I almost started a fight Saturday night. A no-holds-barred, you-gotta-fight-for-your-right-to-party type of fight. It was at a CVS. It was with a woman. It was over soup. In retrospect, I'm not proud of the fact. But at the time, I was taking a stand for the steaming pile of INJUSTICE I was being served. The story goes like so....
Saturday night, post-Segway tour, I decided to stop in the CVS at 8th Street and E Street NW, around the corner from our office. The time was precisely 9:15pm. (Please make a note of it...time will come in to play here soon.) My mission was to simply pick up a couple of VitaminWaters, a pack of gum, a new toothbruth, a new thing of deodorant and a Diet Coke. Sadly, they were out of VitaminWaters, but everything else on my list was in my basket.
As I headed up the aisle to the front to check out (at one of CVS's Self Check-Out Kiosks, which I am slightly addicted to), I passed a shelf FULL of Progresso Soups - with the CVS Care Card Deal signs that said "BUY 1 GET 1 FREE!" Well, that's a deal. 2 cans of Progresso Soup - which I enjoy a great deal - for the price of ONE can? I couldn't walk past without getting some. I quickly scan the flavors, settling on 6 different cans, happy that 3 of them were going to be free, and I proceeded to the front to pay.
When I finished with checking out and running my card, I looked at the total and realized that I hadn't gotten my discount. And as I finished out my transaction, I also noticed that the paper printer was EMPTY - so I never got a receipt. So I patiently waited for the young man behind the counter to finish with the next customer, told him my dilemma (no paper - no soup discount - no happy), and he called his co-worker over. She listened to my story, checked the printer, confirmed that there was, indeed, no paper in the printer (because evidently she didn't believe me when I just told her), and then said, "I'm going to have to call Ms. Elaine to figure this out." She turned around, said to the young man behind the counter, 'Tyrone. Call Ms. Elaine to the front", and then took out her phone, checked text messages and waited for Ms. Elaine to arrive. (Tyrone, elated to use the PA System, called Ms. Elaine with a great deal of decorum and flare.)
Ms. Elaine arrived, and no sooner had I explained my story (no paper - no soup discount - no happy) then Ms. Elaine piped up and said, "That soup discount doesn't take effect until tomorrow."
Stunned, I said, "Tomorrow? Then why are the signs all over the shelves tonight?"
Ms. Elaine: "Because I was putting them out for tomorrow. Just to get a jump on it. You just happened to come in RIGHT before we closed." (In my mind, 8 minutes having elapsed since I walked in, I'm thinking, "You close at 9:23pm every night?")
Me: "But the advertisments are out there NOW and your store is still open."
Ms. Elaine: "Right. But the sale doesn't start until tomorrow." (She's starting to get irriated by me now.)
Me: "Right. But if the sale doesn't start until tomorrow, then maybe you shouldn't put the signs UP until tomorrow, or atleast until you're closed, because you are misleading shoppers." (I'm starting to get irriated by her now.)
Ms. Elaine: "But we're just doing it now to make it easier tomorrow. We're almost closed anyway." (9:26pm......)
Me: "Well, since it is misleading, can't you just give me the discount on the soup?"
Ms. Elaine: (quickly) "Nope."
Me: "But why not?"
Ms. Elaine: "It's not tomorrow."
Me: (extremely exasperated) "Fine. Then take it all back."
Ms. Elaine: (equally as exasperated) "You want a refund?"
Me: "No. I WANT the discount on the soup. But I'll TAKE the refund. On all 6 cans."
Ms. Elaine: "Fine. Give me your receipt."
Me: ...
Needless to say, I was NOT a happy customer. I was pretty near fuming...and ready to rumble with Ms. Elaine. I'm almost positive I could've taken her. I finally got the receipt situation explained to her again (NO PAPER, Ms. Elaine!), and I finally got refunded for the soups. BUT....something did make me laugh in the midst of all the ridiculousness. A woman waiting in line for Tyrone, who had heard all of this, started emptying her basket out at the register as I waited for my refund, and she took 4 cans of Progresso soup out and slid them across to Tyrone and said, "I don't want these anymore."
Sadly, the next day, I was craving Progresso Chicken and Wild Rice Soup. I hope Ms. Elaine is HAPPY!
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P.S. They close at 10pm. Please make a note of it.
8 comments:
Oh my gosh I would have taken Ms. Elaine down!!! Rule number one the customer is always right...right??? Im fuming just reading this....that is called false advertisement and she was supposed to give you the discount..illegal!!!
Wrong on so many levels. And even wronger if you don't take it to the next level. The CVS website has a page with all their complaint contact info, as well as an option to email them with your complaint. Here's the link: http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/cvs/gateway/help/helpContact
Remember: if you don't take it to the next level, nothing changes.
Donna! Thanks for the info. I'm actually looking at the website now....it was COMPLETELY ridiculous. I've had a number of people tell me to take it to CVS...and even a few people have told me to send it to Progresso, too.
I'll keep you posted!
This is one of my favorite blog posts ever in the history of my reading. Stories like these are exactly why blogs should always exist! Bravo! :)
And who ever said France has poor customer service!!
Miss Elaine is a cow.
Taking it to the next level is one of my favorite things to do!!!! I once took it to the next level with Sonic. The girl took my dollar (and we all know the millions of filthy places dollar bills get stashed) And then, without washing her hands, took the cherry for my cherry limeade with her now dirty hands and stuck one in my drink and the other with the stem poking out of the lid. I think she thought it looked cute. I made her make me a new one, then I called their 1-800 # and told them I was going to call the health department. I recieved quite a few coupons for free treats compliments of Sonic headquarters. I have similar instances with arby's, Nabisco, and the bags of pre-cooked frozen chicken you can buy at Costco. I really envy you right now.
Sounds like it wasn't "easier" for Ms. Elaine to put her signs up early....RIDICULOUS, I say, RIDICULOUS!!!
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