Write Us!
We welcome your comments and give each one attention and serious consideration. Send them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or fill out a Customer Comment form in the Owner Resources area. Each month a small selection is printed in the Reader; publication does not necessarily indicate an endorsement of views stated in a customer’s original comment. Many more comments can be found in the commons or in the binder near Customer Service. Thank you!
Exceptional Meat
Q: Hello! Just wanted to give kudos to the really nice worker that mans the meat case at Willy East and that the ground beef sold there is exceptional! Not something that I would really notice but my spaghetti sauce has been 10/10 the past few times I've used it!
A: I want to start off by saying thank you for your comment. I also would like to encourage you to continue to give us feedback, so we as an organization and as a department can continue to provide you and our owners with the best quality and selection of products. I will share my team that you really enjoyed our ground beef, and thank you once again for your feedback. Have a great week! -Angelo Vieira, Meat Manager—East
Rock Stars
Q: Hey willy west I recently was looking for a product and couldn’t confirm online if you stocked Agar Agar powder. So I went old school and called into Willy West. First of all the phone was answered by an awesome caring human on the first ring. It sent shivers down my spine and I panicked that I was wasting someone's time and energy for something so silly. Not only was the person kind but they went out into the aisle to search and confirm current availability and then communicated clearly to me. What the heck? I never caught her name but when I tried to thank her for her time she thanked me for being a co-op member. Thank you rockstars.
A: I wanted to reach out personally and sincerely thank you for the kind words you had in regards to your experience over the phone recently. It is always refreshing and heartening to hear positive feedback on a job well done. And I agree with you... rockstars, indeed! Take care, Jonathan Hopp, Front End Manager—West
Double Dollars
Q: The Double Dollars donation system at Willy Street East is great! Hanging them on the back of the checkout video screens makes the cards easily accessible by both the customer and the checker. The Double Dollars system at West is physically trickier to manage, due to its placement at the lead end of the checkout lanes and its use of coily-type key rings. Please consider changing the West system to match the Willy East style arrangement. Thanks!
A: I can speak to the Front End manager and see if there is interest in changing the cards but also they aren't necessary to make a Double Dollars donation. You can just say to the cashier how much you'd like to give. Thanks! -Eric Wehrheim, Brand Coordinator
UPC Codes
Q: How to look up UPC codes for bulk products?
A: Thanks for your question! There are a few ways to do this currently:
- Type nine zeros then the four-digit PLU into our E-commerce website search bar! Because the E-commerce platform is based on Willy North's product offerings, any bulk item not carried there may not show up. Note: our E-commerce platform is currently not supported on mobile devices.
- Call any of our stores and ask (608-251-6776 for Willy East; 608-284-7800 for Willy West; 608-471-4422 for Willy North.
- Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and ask.
We are researching a new E-commerce platform and I will be asking that this functionality be added to that site. If it can't be added there, then we will work on adding it to our main website.
Have a nice weekend! -Brendon Smith, Communications Director
Tofu Cuban Sandwich
Q: Just putting a plea, my favorite sandwich, and Madison is your Tofu Cuban. I really miss it. I call checking if they are making sandwiches all the time and they aren’t. Please bring this back sometime—even only some days a week would be great. I miss it, so does my wife, just a different sandwich. Thanks!
A: Thank you for the suggestion. We have been thinking about adding some different sandwiches to our premade hot sandwich selections and this would be a good one to have available. I'll add it to the list and we will try it out in our Hot Merchandiser really soon. Thanks so much for taking the time to write! Gratefully, Bob Smith, Deli Manager—East
Customer Service
Q: Justin at Willy East is great at customer service: he kindly looked into and demystified a wine issue I had long wondered over, and if I remember right, months back, it was Justin who went out of his way to track down a product for me on the spot by calling North and having it reserved (which is nice because I live a good ways away from Madison). He's been very helpful, is friendly, kind, and an excellent listener!
A: Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback about the service you received from Justin in the grocery department! I've shared your message with Justin and his manager and I'm sure they will also appreciate your kind words.
I hope you continue to have a positive experience at our store and please don't hesitate to reach out if there is something that we can do better as well! Thanks, Kristin Esselstrom, Store Director—East
Tincture Service
Q: Providing made-to-order tincture service! You have all the herbs for it! 100-proof alcohol and herb in question probably need a bit of research but.... some effects are only obtained when extracted via tincture... Making the service really helpful, even for an up charge for extra work and time and storage/alcohol. Usually it'd be herb recommended ratio to alcohol, stored overnight or 24 hours. Thanks for your time!
A: Thanks for writing us a customer comment. The idea of offering made-to-order tinctures does sound like a lovely idea. However, it is a complex process for which we do not have the space, the equipment, or the experience/knowledge to offer such a service. We do offer a wide selection of single herbs or blends in tincture form from Herb Pharm and Four Elements, both of which are trusted brands that know how to properly extract herbs. Please take a look at what we have to offer next time you're shopping in our store! Be well, Sara Berg, General Merchandise Category Manager
In-Stock Item Search
Q: I used to be able to search to see if a certain item is in stock. That link appears to no longer exist. Is there some way that I can search on the computer for an item in the store? I am not well enough to go to the store. I make a shopping list for my son and daughter to shop for me. Thanks.
A: Thanks for your question! I think you may be referring to our online store that had been in a different place on our website. Our current E-commerce website is at https://shop.willystreet.coop. (The site is currently only accessible by desktop and laptop computers, not mobile devices or tablets, unfortunately.) Our E-commerce service runs out of Willy North because it has the largest variety of products, so the products listed there may not be available at Willy West or Willy East. I should also mention that most, but not all, products are on that site—it doesn't have our full selection of prepared foods, flowers, magazines, calendars, etc. Does that help answer your question or not so much? -Brendon Smith, Marketing & Communications Director
Monkey Muffins
Q: Hello! Pre-pandemic, the gluten free monkey muffin was one of my all-time favorite treats at the co-op. I haven’t seen it these past couple years and still have not gotten over missing it. Is it ever available in any of the stores now? If not, any chance you would consider bringing it back? Also I know you don’t have plans to do this, but another comment is that I miss the bulk tea section at Willy East. Maybe try bringing back a few of the more popular teas and herbs to see how it goes, if you don’t have space and financial benefits for bringing them all back? Thank you!
A: Thanks for sending us a customer comment regarding the product requests. I have some good news... our Prepared Foods Category Manager and our Production Kitchen Director have been talking about bringing back the Monkey Muffins MWOG (made without gluten)! We don't have an exact date yet, but it will be sometime in the near future.
Unfortunately, I cannot say I also have good news about the bulk tea and herbs... We do not have plans to bring those back. Our sales have been really strong for the pre-packaged loose leaf tea and herbs, so we plan on sticking with these.
This is not the only reason why we decided not to bring back bulk tea and herbs:
• Maintaining the bulk tea and herbs was very labor intensive
• We experienced a high amount of loss: spilled product on the counter or floor or the entire jar would be dropped on the floor
• Product left at the register with cashier because it was more expensive than someone expected.
Luckily, almost all of the Rishi teas and the bestselling herbs are available in smaller portions, typically 4 oz, for anyone looking to purchase a smaller amount. Please check out our selection next time you're shopping in our store! Thanks again for sending us a customer comment. -Sara Berg, General Merchandise Category Manager
Seafood Selection
Q: Bring back the old seafood vendor, your seafood sucks now! Very disappointed in both the selection as well as the quality for seafood. We used to have the Co-op as our place to go for this and now we come way less often. You are losing money on these sales and associated sales with a stop.
A: Thank you for your recent customer comment submitted to Willy East. We have operated the seafood counters at both Willy East and Willy West since January of 2021, and have operated the seafood counter at Willy North since the store's opening in the summer of 2016. While we appreciated and partnered well for years with the Seafood Center, it was no longer financially viable for either partner to continue to operate in the same way, and was mutually agreed upon to part ways. Since the transition, we have worked diligently to source seafood of the highest quality and sustainability, and to also make sure we are providing the products that our customers are looking for. Our seafood counters accept special orders should there be anything specific you are looking for on the day of your shopping trip. Please let me know if there is anything else I can help you with, and have a great day. Best, Nick Heitman, Category Manager: Meat, Seafood, Beer, Wine & Spirits
Blocked Car
Q: I wish I knew what has happened with my fellow customers care and concern for others. Twice in 2 weeks, my car has been blocked in by cars parked next to me while shopping. The first time, I could not get into the driver's side (and I'm much too old to crawl over the center console and slide in under the steering wheel. Despite the manager placing a call on the intercom, I had to wait over 30 minutes for the owner to return to their car. Today, while I could get into the car on the driver's side, the car next to me parked at such an angle that I could not open my rear door to load groceries. I was able to do so from the passenger side, but that doesn't work so well to unload in my garage next to a pillar. I'm used to tight parking spaces. I drive a smaller vehicle. Everyone who shops at West is used to smaller spaces. I just wish we'd elevate our level of kindness and concern back in the decent zone. Thanks to the staff for their help and concern. May their attitude infect the current shoppers.
A: Thanks for reaching out and letting us know about your experience in our parking lot. I am glad to hear that our staff handled the situation well! I am sorry you had to wait a very extended period of time to be able to continue your day! I do encourage all who shop us and other establishments to consider their parking habits and recognize appropriate space clearance so others can be about their day with ease. Thanks for writing in. In cooperation, Kristina Kuhaupt, Customer Experience Manager