I heard back from the customer service department shortly after 4:30 this afternoon. Two days after my initial contact. Two days. In a FedX world. Hard to believe. Here’s the text of their email:
Thank you for your email. Unfortunately, we cannot open attachments in this system, therefore, we are not sure what you are referring to. We are sorry you had difficulty with the survey and will forward your comments to the appropriate department. We will enter your name in the sweepstakes for your trouble. Thanks for shopping with us.
Sincerely,
Harris Teeter Customer Relations
Reference: #836937
No “Dear Mr. Morris”, no “Hi Gregg”, not even a “Dear Harris Teeter Customer”. Nope, no niceties from this group. No greeting whatsoever! Do they have any idea how that makes them look? How can my “neighborhood food market” be that impersonal? Now, I can understand about the mail attachment issue maybe. But I have to ask. How is it that a company can put their president in front of customers the way they did with this survey and then answer a customer inquiry the way they did here? There’s a big disconnect there someplace. The folks in marketing understand the mileage to be gained by putting the president up in front of the paying folks and having him engage. The folks in customer service are hiding behind a big brick wall. For some reason or another. On the plus side though, they entered us in the drawing. Knew that was coming didn’t you?
Your customer service department let you down here Mr. Morganthall. A not so good customer experience and they could have turned it around without a whole lot of work.
Update:I should get them a copy of Jeff Jarvis’ What Would Google Do. That might help with the disconnect.
{ 63 comments… read them below or add one }
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I just sat down to enter this Harris Teeter contest and could not get connected to http://www.HTsurvey.com …what a waste of time. I am going to think twice before shopping there. I told the manager at one of their stores that the children’s straps are broken on many of their carts posing a real hazard. They still have not fixed the straps to my best knowledge or at least taken out of commission the broken carts.
Hi KJD,
Maybe they finally realized that they had a problem with the site and took it down so that they could get it right. If so though, the least they could have done was put up a “Be Back Shortly” page. I’ve noticed that some of the carts at the stores we frequent have that same problem. And you know, it seemed like they were such a good store chain.
I was in Harris Teeter today and was I pleasantly surprised. I had not been able to shop for a while and I couldn!t believe the change. I also was going to enter the chance for groceries, but Ihaven!t been able to find the right site. My survey entry code is 9053-09220-6004. I have always been well pleased with Harris Teeter. I live in Kernersville, N. C. and the store has recently been upgraded. It was so clean when I was in there today. I am well pleased. Thanks.
Hi Mary,
It sounds like your store got an upgrade. They have been busy doing a lot of that. And the stores around us (Chapel Hill/Durham) are always clean. One of the things we like about them. The site for the survey is here Survey.
If Harris Teeter was as efficient at this website they would close up yeasterday. It seems they can not fix it, I do not know why.
Does anyone know a winner?
cannot get results to enter survey for free groceries…survey entry code number is 9038441405811,…please enter my name in this sweepstakes…thank you
Thanks Gregg for the survey link! Sounds like a lot of unhappy customers. Could be your manager. Like Mary, I live in Kernersville and I liked our store before the upgrade. Now, it’s really wonderful…like a great big Fresh Market….clean, music playing, new carts, really a nice store to shop. I also use their pharmacy and they treat you like their best friend.
02/26/09
I’m also unable to enter the web site. Customer service at the Harris Teeter’s home office leaves everything to be desired. They asked for suggestions at my local store and then just me some LAME excuses as to why they won’t carry the products I requested ( and some are National Brands !). Also their replies are not polite and their tone seems to be one of disgust that I even bothered to e-mail them.
Fortunately their are two other supermarkets in my neighborhood.
Hi Rick!
Clearly there are a number of people with the same issue we’ve had. I still haven’t heard of anyone being able to connect with that site. I agree about the “home office” service but judging by some of the comments the in store service is way better. That has been our experience as well.
Ditto here…none of my web browers will take me to the HTSurvey.com website…too bad HT can’t get this fixed despite the numerous negative commnets from loyal customers. My survey code is 9070-46250-3714…pls enter me in your contest.
I was in your store at Golden Gate Shopping Center on 3/07/09 to purchase a couple of items. I was waited on in a very friendly manner by the check-out clerk. I shop in this store quite often, it is very clean & the employees are always helpful. It is one of my favorite stores to shop in. To enter & win $1000.00 my ENTRY CODE IS : “9049-10030-3805″ M Jean Perdue 3/11/09 3:03 P.M.
I cannot get into the survery site to answer any questions – it looks like I am not the only one! What good does it do to offer the site on my receipt if there is no site available???????
Hi Camille,
As you have seen, we agree with you! And you know what? It just occurred to me how to solve it. I’m going to take the receipt back to the store we normally shop at and get one of the managers to try to access it from their PCs. If they can’t I’ll bet they can get some quick resolution. And if they can, I’ll make sure to bring along a printout of a screenshot of not being able to and ask them to explain why they can and we can’t. It’s funny, we get so used to doing things online that the other methods of contact sometimes get forgotten. That said, if HT understood how to leverage social media, all of us would have heard from them long ago. And we’d be telling people what a wonderful company they are instead of how lame they can be.
Thanks for stopping by and letting us know what you think.
Please change my name from, I believe “Oldes” or something like it, to my name. I recently earned my 3rd gift ($25 gas card) & I would like it in my own name. Thank you.
Hi Sharon,
We have no affiliation with Harris Teeter other than being customers like you. You would have to get in touch with HT to have the the changes that you’re asking about taken care of. Good luck!
Unbelievable. They want you to be a good customer and they tell you to tell them about your experience while visiting their stor and even receive $ 1000
to spend in their store. However we cannot enter the web site to do the surv
This is ridiculous and a waste of our time..
I have good experiences in your very efficient dtore in Southern Pines N.C. We shop there very often and the service is excellent. My survey entry code is8020-57030-9916. We could not do the survey as we could not enter.
Yes Gustav, a waste of our time pretty much says it all. And yet, we continue to shop their stores…
I was in your store at Burlington,NC to purchase a couple of items. I was waited on in a very friendly manner by the check-out clerk. I shop in this store quite often, it is very clean & the employees are always helpful. It is one of my favorite stores to shop in. To enter & win $1000.00 my Survey CODE IS : “8040-99360-7507″ visited on 05/03/2009 today is 05/04/2009,its been within 5 days like you asked. Thanks and hope you get this site situation worked out good luck.
Please enter me in the contest to win $1,000. My entry code is: 8250-5069-4652-7001. I do most of my shopping in the Harris Teeter store…always clean and sales people always helpful and friendly!
Please enter me in your contest. My enty code is 8310-2262-5104-6101. I shopped in the Greenville,NC store on 5-14-09
I shop all the time in HT..love it. Please enter me in your contest. My entry code is 8310-2262-5104-6101. My last visit was 5-14-09
Please enter me in your contest. My entry code is 8320-3525-9606-2201. I shop in Morehead City NC. My last shopping trips were Jun 18th and Jun 19th
Hi MaryJane,
I wish that I could enter you in the contest. As does everyone else who’s commented on this promotion of Harris Teeter’s. That’s what got all of this going. None of us have been able to do that. Hopefully someday Harris Teeter will get this straightened out. Clearly, a number of people are interested.
TRied to get into site with no success.
Survey entry code- 8230-4616-5909-2001
Hi Elizabeth,
None of us have been able to either.
What’s up with this site? Where is it? According to the receipt I have 5 days to enter. Not looking so good…already lost 1 day fooling around trying to find the website. With all the above complaints…I have to ask…do they not understand the website is non-existant???
Hi Mary Ann,
Good question.
Where is the survey? Why do they keep handing out tickets if there is NO
website that can be pulled up? 8120-3004-2000-0211
Hi Frances,
I wish I could answer that question. As you can tell from reading here, none of us have been able to.
Gregg,
Your blog was just brought to my attention; I am the director of communication and thought I could provide some assistance. To access our survey, you will need to type htsurvey into the address bar on your browser or you can click on the below link. Harris Teeter strives to provide our customers the best shopping experience possible and to do this it is very important for us to here from them. I am sorry for any confusion we may have caused and hope the information I have provided will make it easier for our customers to link to our survey and participate.
Please click here to be automatically linked to the HTsurvey.
Thank you for replying Jennifer. I’m sure the folks will appreciate knowing that someone from HT is “listening”. For what this is worth, I doesn’t appear that the problem lies in accessing the site, i.e., the web address. It’s what happens after you get there. Some of us were able to enter codes and then were unceremoniously dumped (we were within the 5 days) and some just couldn’t enter codes.
Thank you for clarifying the issue. If anyone is having a problem entering codes click here to send a comment to our Customer Relations department. Please note it may take up to 48 hours to resolve the situation.
In addition, I have updated the link to the HTSurvey website. Please feel free to contact me directly should you have any additional questions or concerns.
Thank you again Jennifer!
Still unable to enter your survey site. Please enter me again. My survey entry code is:
8120-6385-2186-0211
Same trouble with the site.Entry code is 7370-5388-4487-9100.
I’m forwarding these to Jennifer as they come in folks. Clearly, something is still not right.
Thank you again for your interest in taking our survey and apologies for any difficulties you have experienced. Please note that the survey must be taken within 5 days of when the receipt that accompanied the invitation printed. If you are having problems accessing the survey online, please describe where you are encountering the problem and any specific error messages you are receiving and send this information along with the invitation code to our Customer Relations department by clicking Contact Us.
today 8/1/09 was my first visit to Harris Teeter’s and I must say it was the most enjoyable shopping I have done in a long time I wasm amazed at all the specials they had I saved $72.00 by using the vic card they gave me and I did not have any coupons so my husband and I were thrilled about that. Iam going back and get some more of the great steaks and chicken legs and put in my freezer I know one thing Harris Teeters will be the store that i shop at from now on I have another well known store like 6 min. from my house but I will drive the extra miles to go to Harris Teeters . Thank You
I could not find the survey to enter for free groceries. Please enter me for a chance to win free groceries. My survey entry code is 7430-2187-4746-8311. Thanks!
Received Entry code for Survey Entry Code today after shopping at Harris Teeter, (Aug 5, 2009) . Could not access to do survey. The only site that I could get was the rules. There it stated that the contest ended Aug. 5. Why are you still giving the invitation if the contest has ended? The entry code that I received was 7310-1308-2277-8111.
Hi Jerry,
Wish that I could answer that one for you. We are just a few folks who have had similar survey problems. Jennifer Thompson from Harris Teeter has posted a link to their customer service in a comment that you’ll find 6 or 7 down from this one. Thanks for stopping by!
I read some of the different comments,…I was surprised by some of the negative messages. I have always had only a pleasant experience when shopping at the Harris Teeter. The store itself,…the employees,…the food,…what’s not to like ? Here is my Survey entry code: 8180-2595-0314-5032
I tired to get in to register to win the $1,000 in free groceries. I couldn’t register and then I called the 1-877 number and it told me I had already visited the site. Yes, I did visit the site, but had no success in registering. My survey entry code is 7470-2800-0062-5201.
Hi Ellen,
I wish I could tell you I was surprised. As a good a job as they seem to do in the stores, they clearly have a long way to go with this sort of thing.
I was in harris teeter today came home to do the survey and could not get through the code is 7290-4539–2170-4221 don’t know why this won’t do the survey all the othe surveys I do goes through it would be nice to win something
Find comments but no entry form.
Survey entry code is 7460 3524 5951 0001 visit date: 10/21/09
Hi Marvin,
The entry form can be found at Harris teeter’s site, http://www.HTSurvey.com.
I have shopped Harris Teeter since 1970. I have always had a good experience until the last few months. I always have to ask for rainchecks for items on sale even if it is the first day of the sale and early in the day. The items seem to always be there the next week when they are not on sale anymore.
Hi Annie,
We’ve shopped with them just a few more years than you. Took a break for moves to other cities though. It sounds as if you’ve got a “store” problem. We see some of what you describe but not a lot. Have you asked the store manager about the problem?
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