Dana Rodgveller
Google
What a disappointing visit to Down to Earth. Every summer when we fly into Maui, our first stop is this store — it’s been a tradition. But today, I had multiple frustrating experiences with several employees.
When I went to get milk, the fridge only had 2%. I asked an employee if they had whole milk, and she told me they were probably out due to the holiday (4th of July). I asked if she could check in the back, and she replied, “That’s not my department.” She did eventually get someone who said she would check — but I waited at least 12 minutes. I finally saw her walking around and smiled to remind her I was still waiting. She said, “Did you get your milk?” I told her no, and she said, “Well, I put it in the fridge.” There was no follow-up, no effort to let me know, and no sense of service — I was just standing there waiting.
Throughout the store, I was told “that’s not my department” by three different employees. No one offered to help me find someone who could assist. I asked another employee, who was stocking shelves, if they had lunch meat for sandwiches. Without even looking up, she said, “We’re a vegetarian store.” Fair enough. I then asked if they had eggs, and she just repeated, “We’re a vegetarian store.” I mentioned that eggs are vegetarian, and she ignored me entirely.
I also understand that prices can be high on an island, but the prices here were extreme — some of the highest I’ve seen — and combined with the apathetic, unhelpful staff, it made for a really unpleasant experience.
That said, I did speak with the manager before I left. She was kind, apologetic, and assured me this is not the level of customer service they aim to provide. She said she would follow up with the staff, which I appreciated. I left still disappointed, but at least feeling heard.
