Security Malfunction

If you still doubt the power of the Internet consider the case of Marge Dooley, a 70-year-old grandmother from Milburn, N.J. who was banned for life from Whole Foods for inadvertently leaving the local store with some cheese that was caught beneath her handbag after she checked out. An overzealous security guard took grandma Marge to the back of the store where she was grilled, photographed and ultimately banned from stores in the Tri-state area. The backlash from a local Facebook group was negative and swift with some people stating they would never shop the store again because of the way a “beloved grandmother in our community” was “shaken down.” Whole Foods apologized (sort of) and the security company was fired. Given what happens in retail every day, and I’ve seen it firsthand, I really can’t blame Whole Foods entirely. However, there needs to be some common sense when it comes to security. The last thing you want is for customers to think they’re entering an armed camp. Patting down grannies is not the way to create a unique customer experience. We’ll leave that to Homeland Security.