The Great Haagen Dazs Dispute

The Great Haagen Dazs Dispute

Sometimes I tend to be my worst enemy. I do things that will ultimately cause one or more of my health maladies to act up. I am lactose intolerant, I have IBS, plus my body does not assimilate calcium, as it should so it turns to kidney stones.

Months ago, while shopping at Wal-Mart, I happened to spot some Haagen Dazs Mayan Chocolate icecream in the pint sized container. I had never tried that flavor, but it sounded so good. Real chocolate with just a touch of cinnamon, a combination to die for, or at least suffer agonizing cramps for. I watched it for several weeks, and it just wouldn't go away. Each time I went to Wal-Mart, I was drawn to the icecream aisle and there it would be staring at me, whispering my name.

I decided to logically think it through. Icecream, not good for lactose intolerant conditions; chocolate, a trigger for IBS; dairy products, calcium, not good for kidney stones.

I rushed immediately to Wal-Mart and bought a pint.

As soon as I had bought it and was in the truck, driving toward home, reason returned. This was not a wise choice. I would have taken it back right then, but I had already ripped the top off the container and was licking the icecream like a lollipop.

Not a big deal, I'll just eat a few bites everyday, not enough to stir up my little raggy body. The first pint didn't count; it was the test pint, the pint to see if I really liked that flavor. Eating the whole pint was not the end of the world; I could burn off the calories scrubbing the chocolate stains off the steering wheel, out of the upholstery, the windshield, door handle, and my clothes. All in all it had worked out pretty well.

After Hell night with the IBS, I was pretty sure I would NEVER eat chocolate or any dairy products again.

The next week I made it home without opening it the truck. I thought that was real progress. I maintained my *snicker* self-control and fell into a routine where I would sometimes indulge my cravings, and sometimes not.

Then disaster struck! As I went to purchase my daily, er, I mean weekly pint of icecream; I spied on the price sticker delete. I was dumbstruck! How could this be? It had to be a mistake. I found a salesclerk, and pointed out the sticker on the freezer shelf. She confirmed my worst fears. They were going to indeed stop carrying my favorite flavor. It was the vendor's decision, not Wal-Mart, she assured me. I borrowed her black sharpie and wrote DO NOT above the word DELETE.

I phoned the manager over frozen foods the next day and he confirmed what the clerk had told me. He had seen my note on the sticker and agreed to leave it for the vendor.

The next time I went back the sticker and the icecream, and the manager was gone. I again called the manager who agreed to talk to the vendor about the dangers of standing between a woman and her chocolate.

This of course did no good, so I decided to email Haagen Daazs. This is their response:

From: Häagen-Dazs <Haagen-Dazs@Casupport.com>
To: "tomishirttail@ com" <
Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 11:34:52 AM
Subject: RE: Your Comment/Question

March 21, 2007


Dear Ms. Roberts,


Thank you for your email indicating your disappointment with the difficulty
you experienced in trying to locate HÄAGEN-DAZS(r) Mayan Chocolate Ice
Cream. We realize that being unable to find your favorite HÄAGEN-DAZS(r)
flavor can be really frustrating!

We would like to make all our products, flavors, and package sizes available
for all our consumers at every store in the country; unfortunately, we are
constrained by the freezer space available in most grocery stores. We have
alerted our distribution center in your area that you are on the look-out
for HÄAGEN-DAZS(r) Mayan Chocolate Ice Cream at Wal-Mart on Cassville,
Missouri. Our route salesperson will make every effort to stock it, if
authorized at that store, on his next visits.

Please watch for our follow-up response to arrive shortly by U.S. Mail,
along with some coupons for future purchases and a current flavor list. We
appreciate your interest in our company and the time you have taken to
contact us.

Sincerely,
Donna Tocci
Consumer Response Representative

I am wondering about the phrase: "Our route salesperson will make every effort to stock it, if
authorized at that store, on his next visits."

Is it Wal-Mart or is it the vendor.

As I sit here, eating my Breyer's All Natural Chocolate Icecream, completely devastated, I wonder who should I email next? Wal-Mart Corporate Offices, or should I take another swipe at Haagen Dazs.