On April 2, I stopped at a 7-Eleven store in Dallas, Texas, to buy a quick soft drink. Seven-11 is used by many travelers on the road for a quick bite, drink, or toothpaste. While I was waiting, I noticed two customers arguing in the store. I couldn’t clearly understand the issue, but they blocked the door.
I walked back to the other side of the store and saw a small axe that one of the guys was holding behind his back. I quietly approached the only clerk working. He looked a little scared and asked me to call 911 since his phone was not working. He was the only person working there at that time. He indicated to me that his phone was down.
While watching the two guys arguing, I quietly used my earpiece, called 911, and got an operator who asked me many questions. I didn’t want to cause attention, so I softly spoke to the 911 officer. She kept asking me questions about their height, dress, and skin color, but never about my location. No attempt was made to send a police officer to assist.
Luckily, after 5 minutes, one of the guys left, but the man with the axe stayed. He was talking loudly to himself and finally left the store as well. I heard him yelling at the other guy who had already walked on the other side of the parking lot. He finally got on a bicycle, and I related this to the police dispatcher. She said thank you and wished me a good day, disconnecting me.
I went back to the store worker and asked about his phone. He told me it had been broken for a long time, and his personal mobile phone was out of battery. Apparently, he had asked for a new phone, but no action has been taken so far. The store clerk was very thankful for helping out. He didn’t even charge me for the soda.
The next day, I contacted 7-ELEVEN customer service on the only number they list: 800-255-0711. I was given a case number. On April 15, I received an AI email telling me a regional manager would contact me.
I also heard from the local manager:
My name is Eric Hale, and I am the area Leader for the store on Fitzhugh in Dallas.
First, I would like to apologize for the incident that occurred while you were in the store.
I want to thank you for calling 911 and for bringing this to our attention.
All stores should have a working phone and a panic button. When I visit the store this week, I will follow up with the franchisee. Again, THANK YOU for bringing this to our attention. Best regards, Eric Hale.
This email was received on April 15, two weeks after the incident.
Another 10 days after the letter, the phone in the store was still not working, and according to two different clerks at two other visits, they don’t have a panic button either.
I wrote to media relations on April 25 but did not receive a response. When I called the customer service number again on April 28, I was told the case was still open and that he had no new information.
I was given a direct line to the media relations phone number: 972-828-701. Unfortunately, this is another non-working number in the 7-ELEVEN system. I checked with the store again today, and no changes.
The conclusion can only warn customers to be alert when visiting a 7-ELEVEN store. I think the advice to staff members is to buy good life insurance before working for this company.
To the bad guys, I wanted to say: This situation experienced in ONE store may not be typical for all 88,000+ 7-ELEVEN establishments.
