SM
Stephanie Merquez
Oct 14, 2025
Attention: Management
I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding the behavior of one of your employees, “Wanda,” at the Somerset NJ Easton Ave Stop & Shop on October 13, 2025.
Yesterday evening, my three-year-old was running a fever, and I could not locate my thermometer at home. I decided to visit your store, where I regularly shop, to purchase one. I arrived approximately six minutes before closing, at 9:54 PM. The doors were already locked, but an employee kindly opened them and apologized, allowing me to quickly enter.
Being familiar with the store’s layout, I went straight to the medical aisle. At approximately 9:57 PM, as I was heading toward the exit, I heard a woman loudly say, “Ummmm helloooo, we are closing.” I responded politely, letting her know I only needed a moment. I immediately began to exit the store — I did not locate a thermometer, and I was not attempting to make a purchase at that point.
As I was walking out, the same employee, “Wanda,” approached me and said, “You gotta go!” I reassured her that I was leaving and would be out of the store by 9:58, before the 10:00 PM closing time. She then looked at her watch and said, “It’s 10!” I pointed out that my iPhone, which displays accurate time, showed 9:57 PM. Her response was, “I don’t care what your iPhone says, my watch says 10, so it’s 10 — you gotta go.”
As a business owner of three franchises and my own practice, I hold customer service to the highest standard. The way I was spoken to — while calmly exiting the store with urgency due to my sick child — was completely unacceptable. I do not wish for anyone to lose their job, but I strongly encourage management to review the camera footage from 10/13/25 around 9:55–10:00 PM. The footage (and any available audio) will clearly reflect my account of events.
I respectfully request that proper training and accountability measures be taken to ensure that customers are treated with professionalism and respect, even close to closing time. I will also be following up with both store management and corporate to ensure this matter is appropriately addressed. I will also follow up via certified letter to this location and email , I will CC all management to ensure I include all.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.