crappy customer service gets you no where fast... and especially chaps my hide aside from that!
Long ago I realized that our local christian bookstore costs arms and legs above any other outlet for such goods. However, out of pure principal and support of the local business. I continued to shop there on occasions of such purchases.
Since then, their musical selection has deteriorated to next to nothing... and prices have only increased in comparison. Alas, I still considered the establishment in my recent searching for christmas music. In my visit, the only apparent employee at the time chose to be ever so helpful to a telephone customer the entire time I was there perusing the *sarcastic tone* vast cd sector. Once I was ready for a purchase, I asked if they had TobyMac's Christmas cd. I was informed, "If we have it, it's out there!"
No offering of helping me find it (then again, I'm pretty sure I would've been capable, none the less...) no computer stock check, no "I can order it for you", nothing aiding me in spending money in this store whatsoever.
After spending my $17.98 on a cd, I promptly went to Wal*Mart [where I was found relentlessly searching through the non-sorted stacks of christmas music, asked what I was looking for, and joined by this same store worker in said pursuit!] and found one of the cds I had contemplated but passed on at the aforementioned pit. I then proceeded home, plopped myself in front of the net, and continued the search... only to find that I could by my newly acquired cd elsewhere at $12.99 [even including the $3.50 shipping & handling I'm still ahead, and I don't have to put up with crabby service hags] I immediately decided to return the cd un-opened, un-scathed, and obviously re-sellable (if they can pawn it off on other unsuspecting suckers who continue to shop there!)
Today I braved the droves of post-Turkey Day shoppers to finish this simple errand/task of returning the cd. Come to find out they have a "no return" policy, they can only offer me in-store credit. I put on my best "I'm trying my dangedest to bite my tongue, but I'm gonna go slightly ballistic on you" look, and calmly said, "I'm going to have a bit of an issue with that!"
"Did someone tell you you could return it?"
"No. But if I had any sort of clue..."
Finally they agreed to check with their boss. After a phone call [I was not privy to] I was informed I could return it for cash, their computer isn't set up to do refunds. I was extremely gracious and thankful, and assured them that I would never expect such exception again... now fully informed.
What set me off was that as the lady [who shall remain nameless, since my issue is with how she handled me as a customer... not as a former church-family member] handed me my money, she had the audacity to inform me that the "hag" who had sold me the cd said she had told me of the policy. I gently noted, "I know she didn't say anything, she was on the phone the entire time I was in here"
She responded, "Well, I'm not going to call her a liar!"
No, you certainly aren't...you'll merely place that brunt on a [never again] paying customer.
