Sample conversation with Petco/Petsmart/PetValu/Pet
Supplies Plus manager (you may wish to print this out):
You: Hello, I'd
like to speak with the manager of the store please
E#1 (employee #1): She's
busy with a customer, can I help you?
Y: No, thanks. I'll wait.
[E#2
(employee #2): picks up phone]
E#2: This is Bob. May I help you?
You:
Hi Bob. Are you the manager?
E#2: No, I'm the: front end supervisor/assistant
manager/something else other than manager. May I help you?
You: Who is the
manager?
E#2: That would be Sue, and she's with a customer right now. Can
I tell her what this is about?
You: I told the last person that I would
wait for Sue to get free. I want to discuss something with her. It's OK if you
want to put me on hold. But I must insist to speak with either Sue, or her district
manager. Who is the district manager for this area?
E#2: I'm not sure,
but I can find out.
You: I would like to know that while I'm waiting for
Sue, if you don't mind.
At this point, the employee gets the picture
that you mean to speak with Sue, and probably will get her. If you can get the
district manager's name, that would be a bonus. You will most likely need it anyway.
Sue:
This is Sue, may I help you?
You: Hi Sue, this is ------, I am a regular
customer there, and I buy food for my pets there. I understand that you are the
manager.
Sue: Yes, I am. How may I help you?
You: I'm sure you are
aware of the Diamond recall. I'd like to know what other brands are affected,
since I buy several brands of food there.
Sue: Oh, I'm not sure. They have
a recall notice on their website.
You: Yes, I know that. But since you sell
the food there, I want to know if any of the food you have sold me is going to
hurt my pets.
Sue: We have a recall notice from Diamond. You can see it
here if you like. But you can also see it online.
You: Where can I see this
notice in the store?
If Sue tells you something other than "The
information on that is posted right where the Diamond pet food was pulled from
the shelves," tell her that she needs to post that information there, and
anywhere else where other affected brands were removed from the shelves- and doesn't
she agree?"
Sue: We really dont have that much information on
the recall beyond what we have been told to pull from the shelves. I can give
you a toll-free number to call and ask the company directly.
You: I need
you to tell me this information right now. I have to know if anything I have left
here is affected. And I want you to get that information now and tell me what
to look for. You sold me this food, and you are responsible to see that I don't
have any contaminated food at my house that can harm my pets.
Sue: You're
going to have to call the company or come in to the store. You can see the list
we have.
You: Who is your district manager?
Sue: The district manager
is Joe Schmoe.
You: I want to discuss this with him. Can you please give
me his number?
There's no point in wasting any more time with this
manager. She is clueless, and you now need to hunt down Joe Schmoe, and have this
conversation with him. At this point you can refer to the web page I've posted,
and inform Joe what you expect from his stores. Also tell Joe that he has to make
his manager, Sue, a lot more responsive to such inquiries from customers, and
that the way she handled your concerns was irresponsible.
If you
are in the store: Go to where the Diamond food was/is, and see what is posted
there. If nothing is posted, then insist that something is posted right there.
Also insist on a list of all of the affected brands of pet food. Don't leave the
store until you get it. And tell the manager that you will stop shopping there
permanently if you do not get some satisfation on this matter. And you will tell
all of your pet owning friends and family what has happened and ask them all to
boycott their chain. Furthrtmore, you will contact the FDA and tell them that
your chain is not accepting their responsibility in this recall.
You
can tell from this sample conversation that this isn't going to be a walk in the
park, but it's nothing compared to having a sick or dead pet. Just put yourself
in the frame of mind that maybe your pet has already eaten some contaminated food.
That should get you in the mood to handle this.