Regretfully, a technical error on my part caused this blog post to be late one day.  Sorry!  Here is my blog entry for Wednesday, November 7, 2012.

Today, I am very grateful for all the good things going on with Shoppers Food and Pharmacy.  The Shoppers at Mount Vernon Plaza on Richmond Highway is my preferred grocery store in Hybla Valley and the best one to supply me with my many needs every two to three days, it seems, as I can’t seem to manage my hectic family life without going there several times in the same week!

After living in southern Alexandria for nearly nine years and visiting every grocery store and convenience store known to man, I have learned that no other store equals the variety, savings, and customer service found at Shoppers. 

Let’s begin with a very recent promotion, which I happened to see on the Shoppers Facebook page.  A few weeks back, Shoppers began advertising free products with an additional purchase of $25.  I couldn’t believe my eyes!  Right away, I printed my coupon, headed to the Shoppers at Mount Vernon Plaza, and gratefully received free cut-up fruit, strawberry pie, bottled water, and most recently, a package of paper towels, which I quickly donated to my daughter’s school.

If you read some of the comments from customers posted on the Shoppers Facebook page, you will see how people have a mindset of entitlement, complaint, and resentment over perceived unfairness. 

My mindset is one of gratitude.  In my opinion, Shoppers is not obligated to offer such a generous promotion, but the fact that it does fills me with extraordinary gratitude.  Since I am in a position to humbly receive free items to benefit my family and cut down on my costs, all I can do is say thanks to Shoppers.

The second thing I’d like to pinpoint is the speed and effectiveness of the customer service at Shoppers.  In nine years of shopping at this grocery store, I have come across quite a few problems, primarily with items not scanning correctly.  In each and every instance that I’ve expressed anger and lodged oral complaints, the managers have listened to me, looked me in the eye, and treated me with respect.  I cannot say the same for other grocery stores.

The third thing I must discuss is the camaraderie that has sprung up as a result of my many, many, many transactions and purchases at Shoppers.  Incredulously, the cashiers know the four of us in my family very well by now, and depending on which configuration of us enters the store on any given day, the cashiers respond appropriately.  Most often, it is me with my now 20 month-old who has taken a liking to grabbing the Shoppers sale balloons and dragging them all over creation. 

One woman in particular, one of the ladies whose job it is to collect the shopping carts outside, has become a special friend.  Lena Jones is the kindest, loveliest redhead around.  She always has something pleasant to say to me and never fails to compliment one or both of my girls.  She has a dazzling smile and a sweet southern accent that I love to listen to.

Finally, I must commend the pharmacy section of the Shoppers at Mount Vernon Plaza.  This year, early on in 2012, I switched pharmacies because my previous pharmacy simply was not stocking the medicines I needed and it became an inconvenience for me to shop there. 

Shoppers pharmacy came to my rescue not once, but three times in a row.  I owe all the credit to the pharmacist, Miss Ayesha.  Miss Ayesha has delivered outstanding customer service to me each and every time I’ve had an issue, which unfortunately, happened three times in a row.

The strange coincidence is that I ended up taking my girls to the doctor late in the day three times in a row and all three of those times, I needed medicines.  Well, in the 30-minute time span it took for me to travel from the doctor to the pharmacy, Miss Ayesha actively worked to solve my problem by calling our doctor to confirm the medicine and discuss particulars. 

In all the years I was with previous pharmacies, no one expressed that type of care and concern, so needless to say, I was shocked.  And then, I vowed I would stick with Shoppers for my pharmaceutical needs.

In short, I am grateful to the staff of Shoppers at Mount Vernon Plaza for their customer service, attention to my concerns, and friendships and camaraderie shared with me and my family over the last nine years. 

It would be impossible for me to list all the names of all the staff that have touched my life, so I leave it up to store manager Tim Smith to disburse the kudos.  I thank Mr. Smith for being so dedicated and hard-working (watch him – he never takes his eyes off the sales floor) and for running a well-oiled machine.

What are you grateful for today?  I hope you will share with me by leaving a blog post comment below!