't give me a discount. I tried to point out that I was offering to pay money for a plant they were going to throw away, and not get any money for. She told me I would have to speak to her dept manager the next day. Well I did, no go, they would not let me purchase him, and had already thrown him away. Unfortunately, I was not all the keen on the idea of dumpster diving for him, in a grocery store garbage. Who knows what kind of surprises I would find.....

First of all...SAFEWAY! OMG! I didn't know they still existed! They're nearly all but extinct here in Southern California. Brings back memories of when I was a kid. Back then there were very few Asian supermarkets and as an Asian family it was difficult to find stuff we needed in the American supermarkets like Safeway or Albertson's. I think they would've still been around here in So Cal had they decided to branch out into multi-ethnic foods.

Anyways...onto your orchid ordeal.

What punks! They should've just let it go instead of jerking you around like that. I guess if I had to get in their heads, they were afraid of getting a complaint, or being sued (you never know, nowadays some people are "sue-happy"), or something.

Don't worry about it though. I know that tugging feeling of when you see an ailing (fill in the blank) and you want to nurse it back to health. The feeling will pass, you don't need to go dumpster diving for the plant, save your own personal dignity for when it actually counts.

Just remember how many of those they cloned in the lab.

[Poppyseed]

I hate that! At least they could start a clearance shelf and mark it 75% off! It would have been nice if they even would have given it to you...

Goes to show how "great" their customer service skills are...

[OrchidSue]

First of all...SAFEWAY! OMG! I didn't know they still existed! They're nearly all but extinct here in Southern California.

They are still there, but you now know them as places like Vons and Ralphs (bought out by Safeway, Inc.).

Anyhow, that really is terrible. I just despise so much of the "corporate mentality" that results in poor decision making and tripping over nickels to pick up pennies .

Susan

[angeleyedcat]

I often buy clearance orchids and try to talk someone into lowering the price of an orchid. Here's something from the cashier's point of view Some big box stores don't allow the cashiers to discount plants as you know, period. Could the cashier discount them and lose her job? who knows, but would you take a chance of losing your job that you probably really need over an orchid? I haven't found anyone who worked at a box store for fun yet.

my plan - I always skip the cashier, take the plant and find the manager myself. Let the guilt of discount/sale/death of plant be on the correct party I learned this in the fish department of aquarium chains. Showing a cashier a dead betta fish in a cup doesn't do much but take that dead betta to a manager and the fish are suddenly getting cleaned.

[PitcherASAMD]

I laughed and cried at your story! I feel your pain. I would suggest you contact safeway corporate. My father in law put in a complaint at safeway headquarters and got a great response from them. Couldn't hurt could it?

Katie

[Poppyseed]

I used to be a cashier in a nursery, and if someone asked me for a discount, I had absolutely no problem giving it to them. Especially for fellow orchid enthusiasts, and anyone else who seemed friendly!

[seamonkey]

Going to the top right away saves a lot of trouble and doesn't put pressure on service clerks who don't have any power.