How to complain about supermarkets / Grocery Stores the RIGHT way?

The relationship between supermarkets and his customers varies quite a lot. Some days we are very satisfied after some grocery shopping, while on the other days we experience the terror of a leaking milk container that we come to know of only after it has ruined our car’s seat. We can’t blame the supermarkets for every incident we might experience, but sometimes it is only right to file a complaint about them.

How to write a supermarket complaint?

Writing a complaint can be difficult sometimes, here are some tips to write a good supermarket complaint letter:

1. Don’t get too emotional. Anger and disappointment might be your natural response, but make sure your complaint is polite and clear.
2. Take care of grammar and provide all the necessary details. Use a proper layout, start and end with salutations, and use simple language.
3. Provide a proof in any form, e.g. a picture, video, audio, documentation or a witness statement.
4. Use positive language, use humor and give feedback.
5. Make clear what you would like to see as a solution.

One thing to keep in mind is that threatening or use of abusive language never ever works.

When should you complain about a supermarket?

Knowing when to complain and when to let it go is imperative. Most of the complaints supermarkets receive are about how the taste of a certain product was experienced or when a food brand chose to go for only sugar free products from now on. Supermarkets don’t have any influence on those things and hence your complaints go down the drain.

Here are some situations when you can successfully file a supermarket complaint:

• The product you have purchased is past the best-before date.
• The product is cheaper somewhere else or a certain discount is not included.
• You asked the staff something and they didn’t respond properly or answered rudely.
• You have purchased the wrong product on the instructions of the staff.
• Long queues at the cash registers.

The best way to determine whether a complaint is justified or not, is to ask yourself if the supermarket could have done something about it. If the answer is YES, you should post a complaint.

Why complain about a supermarket?

Reporting a complaint is no fun, but we think it is very important. It is not only essential to get our loss compensated but it can also help the supermarket improving itself. If a supermarket does not know that a certain problem exists, they never are able to fix it. You therefore do not only report a complaint for yourself but also for fellow consumers. Supermarkets should actually be grateful for reporting this feedback, and we are happy to see a trend that it is actually appreciated by them.

Results of a supermarket complaint

This is what you can expect if your complaint is justified, and has been taken seriously by the supermarket:

• A well written apology note.
• A substitute to the product you brought.
• A voucher or some credit points.
• Some ratio of discounts the next time you shop.
• A refund in terms of money along with allowing you to keep the item.

Where to file a supermarket complaint?

Besides complaining directly through a supermarket its own procedures, we also advise to file your complaint on our website. We make sure your complaint gets the attention it deserves, so the supermarket will act accordingly. Select your supermarket below, or file it directly through our complaint form.