Foody Mart — Local services in Toronto

I had a deeply disappointing experience this evening at Foody Mart Bamburgh Circle that I feel compelled to share. During my visit, I encountered a lady working by the Customer Service / Beauty Counter who seemed to be from either Hong Kong or Guangzhou, and her demeanour was shockingly rude and arrogant. It was evident that she carried a mainland Chinese attitude that was not only off-putting but also quite disrespectful.

Upon entering the store, I was struck not only by the poor customer service but also by the overall cleanliness of the establishment. The store was dirty and unkempt, which is unacceptable for any retail environment, especially one that deals with food products. I was hoping for a pleasant shopping experience, but instead, I found myself in a frustrating situation.

As a student preparing for my upcoming exams, I was simply looking for a clean foot bath. This is a common self-care item that I wanted to select carefully, given the importance of hygiene. However, when I approached to select a foot bath, this lady had the audacity to shout at us in Cantonese, completely disregarding my presence and feelings. It was incredibly disheartening to be treated in such a manner, especially when I understood her words. She insisted that all the baths were the same, which was not only unhelpful but also dismissive of my concerns about cleanliness.

After some deliberation, I finally chose a clean foot bath that I felt comfortable with. To my dismay, she scolded us once again, demanding that we put it back if we didn’t want it. Her tone was condescending, and it felt as though she was trying to exert power over us in a situation where she had no authority. It's essential to remember that she is neither our manager nor our mother; she is an employee working for minimum wage and should approach her job with more humility and respect for customers.

When I informed her that I would not be paying her directly, as I intended to continue shopping, her attitude became even more confrontational. I usually pride myself on my ability to handle difficult situations without becoming emotional, but her behavior pushed me to my limit. I was shocked by her lack of professionalism, especially when I noticed that she was also on her phone during our interaction. This kind of behavior is unacceptable in any customer service role.

I genuinely believe that she needs to be fired for her actions. Her treatment of customers is not only damaging to the store's reputation but also detrimental to its business. Foody Mart is losing customers to competitors like Asia Food Mart, and experiences like mine are a significant factor in that decline.

I will be filing a formal complaint regarding this incident, as I believe that this kind of treatment is not okay and should not be tolerated. It seems that this employee must be miserable in her job, and perhaps she could benefit from some therapy to address her issues. I cannot, in good conscience, recommend this place to anyone. If you value respectful and professional customer service, I suggest looking...

I am beyond frustrated and genuinely shocked that the woman with glasses who works at the customer service counter is still employed here. Every time I come in, which is not even that often, maybe once a month or every few weeks, she is always there with the same miserable energy. She does not smile. She does not greet anyone. She acts like doing her job is some kind of punishment and treats customers like they are bothering her by simply existing.

Her attitude is cold, her tone is dismissive, and she clearly has no interest in helping anyone. It is not just a bad mood or a bad day. This is consistent. She either hides behind the counter doing nothing or shows up with a scowl like she cannot stand having to interact with people. It is honestly draining. The energy she brings into the store is so negative that sometimes I do not even want to step foot inside Foody Mart because I can already feel it the second I walk in. It does not matter if it is a weekday or a weekend. She is always there, and that tension is always there too.

And let me be clear. I am Chinese myself. I am a proud Chinese-Canadian, and this is not about where someone comes from. It is about how they treat others. That being said, she carries herself with a very unpleasant and entitled attitude that reminds me of the worst customer service habits I have seen from certain environments in the mainland. Whether she is from Hong Kong or Guangzhou does not matter. The way she behaves is not okay in any workplace. It is not respectful. It is not professional. It is unacceptable.

What I do not understand is how so many people have left reviews saying the same thing about her and yet she is still working at the customer service counter. How is it possible that no one in management has taken this seriously? I have seen stores that actually care about their customers and make changes when there is a pattern of complaints. But here, nothing changes. It feels like no one is listening, and that is even more frustrating.

Why keep someone on staff who clearly does not want to be there? Why let one person ruin the entire shopping experience for so many others? There are plenty of kind, hardworking people out there who would do this job with care and professionalism. Instead, customers are forced to deal with someone who brings nothing but negativity.

I should not have to hope she is not working that day just to have a decent experience. Grocery shopping should not come with stress, frustration, or dread. But that is what it feels like now. I actively avoid going because I do not want to deal with her attitude. That is how much it impacts me.

To the management team at Foody Mart, enough is enough. Listen to your customers. Pay attention to the reviews. Hold your staff accountable. Until this issue is addressed, I will not be returning, and I will continue to let others know about my experience. No customer deserves to be treated...

Note: I BELIEVE A LOT OF THE POSITIVE REVIEWS HERE ARE FAKE... I've been to this supermarket several times, and it's dirty, and crowded. It hasn't changed much since I last gave my negative review. This doesn't make sense. How does this small Chinese grocery store have more reviews than the local No Frills? How does it have nearly the same rating as them, when No Frills is run much better? They might be paying people to review this place. Look on Yelp. Their rating is much lower.

My Review:

It's messy, and disorganized inside. Pricing is often incorrect, and if you don't watch what's going on at the till you might over-pay. They also sell a lot of out-of-date products for full price. Food's not always fresh. Price-wise, it's not the most expensive, but not the cheapest either. Although there are some positives. They bag your groceries, and are open late. They also carry some specialty items that you (seemingly) can't find anywhere else. Although the overall experience doesn't add up. It's not up to the same standard as other leading grocery chains. It's not unsalvageable; it's just that in a competitive market place this store does not stand out.

I've updated my review: It's even worse than I last remembered. They still seem to sell lots of expired, and spoiled products at full price. I just bought some things a few hours ago, and they were bad. Their Lotus Brand "peanut cookies" tasted like weird chemicals. Had to throw them out. This is the second time this has happened.... Why don't they stop selling them?

Also, the workers there aren't that friendly. I don't think they even speak English, and the cashiers all wear these dirty gloves that are black with dirt. Disgusting. I have no idea how this grocery store has such a high rating.

By the way, the parking situation is terrible. The people in the parking lot can barely drive, and it's always...