The Incident and Conclusion

Yesterday, my MIL and I went to BJs for groceries. BJs is a warehouse store, just like Sam's Club and Costco. I also noticed that BJs is much cheaper than Costco! As with any trip to a warehouse store, you may spend as much as an hour or more in the store shopping around. At checkout, we experienced bad customer service and embarrassment. So much so, that I wrote an email to them and sent it to them through their website. I wrote this around 12:30 AM this morning.

Here is what I wrote:

This was my first visit to BJs and it will most likely be my last. By the way, we visited your Mooresville, NC store on July 28th at approximately 3:30 PM.

I am writing to let you know that I truly think your cashiers/front end employees need retraining on customer service and sensitivity training in regards to Food Stamps/EBT. When we informed the cashier that we were going to use our EBT card, they wanted to know what the name on the account was, not only that, they wanted to see our EBT card. We have had Food Stamps/EBT for almost a year now and have never had a store ask to see our card, let alone want to check our ID.

We felt like a criminal just trying to use EBT to pay for our groceries. We also felt ganged up on by your cashiers, as they all felt the need to reaffirm that your store “just started accepting EBT” even though we’ve used it in your store since March of this year. They were implying that we (the customers) were liars and felt like a stranger in your store as a customer. I always believed that I should feel welcomed and appreciated? I have worked in customer service in the past and I have never treated a customer in the above manner and think it is unacceptable and just plain rude! Also, the cashiers who felt the need to be “involved,” ALL gave us dirty looks, right in front of our faces! They didn’t even try to hide it. I felt uncomfortable and couldn’t wait to get out of your store. Do you make all of your customers feel this way? The supervisor that got involved was not sympathetic or helpful to us at all, even though we tried to explain we have used EBT before and had no problems. This particular supervisor was named Lia G. or Lisa G. (I couldn‘t really tell since she had too many damn stickers on her name tag), she was heavy-set with long black frizzy hair and a round face. I should mention that the supervisor gave us dirty looks as well.

Every cashier involved treated us like the enemy and acted like we were not welcomed in your store. I am saddened that they could be so unprofessional and rude at the same time, especially to a customer spending time and MONEY in your store.

As a food stamp/EBT recipient, I am not “proud” to be poor and do realize my inability to feed my family without the extra help. I think your cashiers need to understand that. Food Stamp/EBT users are just trying to feed their families.

I doubt my comment will reach the store, but I felt the need to let your company know of this incident. This visit also made me realize that I do not plan on recommending your store to any of my family as I do not want them to be embarrassed or feel anywhere close to how I felt today. Thankfully my family live on the West Coast, so they don’t have your store there.

Signed,
A Customer too embarrassed to sign a name


I was really hurt and confused with the way we were treated. It was truly inconvenient and embarrassing. While all of this was going on, our food was defrosting on the conveyor belt.

I received a call today around 4 PM from the "Membership Manager." She was very apologetic, appalled, and embarrassed for the incident and how we were treated. She said she talked to everyone involved (good to know)! She recognized the fact that any customer has a CHOICE to shop at their store, we have a choice to spend our time and money at any other grocery store. I also told her that we came from another city just to shop at their store and she acknowledged that it was a long way to drive. I should mention that my MIL was forced to add me on to their membership just so we could use our food stamps. The manager I talked to is going to refund my membership cost and send us a gift certificate to use at their store. She is also going to extend my in-law's membership for a full year free of charge! In the end, she confirmed what we thought was right, she said any member who brings a friend or family member into their store is welcomed to use any form of payment (except checks).