Safeway

Worst customer service experience today! My husband and I went shopping yesterday and barely realized this morning that we forgot a bag (our children put away the groceries) needless to say he went back to repurchase our missing items. The checker that helped us the day before was there and recognized my husband. He told her what happened and she said she knew he left a bag and proceeds to describe some of the items. She then basically told him that since he didn’t have his receipt (which I’m sure was in that bag) it was too bad, manager said the same thing and made some other unnecessary comments. Clearly they knew that our bag had been left and exactly what was int it. An easy fix with poor customer service. I don’t know what ever happened to helping out the consumer. Super disappointed with a poor outcome. I don’t know why people love taking advantage and not just do the «right» thing.

I love this store, specifically their Floral Department! I live in Walnut Creek — and our local Safeway florist is good, but Vacaville’s is better (!), and when I need something special to give as a floral gift, this is easily my go-​to place. You can find something very lovely and not have to spend a fortune, like you would at the florist. This past weekend, Angel helped us. She is awesome! She put together nine gifts (!) for us of very lovely Christmas plants — adding special bows, and adorned with Christmas-​y picks. The flowering plants were healthy hydrangias in white with full blooms, and simply stunning on their own, but with her touches, they were over-​the-​top lovely — and the recipients were all thrilled! Go see Angel in Floral — she is wonderful — and just a nice lady to work with! I will be going back again!

I have been a customer at this store for more than twenty years. The deli service has always been slow and I have left without deli goods because I grew tired of waiting. Lately this slow service has reached a new low, no service. I have left without deli food Twice in the past week because there was nobody there! Yes, they were open. Tonight was the last straw. There was one young lady slicing something and there were no other customers. A young man vanished into the back and the young lady continued slicing as I continued to wait. I finally left. This is not a question of understaffing. It is a question of poor supervision and poor judgement in hiring. I don’t know what safeway is doing, but it isn’t working. This long time customer is about to give up and go to nugget!

I’m rating this review on basically everything, starting with the bad and ending with the good…
*Bad: (⁰⁄₅) Their sandwich station is terrible, not because their sandwiches aren’t good, but because their service sucks. Do not expect to walk in and walk out in 15 – 20 minutes (which I already think is kinda long) because the workers are so SLOW. I came in with no line thinking I scored and would be able to have enough time to sit down and enjoy my lunch, but was sadly mistaken. I ordered a turkey avocado bacon and the gentleman working slowly put on gloves and looked around his station before telling me «hold on» and walked away, five minutes later he comes back and tells me they’re all out of turkey. What… um…ok…what other meats can I substitute for? He told me I could pick whatever and I asked for the chicken, he walks away again and doesn’t come back for SEVEN MINUTES.
It’s been over 12 minutes and he hasn’t done anything for me yet, meanwhile there’s 3 people behind me now. The gentleman comes back and begins to work on my sandwich, he starts by putting avocado on my bread… brings it up to eye level to make sure the avocado is evenly spread out and continues to do this a good 4 times… seriously!!! I CAN’T EVEN. There was just so many things wrong with this situation, but I’ll end it with one other detail that peeved me off. Normally they weigh out the meat for the sandwiches so everyone gets a fair and even amount, he didn’t do that and I only ended up with 3 thin slices of chicken meat when I normally get around 6 slices. Don’t even get me started on the other sandwich worker, a female, who is just as slow but looks like she’s a speedy worker because she’s doing everything but working on your sandwich – she’s cleaning the counter between making your sandwich – I get it, you’re trying to multi task, but can you please just make my sandwich?
*Meh: (³⁄₅) Bakery. They used to have this nice lady who would always be in the bakery when I would come in and she’d write whatever you wanted on the cake but in the last 5 (?) years they must have cut her hours because it’s impossible to find anyone in this section.
(3÷5) Floral and fresh produce: Their produce isn’t the worst nor is it the best I’ve ever seen, and for the prices they charge, their produce should be better than they look. Too often have I gone to grab an avocado and it squishes in my hand! The floral/​balloon area is really nice, if you can find anyone manning the station.
*Good: (⁴⁄₅) Sushi. I normally do not buy grocery store sushi but the gentleman that works here is very professional and kind, giving me free california rolls to try and even customizing a roll for me.
Pharmacy (⁴⁄₅) The pharmacist and their technicians are really nice, obviously there’s going to be long waits but that’s for all pharmacies.
Cleanliness & cashiers (⁴⁄₅)

This is a nice safeway. Clean and minus the riff raff of vallejo. Is a long ways to go for groceries, but it’s worth it.

I’ve had so many bad experiences here I have lost count. Seems to always be under staffed or employees who can’t help because ya know «Union and all».

I started shopping here in ‘2012. Service was a lot better then. Nowadays, you bag your own groceries 90% of the time! (or the cashier helps bag the groceries for you). why? what happened to the baggers? There used to be regular baggers at this store who were very friendly & helpful. Now I make sure to bring my husband with me to help bag my groceries. crazy.
I heard this store got a new manager not long ago, and that there is supposed to be a person who «manages» the check-​out area. Where are they? Where is manager Martin Padilla? Today, the line was 8 people deep behind me. (and it’s Tuesday) Our cashier, Tomas, was at a register & there was one other cashier. Why? there wasn’t one bagger to be found. A couple weeks ago, when I asked where the baggers are, I was told 2 are out on cart duty. really? I went outside and NO ONE was collecting carts, but the carts were scattered all over the parking lot.
I am getting ready to change my grocery store to The Nugget if this continues. Except for the cashiers, the other store employees aren’t as friendly. They don’t even say «hello» or talk small talk with the customer.
A couple of months ago, my husband was in the dairy/​cheese aisle & a metal board under the case fell on his foot, causing a cut. It was bleeding. We told the cashier about it, but we didn’t make a formal report because the cut was minor. The store had a crew working on some kind of remodeling of the dairy display, and they should’ve roped off areas or made it safer for shoppers while they were working.
Where is the management in this store? Why so understaffed? Very, very disappointed.

Stoped in for some soup from the Signature Series Deli and was very surprised after two selection of one Clam chowder and my second selection of Jumbalya that both were warterded down to streatch the quantity thus compromising the quality. Absolutely NO FLAVOR! In ALL fairness they issued me a refund with no problem

I like the store but as far as its operations it’s GROSSLY understaffed. I get it it’s a business and needs to make money, however, they staff the store as if they were going broke and barely surviving.
Customer service counter is usually empty and you always have to get a cashier to call someone. When that happens some crusty employee with a bad attitude comes out. The deli dept and bakery never have enough staff.
The only dept which seems to have adequate staff is the meat and seafood. They are usually pretty helpful as well.
Please hire some people!
Thank you.

They need a half of a star! Worst groshery store ever! Saturday at 7 pm one checker 15 people in line and he’s bagging his own bags! Calls for assistance 5 time no one came… management needs a kick in the ass

Lines always so long! However! The consumer and his or her incompetence is to blame. The safeway app keeps me coming back though! The lady using her WIC to buy 16 packs of Oreos makes me want to stop paying taxes.

This Safeway is horrible with Customer Service. Probably the worst I’ve ever had to shop at. And I only shop here because it’s the closest Safeway to me and it’s open 24 hours. Particularly super early in the mornings and late at night. When I need to ask someone where to find something, I feel like most of the time, it turns into this scavenger hunt of «Find an employee!». Because nobody will offer and I’ve seen some actually hide in the Bakery while telling each other «I don’t want to be upfront!». The only time I’m greeted or employees ask me if I need help, is probably between 10am-​6pm.
For the morning shift, it’s bad when (I the customer) know everything about who you hate and your relationship problems because you’re all huddled up gossipping. It’s fine if you talk and work. But to yap yap for minutes upon minutes with empty shelves, that’s pretty horrible. Then for the talk to be so negative is even worse. Also, while shopping here recenty… I witnessed a younger employee working at Self Checkout, go out of her way to take her phone out, and take a photo of a much older employee struggling on a ladder. And laughed as she took the photo. Great elementary school mentality there! That’s ridiculous!
For the night shift, I feel like I’m not greeted by most and 1 cashier in particular, a grown adult woman, is always complaining openly and loudly about a customer she had a problem with earlier in the day, to another customer. To the point where I’m almost late for work when I have to work Grave Shift. Because talking smack about a customer is apparently more important than the line of people you haven’t helped. Also, there have been a couple of times when I’ve gone to the service counter and said that I needed assistance. Then the response I get is «I’m sorry. I’m closing now. You’ll have to come back tomorrow». Even though there are 10 – 15 minutes left before closing time. I’m not sorry, but in the Medical field when someone has to revive someone, you won’t catch them saying «I can’t help you… I want to go home early. Find someone else to revive you, or come back tomorrow!»
So 1 star for the few who greet and help, with good work ethic, who actually earn their money. –4 stars for the majority who get paid to gossip all day like it’s «Get Paid To Act Like A Middle-​Schooler Day».

Favorite place to grocery shop in Vacaville.
Open 24 hours!
Come here every Sunday to get our weekly groceries. From my experience shopping in Vacaville, you get the best quality food for the price you pay here. Winco and Walmart are cheaper I know but I dont like buying my produce and meat from there. Just don’t trust it lol. And Safeway seems to be cheaper then Lucky, Raleys, and The Nugget. Atleast for the food that I’m getting it seems that way, it may be different for other people. Make sure you have a safeway club card though!
They also have everything at Safeway. Deli, chinese food, butcher, flourist, starbucks, and a wells fargo. The produce is usually really good here too, with a lot of organic options.
The people here are always nice as well, but they do seem to be understaffed a lot. Don’t usually see more then 3 registers open, and usually only 1 – 2 baggers. It’s also funny to listen to them mumble your last name when they thank you and give you your receipt while checking out. If anyone from Safeway reads this please stop that lol, its awkward.

Safeway makes me feel good about spending my money because the cashiers take the time to thank you by name… even though they most frequently mispronounce my name, still it still counts and I appreciate the gesture.

Time to time all of us we are facing some situations when your friends or acquaintances going to visit us unexpectedly. I’ve got back home in about 2am but next day my friends should stop by. My refrigerator wasn’t stuffed by drinks and snacks and I decided to fill it immediately. The only one open grocery store in the town at that time was certainly Safeway. Yes it was stuffed by paletes with boxes and the team was working hard but all of them were friendly, attentive, and tried to advise and help me with my shopping. And another good thing, there was no line to the cashier in 2am.

Hmmmm well, it’s a safeway, not the cleanest one of some I’ve been to, but it’s nearby and good if your running out of items…

Frustrating to shop here. If I want to bag my own groceries I’ll shop @ Food4less! They never have enough baggers. When you go out to your car, there’s usually one of these idiot baggers wandering around the parking lot. I looked down the isles and observed most of the patrons bagging there own groceries. Safeway, hire more baggers!

We were visiting family on Thanksgiving and ran out to Safeway all the way across town in Vacaville as they had advertised they would be open til 6:00 pm on T-​Day. My experience is usually open until 6:00 is just that, not 5:45, or 5:59. We barely made it but were in front of the door at 5:54 only to be turned away by three Safeway employees standing guard at the door. They were not friendly and were quite curt, one in particular by the name of Mitchell.
I really have compassion for anyone that has to work or chooses to work on holidays and understand that everyone mostly would rather be somewhere else rather than work. My real complaint is that we who support these establishments count on them for honoring there schedules. We have a right to reasonable expectations from them and 6 is 6. If you want to close at 5:50 then state that you close at 5:50. Safeway of all large outfits. We actually saw 8 people at least turned away as we pulled up in the 3 mins we were there pleading to get in.
Not a very good experience and doesn’t look like we will return to this store.

–Not enough lanes open
–Not enough courtesy clerks
–Not enough deli clerks
–Not enough common items, and unwilling to get them
ENOUGH Already!

So I’m at Safeway at 7pm on a Saturday evening, and they have only TWO lines open, and both lines have at least 7 people in line. I think it took me twice as long to get through checkout as it did to shop.
If I have a pet-​peeve when shopping, it’s waiting in the checkout line. I mean, I don’t think it’s unreasonable for me to get grumpy when the line exceeds 5 carts in front of me, and there is no sign that they have anyone else available to assist with check-​out.
If it weren’t for the problems at check-​out, this would be my full-​time store. But just a couple of these experiences have now made it a «last resort» to me. Oh, and it doesn’t help that the bag-​boy is joking around about how he’s not qualified to be a checker… really now…