Noise pollution in Sarit Centre is horrible, but as you enter Carrefour it is further warning of things to come.
As an ‘older’ shopper the volume of the music is to say the least distressing, and all one wants to do is complete your chore and get out – of the mall! It would almost be OK if the audio system was not configured to sound like finger nails on a chalkboard, but they cannot even get that correct. For me, browsing in the supermarket is not an option, preferring instead the peace and quiet of Hotpoint and other consumer goods stores.
As you negotiate the aisles, distractions around and above you quickly become overwhelming. In the till queue you are again subjected to all the distractions of noise, lights and, on the Consumer Electronics side, add the blaring volumes from TVs and Audio equipment that attendants play for their own enjoyment. Heavy Bass. BOOM BOOOM BOOM BOOM.
The check out staff seem to know this and are watchful for those they see as being slightly agitated or distracted. Men are definitely targets as we tend to shop under duress anyway and want to get this onerous duty done as fast as possible.
Finally at the check out, your purchases are being scanned and pushed through to the bagging side where items build up quickly into a pile.
Relief, you let your guard down.
And here is where it all happens.
You are busy emptying the cart and sorting items, the checkout person is occupied with getting the scanner to actually read the barcodes.The bagging assistant is packing, but as the goods pile up there is not enough space on this till counter, so items are placed on a counter on the cashiers ‘blind side’ and definitely out of sight of the shopper. You obviously don’t see this at the time.
Items are being bagged slowly and you with plenty to think about, paying, opening the phone app, being jostled by the next impatient shopper in the queue, The cashier asking a question you cannot hear about donations, you working out how much to add that to your total, it goes on… One distraction after another, finally putting the PIN on the Visa machine, stopping goods from that agitated shopper being added to your shopping. The packer knows this too but again adds distraction by now hurrying to pack. You are in a hurry too, to GET OUT!
You are glad to leave and swear to raise this horrible experience with management, whom you know will do nothing, but at least you tried. You instead later make BBQ conversation about these horrible experiences, with everyone nodding in agreement, only now to the beat of loud music you can relate to!
Get home 30-40 minutes later, unpack and find that items from the deli are not in the bags but are on the till receipt and listed on your Phone app!
I am not going back for them.
Were they deliberately set aside while I was distracted? 3 separate times now.
Why do Carrefour staff use the side counters?
Am I expected to watch the till, the packing and also check that I have not been short changed or short packed? Of course the onus is on me but nothing is making that easy.
I may as well shop at Diamond Plaza, where every customer is treated like a shop lifter and customer service ethics don’t exist. Which is why we shop at Carrefour.
Did I mention that this is the third time it has happened?.. and whilst I am prepared to accept that an honest mistake was made all three times, Carrefour MUST make the shopping experience less stressful, at least as a result of noise pollution. Am I alone thinking this?
Besides, who decides what music I must listen to and enjoy?
Does a 50+ year old shopper with a full cart necessarily like Rap music or Gospel, or Hip Hop.
Does the Twenty Something year old with a full cart (really?) like Trance or New Wave 80s music? Who decides?
The Hub in Karen plays low volume mood music in the mall. ‘Mall music’. It may enhance the shopping experience but certainly does not detract from it, as the sound is not invasive. Yet, walk into Carrefour at the Hub and you get blown away by the noise!
I posted on Carrefour’s social media pages and was responded to by a robot that asked me to further specify “the nature of my communication” or words to that effect. An email was met with the response that this had been forwarded to the relevant department… the dustbin I suspect.
I don’t expect a resolution, but I also don’t believe anyone shopping anywhere, has ever complained about the music being too soft!
Just having a Rant.. softly.
August 15, 2022
Last Updated on November 22, 2024
