Since Chewy provided such fast and excellent customer service, including a 10% off coupon good through November, I placed a whimsical order of Halloween goodies. Let’s face it, they’re really for me. Therefore I won, as did all involved businesses and their employees.
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| There's a lot more... :D |
Alas, on Sunday the huge US retailer Walmart disappointed me. My husband and I shopped there on Saturday and I discovered their small potted flowering mums had been marked down to a single (US) dollar! I picked up two. Sunday morning I decided to return and try brokering a bargain. If the store would increase their discount for me I’d fill my vehicle up. We’d both win, I figured, as they could reduce the stock (likely doomed to a landfill, sad to say) and I could amend the soil with any plants that didn’t survive winter. So I prepared my car – lowering the back seats for more space, laying down plastic, and tossing in some boxes. My resolve steeled, I drove over. Never negotiating is a major failing of mine.
As I parked I saw a staff member assessing those very plants whose price tags were now blank. I enthusiastically jogged after her and asked about the cost. Maybe they were now fifty cents.
“$1.50,” she said. What? She was kind enough to hear me out and walked me to the customer service desk while warning it unlikely my plan would succeed. My plea fell on deaf ears. The woman refused to budge, not even to the former one dollar. As it happens, likeminded customers swamped them Saturday morning. And as I recalled, every single plant required an employee override.
It’s stupid but true. I left without buying a single extra mum. Some folks would have stood their ground, especially since the signs showed no price at all. No way did I want to argue. Whether those frustrated clerks acted out of spite or actually hope to slow the rate of sale, I have no idea. Either way, the strategy makes zero sense. Okay, maybe $1.50 wouldn’t require system overrides. I doubt it.
Would you have pushed the issue? And why didn’t someone find a way to fix the system instead of screwing over paying customers?
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As a former employee of a similar retailer (the evil toy store, now defunct), I can tell you that the employees probably had zero leeway in which to bargain. Corporate sets the prices. If an employee changes the price on anything, it can be considered theft.
ReplyDeleteThis is why I avoid the Walmarts of the world. Employees aren't partners with the company. They are cogs in a system with little autonomy.
Thanks for sharing your viewpoint. I was made to think the customer service rep did have control of this. ~shakes head~ It's a shame we no longer have choices. ~sigh~ The mega corporations put all the mom and pop places out of business except for a few specialty retailers we've discovered.
DeleteMaybe. I could be wrong. Wouldn't be the first time :)
DeleteMom and pops are better. When you can. It's not always possible. And sometimes Walmart just has the better price. It's a balancing act. You have to do what's best for you, and sometimes convenience and price have to win.
In my experience, those on the front lines, forward customer facing, don't have a lot of autonomy. They may have some work arounds to help you, but a lot of times their hands are tied by various rules made by higher ups who never worked with customers in their life.
I haven't shopped at WalMart for years. Terrible customer service and the checkout is a nightmare. I go elsewhere. I'm sorry you didn't get more at a dollar, but I get it.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day and weekend. Big hug. ♥
~hugs~
DeleteYou found some fun goodies at Chewy! Hopefully if all goes well I'll never set foot in a WalMart again, they could care less about the customer.
ReplyDeleteI did. And I hope all goes well. :)
DeleteI agree with Liz above. I doubt the employees have the allowance to make such decisions and there is not much you as a customer can do about that beyond contacting a higher level.
ReplyDeleteThanks for weighing in. I feel a little bit dumb now. It's been my good fortune to work for smaller companies throughout my career.
DeleteWell that stinks. Most stores are annoying me right now. For example, I got some Halloween items last Friday cheaper than they ended up being the day after Halloween when I went looking for big sales at TJ Maxx. XO
ReplyDeleteYeah. My husband said he looked forward to Halloween candy sales in November. For such a smart guy who researches for our money savings, he didn't think this one through. lol
DeleteThat's really stupid they wouldn't go for that, but I can't believe you found an employee at Walmart. LOl. Employees? Really? I rarely see one, if I go there and I go only for two specific items. I get my items, go to the self checkout and do that job, and the only employee I see is The Watcher, trying to decide if once again they should accuse me of theft (twice now).
ReplyDeleteWe are lucky to have decently staffed stores. And don't feel bad as our receipts are often checked. ~hugs~
DeleteIf it was a local mom and pop place, then you might have had a chance of getting the price down, but WALLY WORLD...nope. If Papa Wally was still around, yes, maybe so but with the kids running things these days, not happening. However, with that said, I do a lot of my shopping there, cause reguardless of a lot of things, prices are still cheaper on a lot of things.
ReplyDelete~hugs~
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