Uncle Dean's Natural Market — Local services in Waterville

Before the pandemic I was a (very) frequent shopper at Uncle Dean's. They carry local organic produce and have a well stocked bulk section, something hard to come by in Waterville. However, as a person with a compromised immune system initially when the pandemic hit I started using their curbside service. Helpful for sure and they were patient about taking my order, however after several times of getting produce that wasn't great I decided to venture in fully cloaked in mask and glasses so I could pick out my own produce.

I went in again recently before today. There was an employee or purchaser standing right in the middle of the tiny produce section without a mask on, talking at length on the phone (maybe placing an order?). I felt very vulnerable: it's an extremely small place and the best way to transmit the virus is by talking loudly in a small space. I asked the employee to move (politely) to access the shelves with some distance between us and was met with an eye roll-- they moved but came back a few moments later before I had finished.

I tried again today. Although almost all customers were wearing masks, virtually none of the staff were wearing them. Most notably staff were having a staff meeting/lunch on the upper balcony. No one had a mask on and all were talking loudly right above where people were shopping (the virus is spread by particles and those particles drift downwards from a person's mouth. The whole sch'bang felt very unsafe for people shopping below and I exchanged commentary with a couple of other (masked) customers. Uncle Dean's says on their website that some of their employees cannot wear masks for health reasons but I have a really hard time believing that could be true for 2/3rds or more of their staff... especially since I saw the same personnel who had been wearing them the last time not wearing them this time.

I am super bummed: access to healthy food is limited here and now I don't feel like I can do my food shopping as I'm able to in larger chain stores with comparably worse produce. I've thought of going in myself to quickly grab produce and have the remainder of my order done via curbside- but after today I'm turned off enough to not go back. I really hope people, and especially businesses, start to understand that cleaning and wearing gloves is great but masks are the best way to stop transmission, and my choosing to wear a mask protects others from me far more than it protects me. Can we try harder to protect our community? For the record, I certainly don't enjoy wearing a mask either-but I notion of prioritizing harm reduction for others easily outweighs a minor inconvenience like wearing a mask. If it were to be that Uncle Dean's was playing politics with the community's safety- that would be pretty hypocritical of a company selling "health", "wellness", and "local". Frustratedly, my family and I will be discontinuing our shopping here and going further afield...

I used to shop occasionally at Uncle Dean's before it was under new ownership. Since then, I've been buying more frequently as they seem to offer better specials and more grocery options than before. Business also seems to have picked up a bit since then, and it's easy to see why.

I can't comment on the quality of service in store in recent months. Since UD's began offering curbside pick up in the spring of 2020, I've done all of my shopping there through that service.

Uncle Dean's was among the first local stores to start offering curbside pick up. I'm thrilled they recently began offering online ordering with the option to pay ahead, which is convenient and helps them stay competitive. Though the pandemic is waning, it remains easier than walking through narrow grocery aisles in a packed store.

What makes Uncle Dean's stand out from chain stores is its personal service. Every UD's associate has been polite, friendly, efficient, and helpful. After a rare mistake, they've been quick to correct it. Throughout the pandemic, I realize many of them may have worked long hours and are among the front-line workers who are more exposed to the coronavirus. That can increase their stress. But, despite that, everyone seems happy. I've rarely waited more than a few minutes, even during busy times, to receive my order. UD's provides excellent, first-class service in an age when customer service is sliding. Thanks, Uncle Dean's, for putting a smile on my face and keeping...

Honestly, I’m really disappointed in Uncle Deans and their handling of the mask mandate, and the pandemic. I’ve observed employees not wearing masks in closely knitted groups, and not wearing masks correctly while in customer trafficked areas. I tried to overlook this at first, or to make excuses, mostly because this is one of the stores I can visit in my area due to dietary restrictions. Today, I observed a customer who was not respecting social distancing and was completely maskless. When I asked about why they weren’t enforcing masks, I was told that because they have a sign up encouraging mask use and had complimentary masks available, they were not going to press the issue further. This is frustrating on so many levels. This does not align with any other shopping experience I’ve had in this area, or the state itself. Why doesn’t the health and well-being of all customers matter? You’ll probably give me a canned response, if I get any at all, about how I can order on the phone and there is only so much you can do here, but the truth is - you aren’t doing enough. Through this policy, you are communicating that you would rather avoid confrontation than do what is right for your customers.

Since my health and well-being is of no consequence to you, I’m sure losing my money won’t be either, but please do better for the sake of your...