Chris writes:
“To: consumer_affairs@circuitcity.com
Subject: Store # 3160 – Problem at CheckoutTo whom it may concern,
I have just returned from a disappointing and offensive stint at the checkout counter this evening at the Circuit City in Albany NY. I would like to point out that I am a frequent customer, and have made several large purchases, including a HDTV and laptop, including my more frequent visits for DVDs, etc. Tonight, I stopped in for a 50 foot phone cord. I could’ve gone to the Walmart next door, but I also wanted to check out the selection of cordless phones, specifically the Uniden DECT phones.
I found my cord, at a price of $9.99, which would’ve been a bit less expensive at Walmart, but I was running late for dinner. I was pleased to find the Uniden phone I wanted, with a $10 rebate to boot. Along with this, I swept past the PC games and picked up Age of Empires. Why so much detail? Let me continue…
I went to checkout. And this is where the problems and my lengthy checkout story begins.
The young lady at check out was obviously new, but there were no other registers open. She was struggling with the customer in front of me for a few minutes, calling out across the store for assistance, using the phone to call for unanswered help, before someone finally wandered over to help.
When it was my turn, the phone cord, already price higher than I wanted to spend for standard cord, rang up at $11.99. I pointed out that it was $9.99 on the tag back in the phone section.
The check out person asked for assistance from an older gentlemen, to check the price. He went back into the phone section… and we waited. The line started to grow.
The gentlemen returned, and said he couldn’t find anything labeled $9.99 in the back, and asked me to leave the line and point it out. So, I left my place in line and went to help.
At the phone section, I pointed out the $9.99 price for 50 feet of phone cord.
“Oh, that’s for the thin cord,” he said.
I pointed out where the cord was… and where the thin cord was actually located. And, that the 100 foot cord was actually priced at $11.99.
That was also wrong. Actually, all the GE phone cord seemed to be in the wrong place in the rack. As I was running late, and no longer had time to go to Walmart next door, I decided to just buy the cord as is.
I went back to the line which had grown at the single register that was open. When I finally made it to the second spot in line, the person in front of me had issues with their checkout. So, we waited. The line behind me grew.
Eventually, a person was called over to assist the checker with the issue. Then, this new person, a presumed to be a manager, said to the line, “Next over here…” The people behind me scattered to the newly opened register. Really, this new person could have said to me, the next person in line, “Sir, you can come over here…” But, no.
The person in front of me finally completed their purchase, and it was my turn. The pricey phone cord went through. So did my phone. Then, it came time to ring in my game.
Boop.
Boop.
Boop.
The checker was trying to scan in the bar code from the top of the game case, where the plastic seal was crimped. Boop.
Meanwhile, on the front of the case was the clearly labeled price, with a bar code under it.
Boop.
She asked the new checker, who I had presumed to be a manager, for assistance.
Boop.
Boop.
Boop. Boop. Boop.
It wasn’t ringing in. Come on now, this is Age of Empires, a Microsoft game. This should be in the system.
The presumed manager attempted to enter the UPC code manually. And failed. She tried again. Failed.
Then, she called over a new person. Another manager? A real manager?
Three people were now trying to check me out. The young man this time put in the UPC code, with the letters “UPC” in front of it.
“Don’t you know how to do this?” he asked the ladies.
“No.”
Sigh. He left, and the original young lady booped in the rest of my purchases. The total came to $180.32. I handed over two $100 bills.
No, the troubles were not over.
She entered my payment into the system. The computer wanted my phone number.
“I don’t give my phone number,” I said. “Thanks”
She asked the young man for help. “He doesn’t want to give his phone number… what do I do?”
He looked at the screen – she had typed in only $100 paid. He corrected it to $200, and asked for my phone number.
“I’m paying cash – why do I need to give a phone number?” I said. The line of people behind me were agreeing with me also.
“Your purchase is over $100, so we need your phone number.” he said.
“I don’t give my phone number.” I said.
He entered a phone number into the system.
“Your name is Edgardo Diaz, is that okay?”
“Fine.” Little did I know this would come back to haunt me… and the lengthy receipt spit out of the register.
At the car, I had sneakying suspicion. Remember the Rebate offer for my phone? That’s right, apparently Edgardo Diaz from Caguas, PR (Puerto Rico?) is going to get my $10. Had I KNOWN or BEEN INFORMED that my number was needed for the rebate form, I would have given it. But, no, I was told it was because my purchase was over $100.
I think you can understand why, after arriving late to dinner, I’m still irritated by this fiasco. And, why I’m going to think twice before heading back to Circuit City for my next purchase. With Walmart next door, and Best Buy across the street, it isn’t too difficult to be swayed.
I would hope that crossing out Mr. Diaz’s info on the rebate form isn’t going to void my rebate, and my $10 comes to me. I hope you can rectify this situation, and look into the service issues at this store.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
C D (not Edgardo Diaz)
(name removed)
Purchase info:
Store # 3160, Albany NY
December 1, 2007
20:38:08
Ticket: 316002031017″
Guess that’s what happens when you fire everyone who knew what they were doing. Hey, it worked wonders for Home Depot, why not try it with home electronics?
(Photo: Larry Tomlinson)
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@kingoftheroad40:
Regarding rebates and why they don’t give the pricing off at the register – the rebate is generally offered through the retailer by the manufacturer, by giving the pricing at the register, they are cutting into their profit margins…by making you wait the 8 to 10 weeks for the $10, the manufacturer is the one supplying the check, and they won by your purchase of the item…so, as a business model, it doesn’t really make sense to cut your profit margin when the manufacturer has already agreed to absorb the loss.
Of course, I’m not saying that it’s right, or fair, but at the same time, I can see why they don’t do it.
@Whzsutton: I’m sorry, there, Mr. Circuit City Corporate Chump, but how exactly does not wishing to divulge one’s private telephone number make one guilty of “elitist consumer paranoia”??? I take umbrage over your labeling the desire to keep contact information secure as “elitist” but what really rankles me about your smug opener is that you dare to call it “paranoia”. We have the right to privacy in this country and I fail to see why any store needs to use a phone number to track or verify purchases. Given that Crate and Barrel swore to Jesus and beyond that neither my phone number or address would ever be used and yet every 10 days, a Crate and Barrel catalog finds its way into my mailbox and my voicemail spits out automated messages, I think it is perfectly sane and reasonable for consumers to refuse the request for this information.
Thanks for driving home Chris’ point about how lame Circuit City is and for illustrating just how extensively all you poor CC employees have been brainwashed into thinking consumers are but mere vassals, who should be weeping with gratitude over the chance to be abused at your stores.
As a previous Customer Service Lead and not one proud of the recent stupidity of Circuit City understand the frustration of one cashier that knows nothing about the system. I worked for years before finding out a lot of the little secret things that makes the system run smoothly.
As far as why they want your phone number for a cash purchase, what if you want to return the item? I had a customer who refused to give me his phone. We were told to make up a phone number so I did. I also told this idiot he would not be able to return the product with out the ticket. Two days later, he was screaming and yelling at me because I could not return or exchange the item. With no way to look up the number, even if you use the store number we had way to many entries to find his purchase.
They did not use the phone number for anything except marketing and sending customers coupons and notice of sales. The good thing about it was the fact that if you moved to a different location we could still look up a receipt.
Sometimes going with the flow makes things run faster. Customers with checks make cashiers pissed because it takes longer and makes more work for them not to mention is is the most unsafe way to pay. Cash is just a pain in the butt and with small amounts of change in the registers causes waits at times for change to be retrieved from the safe.
By the way, I quit my job, walked out because I was always supposed to have a cashier on duty and most of the time they called in sick or were late and I did all the register work from the customer service counter. The employees in the back o the store were supposed to ring up customers but because they had lazy bosses or broken registers they forced all customers to the front even when I didn’t have a cashier on duty.
I walked out on a day that I had no cashier, got sick and was ignored after they fired the 3,400 experienced employees. I believe the CEO is mental and needs to be replaced.
you don’t have to give your number out…even if you have a rebate for the item you can always print it off the web. I work for circuit city for 3+ years and the system do ask for phone number over 100 dollars worth of purchase if you paying with a credit card and you want to return they can look up your purchase but it might take longer but they can look it up. if you paid cash and don’t give a number and you item over 100 dollars when you come back to return your item without the receipt you are SOL!!!! I never give my real number out!!!!! and I work there!!!
but come on its such a pain in the butt to go to the best buy in crossgates where theres never any parking less then 1000ft from the door!