Trader Joe's
August 23, 2006
Trader Joe's Customer Relations
PO Box 5049
Monrovia, CA 91017
Dear Sir(s) and/or Madam(s).
I have recently concluded a shopping “experience” at one of your stores. I forget the exact location, but it was most likely in the State of Washington. This happened only this morning, and I don’t recall driving any great distance. So let’s just say Washington, and be done with it.
However, that’s not the only thing I wanted to bring up.
Moreover, I find the name and nature of your enterprise misleading. After arriving at the check-out “stand” with a shopping cart full of shopping goods, I was informed that I would not be able to TRADE for my purchases. The checking-person—can we please agree to discontinue use of the racist term “checker”?—refused even to consider trading groceries for my authentic thermos, novelty playing cards (dog breeds of the world), and unopened ream of photocopying paper. (I had high hopes of starting my own magazine a while back, but that fell through.)
Trader Joe’s? More like Taking Money Joe’s! I realize that you are free to run your company the way you wish, but this is blatantly unfair. All these years you have been banking on your image as humble barterers, but when it comes time to “walk” the “walk” you are unable (or unwilling) to live up to your “end” of the bargain.
Those tradeables didn’t fall into my shoulder bag on their own, you know! I spent an entire afternoon going through my things to find items your organization would be willing to trade for. (For which your organization would be willing to trade for?) And what am I going to do for pudding now? Do you have an answer for that, Joe’s?
If you would like my help implementing a true Trading Post-style environment for your stores, please let me know. I will be out from 4:00 until 5:30 tomorrow, but any other time will work for me.
Thank you for “making time for Terry,”
William “Terry” Fietz
Trader Joe's Customer Relations
PO Box 5049
Monrovia, CA 91017
Dear Sir(s) and/or Madam(s).
I have recently concluded a shopping “experience” at one of your stores. I forget the exact location, but it was most likely in the State of Washington. This happened only this morning, and I don’t recall driving any great distance. So let’s just say Washington, and be done with it.
However, that’s not the only thing I wanted to bring up.
Moreover, I find the name and nature of your enterprise misleading. After arriving at the check-out “stand” with a shopping cart full of shopping goods, I was informed that I would not be able to TRADE for my purchases. The checking-person—can we please agree to discontinue use of the racist term “checker”?—refused even to consider trading groceries for my authentic thermos, novelty playing cards (dog breeds of the world), and unopened ream of photocopying paper. (I had high hopes of starting my own magazine a while back, but that fell through.)
Trader Joe’s? More like Taking Money Joe’s! I realize that you are free to run your company the way you wish, but this is blatantly unfair. All these years you have been banking on your image as humble barterers, but when it comes time to “walk” the “walk” you are unable (or unwilling) to live up to your “end” of the bargain.
Those tradeables didn’t fall into my shoulder bag on their own, you know! I spent an entire afternoon going through my things to find items your organization would be willing to trade for. (For which your organization would be willing to trade for?) And what am I going to do for pudding now? Do you have an answer for that, Joe’s?
If you would like my help implementing a true Trading Post-style environment for your stores, please let me know. I will be out from 4:00 until 5:30 tomorrow, but any other time will work for me.
Thank you for “making time for Terry,”
William “Terry” Fietz
posted by Ben at 1:51 PM
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