3 Whole Foods Complaints
Tuesday, August 9, 2005 12:35
Now that Whole Foods is celebrating 25 years in business, I can confidently bitch about them, without worrying they’ll go out of business. Because I love Whole Foods…but I love my brother too and I complain about him constantly.
We’re eating out a lot these days, our current excuse being that we don’t have an oven in our new house. Whole Foods is a terriffic place to go, especially with our 2-year old, who like shopping carts shaped like trucks. The Glendale Blvd. location has lots of seating inside, and a big patio outside. Baby loves yogurt. But the more I go, the more I’m getting let down, and it’s ticking me off!
Chinese Fun Noodle Bowl: Noodles, broth and vegetables–that’s good eatin’ right? For $6, you think they could add one more ingredient: FLAVOR. Why do I order this dish over and over, forgetting each time how completely without taste it is? I keep forgetting never to order this one again.
Fajita Burrito : See above, insert “Fajita Burrito” for “Chinese Fun Noodle Bowl”. Here’s another $6 item that could use another 6 cents worth of seasoning. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not an over-salting, sauce drowning, ketchup eater, but I do appreciate a bit of entertainment on the tongue, at least a trailer for the feature, when I’m chowing down on my “healthier fare.” Note to self: Next time I want to order the Fajita Burrito, change order for the Chinese Fun Noodle Bowl as punishment.
Double Chocloate Brownie: Sounds tempting, right? It looks good too. I brought it home for the Mrs., who needed a little chocolate, if you know what I mean. Well she didn’t want it, and it did LOOK good, but man oh man, this was the third strike that had me running for my Typing Hat (which I’m wearing now and it looks great). The whole affair was not only drier than a $2 brownie should be, it had a slightly acidic taste, which I’m willing to admit may be due to their using better chocolate than I’m used to. Not sure. Acidy. But the kicker is the BURNT SIDE of the brownie, which really should have been shaved off. I mean come on, right? I’m an amateur, but if I crisp up the edges of a brownie, I’m not going to serve them to you…
Okay Whole Foods. I’m only giving you 25 more years to get it right, then I’m finding somewhere ELSE to shop!
By Why We Type (see more of his posts).
sarah says:
August 9th, 2005 at 1:17 pm
i think the thing to remember is that much of the stuff is supposed to be “healthy” (at least most of the stuff).
that said, there are still PLENTY of other options that are still healthy and taste good too, and they don’t cost as much. i just had some of their tomato soup and a quesadilla from there, and they were okay, but required a little bit of fluffing back at home, i.e. salting, crisping in a fry pan, etc.
whole foods tomato soup, et al
Jonah says:
August 9th, 2005 at 1:37 pm
The lentil soup was equally as puzzling. After three bites, I would think that some sort of flavor would develop in my mouth, but I was wrong. No flavor, no salt, no dice.
I do like their falafel wrap though and the BBQ chicken wrap is good too. Lots of flavor in that one. The turkey albondigas soup is also a favorite, and the flavor is included at no extra charge.
Giselle says:
August 9th, 2005 at 2:42 pm
Whole Foods has lost its niche and message. The Wilshire store is overstocked with items that can be bougth at Albertson’s, like soy sauce and canned Dole pineapple. Every time I go (which is once a week, at least), the aisles and items are re-arranged. It seems that they are trying to be everthing to everybody, which is WalMart way of doing business. I do not go to Whole Foods for one-stop convinience shopping; I go there and pay exuberant prices to enjoy natural, fresh, artisan items. Cashiers need to be trained on customer service, and stock people need to be trained on merchandise. Even the sticker price does not match scanned price. Wake up Whole Foods and get back to your roots!
IvyMike says:
August 9th, 2005 at 2:46 pm
The biggest problem with the chinese noodle bowl: the broth needs salt. They probably are trying to have a “low-sodium” product to keep with their healthful image, but some soups just need to be salty.
Pauline says:
August 9th, 2005 at 3:32 pm
I would kill for a Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s within a 10 — no make that even a 50-mile radius. I love both, and I’ve made plenty complaints about both, but despite the more questionnable products found at these stores, I am so desperate to set foot into either store at this moment. (Closest TJ’s and Whole Foods to me is a 2 & 1/2 hour drive if there is no traffic.)
So I say to all of you, don’t take these stores for granted. Furthermore, don’t take for granted you can buy a nice big bottle of soy sauce at these locations. You people have no idea how far I had to drive and how much I’ve had to pay for soy sauce and a bottle of sesame oil.
VeggieGal says:
August 9th, 2005 at 3:36 pm
My biggest pet peeve is the salad/ hot bar. I went there yesterday for lunch and decided to have a little of this, a little of that, some lentils, a falafel ball, some mac-n-cheese and when I checked out it was more than $10! It was enough food for lunch, but not $10 worth. I could have gotten lunch at a real restaurant for that. Plus the falafel was gross.
sarah says:
August 9th, 2005 at 3:58 pm
LOL!
pauline - i hear you. when i lived in cincinnati, OH, i came back with a suitcase full of stuff from trips visiting my parents in l.a.!!
MaxMillion says:
August 9th, 2005 at 8:30 pm
Hmmmmmnn, I have to say, I braved their salad bar the other day and probably won’t again. Sub-par stuff all round. The thing that stuck in my memory, somewhat (I try to forget bad food experiences), was a tofu, broccoli and lemony thing that looked gloopy and — yep — tasted really gloopy. I generally restrict my fast food to the sushi counter where I can have fresh and tasty brown rice sushi, which is fantastic.
I now get a big apple barrel full of organic fruit and veg delivered every week — more than enough for two — for about $40 from Pax Organica, so I don’t even shop there as often as I used to.
Still, it is the best source for organic produce of all kinds. Trader Joes has some, but all their stuff is waaaaay too salty for my taste.
Gee, I’m glad I don’t live where you do, Pauline. That blows.
Suzy says:
August 9th, 2005 at 8:33 pm
I don’t mean to offend anyone, but I need to chime in on the Whole Foods bakery. I feel that most of their desserts taste like cardboard, but I have only had limited experiences. Their lemon tart looked amazing, as did their blueberry muffin. With both items, the texture was right but that’s about it. No flavor. Maybe i’m just trying the wrong items, and I love Whole Foods so any bakery suggestions would be much appreciated. This all being said, I must admit that my goal in eating all desserts is sugary goodness, so I understand that Whole Foods may not be my best choice.
However, i have to give a shout out to Uncle Eddies Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate chip cookies. Available at Whole Foods and Wild Oats, these little gems are amazing. Look for them in the cookie aisle in a brown bag. Tasty goodness, and semi-healthy.
Xericx says:
August 9th, 2005 at 10:00 pm
I like going there for lunch. Their sandwhich bar is great…blows QUiznos and subway way outta the water….5.99….not bad.
Cheeses are always good.
THe prepared foods are fine…sauces, chicken salad, etc….etc
Had a HORRIBLE turkey meatball sub today though. YUCK…no more stuff from the “hot bar”.
bubba says:
August 10th, 2005 at 6:22 pm
A hotbar can be a landmine. Proceed with caution. However, Whole Foods isn’t Mc-standardized to the extent that other chains are. Stores, and especially regions, operate more independently than in your typical corporate business model, especially the perishable divisions. In some stores the coffee isn’t changed out often enough. Every store has its quirks and these will change over time. It’s called character.
Susan says:
November 14th, 2005 at 6:45 am
I have been a Whole Foods customer for many, many years and over that time I have encountered lots of stuff that was unacceptable or unappealing or simply tasteless. However, instead of complaining about it online, I’ll speak to the store manager or the department manager and let them know of my dissatisfaction. Without feedback, they can’t know when something is wrong and they can’t take action to fix it. I have found the WF people more open to customer’s comments than other large chains and they will always listen and at least try to make it right.
Why We Type says:
November 15th, 2005 at 1:32 am
You make an excellent criticism Susan, and I confess that I did not approach WF with my opinions. I love WF, and shop there often, but they are not perfect, and frankly, I would feel stupid telling a store manager my opinion about the taste of their burritos.
That said, it is the function of blogs like this one, to be a place where writers who share a passion about something to express their experiences–whatever they might be. Regular readers of this site will find that almost all posts are about the positive reactions people want to share about the food they’ve enjoyed. This isn’t really a place trying to bring down any business, but rather to talk about them. It’s a community in conversation.
And for all we know, Whole Foods reads us every day!
Kathy says:
November 15th, 2005 at 3:16 pm
I have a love/hate relationship with Whole Foods - I go to the one on Wilshire in Santa Monica about once a week and spend way too much money on stuff for just one meal. That salad bar is ridiculous - I’ve gotten to where I won’t put anything “heavy” in there i.e. cucumbers, etc. Ridiculous. I get home and wonder how the hell I spent $30.00 on some salad and some milk and bread. I recently went to Ralphs (the horror) and spent $75.00 (pretty much everything was on sale) and had enough food to feed a family of four for a week (I’m single so there goes that). But alas, I still went to Whole Foods a few days later so I should stop bitching. I moved back home to Maryland for about six months and missed Trader Joes and Whole Foods so much I would drive the 2 hours so yeah, I think we are all hooked unfortunately. There are enough people shopping there and obviously we are all paying those super high prices so I doubt much will change…
Kathy says:
November 15th, 2005 at 3:19 pm
One more thing… the tuna cranberry and the broccoli crunch are my absolute “prepared” foods at WF.
Random says:
March 20th, 2006 at 12:46 am
As a WF Employee.. (I be making the bread, babeee) I have to say..
COMPLAIN!!!!!!!!!
Honestly, we really want you to complain.
If something is icky, burnt, bland, or even just mundane, then complain.
We can’t fix it, if we don’t know it’s broken..
And, while some of the employees are working at WF because they love the company and what it stands for… Some employees are just there for the paycheck.. PC employees have a tendancy to put out burnt/raw/ dried out foods, because they just don’t care..
So… If something makes you unhappy… Go to your CS desk and fill out a complaint.. That way the SL *big boss* sees it and hopefully will get it fixed..
Alisa says:
July 6th, 2006 at 9:01 pm
Never ever get the beef stew! I wonder if the recipe is universal for this horrible upchucking meal. Was not worth a penny let alone eight bucks!
Erin says:
September 21st, 2006 at 2:38 pm
Funny I was just eating a slice of beautiful but absolutely tasteless “capuccino cake” from WF. I have to agree with you guys. I love that I can get my favorite yogurts and breads there but I will never again buy anything from the bakery….
Blue says:
November 29th, 2006 at 2:58 pm
I used to work at WHole Foods and have watched the quality of the food and customer service decline drastically over the years. The prices are insane, and they are pricing out the customers who helped the store grow. I tried to buy a steak at the Santa Monica store, and the cheapest cut was $16/pound. Crazy! All the team members looked either surly and thuggish or totally stressed out. Well, with the exception of the stoned ones……It’s a shame, it used to be a great company
Scott says:
November 30th, 2006 at 3:27 pm
WF in Glendale is a nice store but way overpriced! I’ve also been to the WEHO store as well as Santa Monica and New York City. Granted they do have a nice interior and they their displays of food are nice to look at,but when it’s time to pay at the front especially for your food from the salad/hot bar, forget it because you will be paying an arm and a leg when you can get the same thing at a Pavilions for 1/2 the price. WF get back to your roots and drop your prices… lower prices = higher volume = more profit = happier shareholders. :)
Rene says:
July 13th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
I’ve tried to find the guidelines re: what to charge the customer when trimming fat from beef, as I purchased a tri-tip last week from Whole Foods in Porter Ranch. As the butcher took it from the display case, I noticed a thick slab of fat on its underside and asked the butcher if he could trim it off. Well, he weighed it first, priced it, zipped out the label, and then went over to his cutting board to do as I asked.
I ended up paying for something that I didn’t bring home with me and wouldn’t have used had I done so. The whole idea was to remove the unwanted waste. I don’t know if I would have done anything differently had I just brought it home fat intact, since I would have removed the fat myself. Maybe that’s the price I have to pay for having someone else do the job.
Still, I know that fat weighs heavily on a scale and I know that’s probably one reason why so many butchers allow - or are told to allow - such an unsightly amount. They get more bucks that way for less beef sold.
Any insight to this practice of weighing/pricing meat before trimming off the fat?
naomi says:
July 16th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
I m at Whole Foods all the time, and for the most part…I still love it.
That being said, I wonder why a store that boasts healthy lifestyle, sustainability, and seasonal produce chooses to serve 90% salty, greasy, and meat-laden dishes at the “hot bar”. The steamed veggies are usually an option - but are also dowsed is salt and butter…Why??!!
redharmony says:
July 31st, 2007 at 7:31 am
I have a few complaints about Wholefoods beginning with the fact that I recently watched in horror at Wholefoods in Thousand Oaks as a worker OPENED the glass cabinet with the fresh cookies, bagels and muffins in it and then proceeded to SPRAY the INSIDE (and outside) of the glass with WINDEX to clean the glass. The WINDEX (chemical amonia cleaner) spray was settling nicely on all of the fresh baked goods in the cabinet, (which just might explain that “acidy” taste on that brownie?). I moved in closer, just to make sure I was actually seeing what I thought I was seeing, and yes, indeed it was a Windex bottle, with that bright blue liquid and Windex label. How about going down the isle and pciking up a bottle of white vinegar for this job, and better yet, how about emptying the cabinet before you clean the glass with anything. This was done in full view of a dozen other workers and it took him 15 minutes to work his way through all of the cabinets! When I complained, I received no response.
One of my college roommates worked for Wholefoods Corporate for many years after school. She shared with me recently that John Mackey gives free rein to the individual stores as far as their pricing, and the policy is basically “charge whatever you can get”. He is not a micro-manager and each store has A LOT of autonomy. She lives in Austin and brought up the fact that our prices in CA Wholefoods stores are outrageous.
When I mentioned that they are probably so much higher because the cost of doing business in CA is more expensive than elsewhere, she said “No, that’s not it at all” and proceeded to tell me that it’s a “well known fact” at corporate headquarters that there is no ryme or reason to the prices in California outside of the fact that they are told to charge whatever they can get, and so they are gouging us and not having any other stores to compare it with, we are obviously clueless.
That said…I recently visited a Wholefoods store in Raleigh, North Carolina where I purchased a bottle of vitamins for my kids. The EXACT same bottle of vitamins at the Raleigh store - same size, same brand, same everything - was $14 DOLLARS LESS at the Wholefoods in Raleigh as compared to the Wholefoods in Thousand Oaks. Fourteen DOLLARS less!
I found food in general to be more expensive in North Carolina than in California, and Raleigh is NOT that cheap of a place to live. A $14 dollar difference is unexplainable unless you are aware that Wholefoods is raping California shoppers. Of course, what they’re doing is not illegal, but I believe it’s unethical and I expect more out of my “organic sustainable living store”. I will pay more to support small farmers and living wages for workers, but not to line John Mackey’s pockets.
All through my pregnancies I shopped at Wild Oats in Santa Monica simply because ALL of the produce was organic! I was so frustrated with Wholefoods. When I asked the store manager why I was being asked to pay premium Wholefoods prices for conventional, pesticide ridden produce, they explained that it was the “time of year”. More organic foods would be available come the spring and summer. Guess what? Never happened. Somehow, Wild Oats managaged to find organic foods all year. I wrote a letter to corporate headquarters explaining my frustration. I never even received a response. Not even a “Thank you for your comments, we appreciate hearing from our customers”.
I have found most of my organic products - organic flax seed oil, etc…more than 50% less at Trader Joe’s. I rarely shop at Wholefoods anymore, unless it’s for something specific I can’t find anywhere else.
They’ve become greedy, arrogant, and sloppy. They’ve lost me as a loyal customer for good.
I’m not spending $4 on a muffin that’s been sprayed with WINDEX! They obviously think we’re all too stupid to know the difference, or to figure it out. I hope as more people discuss and uncover the truth, that it will force them to change their ways or go out of business. The idea should be to make money while promoting healthy pesticide foods for everyone’s children, not just the elite rich so they can make more money. I pay more for organic foods to support something that I feel is important for our world and our kids, but it sickens me to know that I am doing nothing but making John Mackey and his shareholders an extra buck. What a disgrace.
sherly says:
July 31st, 2007 at 12:32 pm
they should have one in the high desert so i don’t have go all the way to Redondo Beach!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MaxMillion says:
July 31st, 2007 at 2:15 pm
Dear sherly/monica/yoli/cherel —
Write a letter directly to Whole Foods and explain there isn’t a Whole Foods within [whatever] mile radius of where you live (Victorville) and ask them to open a store.
Also send them your petition with gathered signatures.
You might get results!!!!!!!!!
andrea says:
October 22nd, 2007 at 9:55 am
I was at wild oats, bought by Whole foods and noticed that their brand of frozen spinach is MADE IN CHINA!!!. Who believes that? The controls in China are negligible, not to mention the carbon footprint of that spinach. I found frozen organic spinach made in USA@ SAFEWAY, though.
Zadi says:
October 22nd, 2007 at 12:19 pm
I am convinced that WF uses sub-standard food to prepare their prepared foods while selling us the high priced stuff. I have a stomach like a steel tank (can eat virtually anything) however have gotten sick THREE times after eating at WF. The only thing that I have eaten and not gotten sick from is the Mushroom Barley soup. As a result, I only shop there when I absolutely have to and get all I need in the main from Trader Joe’s (I don’t eat their prepared foods either), farmers market, health food co-op and supermarkets. I think it’s a complete marketing trick to have prepared food there!
frank divalleino says:
January 17th, 2008 at 12:10 am
I am an ex-employee of the wf in chapel hill, n.c. I can attest that the hot-bar is prepared by substandard procedures. Also , I became injured there, and they have chosen to ignore me. I did not resign, but they tried to have me fill out separation papers. I did not sign them. Other associates of mine were treated like dogs there, and John Mackey has never returned any of my calls. Still, others were injured and fired. Whole Foods talk a good talk, but just don’t measured up to their words. I support and shop at trader joes now. Just a mention, that during a recent mediation, Whole Foods proudly admitted that the reason that they have not compensated me is because it sends a message to their employees, to receive help, if they become injured. What are we doing to ourselves? Wake up and breathe, my brothers and sisters. Get to know your neighbors, and support fair treatment in the workplace. Frank
liz says:
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:25 pm
I have worked at Whole foods in Colorado, in the prepared foods department. I didn’t see the use of substandard procedures to put out food, every kitchen can’t be prefect but our store was always very nice and like a family. We did have a couple of incidents with people getting hurt and every time I saw it happen those people were taken care of and given time off - paid - if they had the correct insurance set up.
I’m sure each store is very different, even just within Colorado. But you can’t put each store into the same category by saying the they ALL use bad ingredients or substandard procedures just because you yourself had a bad experience.
I know our store has a beautiful prep foods dept. and good pastries, although I’ve had some foods that I personally don’t like at all. The good thing about Whole Foods is that if you complain about something, even if you spent however much money, they WILL refund your purchase with no questions asked (or you just don’t need to answer). That is their policy. As an ex employee I have returned items I didn’t like and always got a refund.
Although it is a place focusing on health and organics and natural food, the demend for non-organix food is just as high because there are specialty items at the store. The look of the store, the employee benefits, and the AMOUNT of employees tehre to help you also drive prices up. Go to a Safeway and try to get the same service, you usually won’t, and I often get nearly ran over by someone cleaning the floors who won’t make eye contact with you at Safeway.
Point is, each store differs. Each store’s employees differ, and if you have a complaint you need to tell them about it and get a refund. It’s worth it.
frustrated WFM employee says:
February 14th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
That job is like a bad coke addiction. IF you work there you knwo what I mean. It has its really good days, then the bad days when you are comming down. Favortism, unfair writeups and our “leadership” YEAH right they are as shitty as they come. It may look all nice and shiny when you come to shop, but talk to a prep food team member for about five mintues and you will understand. If your not part of the brainwashing and games, your on the shitlist.
MaxMillion says:
February 15th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
The more Trader Joe’s stocks organic produce, selling them at way lower prices than WholeFoods, the less often I shop at WholeFoods.
WF is such a rip off!
reed savage says:
August 25th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
This afternoon, I purchased this product, one of my favorite treats……however, the Falafel was dense, incredibly over-salted and, to make it more unpalatable, the tahini sauce was also extremely salty…….the aftertaste of this product still stings my tongue! I purchase all my prepared foods and groceries at Whole Foods and have few issues…except with the prepared food, which is generally saltier than i would like and sometimes…just not edible at all…..the cold foods are usually tastier than the hot foods, which are generally greasy and salty…….I do not have naive tastes in food and I think my analysis is accurate…… One can add as much salt as one likes, but it is not an easy task to “unsalt” food……when i spoke with the chef responsible for this preparation, he asked if i were “SALT SENSITIVE”……shouldn’t we all be, for our health’s sake?
Daisysniffer says:
May 21st, 2009 at 1:42 pm
For those of you in the LA area, why don’t you support the Santa Monica Co-op or other small independent stores? (Grassroots in South Pasadena - where the prepared food and deli is AMAZING! or Nature Mart in Los Feliz, etc) The prices at the co-op are so reasonable, the produce is almost always organic and they try really hard to provide truly local when possible. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. I live in Echo Park/Silverlake but will drive to the co-op on weekend mornings when traffic is mild or stop there on my way back from the beach. There are options people! Look into them! Support LOCAL stores!
Whole Foods is the biggest joke I have ever seen. I used to manage an independent natural food store in Vermont (where thankfully, no Whole Foods are allowed) and we had over 95% organic produce YEAR ROUND. There is absolutely NO REASON why Whole Foods in California (the largest supplier of organic produce in this country) can’t have more organic produce. It’s disgusting how they label things “Natural Oranges” or “Local Tomatoes” Local? Really? Then why can’t the produce worker tell me what town or farm they are from? “Natural” does not mean organic. The signs are so misleading that a lot people mistakingly assume they are purchasing organic products.
Also, as a former manager of a small natural food store, I know the wholesale cost of product and the mark-up. What Whole Foods charges is insane! Sadly, many people think that “organic or natural or eco-friendly” has to be outrageously expensive because of the prices at Whole Foods.
I’ve complained multiple times about the lack of organic produce selection and never received any responses. I also complained about how they bag produce at the check-out and now bag everything myself (which I don’t have a problem with in the first place but when I have a big order, it’s nice to have help). I have spent tons of money on overpriced organic pears, apples, mangos, peaches, nectarines, salad greens ect. only to watch them toss or roll it down the check out belt and then carelessly drop it into bags. FRUIT BRUISES people! Yes, even salad greens will bruise and wilt if you decide to place heavy jars of peanut butter or cans of black beans on top of them. It’s not the baggers fault, it’s clearly management and lack of training.
I’ve rambled on enough but I just wanted to let my fellow LA shoppers know there are MANY other choices than Whole Paycheck. Go to your local farmer’s market for fresh produce, flowers, nuts, milk or eggs. Support your local ethnic groceries for hard to find ingredients. Support your local co-op or independent natural food store for speciality items.
End of rant.
Wise Woman says:
August 29th, 2009 at 4:00 am
Seems there is a current boycott of Whole Foods. I’m not particularly political and I suppose the CEO is entitled to his honest opinion about things. HOWEVER, I can tell you ONE thing that FREAKED me out here locally is that we had Wild Oats for years.
On Tuesdays they offered discounts to college students and Senior Citizens.
When it changed to Whole Foods, that was the first thing they did away with!
Say what?
It was soooo cute. On Tuesdays, my son and his gf would go there along with the older people.
Now, it is dead on Tuesdays.
Personally, I thought it was a terrible terrible thing to do. Those groups hesitate to shop there due to restricted finances and it gave them a way to buy healthy food and something to really look forward to. To me, it seems to show poor judgment financially and lack of integrity…one should give back to their community
WhyWeType says:
September 13th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
It’s been four years since I originally wrote this post, and I am amazed how many people chime in. Clearly, folks are googling “WF” and “complaints.” Personally, my grudge list with WF reached the tipping point, and I stopped going altogether about two years ago. My wife still goes as a fast-food option when she’s got the kids in the car at dinnertime– and that’s a great option to have. I’d love to see more clean fast-food options. As for a grocery destination, I just feel like an outsider there. It’s too upscale, too expensive, too niche for me. I buy my organics at the other chain stores now.