Consumerist
This Target Coupon Is Made Of Lies
Target confiscated Nick's coupon for 10% off items left on his wedding registry after randomly deciding that the coupon was too generous.
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Posts Tagged “
Managers
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Wedding Registry
Target confiscated Nick's coupon for 10% off items left on his wedding registry after randomly deciding that the coupon was too generous.
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Target confiscated Nick's coupon for 10% off items left on his wedding registry after randomly deciding that the coupon was too generous.
More »
safety
My Wife Was Attacked In The Parking Lot And Rite Aid Won't Help!
Virginia police are unable to track down the creep who grabbed Michael's wife in a Rite Aid parking lot because Rite Aid is refusing to hand over its security tapes. Even worse, the store manager apparently knows the creepy grabber guy and is also refusing to help. Michael wrote to Rite Aid's corporate office begging them to cooperate with law enforcement. He hasn't heard back in two days. More »
verdicts
Throwing $4 Drinks At Unfriendly Starbucks Managers Is Not Misdemeanor Harassment
A Portland jury recently found Latasha Curry not guilty of misdemeanor harassment for throwing a $4 venti iced mocha at a Starbucks manager who accused her of running a free drink scam. Curry was initially offered a free drink after she complained that her iced tea was too bitter. When she tried to redeem her freebie two days later, store manager Ryan Smith decided that Curry looked suspiciously like a woman who redeemed a free drink from a different store 11 months earlier. Smith accused Curry of running some elaborate drink scam, prompting Curry to serve Smith a free venti shower. More »
customer service
Target To 80-Year-Old: Yeah, We Sold You The Wrong Watch Battery, But We Won't Take It Back
David cc'd us on a letter he recently sent to Target:
More »My mother in law, recently went to Target to get a battery installed for her watch. The watch was a common Timex model and the associate told her that she would have to buy the battery first. So she purchased that battery, and the associate attempted to install it in the watch. The battery did not fit the watch, so the associate said "sorry, we don't have the right battery" and then refused to take the battery back and refund her money. She was told they don't take back opened battery packages.
executive email carpet bomb
Home Depot's Extraordinary Service Leads To Free $800 Appliance Upgrade
Michael launched an Executive Email Carpet Bomb after Home Depot twice failed to deliver an undamaged washer and dryer. Home Depot's CEO Frank Blake quickly thanked Michael for his even-handed letter, and promised that the local store manager would make him a happy customer... More »
customer service
Circuit City Calls The Cops On Customer Who Requests A Price Match
Emmett writes: Dear Mr. Schoonover:
I would like to make you aware of an incident that occurred in your Burnsville, MN Circuit City yesterday. I read about your Unbeatable Price Guarantee on your website. I had an ad from Costco for a Magellan GPS that was significantly less than the Circuit City price. Before driving 20 miles in a snow storm, I called your Burnsville store and spoke with Tom. Tom told me that because Costco is a local retailer, I would be eligible for the Unbeatable Price Guarantee...
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For the retail managers lurking here: an analysis of data from a "US specialty retailer" shows that not reducing staff during lean times leads to an increase in profit margins. [The Times South Africa]
empathy
Burger King ejected 25 low-income residents who were waiting for the Red Cross to arrive after their Minneapolis apartment caught fire and burned to the ground. An assistant manager explained that the fire had slowed foot traffic to "virtually nothing," and that the crowd had to either wait somewhere else or deal with the police.
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Burger King: Your House Burned Down?! The Red Cross Is Coming?! Get Out!
Burger King ejected 25 low-income residents who were waiting for the Red Cross to arrive after their Minneapolis apartment caught fire and burned to the ground. An assistant manager explained that the fire had slowed foot traffic to "virtually nothing," and that the crowd had to either wait somewhere else or deal with the police.
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customer service
Steak 'N Shake Manager Denies Drive-Thru Service To Deaf Mother
A Steak 'N Shake manager refused to serve Karen Putz, a deaf mother of three, after she asked to place her order at the drive-thru window as allowed by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The manager claimed it was "policy" to force Karen to order like any other customer:"You'll have to drive around again so I can take your order through the speaker," the guy said.More »
promotions
Best Buy Refuses To Honor 2 for $25 DVD Sale
Silly Jason. He thought a Best Buy sign reading "2 for $25" meant he could buy two DVDs for $25. He obviously didn't read the part of the sign that requires customers to buy Saw IV.
Oh, that's not part of the sign? Then why did the manager of the Best Buy in Beaumont, TX refuse to honor the in-store advertisement? Read Jason's story, after the jump.
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tender letdown
CompUSA Refuses To Accept Cash
A CompUSA cashier summoned her manager and a security guard when Bud tried to pay for his purchases with cash. The promise of 40% discounts drew Bud to the Boisie, Idaho store, but he settled for a 10% discount on an iMac and several accessories.I start counting out hundred dollar bills and the clerk goes nuts! "Sir, we don't accept cash for this kind of purchase! You must use a credit card!" she says at the top of her lungs. (I see her also hit a button on the phone at the same time.)More »
careers
Experience A Retail Manager's Morning
As part of USA Today's series on retail management, the newspaper shadows a Toys R Us manager for an hour on a Saturday morning during the holiday season. It's a good opportunity to see the world of retail from the other side, including clueless customers, magically shifting inventory, and interruptions galore. Here's just the first nine minutes:More »
careers
Retail Industry Suffering From Shortage Of Managers
The retail industry needs more managers, reports USA Today—people entering the workforce don't usually consider retail a viable career path: "Students find banking, technology and other fields more promising because there's more 'growth potential, a better work/life balance and a clear career path.'" The average salary for a retail manager in the U.S. isn't too shabby—almost $84,000—but that comes with strange hours, thankless tasks, and an odd mixture of job requirements that combines being responsible for a store's success and mentoring youths, while at the same time not being able to decide what to stock or how the store's brand is managed nationally, and having to deal with employees who often have little incentive to perform well.More »
cruelty
PetSmart Employee Beats Dogs, Keeps Job
Reader Matt watched a PetSmart PetsHotel employee strike several dogs while waiting to pick up his pet. Matt immediately spoke with the store manager, who called the next day called to condemn the employee's actions as 'horribly inappropriate,' and to promise that the employee would no longer work with dogs. Ten days later, Matt received another call, this time from the District Manager...the District Manager called us back and stated that she watched the video in slow motion, and that while she could understand how we interpreted the employee's gestures to have been inappropriate, that she has concluded that the man was just playing with the animals, did not in fact strike any dogs, and was not inappropriate.Matt writes: More »
no means no
Blockbuster Manager Curses At Customer Who Refused To Sign Up For Rewards Program
A Blockbuster manager responded to reader Sarah's refusal to sign up for Blockbuster's rewards program by declaring: "Fucking customers, I'm tired of everyone not listening when they don't even know what they're talking about." Sarah had politely declined to enroll in the program several times before the outburst. More »
whistleblowers
Home Depot Fires Four Corrupt Managers After Receiving Anonymous Tip
Don't doubt the power of the unidentified tipster: Home Depot recently sacked four corrupt purchasing managers accused by a whistleblower of taking bribes. In exchange for the payoffs, the managers arranged for Home Depot to stock tiles and other flooring products from Asia. From the AP: More »
usps
Post Office Meltdown: Customer Flips Out On Video At Brooklyn Post Office
"Get the manager over here!" screams the unidentified customer to a postal employee behind a counter window. "I want the manager. We'll see how long you have your job, sweetie."More »
best buy
Best Buy: No Warranty? You Are Not A Valued Customer
A sleazy Best Buy salesman tried to scam Phil into buying a warranty. Phil was offered a "free warranty," which may exist in Narnia, but not Best Buy. When Phil's purchases were wrung up, he noticed the salesman scanning a warranty coupon with a gift card. Phil asked the salesman to scan only the gift card, not the warranty coupon.He said that if I got $100 worth of merchandise, and warrantees, I'd get a gift card that I had to use on the warrantees. I asked how the computer could ring up the gift card if the warrantees hadn't yet been purchased. That seems like an impossible paradox (and is.) I asked him to start over and just hand me the gift card instead of ringing up the warrantees. He said he couldn't because I wasn't a valued customer and could only become one by buying the warrantees.This can only end well.
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