Vons

I drive a few extra minutes to come to this Vons, because the Vons in my neighborhood is always crazy busy and filled with people that like to block the aisle. Generally speaking, it is quieter here, except for the peak times of course.
Run of a mill grocery store.

I was an employee at this Vons from 16 September 2014 to 22 September 2015. My experience as an employee here has given me nothing but fond memories and harsh realizations. I cannot be more thankful for my coworkers, who helped make my first job manageable.
I began as a bagger, and moved up into checker. I would’ve stayed with the company if they actually moved my job class up so I could get the pay I deserved. That, and a lack of appreciation from my managers helped fuel my drive to leave the grocery store scene.
The front end is understaffed; I will admit that. In my year working there, I never understood why my management would work in outside departments instead of the front end. I never understood why they didn’t simply hire people to do their jobs instead of doing everything themselves.
People who work at grocery stores seldom work there because they want to. The benefits through the union help keep employees there long term. That’s a fact for any service job. Customers are entitled to good service, but you have to realize that many things are out of one persons control.
This store needs some work. It’s not nearly as bad as many of these reviews make it seem. I had regulars there who I wish I could see again. But I quit my job for a reason.

I have shopped at this Vons in Carmel Valley since it opened ONLY because it is the closest store to my home. Every single time I come into this store (at least 3x/​wk) it has terrible in service and I wish with all my heart I had the time to shop elsewhere. I am not exaggerating in this review and all who live here know this is the truth:
1) The deli and bakery counters are never attended and you have to wait so long to find anyone to help you.
2) You absolutely must check the expiration dates on everything as many times things are at least a week past the dates.
3) The worst thing is that the checkers will put your groceries in bags but they make you put them back in the cart! Now, if I am at Food 4 Less I am fine with this as the prices of the groceries reflect that they do not offer this service. But when you have two very small children at the store with you and a very limited time to get your shopping done this is absolutely wrong! But to further the point, we pay for this service so no matter what or who it is, this service should be done! Either the cashier needs to man up and walk around the check stand 10 steps or the manager needs to get out there and bag some food!
4) The lines are long and move so slowly at peak times!
5) Carts are not put away so you have to walk to the end of the tunnel to get one. And the hallway and carts are always full of trash, bags, etc.
6) Finally, this store is shameful in its conduct toward customers who express a concern or complaint. I will relate one example yet there are so many I have witnessed: A dad who was in front of me in line expressed a concern about a very provocative cover on a magazine (the woman was practically nude) being displayed at the height of children’s eyes in the long check out line. He asked nicely if it could be moved to a higher shelf as he did not wish his small daughter so see these types of things. I was so happy he said something because was thinking the same thing about my two small boys! The cashier who was male simply said, «That’s a corporate issue so you are talking to the wrong person.» The conversation went a lot further and the cashier got even more rude and disrespectful.
It is very apparent at this store that NO ONE likes to work there. Management and employees are against each other and like to blame the other for all problems. Isn’t it weird that people who shop there can see this so easily???
VONS Corporate needs to clean house at this location ASAP!!!

Unbelievably slow when ordering from the deli and the checkout line. I have to find another store.

I no longer come here to pick up lunch. Bugs in pre packaged salads and long wait times for deli sandwiches.
It’s been 3 different occasions where I’ve witnessed a roach, grasshopper, and mosquito trapped in the select pre packaged salads.
Staff is friendly but slow, it almost reminds me of being at the DMV… Yeah that bad :(

Hi, I am Terry, the checker that Mei Unilocaled about on 15 June 2015. Let me first explain that there was never any yelling. It is well known that when someone has a difference of opinion, the opponents infer a discussion as being yelled at, that certainly did not happen, ever!!! Here are the facts as I recall, yes, she did come thru the checkout line, and yes, it was express, as Tom, another Unilocaler had assumed. She was purchasing items, I cannot be certain how many. She was returning more than the yogurt, I only explained to her the perishable items being returned cannot be put back on the shelf, they are simply thrown away. I asked if anything was wrong with the yogurt, as it looked like it had not been opened. She said, no, they just didn’t want it. My own morale compass had an issue, in that good food was going to waste, she did receive her $ 1 back for the returned yogurt, I only felt it was quite wasteful. Yes, she is right in that I should not have voiced my opinion, I am sorry I did so. I am a smart, wise, compassionate person, and I have learned my lesson. She spoke to the manager because I directed her that way due to the fact that after her transaction was completed, she forgot to give me her coupon. I had a growing line, so I asked her to adjust her receipt at the customer service counter. Now, All perishable returns require a valid store receipt.

The cashier named «Terry» shouted at me in front of my 3 kids and other customers when I returned a yogurt. She yelled: «This can not be put back in the shelf, so, next time, just EAT IT!!!» (OMG!!) I told the manager right away and he seemed not to believed me and said, «she is always nice.» Well, if she stays long enough, you will find her real face!

The store is in a good location and the parking is great but I avoid this Vons. It’s really a shame because this used to be a nice store. Where do I start with my complaints?
Meat department:
Expired products — On numerous occasions I found meat on the shelves (cold cuts, hot dogs) that were well past the expiration date. I am led to believe the associates are aware of the issue because one evening when I was checking the dates an associate walking by and asked: «Did you find another expired one?» Um, yeah…
Incorrectly placed sale products — I am not sure if it is deliberate but it is not uncommon to find full priced or non-​sale meats (steaks, roasts, etc.) of the same cut in the bin where the advertised sale priced meats belong. I understand the store may temporarily run out of the sale cuts but full priced cuts should not be placed in the sale bins!
Produce department:
Moldy fruits (strawberries, raspberries) are common as are pre-​packaged salad bags containing rotting vegetables. Bruised/​damaged fruits are not uncommon either.
Check-​out lines:
As other reviewers have noted, it is not uncommon to find the few lines open with ~10 people in line. To make matters worse, I have seen cashiers go on breaks when the lines are long. Some cashiers apparently would rather be somewhere else as shown by their surly attitudes.
Limited selection/​Stocking issues:
This Vons appears to carry fewer items than the Vons on Valley Centre Dr. I have seen instances where a product will be out of stock for several days.

My wife and I call this store the «crappy vons» when discussing where we should get groceries. Even though this is the closest store, we go out of our way to shop elsewhere. There is almost always a 5 – 10 min wait at checkout (no self checkout either), and the perishable inventory sits around too long – check the expiration dates. Definitely the worst grocery store within 10 miles.

Until recently we lived in the area and Torrey Hills was our local VONS. How frustrating then that this store was so much smaller and had so many fewer SKU’s than the Carmel Valley store 2 miles up El Camino and right on Valley Center Dr. The staff is nice which is especially important given the lack of self-​checkouts. I also had no cell service inside (Verizon), which was frustrating, such as when I’d need to call my wife for further instructions about what to buy. They didn’t turn the merchandise a lot so we always noticed the quick sell-​by dates on the milk. Not a bad store for quick urgent need items, but not where we preferred to do our regular weekly grocery shopping.

***This is only featuring the floral department!***
First I called in to speak with associate, her name was Ana. Ana asked if she could assist me and I asked her about this item that she may or may not have had. It was the Christmas Turtle. She knew exactly what I wanted and was able to price inquiry this and let me know how much this was. I was very happy since I called 3 stores yesterday and 3 stores today.
This was the second store to answer immediately at the floral department. The other 4 stores unfortunately had long waits or would not answer. I came within the hour to pick up the 2 turtles and went happily on my way.
When I arrived at this store there were three employees: Ana, Marisa, and Elizabeth. They all greeted me with the best smiles! I really enjoyed this experience and now my mom as well as I will be enjoying our Christmas Turtle.

not really sure how to review/​rate a grocery store… but here i go.
i forgot to bring my water bottle along this day and didn’t want to drive back home.
Vons was there… got a good sale price on water… the weird thing was i had trouble finding the water.
juices and flavored water were in one aisle… mixed with other non beverage things
soda’s were in another aisle. also mixed with non beverage items
water was in a completely different aisle too! it was bizarre… why would all the beverages be consolidated into at most 2 aisles??? no clue why they are organized this way… wasted quite a bit of my time…
on the bright side… the store was clean, the staff was friendly, parking was easy, lot was well lit (it was nighttime)

I enjoy going to this Vons and have no complaints about the service and/​or store. The only complaint is the other shoppers.

I love this store. I use the pharmacy all the time. They are super busy and sometimes overloaded, but the staff is always so pleasant and in a good mood. They seem to really enjoy their job. Whenever I need help finding something they gladly come out and help me. And if the store doesn’t carry it, they order it for me.
There has been some new faces lately, so it has been slower than usual, but their attitudes are so great, I keep coming back.

God awful.
The staff — Maureen was the only nice/​down to earth cashier. Everyone else looks like they’ve been sentenced to work there. Would it kill you to smile and act friendly? Jesus Christ. I’ve literally walked away saying «Jesus Christ».
The lines — there will always be lines all 6 – 10 people deep. They rarely open the express lane. The cashiers seem to not know what they’re doing and don’t mind that the lines are ridiculous. Can we get some self-​checkouts up in here???
The food– Always out of stock on a sh*tload of things — Produce IS NOT FRESH. SO MUCH MOLD ON THE STRAWBERRIES. Meat was expired once, I had to take it back, what a waste of time. Terrible selection on everything too. I NEVER buy produce here. disgusting.
The deli — They like to take their sweet time doing everything. They also like to make the wrong things because they don’t give a f*ck. I’ve walked away several times.
What’s good here? Wine deals.
I now only come here to buy wine and sometimes pasta, and to pick up my prescriptions. The pharmacy people are usually pretty nice.
Suck it, Vons.

I have always known that the Vons Deli is VERY liberal with how long they take to make a sandwich, never did I expect this though… I came in today to grab a sandwich and eat it during my half hour break. I waited 10 minutes to actually be helped.
Finally the kid making my sandwich starts and realizes about 3 minutes into making my sandwich (took that long just to get the bread and cut it) to realize he didn’t have Buffalo Chicken. Which makes no sense because they use the chicken tenders right next to them in the meat department and drizzle buffalo sauce over it but I didn’t say anything.
Instead I opted for a Cajun Turkey and Provolone sandwich. This kid was seriously taking forever!!! So I asked if I could purchase another item at his register and he said no. I told him I’d rush to the register and pay for it while he finished my sandwich. I came back to find him helping ANOTHER CLIENT! Why couldn’t he just finish my sandwich?! I asked for a menu item so he could have just followed what is supposed to come on it rather than to stop. I wait… he finishes up and comes back to me. I asked if all the chips on the rack behind me count towards the meal deal, he says yes and gives me my sandwich. I grab it to pay and HE TELLS ME TO GO BACK TO THE REGISTER! It would’ve been nice to know I’d be buying both items instead of waiting and being delayed more!
Here’s another kicker, I ask for my drink and he motions me to the dingy corner where the soda is all set up. No Fanta or Sprite, they’re both carbonated water because they must have been out of the flavoring. I ended up with a drink I don’t even like AND NO LID. Or straw. Both of the two were too big for my cup.
I go to the register to pay, wait in another line with 3 or 4 people ahead of me. Their meal deal claims that the 6 inch sandwich, chips and a drink equals $ 5.49. The cashier who is too busy chatting it up with the bag boy, doesn’t even say hi to me and charges me extra for my chips. I ask and they dismiss it saying the sandwich was $ 5.49 and I end up paying extra. WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO BE TOLD. Not to mention she kept my receipt, probably in fear that I would complain about her. Smart idea, even though I don’t like calling out employees, I would have called her manager on her.

You wouldn’t think that this Von’s store could get worse. My previous complaint about the dairy case has never been resolved. It’s still gross. Now, they have re-​organized the store. I can only say that it seems a 10 year old designed it. It’s a joke. My next complaint is that I often see cases of unstocked COLD yogurt, sitting in the aisle for at least the 45 mins I am in store. I am sure that yogurt should not be in an aisle that long. I have mentioned it to the clerks who basically laugh and say everyones working at front, there is no one stocking. So, why wasn’t it put back to cold storage? When I asked for a supervisor today, the clerk said they all quit. The lines are getting longer and there’s never anyone than one person in the deli. This Von’s store is terrible and only getting worse!

Hey I just noticed that all the magazines at Von’s are outdated! Why is that? No one reads magazines here?

I needed to stop in for tissues because I’ve been sick… with that said… it took me 10 minutes to find the tissues. Not next to the toilet paper or paper towel… or even next to the cough medicine.
I finally found it!
As I walked around the store, I noticed that it was clean. All the shelves that I noticed were organized and stocked. Nice!
The only items that I stopped in for was the tissues. However, I have been wanting a flowering plant on my desk at work. So, I check out the floral department. Again, clean and well organized. The girl working that area approached me immediately asking if I needed assistance. I said no, just looking. As I walked around the floral department, I noticed Hyacinth on sale 3 for $ 10. Exactly what I wanted! Chi ching!!! Flowering bulb in water with roots showing within the vase. There were 3 choices of colors… white, pink, and purple. I pick 3. All purple. (One of my favorite colors.)
The express checkout line was quick. The cashier working it, was polite and speedy.
Exactly how I like it!
I give this Vons 4 stars for cleanliness, and friendly employees. However, the tissues need to be moved next to the TP/​Paper Towel. Where you have them now, does not make sense.

I’d like this place so much more if it had self-​checkout but it doesn’t. During the weekdays there always seems to be a line around lunch time when I most frequently stop in here. That’s the biggest knock against this place.
Aside from that it has ample parking, friendlier staff than at my normal Von’s store, a big selection, and typical Von’s prices.