Jennifer S.
Yelp
This hurts me on such a level.... I'll NEVER return here while this person works here. This 1 star is for him specifically. I've been a customer for about 11 years, long before I wrote my original review. I came here today for only a couple items, a bag of taters and a couple packs of frozen perogis. When I entered, there was a man already inside deciding what he wanted and as I gathered my few items, a woman walked in.
Everyone is speaking in Russian, which I'm used to even though at times it can feel like odd man out... not that I prefer anyone to speak English AT ALLLLLL but you stick out like a sore thumb in any place that's a cultural spot if that makes sense. Anyway, I got my bag and the shop owner (Anna who's always been lovely to me, and still has 5 stars) came out, greeted me, then returned to the back... (so she didn't see what happened). The two employees working were a woman I've seen many times, and a new guy.
I'm ready, so I walk up to the counter and place my items there so I can ring up and be done. No one comes to check me out and they're still going back n forth in conversation with the Russian customers while ignoring me completely. Finally, the guy walks up to the register, and says "I'm so sorry.." then gestures for me to step aside. So, confused I grab my stuff, & step aside. Then the Russian woman comes up where I was, and puts her things down and they're still going back and forth about what else she may want. Y'all.... I'M GASSSSSED.
So I stand there for a second, shocked and the female clerk looks at me and says "I'm so sorry". Which let's me know that she's fully aware of what's going down is bullshit, BUT Russians first regardless. Soooooo, I put the items in my hand back where they were and left the store. When I got to my car, I called Anna (the owner) and told her how I was just pushed aside for a Russian customer. ... this experience had me CRYING. I'm so hurt.... she asked what happened and I told her. She said something to him in Russian, and said he said I was still looking at veggies (HE LIED TO HER....) perhaps he didn't know I was on the phone, or that I've been a customer a LONG time and he made up a story. So I told her it wasn't true and to look at the camera footage. She then put him on the phone (she knew I wasn't lying, she knows me very well).... and he said he was new and sorry, and his English, and he didn't know who was first blah blah blah. (How could you move me from the register when I'm ready to check out if you didn't know I was first?)
Sir... customer service is A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE. You just treated me like Russian dollars spend better than mine, and like you only care about Russian customers.... you thought I was a random black customer who was whatever. Lol.... hell, for all you know I could've been Russian! You don't know me, but you treated me like a second class and meanwhile when things were ROUGH during the lock down, I supported this store when there is a HUGE Gelsons across the street. I've brought tons of customers here, not only with my reviews, but my word of mouth. You speak English enough to know that what you did was so wrong... and you knew it was wrong enough to make up a story so shame on you. As long as you're there, I'll never come back, and neither will my brother. You're terrible. I'm heartbroken.