Stop & Shop — Local services in Town of Orangetown

*Edited: Manager responded to my feedback right away and was very action-oriented and courteous. Also assured me relevant employees would be re-trained. Hopefully people have a more positive experience with them moving forward!

Original: 2 stars. My first time at the store, initially impressed by how big and spacious and clean it was, despite the parking lot being fairly empty. The weekly flyer said lobsters were $9.99/lb starting today. We went to the seafood department, and there was nobody there. Asked an employee who had the store page for assistance. Person who showed up was really grumpy when I asked about the price, because the posted sign read $16.99/lb. He interrupted me and said "I'm the wrong guy to talk about prices - you'd have to talk to the manager but she's on break for the next 15 minutes." So I went to customer service to see if they had a copy of the weekly flyer. While they were friendly, they were also unhelpful. They said the sale price should be valid but if the signage is wrong in the seafood department, only the seafood department manager can change it and change the pricing programmed in the scale. I said if it rings up incorrectly, can't you adjust it at customer service? They said no. It has to be the manager who changes it on the scale in the seafood department. We went back and waited over 15 minutes and other employees kept coming by to check if we needed help, which we appreciated. Kudos to their efforts. When the meat/seafood manager finally showed up, she was not helpful either, just said "what do you want." We told her the story and she had zero reaction. We then asked for 2 specific lobsters and she said she couldn't give us one of them because she was afraid it might bite her because the claw rubber band had fallen off. I asked, can't you put another one? She said no. I reminded her we had waited over 30 minutes and that was a specific lobster we wanted and still she said no and gave us a different one. What kind of a seafood manager thinks a lobster is going to bite her if she holds the lobster from its back? The price was correctly programmed in the scale after all, which the first guy could have checked before just brushing us off. All in all, it was a very long and disappointing experience. Sticking...

So I went to Super Stop & Shop Orangeburg NY and once again, no bags at the self check out registers. None of them. I actually photgraphed their vacant place and they are attached. This has been the ongoing case for months. So I called the corporate office to share my concern and they assured it would be addressed. It was hit and miss since then. Last week, the Store Management called me and she apologized and stated it was the cashier's job to fill them every shift change. I shared that one of their associated told me they were on reserve, which she denied, and now I will prove that the associate was correct.

So today, October 2nd, around 6 PM, I went to the store and snapped these pics as I was checking out with only "1" yes, 1 bag and groceries in need of four. All of the other registers around me were in the same shape. My register was #13 (bad sign haha).

After completing my transaction, I went to the Super Stop and Shop's servcie counter and explianed my concern with the associate behind the counter as to how dismayed I was that it was so ongoing with no change. He told me and I quote: "We have bags but we need to keep them in reserve as its like the 'peter principle' in that if you place them, the clients will take them." he went on to tell me that they take handfulls and so to ensure that there are enough bags for all clients, they only put a few out at a time." (but apparently don't seem to ever replenish them). This is the thought that the manager last week assured me was a lie by the previous assoiate but must be a reality as it's now two associates stating the same thing.

So since they are more concerned about their own expenses rather than the client needs, I am moving on to ShopRite down the road. They always have bags and they are very service oriented.

So sad. Goodbye Super Stop and Shop...

As a former employee, as well as an avid shopper for 18 plus years, I’ve always had a positive experience until today. I’ve met many colleagues as well as friends working/not working at either new city, Nanuet, and at times orangeburg when I’m on break from work (I work less than five minutes away). I recently visited an old friend in which we got caught up in conversation while he was still focusing and executing his job duties at the same time. Though I did not have a cart on me, it did not mean I was not going to purchase an item. I was essentially told to leave from Andrew Cafaro who I believe is the store manager. He could’ve handled it in many different ways. He could’ve introduced himself, he could’ve interjected and inquired as to why I seemed to be at one part of the store for a period of time, he could’ve even approached me and said I noticed you were here for a while may I help you. He provided everything but customer service and was not even courteous enough to approach me himself. Maybe this was an aberration, or maybe this is the way he interacts with customers by not interacting, either way it was unprofessional. As a former employee I could only hope he doesn’t have an environment of disinterest, fear, and humiliation. I could not help but notice that we differ in height, weight, skin color, and culture and hope that was not the basis of his lack of interaction. I have no ill will or personal feelings as I will continue to shop at stop shop, but hope his attitude, approach, and environment is more welcoming to not just me but future customers...