I Don't Get Stores Sometimes...

[monkeybug]

But you were wrong.

Well the whole point of "the customer is always right" isn't that you side with the customer when they are actually right, and not when they are wrong. It's that you side with the customer when they are wrong (with in reason) because a happy customer means more money in your pocket.
It's been 6 years since I left my job, but when I worked in grocery that was still very much the golden rule!

 

[allison443]

I don't understand why you're upset? You weren't right. And no way would I drive to another store to save .42.

I agree! Also, it was a completely different name brand that was actually on sale and not just a different version/size of Bush's beans? Didn't it say the brand name on the "sale price" sign?

 

[maxiesmom]

Well the whole point of "the customer is always right" isn't that you side with the customer when they are actually right, and not when they are wrong. It's that you side with the customer when they are wrong (with in reason) because a happy customer means more money in your pocket.
It's been 6 years since I left my job, but when I worked in grocery that was still very much the golden rule!

Unfortunately a lot of today's consumers are all about scamming and manipulating things to their advantage. Sure, today you give them a can of beans for 40 cents off. Tomorrow they come back and "misread" with a pair of sneakers for $4. The next day it is a tv for $40. Too many people seem to think all that matters is what they can get away with doing, and the people who make honest mistakes pay for it by being treated with disbelief.

I am not saying AT ALL that this was what the OP was doing. Just to clarify that.

 

[MinnieMe87]

ugh this is SO annoying..coming from a cashiers stand point there is nothing more obnoxious than a person who couldn't be bothered to check the sign and then expect the price to be changed. Im sorry but if every customer wanted a discount the store would go out of business. I do agree it was poor service that the manager didn't bring the other brand to you for the option to purchase the sale item.

It would also annoy the crap out of me when I was a cashier! I realize people make mistakes and look at signs wrong, because I've done it too. It's the people who argue with you even after it was checked that really grated my nerves.

The store I worked at had a policy that if someone said it was one price, and it rang up wrong they got the item for free. I believe they changed it though, because they had tons of people abusing that. I would never have expected to get the item for the cheaper price if I had been the one to look at the sign wrong.

 

[Mickey's Minion]

Well the whole point of "the customer is always right" isn't that you side with the customer when they are actually right, and not when they are wrong. It's that you side with the customer when they are wrong (with in reason) because a happy customer means more money in your pocket.
It's been 6 years since I left my job, but when I worked in grocery that was still very much the golden rule!

6 years is a long time.

In today's economy, margins are much tighter. And there are way too many scammers, as mentioned above.

The OP was wrong. She should not expect a "freebie" due to her not reading the signs correctly.

And she should not have tied up the cashier for a lousy 42 cents.

 

[monkeybug]

Unfortunately a lot of today's consumers are all about scamming and manipulating things to their advantage. Sure, today you give them a can of beans for 40 cents off. Tomorrow they come back and "misread" with a pair of sneakers for $4. The next day it is a tv for $40. Too many people seem to think all that matters is what they can get away with doing, and the people who make honest mistakes pay for it by being treated with disbelief.

This is why (well one of the reasons) my store always had a customer sign a slip (and a manager) when they were given free merchandise (or a substantial discount). We could track customers who were repeat offenders. Though I will say that 9 times out of 10 we honored even our repeat offenders.
The truth is that if some miserly customer comes in and buys $32 worth of grocery's, and then talks me into giving them $5 off I still made a profit, and if she is happy with the store, and comes back to swindle us every week, that's better than if she went down the street to swindle Safeway and they got my share of the profit.
In my experience most people don't want to waste their time nickle and dimeing a store, and for every "mistake" that was in favor of the customer, there was one that ended in the stores favor too.
I think the problem is that stores get greedy, and lose track of the values they were founded on. I know that is what has happened now with the company I used to work for (Albertsons).
Walmart used to be all about excellent customer service when it was started, now it's about the biggest profit margin, and has the worst customer service I've ever encountered!

 

[Mrsduck101]

When I worked for Meijer (several years ago) if the price difference was less than $1 the cashier was allowed to just adjust the price. Anything more than a $1 needed approval. I know all the cashiers kept a sale ad at their register because it was pretty normal for things to ring up wrong or to have to use the ad to point out to a customer that the sale item was a different brand/size/flavor.

 

[monkeybug]

6 years is a long time.

In today's economy, margins are much tighter. And there are way too many scammers, as mentioned above.

The OP was wrong. She should not expect a "freebie" due to her not reading the signs correctly.

And she should not have tied up the cashier for a lousy 42 cents.

In today's economy there are also companies with a "the customer is always right" foundation that are still thriving while their competition flounders.
Costco comes to mind.
Target as well

 

[Magic Mom]

So I was at Meijer ("superstore" for those who are unfamiliar) today. I had many items on my list, one of them being cans of chili beans. There were many, many, many different brands of chili beans on sale. I selected Busch's brand beans because I "thought" they were on sale for $0.98.

When I got to the register, they rang up $1.19. I told the cashier I was fairly certain they were $0.98. A manager was close by, so the cashier called the man over. I explained the situation, and he said he would check the price. Five minutes later, after he WALKED all the way back to the bean aisle, he told me that ANOTHER brand, right next to the Busch's beans were $0.89, and it was confusing, but that they were $1.19. I told him I didn't want them, bought the rest of my things and left.

I ended up at Walmart where I bought the exact same beans for $0.89.

I just find it ridiculous that Meijer missed out on $1.96 and instead got $0 over $0.42! So much for the old mantra, "The customer is always right"!

But you weren't right, so why would they let you pay the lower price for your mistake? If they did that for everyone it would cost the store a lot of money.

 

[monkeybug]

double post

 

[Magic Mom]

The next day it is a tv for $40. Too many people seem to think all that matters is what they can get away with doing, and the people who make honest mistakes pay for it by being treated with disbelief.

Exactly. Even here I've see people talk about ways to beat "the system" at Disney (I don't think most dissers would do that.) For the OP it was only .40 cents, but it was the stores .40 cents. If they would have given it to you, that's great, but they din't have to, so you can't expect it.

 

[maxiesmom]

In today's economy there are also companies with a "the customer is always right" foundation that are still thriving while their competition flounders.
Costco comes to mind.
Target as well

Our Target does not have that motto. And as a company their return policy is one of the worst ones out there! So great, they mark it down a few pennies for you. But if something goes wrong with that item and it is more than 2 months out, or you have lost your receipt, good luck! They won't even exchange the item for you.

The customer is always right doesn't work when the customer is out to defraud you. And that is today's reality!

 

[Squirlz]

I've done that before and my feeling was embarrassment.

 

[monkeybug]

Our Target does not have that motto. And as a company their return policy is one of the worst ones out there! So great, they mark it down a few pennies for you. But if something goes wrong with that item and it is more than 2 months out, or you have lost your receipt, good luck! They won't even exchange the item for you.

The customer is always right doesn't work when the customer is out to defraud you. And that is today's reality!

Tell that to Costco.
They allow anyone to return anything, no questions asked. They are based on very, very "old school" policies and do quite well.

I've never had a problem returning things to Target. I just returned an Iphone case last week.
I returned a tricycle with no receipt that was purchased online and out of state, and while I did have to talk to a few managers, they ended up taking it.
And as a company culture they do have a customer friendly attitude (but obviously individual stores can have issues others don't)

 

[maxiesmom]

Tell that to Costco.
They allow anyone to return anything, no questions asked. They are based on very, very "old school" policies and do quite well.

I've never had a problem returning things to Target. I just returned an Iphone case last week.
I returned a tricycle with no receipt that was purchased online and out of state, and while I did have to talk to a few managers, they ended up taking it.
And as a company culture they do have a customer friendly attitude (but obviously individual stores can have issues others don't)

But at Costco you are paying for them to treat you well. You can't just shop there, you have to pay for that honor.

And many stores will do returns if you cause a scene. But I am not willing to do that, and I don't think any store that does returns for people who cause a scene are doing it out of the goodness of their hearts. They are doing it to get you the heck out of the store! Not because of a great return policy. A great return policy would be taking it back without hassle.

 

[monkeybug]

But at Costco you are paying for them to treat you well. You can't just shop there, you have to pay for that honor.

And many stores will do returns if you cause a scene. But I am not willing to do that, and I don't think any store that does returns for people who cause a scene are doing it out of the goodness of their hearts. They are doing it to get you the heck out of the store! Not because of a great return policy. A great return policy would be taking it back without hassle.

Well I wouldn't call explaining a strange situation to a few managers causing a scene but to each his own.
My dad mailed a tricycle to our old address, didn't have a receipt, we had since moved to Maryland and had to wait for the tricycle to be mailed to our new house, inpatient grandpa that he is he ordered another tricycle so my son would have it on his birthday. All the managers I spoke to were super nice, but because it was against their official policy (no receipt and passed the two month mark) they had to get permission first.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Two points -

* The OP was wrong to expect the store to make up for her mistake.

* The store could have won a customer over by letting it go (for $.42).

 

[monkeybug]

Two points -

* The OP was wrong to expect the store to make up for her mistake.

* The store could have won a customer over by letting it go (for $.42).

What ever happened to that whole service profit chain thing they shoved down my throat in college?
I mean I get letting a customer go out the door over a $99 sonicare toothbrush, or if they are trying to buy enough sudafed to supply a meth lab for a year, but a can of beans?
I guess that's why I shop at Trader Joes and Costco.

 

[allison443]

Two points -

* The OP was wrong to expect the store to make up for her mistake.

* The store could have won a customer over by letting it go (for $.42).

Do you really think someone who refused to buy 2 cans of beans that she needed because they were 42 cents more, and later purchased them at another store at a lower price, is going to continue to shop somewhere out of loyalty? I think that shopper will go to wherever the prices are cheapest that week. (not saying there's anything wrong with that!)

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Do you really think someone who refused to buy 2 cans of beans that she needed because they were 42 cents more, and later purchased them at another store at a lower price, is going to continue to shop somewhere out of loyalty? I think that shopper will go to wherever the prices are cheapest that week. (not saying there's anything wrong with that!)

I did not say that the customer would fore go other stores forever more. I said that the customer would be won over.

Why do we return to WDW so often? It certainly isn't the cheapest vacation destination. Customer service is the key to winning over repeat customers in retail markets - not pricing.

Again, it shouldn't be expected, but this was a missed opportunity to build a relationship with a consumer...