unhappy with Extra Foods.

[garby]

Anyone unsatisfied with Extra foods please tell your story here. The voice of one person means nothing, but if we all tell our story maybe things will improve. I am referring to higher prices, rottting produce, not enough tills open, and having to bag your own groceries.

As a guy bagging my groceries is something I just don´t do. I can stand there like a fish out of water trying to stuff things in the best I can while the teller stands there watching me. Meanwhile there is a line up forming behind me, and I can understand the other customers getting frustrated because of my inapt performance. I can just imagine what our seniors or disabled residents go through.

So if you have a similar story please tell it here and I will forward the link to the manager of Extra Foods.

[garby]

I am aware prices are going up, they are going up everywhere. My point is we pay for our groceries and for the service, not for them to stand around and watch you bag your own.

Last week I was in to pick up some fresh produce for a salad, I was so disgusted by what they were offering I left my basket on the produce stand and walked out. Half the food was rotten on the stand.

There is never enough tills open to serve people. I know the store is looking for people, but this is not a new problem.

Everyone was happy when Extra foods first came to Fernie. Low prices, Good Service. Great products! I think they have gone down hill, and I now frequent OverPricey more than I have in years.

[cs86]

I agree. I often go to extra foods and they have one or two tills open and about 10 people in each line. No one calls for help and no one opens up more tills. Also, I have been there dozens of times and they are ‘out’ of something. Something necessary like bananas or lettuce. Worse during ski season, but when there is no produce or the produce they do have is rotten, I get quite frustrated. Also, asking someone where something is located and getting the "i dont know" with a blank stare (Uh…hello….GO ASK SOMEONE THAT DOES KNOW) or being told that they dont carry an item and after searching for it myself, find that they actually DO carry it. This isn’t just an extra foods problem, however, I run into this at a lot of stores. These problems are the manager’s fault in my opinion.

[freshsnow]

I try not to shop at Extra Foods, even though it is closer to my house than Overwaitea. I also find there are never enough tills open, although as I only ever go there if I need something that Overwaitea doesn’t have, I often go to the customer service desk and they will ring through my one or two items. The self-bagging of groceries is not an issue for me because as I mentioned, I rarely am buying more than one or two things. I shop at Overwaitea because I find the staff friendlier, happy to help if I have a question, plus I like the fact that it is a smaller store. Extra Foods just makes me irritated so I really just try to avoid going there.

[slacklocal]

I only go to extra foods for basic items and the 50% off bin. I wouldn’t go there at all if it wasnt close to my house.

[ferniefrosty]

All the previous posts are also what I’ve experienced plus:

Having to go to the only till open (12 items or less) with my cart load of shopping, unloading it and then being told to move to a normal till that they decided to open. I said no!
No quality control on ‘fresh’ produce
Stupid shopping carts that have no safety strap to hold your little ones in and are as easy to steer as a moose!
Staff whose attitude to customer service is questionable-it’s almost like they don’t care if you shop there or not.

I think the main issue is there is little competition in Fernie for grocery shopping and Extra Foods don’t pay their staff enough for them to feel valued and develop any loyalty to the brand. They are trying to recruit at the moment…..

Anyway enough said by me

[lindsey]

As a former front end manager of a sobeys, as well as in laws franchising the sobeys, I am so unahppy all the time with extra foods. You should never have to wait in line while there are 2 people standing around the customer service. The store is always a mess, the prices are very high even when its not ski season! And the produce sucks, we always go to over waitea for our produce… Im also unsatisfied with them getting in new products, most stores in that chain carry a ton of organics products and produce as well as a full natural aisle or section…

[cs86]

Someone should print this and forward it to the managment and owners of extra foods

[snowsnake]

as i’ve said in other posts on this site..we swim in a sea of mediocrity in Fernie..people will tolerate alot of BS if they think they are having a good time or living in paradise..go to the Extra foods in Cranhole and the difference is VERY noticeble..better yet look at some of the food prices in the city..ok they sell more but why is California produce cheaper in Calgary and Toronto..are we not closer and does the same group of buyers do the bulk of purchasing..it’s the Fernie factor..same as why I paid 20cents less a litre for gas in northern Ontario which came from the same Edmonton refinery that supplies this area..are we not closer?that beautiful view is awfully expensive!!!I was at an Extra foods in Cambell River,thats way up Vancouver Island and it was wayyyyy cheaper…think tourist trap,opportunistic pricing and that age old Fernie customer service slogan.."if ya don’t like it too bad..ya got no other choices"

[gagbandit]

As previous posters have mentioned – vote with your wallet ! Do not support extra foods, if your more satisfied with overW. give them your business. B.T.W. I’m surprised noone has mentioned the terrible meat section at extra foods. The overW. meat dept. is much better – and if you can’t see what you want the staff are usually helpful in cutting you something you are looking for. I give my business to overW. after many unsatisfying experiences at extra foods.

[chippy]

I have been in Fernie for over 12 months and I choose to shop at Extra foods rather than Overwaitea, simply because price is more important than service to me. Nevertheless I can understand most grievances and I also have several qualms. Foremost, they choose to put products on sale that they under-stock. Some examples…They put bottled water on sale during a water drinking advisory and they sold out. They put bread on sale yet seem to have over-looked the fact that they only had three loaves to begin with; Surprisingly they sold out. And the list goes on. If it has a yellow tag there is a 60% chance that they have sold out. I think forward planning is probably not their strongest point.

As for having to pack my own bags. Who cares? I find the staff quite polite, except for the old lady (name unknown) who literally throws your shopping down the conveyor. Might I add with a face like a slapped arse.

Otherwise I have shopped there for over a year quite happily. Why? Cost. With three mouths to feed I can cut my bills by a colossal amount. It’s that simple. Overwaitea chooses not to put goods on sale at fantastic prices to get people through the door, as a result I rarely shop there.

I hope that both Extra foods and Overwaitea read these posts and perhaps both will start receiving more custom.

[garby]

Thank you everyone for your posts, and please keep them coming. I notice the thread has been viewed by a lot more people than have posted so I ask again please post. I don´t want to offend anyone so if you have only positive to say about Extra Foods please post that information as well. Bad word of mouth always seems to travel faster than good, and I want to be more than fair here.

I have to agree with Chippy about the prices, after all that is why we all began to shop at Extra, however after spending more time at OverPricey I believe you have to be an alert shopper and OverW prices on SOME items are lower.

My biggest argument has been the lack of customer service (with exceptions); not enough tills open, the lack of baggers to help move the lines through, the empty shelves, ROTTING PRODUCE, green meat with 4 save a dollar stickers, sales that seem to end at the till…….did I mention the lack of baggers?

I have recently returned to shopping at Overwaitea after a long absence, and I was pleasantly surprised. The store is clean, uncrowded, and the tellers have all been friendly and helpful. I am willing to pay a little extra money to leave the store in the same mood or better than when I walked in.

[gumbootgal]

I always seem to be doing a 2 stop shop. I prefer Overwaitea, however yes, the prices sometimes are more, but sometimes it is worth it. For example I get dog food at Extra as it is about 5 bucks a bag cheaper. Meat is WAY better at Overwaitea. It is clean in the store; runs smoothly, always seems to be some around to ask if you need help, also, if the lines are long, they do call for help.
I am also very aware of the terrible condition of the produce at Extra foods. Recently I bought a packaged deli meat only to get it home and it really was green- the best before date had come and gone. I do not feel I should have to check these things. I sure do now! As for the staff and tills- it is crazy sometimes! I do not feel that it is the cashiers fault. The manager should be running the departments a lot better…. How does the saying go?.. "You are only as good as your instructions" Yesterday morning I was in Extra at the Customer Service and there was only one till up and the cashier saw me, and said she would be right there, but then her till got busy- only one on!-another worker came right into customer service, asked if I had been helped, I said no and she said- “someone will be here shortly and walked away!” Maybe this was not her department, but I would have rather stood there with no one coming than to have some walk up and then walk away! Ever since Donavan Gigliotti left as manager, the store has gone down hill. I used to see him back every now and then and the store would improve for a while then slowly sink again. I have heard this from others as well…..

[ferniegirl29]

I totally agree with the unhappy posts; the meats are bought as "seconds" for their cheaper buying power if most don’t know this. OW brings in their own first-rate suppliers of meats and has an onsite butcher at all times. As far as the produce goes: have you ever been in OW to find nobody in the department? NEVER. There is definitely no question about Extra Food’s customer service and it certainly does come from the management, which they (Extra Foods/Loblaws) also get paid peanuts, thus the lower prices. For the few savings on some items it certainly does not out-weigh the service you ALWAYS receive at the OW store, right down to packing your own groceries!! Approach the management at both stores and you will find the difference right there also!

[cs86]

Be aware that Extra foods often has things with a yellow sticker or a ‘sale’ sign and they are the exact same price as regular. Advertising a sale but still regular price. Just FYI.

[chickenleggs]

To all unhappy with Extra foods, i hear ya, im not all that fond of the place either but look at it this way, the staff there are getting paid pea nuts which brings monkeys, most of the people working there are here for one thing POW and couldn’t care less if an apple is rotten or the shelf is empty, I agree with most of the comments and it is the managers that should be held responsible but try finding good help in a little ski/mining town when all the youngsters couldn’t give a rats ass about work and do not respect anyone or anything because a lot of them have had everything handed to them.
I say smack your kids ass when they do something wrong, teach them the value of money and that a smile goes a long wayto making someones day that little easier and brighter

[nelly]

Yes, I too am not impressed with Extra. Ever since we have had to pay for bags, they slipped in the ‘bag your own’ at the same time. I think it was a scam to get us to bag our own as the last ime they tried that the town was in an uproar, yet we have all just accepted it this time. Also, when an item rings in wrong, you are supposed to get it free (up to $10). TYou shouldn’t have to ask, and when you do they make you feel like the lowest person on earth. Overwaitea gladly offers the item free.

[gavitron]

I like the idea of bringing your own bags. You gotta admit plastic disposable ones are adding a ton of trash to our planet. They’re only used from the store to the parking lot to your kitchen then tossed out. I think going back to paper bags may have been a more reasonable option tho. Maybe they’re too expensive. Why would you get something free if it scanned wrong? I would expect to get it for the price I thought it was when I grabbed it off the shelf….but free? That seems pretty irrational and unjustified. That said, if they wanna give it to me free, I’d take it. All in all I don’t mind Extra Foods. Its not like I go in there expecting 5 Star treatment. I appreciate that they stay open till 10, thats been handy on more than 1 occasion. The staff stay pretty low key, but I don’t often need someone else to discuss my food options with me. Meat, milk, bread, cookies….I’ve pretty much got a grasp on the whole survival thing. I’ve been caught in a line up there occasionally but I wasn’t aware of any new rules stating that line ups are to no longer exist. Haven’t they always been a part of shopping? Its great when I don’t have to wait in line, but I don’t expect my own personal cashier awaiting my arrival at the tills. More times then not I’d say its customers checking they’re reciept, double checking it, getting the cashier to call for a price check, trying they’re debit card 10 times before they’ll accept that its not working and "have no idea why" then counting out a confusing amount of bills and change that the cashier has to recount to verify before ringing it in to their till just so they can get a nickel instead of 2 pennies, then double checking their bags to make sure they didn’t forget anything…that contributes to slow line ups. As for pricing, Fernie IS a tourist trap so Fernie has tourist trap prices. When I get sick enough of it, I’ll move somewhere more rational. There is always room for improvement and I agree the people in charge decide whether or not to act on that. Time will tell….

[cs86]

2 things: One, the huge Safeway chain of stores also does the free thing if it scans wrong, up to $10. Secondly, I recognize that lineups are a fact of shopping, but when it’s not extremely busy and there is one till open, 3 staff standing at customer service chatting, 10 people with loaded carts at the only till open, you get pretty frustrated when you need to pay for your gallon of milk. I get this ALL the time at Canadian Tire. ONLY the customer service till is open, there are 8 people in line, and the cashier doesn’t think to call someone to open another till? Surely there must be some other cashiers in the store, or the manager could come open a till? Canadian Tire frustrates me to no end and I could go on about it in another forum if anyone feels like starting one up.

[savage]

Complaining is a positive action, it shows that you care and want to facilitate change. There is huge room for improvement at Extra Foods and perhaps this string will generate positive change.

The Extra Foods in my town is managed much better that the Extra Foods in Fernie, it also is a much larger town. Perhaps good service is an urban attribute.

People live in Fernie for the recreation, the beauty, the wilderness and all its outdoor amenities; WORK has not been a priority, just a necessity.

The urban character of Fernie will continue to be slow, I suggest lowering your service expectations and enjoying Fernie for what it is.

[dreadnott 117]

I am posting this as I actually worked for them earlier this year. Many of you are right, they get paid peanuts, but it actually isn’t anything to do with Loblaws. the store in Fernie is Union, and as such they have set wages that only increase over time, which, yes, definitely adds to the problem of the staff not caring. I came to that store with previous working knowledge of Extra Foods, having been a manager and key-holder at a location in AB. I was hired as the loading dock reciever, basically I was first to the store, at 5 in the morning, to unload everything. Despite the fact that there was no training required, and that I had previous experience not only in this exact position, but also running an entire 50% of a store, I was started out at full-time hours and minimum wage. I can honestly say that along was enough to make me care even less, but I did my job to the best of my abilities. The current Store Manager is really the root of most of the issues there. She insists on pushing employees to do more, no matter how hard they work, or what they get done. I ended up being fired, with one of the reasons being that I did not do enough throughout the day (despite me constantly rushing everything and trying to get as much done as possible. I did more work than some of the managers. Take that for whatever it’s worth.)

Another thing she mentioned to me during the process of letting me go was that I apparently spent too much time helping people. Now, I’ll admit, I wasn’t the most enthusiastic person on the floor, mainly because of how little I was making for all my time and work, but I did my best to help customers find what they were looking for. The manager told me that I should not spend time in the receiving bay looking for items, and I should not go to personally help customers find the product they were looking for. A sense of urgency she called it. Essentially, she wanted me to fling out the quickest response possible just to get the customers to go away as fast as possible, whether or not I helped at all.

Another behind-the-scenes issue that affected staff morale, was when the company formally decided to acknowledge that we were going into the recession. The cutbacks consumers were showing in their spending habits were apparently not caused by people being more frugal with their cash, but by us, once again, not working hard enough. Needless to say, I wasn’t the only person who found that rediculous.

All in all, the store in general suffers from being too complacent. The regular employees (cashiers, grocery, bakery and general merchandise clerks) were constantly being ridden for never reaching some unatainable level of productivity set by the management, and for not recieving fair compensation for their work, while the management of some departments basically did not care, and worked nowhere near as hard as their lower-level employees did. At one point, I persoally witnessed mice/rats (I don’t know enough to make out the difference between the two) in the loading dock, and instead of reporting to the shipping bays and making a thorough search of the receiving bay, they basically kept it quiet and it was never mentioned after that day.

Now, of course, it is completely up to all of you reading this whether to believe me or not, after all, I was fired for rediculous reasons, and as such could very well appear biased. But I too am a customer instead of an employee, and have myself witnessed fisthand all the various issues that the store has. Take t for what you will.

[lindsey]

Just to let you know it is a law in the grocery business if an item scans wrong you do get it free, in ontario it is up to $15.. its not being ridiculous for the person who brought it up, because it is how its supposed to be…the information is supposed to be posted at every till, im not sure if it is there, but just to clear that up.
Oh, and I did write a formal complaint to the head office, and gave them this thread to peek at. Hopefully we will notice some changes. I refuse to wait in line with one item behind 5 people with full carts at the only till open on dec 23rd while the other available cashier chats to her friend who is packing her cart up… thats poor management. When I worked in grocery stores, when there is a line , the manager jumps on till. its called CUstomer SERivce and we are not crazy for expecting it! Line ups in the grocery world are a thing of the past pretty much. And.. on DEC 23rd and so on,, almost all tills should be open… they should know by now there busy days right down to what hours are busiest..

[ferniefrosty]

Have just caught up reading posts since my last comment. I was over charged by almost 80 bucks on a visit to Extra Foods and didn’t notice until I checked my bill at home. Having to bag all your groceries with no help means you can’t keep an eye on what’s being rung up on the till, also there are usually queues building up (due to the lack of till staff) so you want to press the silly conveyor button, bag up quickly and get going. I went back, obviously, and they didn’t even know what I had been charged for!! Apparently bar codes can be misread and the codes are set up by their Head Office. They were however very good in refunding the amount, but I did have to waste my time returning there and convincing them that I didn’t purchase two ‘Fairy makers’ at 39.99 each.
I (along with many others I suspect) do the double shop and buy fresh produce at Overwaitea and other stuff at Extra Foods. It’s easier to compare prices between brands at Extra Foods as they post the price per 100 grams or item. The comment about ski town prices makes me laugh. Not everyone in town is into the ski thing and just want to be able to afford groceries!

[admin]

Extra Foods overcharges by selling products that are dated. Last week they had rotten meat on the shelf. I can depict soggy vegetables but meat is sealed in plastic. Either we are at the end of Extra Foods delivery route or don’t consume enough for their delivery cycle to offer fresh produce.

How does Overwaitea consistently have fresher products and happy tellers? Perhaps having more stores in the area and better management makes the Overwaitea product superior.

[admin]

Are others finding that Extra Foods has improved or is it my value oriented nature?

[imported_ryland]

extra foods.. everything you ever wanted, but nothing you need

[re]

Extra foods has the best bread prices in town usally by 50% same breads as O.W has but 1/2 the price

[Author]

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