Black Forest Acres - NOW OPEN AS SOULBERRY MARKET — Restaurant in Hamilton Township

Ridiculous prices and the audacity to be flagrantly dishonest. The day prior to going to the store my mother inquired to the availability of the product "jazz detox" the person who answered the phone asked what is that and she said it was a detox, the person on the phone said immediately oh "yeah we have that". The next day I walk in and ask the lady where the detox stuff is and she says it's behind the counter. Wierd already because this is a grocery style counter / checkout with two counters two cashier's and two closed signed because they are both busy leaving messages to people about orders coming in. The lady immedaitly agrees to serve me but leaves two more messages while she moves some boxes and pushes the close sign down a just enough so there room on the counter to show the hidden products. As she starts listing the available flavors I ask the price, a whopping forty dollars, I'm taken aback because the specific brand I asked for over the phone goes for about fifteen dollars on Amazon and doesn't top 25 dollars anywhere else, this is of course a totally different brand. I kinda laugh, as a biologist I can anticipate the conversation that's about to follow, and say no thanks I'll definitely look somewhere else. The cashier ask if I'm looking for a different kind detox, I said no I've already been drinking a lot of water, I'm not looking to have diarrhea, I'm really just worried about my salt content and B2. Then the manager walk over and tells me straight face well you know the stuff the guy up the street has is at least seventy dollars. "The stuff the guy up the street has" exact quote no paraphrasing super professional considering we're talking about Shopright and Acme at this point. I say "listen buddy I can buy detox online for fifteen dollars right now." He responds "no you can't and if you could it's not as good." Considering we mentioned zero shops or brand names at the point I can't help but zone in on the last four word of that statement. So I go oh yeah if you know it's better name one active ingredient contained in your brand that makes it better, that isn't in mine. Smiles like an true f-boy straight up towards the sun like a dodo approaching a cliff. He goes "oh well there a lot of different things" nope irrelevant statement to the question/wasting time, I say "yeah a lot of bs, just name one that's 1 ingredient that you know off the top of of your head that's different and makes it better" he responds "well if that's your attitude you can just leave" it was like a goldfish learned to read minds but with 5 minute delay compounded with 5 minute memory. Told him to read something off the bottle if he knew the difference. Got the classic submissive response "well I guess you know better" I replied "I don't know anything about your product, but you just said you know it's better so prove it by naming an ingredient that works better" he was dismissive and I left.

The FDA should monitor this level of quackery. Lying is illegal on labels why not for store...

Usually the staff there have been friendly, even personable, professional and ethical. When a staff doesn't greet me in any way, or doesn't even share a bit of a smile, I have shrugged that off, with the understanding that everyone has a right to be an individual. Moreover, the staff are also human, and could be having a difficult day, etcetera i.e. I know folks that have a hard time smiling due to chronic pain --would know that only too well, and respect that. But today, something happened, that conscience doesn't allow to shrug off. The price of an item that I normally don't buy, wasn't clear, so the cashier went over to check it. I offered and put back the product myself (not that it mattered), while she was counting up my (apparently 2 many) receipts for a discount. Now usually, cashier clerks take these tasks with a grain of salt, as part of their job. However, she on the otherhand expressed such an attitude, even as I was walking out the door, as if I have been a bother to her; that I made her work and to extend herself--as if how dare I. I felt humiliated and disrespected. Sadly, not everyone is right for customer service. Even if they're technically doing their job alright--their heart is not there, including in professionalism. Normally, I would give the place a full star, however today I'm not able to. I just hope someone listens to this, so it doesn't happen to someone else.

In any case, five stars for the cafe, certainly four. I even have found certain staff members sympathetic--a kindred spirit. However, the uneasy feeling I have now, after today's experience, is that what if I go there again, and the only cashier available is the same one that came with today's sad experience.......that would now make me feel uncomfortable, to be felt...

I have been shopping here for decades, despite the fact that their prices are SIGNIFICANTLY higher than chains such as The Vitamin Shoppe. Personally, I like to support local businesses when I can.

At Black Forest Acres, if you keep all your tiny paper receipts, you can get different discounts (for example, $200 worth of receipts = 20 percent off your next purchase.) The receipts are tiny, and it’s a very antiquated system. I have never complained about it though, not once. Instead, I continue to buy thousands of dollars worth of products each year from this business, usually at full-price.

Recently, I accidentally bought a powder form of vitamin C instead of capsules from Black Forest Acres. I went into the store without my receipt and was told I couldn’t just swap it for for the capsules. Instead, the woman at the register - whom I have seen multiple times before - told me that she would have to deduct 20 percent first.

“But, I have been shopping here for decades. I was even shopping here earlier today.”

“Well, then you know the policy,” she replied with a smile.

“No, I don’t, because I’ve never returned nor exchanged anything here before.”

I always valued this small, local business, but today I realized that, sadly, the feeling is not mutual.

I understand and respect that the rules are the rules, and I also know that Black Forest Acres SIGNIFICANTLY marks up many of their product prices because they have to, in order to stay afloat. However, I also know the value of good customer service, especially as it pertains to long-time customers. Unfortunately, they do not know nor value the same.

Oh well, off to The Vitamin...