Hard to reach - Giant Tigers poor communications model

My mother is 64 years old, can barely walk and has no mode of transportation.
With this in mind, my mother will often call a store in advance to see if a particular item is available or in stock. Recently this now common place occurrence caused a bit of a stir in our home.
My mother has wanted a crock pot for about as long as I can remember, and low and behold Giant Tiger recently had them on sale. My mother, the savvy phone shopper, attempted to call the store to ask if they still had any in stock and would they please hold one for her until she could arrange a pick up.
But it was not that simple this time, for you see, Giant Tiger doesn't list their phone number in the telephone book. More over they don't even list it on their contact or store locator pages of their website.
When I heard this the first thing I thought was "where is the 'public' relations in that"?
It seem almost, dare I say stupid, for a company that is upheld by and caters to the public to place a barrier like that between them.
Needless to say this didn't go over well, and a neighbour of ours actually drove into town and had some stern words for the management of the Kingston store.
This resulted in another gaffe on the retail giants part.
In an effort to appease my neighbour, the store took my mothers name and number, promising to not only call and take my mothers order over the phone, but to deliver it to her.
It seems to me Giant Tiger has some giant issues with the way they relate to their customers that needs addressing.

til next time,

b.sweet

p.s. My mother finally got a call and will be receiving her crock pot by delivery tomorrow. As well my neighbour was told to come in to the store, and upon arrival, was presented with a $10 gift certificate for not only her but one for my mother as well.
It seems the company is undergoing some changes in the way they relate to the public through their website, and phone numbers are being set-up as well.
Glad to see this company hasn't forgotten who their target audience is or how to connect with them.