CAMPS BAY’S FRIENDLY STORE CONTINUES TO DISAPPOINT
I’ve never really had more than five positive visits in a row to the Camps Bay “Friendly” store and am surprised that I still visit the place, let alone get worked up about the shoddy service, stock take and queue times. If anything, they get an “A” for consistency.
Last Sunday was no different.
The Camps Bay Friendly Store
The Muse and I felt the urge for a fizzy drink and I drove down from The Safe House to buy a Coke and a Stoney. I side-swiped the bottled foods isle to see if they had re-stocked the Carmel Strong Dill gherkins which haven’t been there for nearly a week (since I tweeted about it a month ago on September 9). Obviously they weren’t there.
Why would we keep stock of something
that keeps selling out?
They were also out of stock of the other products I look for every time I visit. Products that a lot of people like and products which are only there once in a blue moon, before they get sold out again. Notables include Carmel Strong Dill Gherkins, Judy’s Pickled Onions (strong) and Goldcrest Jalapenos. What does that tell you, guys? Maybe people like these products? Maybe you should order more? Does that not make sense?
It is interesting to note that these are the very same products I chatted about a YEAR ago – an article I wrote highlighting the fact that the Friendly store was out of popular products (as well as can openers), but were sure to have stock of home TIK testing packs.
Sunday had an extra twist, however, as I gave the lady at the till R50 to pay for four cans of cooldrink (total price around R25). She asked if I had anything smaller. I said no and she told me I had to wait for someone to bring change from “the back.” She gave me the R5 coin part of the change and then said I had to wait for the final R20.
There was another man waiting in front of me for change from a previous transaction. A classic “fuckshow” was developing before my very eyes.
Surely this wasn’t happening? I gave her a R50 note, not a R200 note! How could they not have R20 change?? It was a Sunday. I had ventured out of The Safe House cocoon, driven 5km, JUST to buy a cooldrink – and now I was stuck at the fucking till.
On a SUNDAY! Are you kidding me?
I waited for what seemed like an eternity, as everyone just stared ahead of them, blankly. I didn’t want to cause a scene and said, “look, I’m a regular customer, you’ve seen me here before, how about you just make a note that you owe me R20?”
“I can’t do that,” she said.
“Why,” I asked.
“Because maybe I won’t be here when you are here again.”
“Oh, God,” I sighed, “then stick the note on the wall, I don’t care, but this is ridiculous, I would rather get the money another time than spend my Sunday in a queue.”
She looked at me with a face that says, you’re a clever dick, aren’t you?
“Can you make a little note please – I’m dying here. I just want to drink my Stoney at home,” I pleaded.
And that’s when it happened.. She gave a MASSIVE huff and a puff and banged on the till, releasing the change drawer.
She flicked up those metal things that hold down the money, pulled out two R10 notes and slammed them on the counter, PISSED OFF.
I was speechless. “You had that there the whole time?” I asked. I didn’t wait for an answer and walked out. Upon exiting, I sideswiped the neverending management meeting that takes place in the “dining” area of the shop, very near the entrance and the tills. Naturally the team at the table were blissfully unaware of the pain their customers were going through a mere 10 meters away from them.
I gave my story, but don’t know why I did – it’s never helped anything before, why would it now? And no, he didn’t apologise.
Stunning vibe. A year down the road – still no change (scuze the pun).
Keep it up, guys.
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13 Comments
craig
18 Sep 2009
Man, I have the same issue with my friendly in Kenilworth, there shelves look like a shop from Zimbabwe and all I wanted was a packet of smoked beef Simba chips!!
Andy
18 Sep 2009
Seth, be honest, did you take a photo of the empty pickle shelf before or after the till fiasco?
If it was before then it looks like you were preparing for a fight. If it was after, the management probaly ignored you because that’s what you do to crazy pelple that take photos of empty shelves.
jase
18 Sep 2009
HAR! andy you’ve clearly missed the entire point of seth’s story, let alone 2oceansvibe as a whole. this is what people do now. there are blogs and twitters and all sorts of things. Seth is a part of that. He comments on things like service and lifestyle. Why are you even here? From me seth i must agree with you I go to that exact friendly store a lot and the queue situation and stock take habits can be quite chronic. Don’t even get me started on the missing strong dill gerkins! My fave!
Seth Rotherham
18 Sep 2009
Hey Andy thanks for your comments. To answer your question, no, that pic was taken a couple days before, when I tried again to buy the gherkins. I was going to send out a tweet but had trouble with signal and the photo remained stored on my phone. So it wasn’t taken ON the day, but a couple days earlier and the shelf looked the same.
Thanks for the support and have a great weekend!
Andy
18 Sep 2009
Thanks Seth, sorry if that sounded snide.
@ Jase, take it easy tiger, there’s no need to throw about the “why are you even here?”s. I love the vibe, that shopping experience was clearly a shocker, and the article was great.
FooFunk
18 Sep 2009
Thats weird! i often pop into that shop on my way home to Hout Bay and i must say i dig that shop! they have a better selection than my useless sack of shit Friendly in Hout Bay! but fair enough the only thing that i buy strong of is the habanero Doritos…..which FUCK come to think of it only ever have the small bags!! point proven!!
The good doctor
18 Sep 2009
Everybody needs a little time away
I’ve heard her say
From each other
Even lovers need a holiday oooh
Far away from each other
Hold me now
It’s hard for me to say I’m sorry
I just want you to stay
And after all that you’ve been through
I will make it up to you
I promise you, baby
And after all thats been said and done
You’re just the part of me I can’t let go
ooooh bup bup bup bup…
Gav
18 Sep 2009
Seth – that is a classic piece! I stay across the road from the Friendly in question – and everything you have said is so true! Myself and my misses were LOL at this piece. As a side note, that place is also probably the most expensive convenience store in CT – but that doesn’t stop us from using it plenty – just too convenient – good luck to them!
Chucky
18 Sep 2009
Classic, bru! Let them have it. Shit service deserves no less than this write up.
Chris
21 Sep 2009
I have the same issues at that friendly grocer, their meat section is to behold. I’d rather pop down to the PnP in Camps Bay which is probably THE most dismal PnP in the Southern Hemisphere!
Camps Bay is truly beautiful, but lacks decent shops or what about a bottle store or even a wine section in the fucken PnP! WTF!
Jaun
21 Sep 2009
I’ll agree @Chris – I hate the fact that we are all subjected to such disappointing grocery stores in Camps Bay. @Seth we need to start a grocery store protest, if you pay 5 star prices you should get 5 star products.
THAT PNP has to be the worst grocery store in the world. Dirty, poor service, no stock and yesterday I had to weigh my own and some other customer’s fruit (again) – why is there no one stationed there permenantly?
I don’t really have too many issues with the Friendly though, I quite like their little bakery, but if I went through what you went through, toys would have been flying from my cot!
Liz
21 Sep 2009
FooFunk,
Weird, I’ve always found the Hout Bay Friendly way better than the Camps Bay one. I agree with Seth. Anyone know if one can buy booze “under the counter” after hours at the Camps Bay one?
Liz
The Cartoonist
28 Sep 2009
I was wondering when you’d do a piece on that SHOCKING place. GOD I HATE IT!!!! HOW is it still up and running??? It’s dirty, understocked, full of rude incompetent staff, etc etc etc.
It gets my blood boiling just to think of the place. Somebody needs to drop a huge fucking bomb on the place. It’s disgusting.
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