Rimi's - Indian Bakers n Grocers & Gifts — Local services in Westlake

I've been shopping at Rimi's for years, a mom-and-pop-owned small grocery store, and I've always known them to be high-priced with bad customer service. But with Patel Brothers in Middleburg Heights 30 minutes away, sometimes local convenience forces me to patronize their store. However, this evening I saw them drop to a whole new low.

I saw another customer walking in the store, and he cornered an isle a little tight, accidentally clipping a bottle of syrup on the corner of a shelf, causing it to fall and break, spilling syrup on the floor. Instead of acting like nothing happened and walking away, he kindly advised the co-owner wife of the mess. Leaving her 8 year old son to run the cash register alone, she went to go clean up the mess.

When she returned, her son was in the process of ringing up the man's groceries. Without saying anything, she holds up an unbroken bottle of the syrup and instructs her son to ring it up in the order. The man objected, stating he didn't want to buy the syrup. She stated that it wasn't for him to buy, but for him to reimburse her for her loss. He protested, stating it was an accident. She stated that he caused the spill, and he was causing her to lose money.

He countered, stating that he's been shopping there for years as a loyal customer. She said she knew that, and she knew his wife well for damaging the vegetables and not reimbursing her. He refused to pay for the bottle. She countered again, stating that he didn't clean up the mess himself, and she should charge him for two bottles for making her clean it up.

He protested again, refusing to pay for the accident. She shouted back, "Fine! Don't pay for it. Never shop here again. I don't want your money!" She then instructed her son to cancel the order, took the bagged groceries away from the man without first asking, and ordered him to leave.

I guess there went another loyal customer and his family forever. I honestly don't know how Rimi's stays in business, given their overpriced products and horrible attitude and customer treatment. I think my principles will now be stronger than convenience, and I'll drive the extra mile to Patel Brothers in Middleburg Heights, whose customer service is phenomenal, and whose prices are...

Although this store is closer, I tried 2 other Indian stores before visiting this because they had higher ratings. I wasn’t too thrilled with both of them because they had the same issues of bad vegetables and disorganized state. Then the other day I was picking up food-order near this store and decided to take a quick look. 2 things surprised me (happily) immediately: how well every product category was organized, and the conditions of the vegetables. Yes, the store is small like most Indian stores but it’s well maintained and did not give the typical disorienting experience of navigating the cramped spaces of other stores that just have dumped items all over, ever inch of the store. And the vegetables were fresh! Like I wanted to buy willingly and not as last resort. So on the first visit, which I’m glad I made and would return again, I ended up spending more than I planned on. Also, I got curious about the low ratings and read folks complaining about owner being rude. They were not to us. In fact when 1 item was unavailable they apologized and offered another. Guess I’m not basing decisions solely based on ratings and...

My experience at this store has been anything but good- the store is cramped and the layout terrible- there is often a lot of congestion at the freezer and vegetable section with people clustering in the area with carts. But the worst part of the store is the guy who runs it, who has ZERO people skills. I have seen and heard him getting into issues with people, but yesterday I was at the receiving end- I moved an opened package to reach an unopened one and he ordered me roughly to put it back- he has always come off as having an attitude and is unfriendly, and rude. The lady who runs the store is more pleasant to work with.

If you read other 1 star comments, you will see a pattern- same issues of rude and insensitive behavior, with little insight into the problem. They first have to understand that the customer is the reason for their existence as a business and not an inconvenience to deal with. Not going back to this store again; there are other...