I'm sure you've all had a similar experience. Here's mine:
My daughter needed another pair of yoga pants. I couldn't find her size in the local Children's Place so I resorted to ordering them online. I ordered her a dark navy and black pair in a size 12. When I had her try them on they were too ample so I exchanged them at one retail location for two black pairs in a size 10. The woman took my packing slip, marked off the old sku, wrote the new sku, and bid me adieu. Easy peasy.
I decided that she really didn't need two pairs at this time so yesterday I went to return the extra pair at a different retail location.
When I got in line the saleswoman was chatting up these two grandmas making a big purchase. She saw I had a return and told me she would be with me in a minute. Okay,no problem.
When she was done with them, she felt the need to tell me that as of 5-1-2012 they will no longer accept online returns in the store. Umm...it's 3-20-2012..
So she looks over the packing slip and tells me that it does not tell her how I paid so she'll have to give me store credit. This is unacceptable. I want a credit back to my card. She tells me that that is not possible because I could have paid cash!! I said, "Cash? Online?!" She then realizes how ridiculous this sounds. I point out the "MC" on the receipt. "Yes but I don't know WHICH Mastercard you used." By this time I have lost all patience and told her, "I only have ONE!"
I finally left there 10 minutes later with the credit to my Mastercard but that had to be by far the worst shopping expereince there.
Oh and she was bewildered that the other retail location did not mark the date of my exchange. Really? You're going to hold that against ME?
I contemplated complaining to Children's Place because this might have even been the manager of the store. If that's the case than that store is in trouble.
I did see online their policy effective 5-1-2012..."Purchases made online at www.childrensplace.com can be returned through the
mail or to any of our PLACE Retail Locations." She even had that wrong.
So where will you not be shopping?
Wal Mart! Hate them--hate their policies, hate their impact on America.
Remember when Wal Mart meant "Made in the USA"? Probably not, unless you're my age. It's anything BUT that now. I do everything I can to avoid that store.
And Giant Eagle is a close second!
I don't shop at Walmart or Sams. I will drive WAY out of my way to avoid one and I am willing to pay any premium whatsoever to not put money in Walmart/Sam's pockets.
Just remember, if you buy something at Walmart, it is not the same quality of the same product at any other store. You get what you pay for....
I HATE Walmart/Sams
Garden Ridge. I was seven months pregnant and had a rather large area rug to return. I was told there was no one who could help me get it in the store when I went in and asked for help. So I was trying to manhandle this rug into the cart with my two year old in tow. As I was getting it in the cart, my reciept blew away. Couldn't chase it and leave my 2 year old in the cart in a parking lot. Probably wouldn't have been able to waddle that fast anyway. Darn. Resign myself to a store credit. Not ideal, but it is what it is. When I go in they try to give me a store credit for the last sale price (which just happened to be almost $80 LESS than I paid). NOT ok. I called the credit card company. They were able to send me a copy of the register tape showing the purchase. Went back to the store and asked for a store credit OR for the full amount or for it to be refunded on my card. I had a male cashier tell me he couldn't help because it wasn't an original reciept and offered me the same store credit (for $80 less). When I asked for a manager the cashier started calling my honey and sweety. And told me not to let "My pregnant self get so worked up." Because he "didn't want to have to deliver a baby." That did not help my mood. The manager was no help either. So I made him call the district manager. I waited thirty minutes for him to show up...and he was IN the store! He shows up and tells me it's policy and he can't change policy. So I call the credit card company in front of the district manager. They explain to me that they will refute the charges for me. So if the company decides they don't want to work with me at all, I should leave and they can work with the credit card for months about the charge. After hearing that, suddenly they could work with me. But it took 45 minutes , two managers and a district manager to refund my credit card, because they had to find away around their policy. Three years later and I still haven't been back.
But in the end, you got what you wanted right?
Of course you're right, you should not have to jump through hoops to get it. That IS less then fabulous customer service.
I despise Walmart. I will gladly pay DOUBLE for the same item somewhere else.
:)
We have had horrible service more than once at restaurants. And we never go back after that.
We don't necessarily ban the chain of restaurants, just that location.
We went to a Cheddars one time. We were seated, ordered drinks and an appetizer. The drinks came quickly, appetizer took literally 30 minutes. And not once did we see our server. When the appetizer was brought to the table, by another server, we left. On the way out I stopped the manager at the front door and told him "the bill for that table (pointing to ours) is on you" and walked out.
Sorry to rant, but thats my story :)
oh for goodness sakes do you realize how annoying it is to have a customer buy something online, exchange it at one store and then make a return to another store. I'd hope to not have you as a customer.
And you are lucky cause I wouldn't have done the return...I'd have sent you back to the store you made the exchange at. And yes M'am I would not have "just made you happy" cause that would have come out of my paycheck :)
Customer service seems to be a thing of the past. When I receive poor service, I always send an email to the company headquarters. It seems to me in this economic time, companies should be a little more grateful that you choose to spend your hard earned money with them. The big dogs at headquarters are usually pretty quick to respond.
On the same lines as your question....why is it that when I purchase something using my debit card the money comes out of my account as soon as I swipe the card. When I return something, it can take up to 72 hours for the funds to be redeposited into my account. Whose account is the money in during those 3 days? The merchant, the bank? Just curious. :)
Have a blessed "HUMPDAY".
Probably any mall at night! Was traveling and made an unusual stop at the mall to pick up a couple new suits and a pair of shoes. A few doors down a jewelry store was being robbed at gunpoint and the mall had absolutely no plan for emergencies in place, the security department needs to phone each store individually!! Gunmen running around and I am still being shown shoes 45 minutes later. Ughhh!
I'd tell Children's Place corporate.
Last summer, we had a LOT going on so I ordered my sister's baby shower items online from Party City to get them on time.
I got them and found out that BIL had booked a venue that gave us plates, napkins, etc. and I only really needed plates and napkins for the cake. Their written policy online was that any item could be returned to any store, except the online only items. My items were not marked online only. I packed up everything with receipt and took it to a local store, figuring I could exchange for my DD's birthday stuff. They were still going to get my business.
It was a horrible experience! The items were not carried in all stores and basically I was told they "had no need" for that theme and didn't carry it, so I was out of luck. The sullen cashier called over the manager and they acted like they'd never done an online to store return before. I would have done better with a box of snakes.
I decided not to waste my time (and my daughter's - bless her, when I told her I couldn't get her stuff that day she said, "That's OK, Mommy.") and called the next store. They were better, but really confused at the SKU I gave them and didn't carry it, either.
I copied the statement from the website and sent corporate a firmly worded email about the experience. I got a call back. A couple of calls later, I got a return shipping label from them and a refund. They also said they would talk to the stores as the stores went against policy. Even if the store didn't carry that theme, they could take it back and return it to the warehouse. They also gave me shipping, I think, because I had such a horrible experience at the first store.
I went to The Party Company store locally and bought DD's birthday stuff. Later, I had to find a Safari hat and reluctantly went to a new Party City - and noticed that they DID carry the shower theme there. I could have screamed.
I got my money, but the service at the local store was deplorable and it was such a hassle to do a simple return. I will not be shopping there again if I can find same items elsewhere.
I also try to avoid WalMart. Now that I don't live near one, it's easier.
I'm all for trying to support our local businesses but there are a couple around here that I no longer bother going into because they have terrible customer service. I end up just waiting until I leave town to pick up what I need. I just don't get it, you would think their service would be the opposite. But I refuse to shop at places where I feel I get treated like an interruption.
Walmart because they quit carrying the one thing we bought there that was only available there. Plus, I hate the store.
Most stores now can swipe the card you paid with and verify you used that card, returning the funds to the card.
I get her point that with no proof she can't just give you money back - but it seems like she really didn't know her job.
I really dislike WalMart, but sometimes it's the place I need to go, unfortunately. I'm not sure if there are any places I completely avoid - because sometimes I really have no choice.
I have done this with a car dealership due to a problem with the service department. My family had been going to this dealership since my great grandfather. I took my mother in laws car there for an alignment and they tried getting her to get other work done to the car.
In the end it resulted in the alignment not getting done and the problem with the tires not being fixed due to them not be aligned. At the time I was in the process of doing my own car shopping. This was almost a year ago and I didnt buy my new car from there nor have I stepped foot into their shop. I also tell everyone I come across to not go there.
Our dollar store drives me crazy . . . it doesn't matter how busy it is they never seem to have more than one cashier working. Yet there are random employees wandering around the store.
Oh my, that is disappointing.
Yeah...The Children's Place's poor customer service does not give me the warm fuzzies. : /
It is Walmart for me. I go there on occasion for a few things, but rarely do most of my shopping there.
Definitely give another location a chance, don't base it off of one bad experience. My Children's Place near me is actually a great store and have always had a good shopping experience. As someone who works at corporate for a well-known specialty retailer, I can tell you some retail locations may not always be well-versed in changing policies. If you are not happy with your experience, definitely take it above and contact the District Manager or corporate, believe me some really do listen and do their best to please the customer.
So far, the only place we have decided not to go to anymore is a restaurant. And that was after multiple bad experiences over a short period of time.
I went to Big Lots about 4 or 5 years ago to get some Christmas stuff and one of the employees that worked there was SO incredibly rude that I have not been back.
L.
I wouldn't stop shopping at a store I liked over ONE bad experience.
I might get angry and/or frustrated over what you described above but I would have let it go after five minutes, I mean what's the point of staying so mad about it, you know?
I've experienced bad customer service of course but honestly most of it is pretty good and friendly.
Of course I'm talking about retail. Don't even get me started on the DMV or the post office, those are two places I WISH I never had to go to again :(
Maybe she didn't know the new policy but most stores these days have procedures for the clerks to follow. She can only do what she is told.
Before I found my current job I worked as CSR for a GPS company. People just don't understand that there is only so much I or the other CSRs can do. They are only given so much authority and many times what people are asking these associates to do can get the fired. The customer doesn't care if those employees get fired...really take that into consideration...
