Your Worst Customer Service Experience

[SharpMomOfTwo]

So what is it - what is the worst customer service experience you've ever had. Preferably in a store, face to face, but I'll take over the phone conforntations too Heres my story:

I was in target one day, and was ready to check out. The check out people stand in front of (or around there) their register if they have no one in line, so I asked one of them if he was open. He grunted something, and gestured to come over. The whole time, he was talking very loudly to himself and was very angry. I had several items, and he was one item away from scanning a shirt I had just at that moment decided against, so right before he picked it up, I told him that I had changed my mind on it. He scans it anyway and throws it to the side. I asked him to take it off because I had just told him I didn't want it, and that was it, he totally freeked!!! Started screeming at me that the previous customer had just yelled at him for no reason, and he wasn't going to take my crap! I said I was sorry that the prevous customer was rude, but that it was no reason to yell at me and make a scene. At that point, he starts screaming for a co-worker to "take this lady away from me" and to ring me out for him because he just couldn't take it anymore. So at this point, everyone is looking at me like I had done something to this poor man, and I'm just standing there like a deer in the headlights, not knowing what to do! I had my daughter with me, so I didn't want to hang around the store to complain, so I called later and gave the guys name. I was SOOOO embarassed..... and its funny, just thinking about this story, it made me remember his name... and his face.... I just realized that a few years later I worked with this guy in another store right down the strip mall from the Target.... thats so funny!!!! I can't believe I never realized that while I was working with him!!! So on a side note, he must have really been having a bad day, because hes a very very nice man usually!!!

Anyway, whats your story??? I know you've got them!!!!!!

 

[NMAmy]

Well, it's fresh in my mind because it just happened a few weeks ago. DD and I were at JFK airport and stopped at McDonald's in the airport to grab something for breakfast before heading to the gate.

The girl that waited on us moved slower than I have ever seen a human being move--think turtle slow. She'd also wander away from the register and just stand there staring at the back room. People were getting aggravated because...well, it's the airport...everyone is trying to get to their plane.

As I approached the register after about 20 minutes in line, I finally figured out what the problem was. She didn't feel good. She was whining for the manager to let her go and he wouldn't. So, she was on strike for all of us poor souls in her line--if she couldn't go home then everybody else was going to suffer along with her.

As I ordered, she mumbled, "You don't want orange juice?" I was surprised because I hadn't mentioned OJ at all and said, "I'm sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear you." Then she gave me a big old exasperated "WHATEVER!" and slammed some stuff around. And then continued complaining loudly that she didn't feel good and she didn't want to be there.

The guy behind me started laughing because I was just so shocked--I hadn't been rude to her at all even though I was extremely irritated with both the girl AND her manager. After about 35 minutes in line total, I finally got my stuff. Then the guy behind me got to place his order and he asked the girl chirpily, "So...how are you feeling today?" Everyone in line laughed.

Now, don't get me wrong--I was sorry that she wasn't feeling well and felt she had to stay--although doing her job while she was there apparently wasn't part of the deal.

 

[RickinNYC]

I have one, and at Target no less!

A few weeks back Joe and I stopped by Target to pick up a few items, which of course lead to several in a full cart. Go figure. It was about 9pm and I spotted a pair of shorts, handed them to Joe and told him to try them on. When he strolled over to the fitting rooms in the men's department, the young woman immediately stepped in front him, barred his way and gruffly told him, "I'm CLOSED."

We were baffled because the store wasn't closing for another hour. Joe is usually pretty non-confrontational and was ready to walk away. I asked her why she was closed if there was still an hour left to shop. She refused to say another word and just shrugged, turned her back and went back to folding shirts. I asked for the manager, she still didn't say a thing so I repeated the question. Another salesperson overheard what I was asking and he nicely lead us to customer service.

At this point, I was absolutely pissed off at this chick's attitude. Joe and I both told the manager what had happened, explained that the salesgirl was incredibly rude, wouldn't speak to us, and so on. The manager's response? "Sorry she was rude but what would you like me to do for you?"

I then asked what store policy about their fitting rooms and when they close. The manager told me that they close an hour before store closing so that the salespeople could put everything away. I then asked, "If that's the case, do you really think that when a customer is rudely told 'I'm CLOSED' that we're just going to nicely take what we wanted to try on back to the rack? You seriously think that? Everyone is going to just dump the clothes they wanted right there and then and you're going to have to put it away anyway. How is that going to save time?"

Manager just stared blankly at me, almost as if she never thought of that before. I then asked if this policy was this specific Target store policy or if it was corporate. She wouldn't answer me. I repeated the question. She just shrugged her shoulders and said "It's the way it is."

I then asked her, as a manager, was she seriously going to let a customer with a fully packed cart leave without buying a thing just because she refused to let us spend 5 minutes trying on one pair of shorts. Again, she shrugged and said "Fitting room is closed. I can't help you."

So we left her standing there with a full cart. I wished her luck putting away everything.

Next day I called Target corporate and asked what their policy was on fitting room closing times. I was told that they stay open until the store closes. NICE. I gave them the manager's name, store location, etc... and suggest they retrain her on corporate policty.

I worked in retail years ago when in college. I know it's a thankless job but it's a job nonetheless. I know you have to deal with rude customers. I know putting away clothes takes a ton of time. I know folding t-shirts suck. I know all of that but did it anyway because I needed the money. I hated it but did it with a smile, even if my smile was completely disengenuous. There's no reason to be nasty, rude and apathetic to customers.

I'm waiting to go back at 9pm on a Saturday and I'm going to try on a pair of shorts. Would that be bad?

 

[MushyMushy]

So many to choose from! Geez! But the one I see the most karma from is the local restaurant. I posted about this when it happened.

Anyway, this woman opened a small coffee shop here and it did so well that a few years later, she bought a building and opened a nice restaurant. DH and I started going there for breakfast every Saturday and dinner once a week too. We'd been talking to the owner for years. Not friends, but definitely friendly enough.

The restaurant started going downhill a bit. One morning, I ordered an omelette. Took a bite or two off the end and it was fine. Then I cut into the middle to get some veggies and the green peppers were completely rotten! They were gray and falling apart, and everything inside the omelette looked wet. I showed it to the waitress and she agreed it was bad and took it away. By that point, I didn't want anything else.

When the bill came, the omelette was still on there, but DH and I were certain it wouldn't be a problem. When we went to get rung up, we told the waitress the omelette needed to be taken out, so she went in the back to get the manager. The manager came out completely exasperated with us and said I'd eaten half the omelette! I explained that I hadn't -- that it may have looked like it because I'd opened the omelette, but I'd only taken the two bites. She all but called me a liar and got so nasty with me. I said something to the effect of, "Was that $5 really worth losing a loyal customer over?" and she basically shrugged her shoulders and then threw a $5 at me, which I promptly put on the table for a tip. DH just stood there with his jaw on the floor.

Within a year, the business was up for sale. Nobody will eat there and her reputation is completely shot. YOu just don't treat people like that in a small town where word travels fast, and believe me, I shared my story and heard a few in return. That place has been up for sale for 2 years and nobody will touch it with a 10 foot pole. She's reduced her hours down to lunchtime and even then I don't see many people there.

I think people can forgive some bad food. Bad customer service? Not so easily.

 

[Tinkin]

I'm waiting to go back at 9pm on a Saturday and I'm going to try on a pair of shorts. Would that be bad?

I would so do that only I would take friends with me and have them try something also.

 

[agnes!]

....I'm waiting to go back at 9pm on a Saturday and I'm going to try on a pair of shorts. Would that be bad?

I would so do that only I would take friends with me and have them try something also.

Heck, why don't you just have a DIS-meet ? Something like...

DIS-Meet at 9PM on whatever Saturday at RickinNYC's Target​

,
agnes!

 

[MM27]

I had an experience at Staples last year during their Back to School Penny sale. We have 3 Staples in the area. Being a teacher, I love when they do these sales because I can buy things for my students for use during the school year.

I knew they had limits but I wasn't aware that they had different limits for teachers. So I went into one of the stores and was talking with another customer that told me that the limit for teachers was higher if you have an educator card. So I bought the limited number of items and before I checked out I double checked with a manager that was standing up in the front. He confirmed that the limit for teachers was higher and even said that it was a corporate policy.

On my way home, I pass one of the other Staples stores, so I stopped there to pick up some more items. Again, I checked with an employee that confirmed that the limit for teachers was higher. So I go up to the register and the cashier said really nasty, "You know you can only get xx of those" I explained that I was a teacher, had the card and confirmed with an employee. She didn't believe me so she calls the employee up and starts argueing with them, insisting that she was right.

So I said, "I was just in xxxx store and the manager said that it's corporate policy." She flipped out on me. She started yelling, "If you already bought stuff, you shouldn't be buying more, blah, blah, blah" People were staring at us now. I explained again that I was a teacher and I wasn't using the stuff for my own needs. She said, "Why do you need xx amount of crayons?" So I said, "Because when I give half the class new crayons on the first day of school, the other kids might be mad if they don't get any." This girl was getting nastier by the minute.

Finally, another cashier comes up to ring up some other customers, as this girl starts bad mouthing me to her. The other cashier calmly says, "It's okay. Teachers can get more, it's policy." She goes back to her, "But she just came from xxx store." And the other girl confirmed that plenty of people go out to their car and come back in and it's fine.

So she rings up my sale but the whole time she is talking under her breath about how she hates how people abuse the system and how I shouldn't get to buy the items. She takes my money and literally throws the change back at me.

I don't usually complain about little things, but I couldn't let this one go so I found another employee and asked them to get a manager for me. The manager was so apologetic and asked me if I needed any more items. She told me that I could get any number of the items I wanted, beyond the limit. I explained that I didn't need any more, but I wanted her to know because I didn't want the next teacher to be treated like trash like I was. The manager was very nice and told the cashier to come into her office after the next customer she was helping.

 

[merekc]

I once went to get gas at a super busy time. I used my credit card and started pumping. It automatically stopped at $10 when I was wanting to fill my tank. Of course the intercome didn't work. I walked in to tell them that they need to restart it, I didn't want it to stop at $10. The person working told me someone had pre-paid on my pump. She refused to restart it then said I needed to move, let them get their $10 and then I could finish filling up. I of course said "Hello, I was next in line, I am currently in front of the pump, they shouldn't have prepaid yet". She looked at me and snottily said, "It's the halftime of the Chiefs game, what did you expect!" I guess that means they are busy and I can't get my gas because you are incompent and don't understand first come, first serve. Not to mention the idiot who prepaid a pump they weren't sitting in front of. I'm still steamed about that 12 years after the fact.

 

[Tinkin]

Heck, why don't you just have a DIS-meet ? Something like...

DIS-Meet at 9PM on whatever Saturday at RickinNYC's Target​

,
agnes!

There's a lot of funny people here today.

But seriously, You are definatley my go to person if I ever have to arrange a smackdown on someone!

 

[LadyyRedd]

Not my worst by any means, but it was recent and made me laugh.

Went to Kohl's the other day to get a couple of new bras. Found what I wanted and they were buy 1, get 1 50%. They only had 1 in my size/color, so I asked the associate if she could check the back.

She did and came back and said sorry, it's the only 1. I said that's ok, thanks. She said it's because it's a new style.

What? I've been wearing this style for 7-8 years, it's most certainly not a new style.

Oh...well, I guess we just started carrying it then.

Um, no, try again, I've been buying them here all along!

Oh, well..sorry.

I wasn't mad that she made it up. But it did make me and another customer standing nearby .

Kimya

 

[Amlee]

I'm not sure what the deal is with me, but I always get hit with bad CS.

But one that still chaps my cheeks, is the one that happened a few years ago at a Lane Bryant store.

My mother and I were in the store shopping. We both had our arms full of clothing waiting to check out. The lady at the counter was on the phone with a girlfriend. She had her back to us and was going on and on about her hot date the night before. I'm not talking a teenager either, I'm talking a women in her late 20s/early 30s. I stepped up and said excuse me, but we would like to check out.

She turned around looked me up and down, rolled her eyes, turned her back to me and went back to talking. My mother just put her clothes down and walked out of the store. I followed suit.

By the time I got out of the store I was steaming!! I looked at my mother and said OH HELL NO!! I turned and went back into the store, by that time the manager was back at the counter and the twit was off the phone. I heard the manager ask the twit why all the clothes were on the counter, and the twit said she didn't know.

I stepped up and said oh they are mine. The twit's eyes got huge! She jumped and started checking me out. The total came to over several hundred dollars as I had her total up my mother's also. I then called the manager back over and told her what the girl had done. That I had her ring up the amount so she could see just how much in commission she had lost.

I then turned at walked out of the store. But not before I heard the manager go nuts on the twit.

 

[TheDarkKnight]

Okay, my story involves the cops and the news.

And this didn't happen to me, but my mom. (I was there, though.)

Alright. If I remember right, she had bought a pair of pants from some store in the mall. Anyways, she went to return them because the zipper broke off before she even put them on. She told the woman behind the desk she didn't want a refund, but an exchange. The lady kept saying "you need receipt for refund" in poor English. My mom said, "I'm not trying to get a refund, I'm just trying to get another pair." But the idiot wouldn't listen, so she went and got her (equally stupid) manager. My mom explained it again. This lady, too, didn't know the difference between 'exchange' and 'refund.'

So my mom explains to her that she just wants another pair, because this one broke before she even wore them. So this manager talks to about four other workers in Spanish (how rude is that? I hate that).

Anyways, they decide to just ignore my mom. They say "next" while she's standing right there, and have people come to the side.

They refused to acknowledge her. My mom refused to leave, she said she was gonna stay until someone took care of the situation. (Exchanging the pants should have taken a minute, but these morons turned it into a +2 hour problem.)

So eventually, these workers/idiots call the freaking mall cops! Saying "oh, this lady won't leave...she's goin' crazy!" The funny part? She wasn't doing anything.

Well, my dad knows the two cops that come in, so they're with us. They tell the idiots to just exchange it. They do, we finally leave.

As we're exiting the mall through JC Penney, we see a news crew finishing up some report. Well, my mom goes up to the news lady and ten minutes later they're doing a report on the crappy store and their horrible customer service.

I don't know if it ever aired, as by the time we got home that night we missed the news.

But it was crazy. My mom isn't the kind of person to take people's...uh..."poo."

 

[INDISMOM]

A few years ago a local McDonalds had a unique menu item and price:
Smiles.....................................Free

I was in McDonald's once for breakfast and the young girl taking orders was less than pleasant with everyone who had ordered in front of me -- very short and snippy. As I placed my order she just kept scowling and sighing the whole time.

She then asks me, "Anything else?"

I said, "Yes, I would like 1 smile please!"

She looked up at me and said "What!?"

I said, "Well, it's on your menu. I really think you need an attitude adjustment and a smile is a GREAT way to start!"

Everyone in line was laughing and apparently the manager heard me because she was pulled off the register shortly after that.

 

[brerrabbit]

My worst story involves medical care, not retail. THe short version is when my son was born they could not do a certain procedure on him at the time, and we wound up getting it done seven months later at Texas Childrens Hospital. At the time we had wonderful insurance and both worked (my wife and I) for the same company. After meeting a low deductible each year medical care was basically free because my policy paid 80% and hers would pay the other 20%. A couple months after the procedure we get a bill that says we owe the 20%. Well back then (1986) when the insurance company paid a provider we got a copy of the check. I had received that so I called and said they had been paid. They asked for a copy and I sent it to them, cased closed, I thought. A year later I get a nasty gram from the hospital saying I was being sent to collections for the amount. Once again I called, sent the copy of the check and thought it was done. Not a chance, two months later another letter from a collection company. This time, I called the insurance company and got a copy of the cancelled check with the hospitals stamp and account nuber on the back. I send it to the collections company, call to verify they received it and they say wer'e sorry it was obviously paid. Fast forward a year. Letter from collection company saying pay up dead beat! This time I am pissed. I call the collection company and get the name of the person at the hospital that runs the accounting group that handles receivables. I call and very politely schedule a meeting to discuss the matter. He is hesitant to meet with me but I finally get him to agree. Over several years I had a file with all the correspondence I had exchanged with all parties. I walked into his office, sat down, and presented in order the events that had taken place including a copy of the cancelled check from about one month after the initial surgery. I also had a friend who was an attorney draw up a case action filing naming the hospital, the collections companies, and this man personally as having harrased me for several years. After going over the details I then presented him with the filing and said either give me a document saying paid in full before I left the office, or consider the filing to be a formal serving and I would see him in court.

I got a paid in full letter.

 

[merekc]

OOH, OOH, thought of another one. I was in Kohls and they had an expensive toy that I'd been wanting to buy for the kiddos. It was the only one they had and was obviously left over from Christmas inventory several months before. The box was beyond mutilated but the toy looked in good condition. Clearance merchandise was being marked down at like 75 or 90% so it would be a killer deal. I took it to a manager to see if it should be clearanced since it wasn't marked that way, but again messed up box, it was April or May and the only one they had.

She told me no, I asked are you sure, there is no way someone is going to buy this at the $100 price it is marked. She told me they will take it in back and crush it before they sale it at that great of a markdown. I thought WTH, even if it is better for Kohls to crush the toy and take the writeoff. Don't tell me to my face that you'd rather do that than give a kid some enjoyment. It all boils down to what a crappy attitude.

Then to top it off, when I left I heard her complaining to a couple teenage subordinates about me trying to wrangle a good deal. I walked up to her, and told her I was within my rights as a customer to ask for a better deal on damaged goods, just like she was in her rights (even though I think she was wrong) to turn me down. However, it is not appropriate for her to badmouth me to the employees. Needless to say, I left everything I was planning to purchase, and now I rarely shop Kohls.

Unless I get a 30% coupon.

 

[Pixie Dust for Me!]

Believe it or not...mine was at the Scout Shop (Boy Scouts...not girls)!

Anyway, my DH is the Cubmaster...it's his first year and the previous Cubmaster basically handed him a book and said good luck. He (and I) have been to 3 training sessions (most of which were poorly done and focused on activities, etc.). Anyway, I went in for him at the end of the year to get the rank badges that the boys had earned (Tiger, Bear, Wolf, Cub). He had filled out all the paperwork...following an example in the Training Manual and signed the form where indicated.

Lucky me went into the Scout Shop (where I have had about 4 other encounters this year with their "egos" and "clubiness") to pick up the badges or patches (sorry, still new at this).

So, I counted out the number of each (from the form) and took then with the form to the cash register. The man at the cash register (he was about 40ish) then told me that I couldn't have the badges because the paperwork was completed incorrectly. I asked him if he could show me what was wrong and he told me that it was in the book!

So, at that point I came unglued and told him that we followed the book when we filled it out and that I was sick and tired of men in silly shorts and goofy shirts looking down their nose at moms who volunteer and that without people like me there would be no Scout and I wanted a supervisor.

Well sure enough, this older man (in his 60s...I'd guess) in silly shorts, knee socks and a goofy shirt came over, asked if he could help me and showed me that we neglected to fill in the total number of badges in one column. He then told the other man that Scouts were there to be helpful and told me to ask for him anytime I came in. I thanked him profusely and told him my other stories of poor customer service there and he chuckled and said, well I guess they take it out on women because they have to wear the silly shorts, knee socks and goofy shirts!

So, what was very poor customer service, turned out great. Now, when he sees me (I'm in there about every month for something or another) he asks me when I'm going to get my Den Mother's uniform...and I tell him I'm not a Den Mother...I'm just the Cubmasters wife and fortunately, we don't have uniforms!

 

[mickeyboat]

A few weeks ago DD and I were in TJ Maxx and I was looking for some summer clothes. I found a few things and went to the fitting room to try them on. The regular fitting rooms were being remodeled, but a construction worker kindly pointed me in the direction of the rooms we needed to use.

I waited in line for a moment behind a couple of other women while the fitting room attendant, who was clearly very frazzled, let people in. She was talking constantly saying "I hate bathing suit season. I can't wait until bathing suit season is over. You tried on all those things and you are only buying one?" In between she uttered big sighs. She acted very put out and annoyed that we wanted to try something on, and even more upset when someone decided not to buy it.

She showed us a room and I started trying things on. The rooms were not equipped with mirrors yet, but there was one in the hall, so I stepped out of my room to take a quick look. I hear "please move out of my way" in a very snotty tone. It was the fitting room lady freaking out becaue I was standing next to her rack. She couldn't wait five seconds for me to finish looking in the mirror. I went back into the room and got dressed.

I decided to buy all the items I tried on (which I thought would make her happy), and took my hangers with me figuring it would save her the trip to clean them out of the fitting room. I went to the door and tried to figure out where to put them, but she was too busy yelling at other customers, so I set them down on a little stand. She saw me, stopped mid-sentence with someone else, heaved a big sigh, ran in front of me, grabbed the hangers, and threw them into a cart outside the dressing rooms.

I went to pay for my purchases, and decided to let the whole incident roll off my back, but changed my mind when I got to the register. I didn't want my 8 year old to think it is o.k. to treat people that way, or to let yourself be treated that way, so I asked to speak to a manager. I told the manager that the fitting room attendant was very frazzled and needed some more help, and that she was being very rude. The manager said o.k., and went to talk to her. I don't know what happened, but I hope that woman has been moved to a behind-the-scenes position.

Denae

 

[Pixie Dust for Me!]

Oh wait...I have another one that happened yesterday. I took my son and his friend to McDonalds for lunch. Son wanted chicken selects...OK, no problem there. I wanted a salad...OK, no problem there. Friend wants a Mighty Kids Hamburger meal. OK...PROBLEM there! The woman says to me, we don't make Mighty Kids Hamburger meals...just Mighty Kids Cheeseburger meals. I said OK...then I'd like a Mighty Kids Cheeseburger meal without the cheese. She stands there and looks at me and says...we don't serve hamburgers here lady...we only serve cheeseburgers! I told her that was very interesting since it's the sign clearly states McDonalds Hamburgers!

She looks at me like I've got 2 heads...and I then ask for a manager...yep, just to get a hamburger. The manager comes over and asks what the problem is and I told her the story. She looks at me and says (to the cashier) OK, here's how you do it...just ring it up without the cheese, just like you would if someone doesn't want pickles or ketchup.

We laughed the whole way home and talked about how important it is to be able to think outside the box and decided that in the future, we would order Mighty Kids Cheeseburgers (on the menu) without cheese!

 

[Pikester]

I'm not sure what the deal is with me, but I always get hit with bad CS.

But one that still chaps my cheeks, is the one that happened a few years ago at a Lane Bryant store.

My mother and I were in the store shopping. We both had our arms full of clothing waiting to check out. The lady at the counter was on the phone with a girlfriend. She had her back to us and was going on and on about her hot date the night before. I'm not talking a teenager either, I'm talking a women in her late 20s/early 30s. I stepped up and said excuse me, but we would like to check out.

She turned around looked me up and down, rolled her eyes, turned her back to me and went back to talking. My mother just put her clothes down and walked out of the store. I followed suit.

By the time I got out of the store I was steaming!! I looked at my mother and said OH HELL NO!! I turned and went back into the store, by that time the manager was back at the counter and the twit was off the phone. I heard the manager ask the twit why all the clothes were on the counter, and the twit said she didn't know.

I stepped up and said oh they are mine. The twit's eyes got huge! She jumped and started checking me out. The total came to over several hundred dollars as I had her total up my mother's also. I then called the manager back over and told her what the girl had done. That I had her ring up the amount so she could see just how much in commission she had lost.

I then turned at walked out of the store. But not before I heard the manager go nuts on the twit.

You are AWESOME!

 

[Mayl]

nevermind