ComplaintsforSweet Ali's Gluten Free Bakery, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  02/16/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I called Sweet ***'s about a problem with a product several months ago. I had purchased several of their cookies that were under-weight. Nothing was done about this - they claimed the variance was within their guidelines. Today I called with a new issue. I purchased several Vegan Chocolate Chunk Cookies. These cookies usually have quite a few chocolate chunks in them - roughly ***** chunks. I purchased 12 cookies on my recent trip to Fruitful Yield and discovered that 5 of these cookies had virtually no chocolate chunks in them. Maybe 1 or 2 chunks per cookie. I spoke to a sales rep and she had a manager call me back. The manager refused to issue a refund, send coupons, or provide any decent customer service. Instead she provided excuses and poor customer service, talking over me and claiming that their cookies "have variances" since they're hand-made. I explained to her that the issue was not pone of "variance". Some cookies have 10 chunks, some have 12. Others may have 7 or 8. A cookie of this size with only 2 chunks is DEFECTIVE. They're missing 80%-85% of the normal number of chunks. She was apparently either not able to understand this or was unwilling to admit it. I am offering Sweet ***'s a chance to resolve this through the BBB before I am forced to escalate this into a negative media campaign and file other consumer complaints with other governmental agencies. I expect a coupon or credit for the replacement of these 5 cookies that were clearly defective by any definition of the word. They can either generate future business through improved customer service or lose a far greater amount of business as a result of escalation. It's their call.

  Business response

  02/23/2023

  The weights he reported were within *** weight average requirements. We explained batch averages and the nature of slight product variations.  We invited him to purchase directly from us in the future, and we explained we could ship these cookies as well as other products directly to him.
  
  His second complaint about the Chocolate chunks began with him keeping a front staff member on the phone for ********************************************************* our cookies, then about his opinion of the lead content of chocolate in general, and then bragging about all the companies from which he has gained free stuff by complaining.  Our staff member repeatedly told him a manager would return his call.
  
  Our front manager called him the following day.  He explained he had bought several cookies from Fruitful Yield and that some of them (he said 4, we believe) had fewer chips than usual.  He wanted us to send him a coupon to Fruitful Yield.  The manager explained to him:
  -We don't place a certain amount of chocolate in each cookie- the cookies are hand scooped from large batches and variation from cookie to cookie is to be expected.  Less or more chunks per cookie does not make the product defective (also, they are in a clear bag, so he can select the cookies he feels are most appealing to him).
  -We don't have an avenue by which we could issue him a coupon for use at Fruitful Yield (a wholesale location that we sell to). She suggested he take his receipt and the cookies back to Fruitful Yield for an exchange.
  
  He said he couldn't return the cookies to Fruitful Yield because he had eaten them. He said it was unacceptable for Sweet ***'s not to have a coupon method and we should just mail cookies to him directly. She told him that we couldn't replace 4 cookies that he had already consumed.
  
  He became irate and said she was providing him bad customer service and that she should "be careful" and "watch out for him" because he would "come after us."  He told her of 2 companies who had sent him free stuff when he complained and he told her of another company that refused to give him free products - he said he "destroyed" them on social media because of their refusal to provide him the kind of service he requested.  He continued to yell at our manager, and used profanity.  She asked him to calm down and told him she would not continue to listen to him verbally abuse her.  This only made him yell louder and direct profanity to her personally and about our company.   He threatened to "come after us" again, and then she ended the conversation, again telling him she would not allow him to verbally abuse her any longer. 

  Customer response

  02/23/2023

   
  Complaint: 19412160
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Sweet ***'s response is a distortion of reality, so I will correct them here. First, they complain that I "kept a front staff member" on the phone for 30 minutes. This could have been resolved in 5 minutes if their company offered even half decent customer service by offering to replace the defective cookies. Instead, the staff member argued with me and I had to explain to her repeatedly the difference between a variation in content and an utter lack of content (i.e. a defective product). She didn't seem to be able to grasp the concept that the cookies did not have a "variation" (say 7 or 8 chunks instead of 10). They had only 2, which is on average a reduction of 80%-85% of the normal amount. That's called a defect, not a variation.
  
  

  The next distortion is the claim that I "bragged about all the companies from which he has gained free stuff by complaining". The fact that Sweet Alis phrases it that was shows their utter contempt for good customer service. What I did in reality is explain to them how, when I have purchased defective products with other companies who actually have good customer service, those companies have replaced the product. Some of them were in fact generous enough to go above and beyond and throw in extra product. I explained that in order to contrast good customer service with poor customer service. I did not "brag about getting free stuff". Obviously the concept of good customer service and standing behind their products is an alien concept at Sweet Alis.
  
  Next, the response from Sweet ***'s shows that they STILL do not understand what I'm talking about. If a cookie normally has let's say anywhere from **** chocolate chunks in it, with an average of 10 chunks, we can expect some to be out of spec, or have variations. So one might have 6, another might have 13. I have seen these variations before and that's not the problem. But when an entire, large cookie has only 2 small chunks, a reduction of 80% to 85% of it's normal ingredients, that is a DEFECTIVE product, NOT a "variation". For example, if you bought a sausage pizza and 89% to 85% of the pizza did not have any sausage on it - if only 2 slices out of 10 had sausage - that would be a defective pizza. No one in their right mind would argue that's not the case. Except obviously for Sweet Ali's.
  
  Next, I did not say I had eaten the cookies. I said that I ate 2 of them, then checked the others (I buy 12 at a time) and found two more with virtually zero chunks. I attached a picture of a cookie that has exactly ONE small chocolate chunk. Again, no one in their right mind would not call that defective or refer to it as a "variation". Except Sweet ***'s. They claim they have no way of sending coupons (apparently meaning they don't even have coupons as most reputable companies do). There is nothing stopping them from saying "We're sorry for the inconvenience - we're going to send you replacements for the defective items". Problem solved in 5 minutes. But no. Sweet ***'s prefers to alienate a long time customer in order to play semantics and argue about "variations". No one in the food industry would consider those cookies "variations" and not defective.
  
  Finally, yes, I did say that I would go to war with Sweet Alis because companies like theirs apparently need to be forced to give good (or even half decent) customer service. I have dealt with two other companies in the past who forced me to go after them no social media, file complaints with regulatory commissions and other actions because they refused to take responsibility for their mistakes. I told Sweet ***'s that their lack of customer service and refusal to accept responsibility for defective products is unacceptable and therefore there would be consequences. This BBB complaint is one of them. That's how the world works. Customers demand quality and when companies don't provide that quality and refuse to take responsibility for obviously defective products, negative results are suffered. As far as yelling, I merely had to talk over the manager, who wasn't interested in listening to my complaint, instead parroting over and over her nonsense about "variations". Sweet ***'s can easily correct this and retain a once loyal customer by simply providing the same customer service any reputable company  has. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  Business response

  02/27/2023

  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  At some point, a company must step back and accept that there are people who will go to unreasonable and self-serving extended lengths to be heard. We stand by our original response. All of our baked goods are made by hand; there are variations to all products. He has no basis for averages he is claiming; our products go by overall weight, not the specific number of chocolate chunks (or pieces of chocolate) in a particular cookie. If a customer who has purchased from our store is dissatisfied with a product, we make it right. The store this gentleman purchased the cookies (which he could visibly see into the cellophane bag to determine if the cookies he chose to purchase were appealing to him) from makes their own decisions regarding returns/refunds.
  
  We appreciate the platform the BBB provides for consumers and companies to express their view of an experience.

  Customer response

  02/28/2023

   
  Complaint: 19412160
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  Sweet ***'s continues to demonstrate their contempt for their customers
  even more so with this latest response, calling me "unreasonable" and
  "self-serving". Apparently, "customer service" at ****************** ***'s is defined
  as not taking responsibility for their errors, insulting customers, and
  adamantly refusing to listen to common sense and reason. In a classic
  case of projection, Sweet ***'s is accusing me of what they themselves
  are in fact guilty of - being unreasonable. How is it "self serving" for
  a customer to request compensation for a defective or otherwise
  deficient product? How is it "unreasonable" for a customer to request a
  simple replacement for a defective or otherwise deficient product? It's
  obvious that the party being unreasonable here is Sweet *****, not I.
  
  As an example, I have called them previously to ask about under-weighted
  cookies and they explained to me that there is an acceptable variance
  allowable by law. One cookie may weigh 3.3 oz. while another may weigh
  3.6 oz. even though the weight listed on the product is 3.5 oz. That is
  reasonable and I accepted that as reasonable. I did not file a BBB
  complaint or demand compensation because I was being reasonable. In THIS
  case, however, we are NOT talking about a small variation. We are
  talking about a defective product. No one in the industry - indeed no
  one in their right mind - would argue that a chocolate chunk cookie that
  averages 10 chunks but has only 2 (a reduction of 80%) is a "variation"
  and not what it is - a defect. Sweet ***'s is either unable to
  comprehend this simple and obvious fact or they are in denial of
  reality. The very fact that we are debating this proves that Sweet ***'s
  is the one  being unreasonable and self-serving. Any reasonable company
  would send replacements, call it a day, and keep a lifelong customer
  happy and continuing to do business. Sweet ***'s adamantly opposes a
  good outcome.
  
  As for seeing the cookies before purchasing them, their argument is
  invalid. Certainly, had I seen the cookies I would have noticed there
  were no chunks and would not have purchased them. I call Fruitful Yield
  ahead of time and have them set 12 cookies aside for me before I go
  shopping there. The cashier brings them out in a bag, rings them up, and
  re-bags them. I have never had any reason to visually inspect the
  cookies in order to determine whether or not they contain chocolate
  chunks. They always do. Anywhere between 8 and 12, based on years of
  purchasing these cookies. I would have no reason to think that any of
  them would not have any chunks or that they'd have just 2 because that
  has never happened in the past several years of purchases. Each cookie
  has had at least 8 chunks to as many as 12 or more. Even if the average
  was on the low end (8), the cookies I purchased had a reduction of 75%
  of the normal amount of chunks. Nobody, not even Sweet ***'s, could
  possibly be stupid enough to not understand that proves the cookies were
  defective or deficient. When a product is missing 75% to 85% of an
  ingredient, that's a defect, and no intelligent person would disagree.
  
  Sweet ***'s is simply being obstinate, greedy, insulting and uncaring
  towards a life long customer. We are arguing about a complaint over $12
  worth of cookies with a customer who has spent thousands and thousands
  of dollars on various Sweet ***'s cookies over the years. Apparently
  Sweet ***'s lacks even the most basic business sense to not lose a
  customer over such a small amount. They apparently have disgust for the
  saying - "The customer is always right.". Even when presented with the
  consequences of losing a  customer who is willing to engage others to
  boycott the product and to mount a social media campaign against them,
  they refuse to provide decent customer service. It is now obvious that I
  will need to escalate this far above a mere BBB complaint, because that
  is what Sweet ***'s wants. I was hoping that Sweet ***'s would come to
  their senses but apparently they prefer to believe they are "right" over
  retaining a customer. A very strange way to run a business. And with
  that, let the escalation begin!
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

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