Customer Experience
At the beginning of this month,I went…read moreshopping at Lazy Acres with my husband,I have been a customer for a few years now,and I have generally had positive experiences with the cashiers there,particularly because I have food allergies and specific dietary needs that make this store especially useful for me.
During this particular visit, however,we had an extremely uncomfortable experience with a male cashier,While we were unloading our groceries, I took out my EBT card to pay,Before it was our turn, I noticed the cashier having a friendly conversation with the customer ahead of us. However, when the cashier saw my EBT card, his demeanor noticeably changed,I observed what appeared to be an eye roll and a change in his attitude toward us.
As the cashier continued scanning our groceries, he began handling most of our items very aggressively. Among them were glass jars of Mount Hagen coffee. My husband noticed the way our items were being handled,
As our transaction continued, the cashier appeared increasingly irritated,He was sighing, making audible noises, and seemed visibly annoyed while scanning our groceries,At one point, he was looking through a book to find the price of some yellow long peppers we had purchased, and his demeanor continued to appear frustrated and uncomfortable and angry.
Near the end of the transaction, while my husband and I were bagging our groceries, my husband asked him, "I'm sorry,are you okay?The cashier responded, "Why? Are you guys scared? We both found that response inappropriate and confrontational, especially considering that we were simply trying to complete our purchase.
I want to be very clear,I cannot know for certain what was going through this employee's mind,However, the timing of the change in his demeanor particularly after he saw my EBT card made my husband and I feel that we were being treated differently because we were paying with EBT,His behavior throughout the transaction left us feeling uncomfortable, judged, and unwelcome.
I also want to emphasize that this is not my normal experience at Lazy Acres. I have been shopping there for years and have never had an issue like this with the other cashiers. This experience stood out specifically because of how different his behavior was.
If Lazy Acres has employees who have negative attitudes toward customers using EBT or other forms of public assistance? I believe that needs to be addressed through appropriate training and management. Customers should not feel embarrassed, judged, or uncomfortable because of the method they use to pay for their groceries.
I am leaving this review because I would like Lazy Acres management to take this seriously and look into what happened. I believe I still have my receipt from the transaction, and I would appreciate someone from the store contacting me directly so I can provide the details of the visit and hopefully have this matter addressed.
I shop at Lazy Acres in part because the store carries products that accommodate my dietary needs. I should be able to shop there without feeling uncomfortable or judged, and my husband and I should not have to experience what felt like passive-aggressive or confrontational treatment from an employee simply while trying to purchase our groceries.