GELSONS FOOD MARKET in Westlake Village has practiced racism and discrimination on several ocassions.
The last incident happened this week when a minority man who shopped there as a patron for the past (3) three years was told by the Assistant Manager, Paul and Senior Store Manager Frank Wheler who both asked him not to come to the store any longer to shop. Reasons: Asking management to confirm getting gravy in a complimentary cup for mash potatoes at the deli in which he received free for several months but was discontinued without reason. The patron asked question why was it discontinued. No answer was given by management. The matter was forgotten. Three evenings ago the patron did purchase several items at the deli but it was not potatoes and gravy. When the patron arrived at the counter to pay for food items the cashier called Assistant Manger, Paul for no apparent reason. As the manager started to provoke the customer/patron to move ahead of the cashier line simply because he asked the cashier an customer service question. The assistant manager went to the grocery bagger position to grab the patron's food to put into the shopping cart. As the patron asked informed the manager that he did not tell him to put his food items into the shopping cart as he had intentions to carry. That is when the argument occurred in the middle of the store. The Assistant Manager made other lame and petty remarks that the deli people saw him taking a complimentary cup of soup to taste which was not a store violation. The patron followed the assistant manager to get his name and contact number so that he make an complaint to Gelsons corporate office for abuse and discrimination. The corporate called the Westlake Village store of their version of what happened. Their story among the deli workers were that the patron abused them and made them felt uncomfortable.
As the patron expressed his discomfort in the store at that particular time. The corporate office failed to resolve the matter as the complaint was downplayed when the patron was called by the senior manager, Frank Wheler. Frank Wheler called the patron to inform him that he was not allowed to return the store to shop in the future. The patron asked him what was the specific reason the deli store employees felt abused? The senior manager failed to give an answer. It seems basically this was a personal dislike of the patron and a practice of racism - discrimination. The deli that did not appreciate the patron asking the store manager to continue getting gravy for mash potatoes for a year and questioned the management to continue to receive free complimentary servings of gravy after the service deli said it was discontinued. This market store is not organized with its rules and conditions, and lack customer service skills on how to treat its customers who shop there at least 4 times a week. Well Gelsons of Westlake it seems as though the complaint will now go on the desk for the local press, State of California DCA office and the NAACP offices respectfully. The BUCK stops here and will be spent somewhere else at a another shopping store of course.