Supermarket

Supermarket

It is not my normal behavior to write a letter to a newspaper
regarding dissatisfaction of a particular store. Both readers'
letters (July 5 and July 6) and my own made experiences,
especially during the last weeks in the Hero supermarket of
Bakasi, West Java, oblige me to voice my opinion.

My repeated complaints to the local Hero manager haven't had
the desired effect. It is common knowledge that Hero is more
expensive than other stores. This was accepted in the past
because the shops were clean, clearly laid out, had a wide
selection of products, the products were fresh and the staff
tried to give the best of service. And lastly, it's conveniently
located for me.

These tributes have dropped off little by little. Some
products are not fresh but old, partly beginning to go bad (i.e.
oranges, tomatoes, potatoes, etc.). The latest is the practice of
selling these products in small packages. Later at home you
ascertain that one of four tomatoes are bad and you unfortunately
paid the regular price.

Recently I was very much surprised to notice that Hero was
unable to offer or sell chicken. Inquiries brought the reason to
light: sorry, the chicken supplier didn't supply. I remember very
well that such things happened in the old socialist countries.
Other examples could be cited, but only from these few examples I
will point out that Hero is treading on thin ice, risking the
loss of both its good reputation and customers.

RICHARD SCHMID

Bekasi, West Java