I know I've been pretty quiet on here for over a year. I've been doing a lot of thinking about what I want this blog to look like, and in that time I've been SO quiet that I've also had SO much to say that it got to a point where I didn't know where to start.
Well, after yesterday, I figured I'd just dive right in. Yesterday's experience was so awful, it needs to be discussed. Earlier today, I emailed this to Target's Guest Relation department. Of course, I signed my full name.
---
Hello,
I just called and spoke to Guest Relations about the case
3-873994826 (incidentally, he gave me the wrong email address for
contacting you, and I had to look it up online).
As
I told the gentleman I spoke to, I have shopped at Target my entire
adult life, but after yesterday's experience, I am not sure when I will
be shopping at Target again, if ever.
I went to Target to buy a microwave, which turned into a major
ordeal. The microwave I bought was a Sharp Carousel. It was over a
price label which read "Sharp Microwave 99.99." My friend and I loaded
it into the cart, selected a few other items, and then checked out.
However, the total seemed too high, so I questioned it. The microwave
rang up as $159.99. The cashier asked someone over, and a woman named
Nic called back for someone in small electronics to do a price check on
the microwave. In a short amount of time, she confirmed that the price
was $159.99. We explained that the microwave we bought was over a price
tag that read $99.99. She said that she could have someone walk us
back and if they confirmed it, they would honour that price.
Although my friend is visibly pregnant and I am disabled (I use a
cane), and I didn't really want to walk all the way back, I agreed to
walk back to the microwave aisle. The woman who walked back with us
agreed with us that the only "Sharp microwave" tag read $99.99 and she
walked back with us to the front and told Nic the same thing. Nic then
told us that she is only authorised to give a customer $50.00 back, so
she would have to escalate this to her manager.
Her manager (Oduda or Odadu) came over and said that she could not
do anything for us; the price is $159.99 and that was final. My friend
and I were taken aback because this was a complete reversal of
everything we had been told thus far. My friend asked if we could at
least show her what we were talking about. So, once again, we then had
to walk all the way back to the back of the store because of the store's
inconsistency. The manager told us at that point that the store can't
be held responsible for a customer taking the microwave from where it
belonged and putting it in the wrong place. I totally understand this.
If a customer takes a product and recovers it improperly, I understand
the store not being held responsible for that. My friend then pointed
out that there were NO tags in that aisle that read $159.99.
The manager said that microwaves aren't only in that aisle. She
said it could be on an endcap, it could be on a sale aisle, it could be
anywhere. So we asked her to show us where the microwave was SUPPOSED
to be. She said she would do that. She looked it up on her handheld
device, and then said, "Oh, actually we show that we have negative one
in the store." She then explained to us that meant that a customer had
either purchased the microwaved online or at a different store and then
returned it to this store. She then repeated that she can't be held
responsible for that customer putting the microwave back in the wrong
place. I pointed out that the customer returning the item wouldn't have
put the item back -- an employee would have. No customer who returns
an item to a store puts it back on the aisle. So the store still would
be at fault for placing an item in the aisle above the wrong tag -- one
that's $60 less than what it actually is. This is simply a deceiving
practice, and one that consumers shouldn't have to put up with.
The manager then tried to tell us that it was possible a customer
selected the microwave and then wasn't sure if they wanted it until a
couple of days later, leading my friend to ask, "So you're saying that a
customer carried the microwave around for two or three days before they
put it back right above this tag that says 'Sharp Microwave 99.99?"
As you can see, the entire exchange was completely frustrating,
ludicrous, and fraught with untruths. She finally said that the bottom
line was that there was no way she could discount a product by $60.00. I
asked her what she COULD do, and she said she could give me a discount
of 20%, which I accepted because I was in paid by that time. However, I
maintain that the $99.99 price should have honoured as that was the
price that was given in the aisle. It is simply impossible that an
employee verified the price in the aisle as Nic told us. An employee
verified that that only "Sharp microwave" price tag in the aisle stated
"99.99;" we were told that the price would be honoured once we were
walked back with an employee and it was verified together (and it was),
and this did not happen; and the manager told us stories that simply
could not be true.
All in all, this experience was overwhelmingly the worst customer
experience I have ever had in any Target. It makes me wonder about the
pricing integrity of Target and about Target's policies in dealing with
customers as there was very little consistency (if any) between the two
managers I spoke to. Since yesterday, I have posted about this
experience in various social media platforms, and I hope that I can will
be able to post a positive follow-up story after discussing this with
Guest Relations.
Sincerely,
Customer
Showing posts with label consumerism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label consumerism. Show all posts
24 March 2013
22 October 2011
SEPTA
I briefly mentioned this incident on Twitter two weeks ago, but I also spoke to SEPTA (Philly's mass transit system) customer service and they advised that I file an online complaint. I took their advice, and I filled out the online form.
This is what I entered in the space where I describe the incident:
"During the ride, the driver kept reading a book, which I do not think is safe for a trolley operator to be doing while operating a trolley full of passengers, even if underground. The book appeared to be an employee manual of some kind, as she kept reading aloud a passage regarding something being due the Sunday after schedules come out and how this isn't fair, especially to Overbrook operators. First, this is a safety issue for her to be reading while operating the trolley. Second, I think it is extremely inappropriate to be discussing company policies and procedures in that kind of public forum when passengers can hear (I was three rows back on the right side).
"When I attempted to take a picture of her reading (for proof to attach to an email to SEPTA), she saw me and asked her friend, "Why is that Chinese lady taking my picture?" He said, "Want me to go make her wipe it off?" and they laughed. First, I am not Chinese -- I am Korean. I do not expect that the average person will know my ethnic background by looking at me, but it is extremely rude and insensitive for her to make assumptions like that. I believe that this issue should be addressed with her, as well.
"I also think that SEPTA employees should not allow their friends to block ingress/egress to the trolley. There were several times when people were entering and exiting the trolley at the same stop, but they could not do so at the same time because the operator's friend would not move from his spot. In turn, this slowed down the trip as people entering would have to wait for people exiting, then the guy would move to the other side, etc.
"Thank you for your attention to this matter."
This past week, I received the following reply:
"Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention and please accept our apologies for the actions and inappropriate comments of this operator. SEPTA operators are required to direct their full attention to the task at hand - providing a safe ride. In addition, operators - like any other SEPTA employee - are expected to perform their duties with a level of professionalism.
"Your report is being forwarded to Management in the Elmwood District of the Surface Transportation Division. The information that you have provided will be used to identify the operator cited. Once positive ID is established, appropriate action will be taken."
(I had provided other information on the online form about the route I had taken, the time I had boarded, where I had boarded, etc. Thanks to sending a text just as I boarded, I was able to give an EXACT time of boarding. lol)
I am quite pleased with the response that I received, and I do feel that my complaint is being taken seriously. I am also glad that this route is not my regular route, as my mom told me "Well, when you don't get picked up for work anymore, you'll know why." But I told her it wasn't my regular trolley since it was a random trolley I took into the city from work. Ha!
This is what I entered in the space where I describe the incident:
"During the ride, the driver kept reading a book, which I do not think is safe for a trolley operator to be doing while operating a trolley full of passengers, even if underground. The book appeared to be an employee manual of some kind, as she kept reading aloud a passage regarding something being due the Sunday after schedules come out and how this isn't fair, especially to Overbrook operators. First, this is a safety issue for her to be reading while operating the trolley. Second, I think it is extremely inappropriate to be discussing company policies and procedures in that kind of public forum when passengers can hear (I was three rows back on the right side).
"When I attempted to take a picture of her reading (for proof to attach to an email to SEPTA), she saw me and asked her friend, "Why is that Chinese lady taking my picture?" He said, "Want me to go make her wipe it off?" and they laughed. First, I am not Chinese -- I am Korean. I do not expect that the average person will know my ethnic background by looking at me, but it is extremely rude and insensitive for her to make assumptions like that. I believe that this issue should be addressed with her, as well.
"I also think that SEPTA employees should not allow their friends to block ingress/egress to the trolley. There were several times when people were entering and exiting the trolley at the same stop, but they could not do so at the same time because the operator's friend would not move from his spot. In turn, this slowed down the trip as people entering would have to wait for people exiting, then the guy would move to the other side, etc.
"Thank you for your attention to this matter."
This past week, I received the following reply:
"Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention and please accept our apologies for the actions and inappropriate comments of this operator. SEPTA operators are required to direct their full attention to the task at hand - providing a safe ride. In addition, operators - like any other SEPTA employee - are expected to perform their duties with a level of professionalism.
"Your report is being forwarded to Management in the Elmwood District of the Surface Transportation Division. The information that you have provided will be used to identify the operator cited. Once positive ID is established, appropriate action will be taken."
(I had provided other information on the online form about the route I had taken, the time I had boarded, where I had boarded, etc. Thanks to sending a text just as I boarded, I was able to give an EXACT time of boarding. lol)
I am quite pleased with the response that I received, and I do feel that my complaint is being taken seriously. I am also glad that this route is not my regular route, as my mom told me "Well, when you don't get picked up for work anymore, you'll know why." But I told her it wasn't my regular trolley since it was a random trolley I took into the city from work. Ha!
21 August 2011
My Verizon Story: Part III
I called Dispatch again this morning as soon as they opened (that's 8:00 a.m., btw, in case you ever need them). I was told that the tech hadn't updated the ticket, and that if a pair switch was the issue, the problem would most likely take 72 hours to fix. I went a little ballistic on the supervisor I then asked to speak to after I was told in great detail about the work stoppage and why they couldn't help me. I told them to stop telling me what they COULDN'T do for me and to start telling me what they COULD do for me.
I also told them that I thought it was odd that if I called them and told them I couldn't pay my bill because I had a work stoppage and was unemployed, they wouldn't "just deal with it," they would cut my service off. But they expected me to be understanding. At that point, the call with the supervisor mysteriously got disconnected. Interesting. He did call back about ten minutes later, with a promise to monitor the ticket. Gee, thanks.
At exactly 2:15 p.m., the dispatcher from the previous night (who had promised to monitor the ticket and follow up when she got back into the office) called me. She said the ticket had been update overnight (interesting, right?) and that the problem was NOT a pair in Central Office, but that it was an underground cable. The problem had been assigned to a new tech group, and would not be worked on until Thursday due to...... the work stoppage.
At this point, I began going door-to-door in my building asking neighbours if I could borrow their network for a week. You'd be surprised how few of my neighbours use wifi!
I also told them that I thought it was odd that if I called them and told them I couldn't pay my bill because I had a work stoppage and was unemployed, they wouldn't "just deal with it," they would cut my service off. But they expected me to be understanding. At that point, the call with the supervisor mysteriously got disconnected. Interesting. He did call back about ten minutes later, with a promise to monitor the ticket. Gee, thanks.
At exactly 2:15 p.m., the dispatcher from the previous night (who had promised to monitor the ticket and follow up when she got back into the office) called me. She said the ticket had been update overnight (interesting, right?) and that the problem was NOT a pair in Central Office, but that it was an underground cable. The problem had been assigned to a new tech group, and would not be worked on until Thursday due to...... the work stoppage.
At this point, I began going door-to-door in my building asking neighbours if I could borrow their network for a week. You'd be surprised how few of my neighbours use wifi!
20 August 2011
My Verizon Story: Part II
The tech arrived today at 3:18 p.m. (after I called Dispatch twice to make SURE he was coming and then got two different stories about this). He called and was indignant that I didn't answer the door after he had been knocking for awhile. Uh, dude - I live on the second floor of an apartment building.
After doing whatever he does, he informed me that the problem wasn't mine (gee, thanks), but with a pair at Central Office. Once that was switched, I'd be back in business. When I asked him how long that would take to fix, he said once he put the order in, it could take a few hours or up until tomorrow. I let him know that I needed my internet to do daily work. (Again, volunteer work, but it's work that at least a few hundred people depend on me for, and I take my commitments seriously.) He said he would let them know so they could prioritise my job.
I waited a few hours and called Dispatch to check on where my job was in the queue at Central Office. The ticket hadn't been updated by the tech. And they couldn't call him to ask him to do this because local dispatch had already closed, but that if it was a pair, it would take 24-48 hours to fix. They asked me to call back tomorrow morning. I asked what good that would do - if the tech hadn't updated the ticket yet, why did they think he would do so between now and tomorrow morning when he's off-duty? I was told he might have told local dispatch the necessary information but not updated the ticket. Uh, yeah - THAT seems likely.
We'll see.
After doing whatever he does, he informed me that the problem wasn't mine (gee, thanks), but with a pair at Central Office. Once that was switched, I'd be back in business. When I asked him how long that would take to fix, he said once he put the order in, it could take a few hours or up until tomorrow. I let him know that I needed my internet to do daily work. (Again, volunteer work, but it's work that at least a few hundred people depend on me for, and I take my commitments seriously.) He said he would let them know so they could prioritise my job.
I waited a few hours and called Dispatch to check on where my job was in the queue at Central Office. The ticket hadn't been updated by the tech. And they couldn't call him to ask him to do this because local dispatch had already closed, but that if it was a pair, it would take 24-48 hours to fix. They asked me to call back tomorrow morning. I asked what good that would do - if the tech hadn't updated the ticket yet, why did they think he would do so between now and tomorrow morning when he's off-duty? I was told he might have told local dispatch the necessary information but not updated the ticket. Uh, yeah - THAT seems likely.
We'll see.
17 August 2011
My Verizon Story
Rachel and I left my house yesterday around 11:30 a.m., and my internet worked then.
When I got home at 6:30 p.m., it did not. After trying various things, I gave up and called Verizon technical support, whereupon I was informed that because of the Verizon strike, I could not a technician to my house until 01 September. I told them that was unacceptable because I have a job that requires me to be online every day (granted, it's a volunteer job, but it's one that takes several hours of my day, and one that I take very seriously).
I was told that to try to get an early appointment date, I would need to call a different number. I asked about a credit on my bill. For that, I need to call billing. That was when I asked to talk to a supervisor. I talked to a man I will call C. He informed me he would take care of both of these issues for me, and he would call me back within 20-30 minutes to let me know if he could get me an earlier appointment. We hung up at 7:50 p.m.
At 8:30 p.m, he called back, asked me when I was available tomorrow (today) and Thursday. I told him. He said he was still working on it and would call me "right back." I called him back at 10:10 p.m. and he stated he was still working on it and would call me back when he knew something. He called me back at 10:40 p.m., and he said that no appointments were available sooner than 01 September, but he kept that appointment for me (so I wouldn't lose it), he was leaving a notation for the say supervisor to call me in the morning in case an appointment the next day (today) opened up. He promised the day supervisor would call me between 7:00 and 9:00 a.m.
I waited until 9:54 a.m. and called. I spoke to a man I will call A. He said there was no such notation in my account from C that I was to be called. Further, he had no idea who C was. And he isn't sure who C was talking to last night since scheduling closes at 6:00 p.m. I asked A if he could try to get me an earlier appointment. No, because he's tech support. When I kept pushing, A changed to "I COULD call, but I know what they'll say." When I kept pushing, he changed it to "I'll call and keep you on the line so you can hear me." Then he came back and said that they didn't even answer the line, which is why he didn't patch me through. But that he would keep trying. And he would make sure my bill was credited for 15 days. I pointed out that I would be without service for 16 days. He said the most he could do without calling Billing was 15 days. I suggested he call Billing, then.
I also pointed out that I've had Verizon for less than three years, this is the third time I've had to have a technician to my house, and the first time, it took them nearly two months to right the problem. He tried to look it up in my account, but conveniently they've switched to a new system, and my first problem with them is no longer in their system. Interesting. I also informed him that while he's working on trying to get me an earlier appointment and get my bill credited, I'll be working on checking out other ISPs because I'm tired of all of these shenanigans. Clearly, either he or C is lying to me, and I don't feel like paying a company every month who employs people who can't tell the truth to their customers, especially when those people are at the supervisory level.
Suddenly, A says, "I've been looking at your account while we've been talking, and I think if I work with the Status Department, I can get someone to your house by 26 August."
I decided at that point to call Customer Service to let them know about what was going on in this office (which is an office not in this country but very nearby). After being transferred four times, I finally got in touch with a lovely woman, S, who actually is based in the Philadelphia Field Office. She had no record of any of my calls to tech support (although she readily admitted that tech support may use a different system that she couldn't access), so she couldn't really track my calls to/from C and A, but she did record my version of events and that I had been told two ENTIRELY different things by two different supervisors. But she did transfer me to Scheduling so I could verify my appointment.
Apparently, I had an appointment for 26 August. I asked if I could be moved up. I was given the number for Dispatch. I explained that I needed an earlier appointment for a job. After another hour, I got an appointment for some time between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. this Friday.
And Verizon can still bite me.
When I got home at 6:30 p.m., it did not. After trying various things, I gave up and called Verizon technical support, whereupon I was informed that because of the Verizon strike, I could not a technician to my house until 01 September. I told them that was unacceptable because I have a job that requires me to be online every day (granted, it's a volunteer job, but it's one that takes several hours of my day, and one that I take very seriously).
I was told that to try to get an early appointment date, I would need to call a different number. I asked about a credit on my bill. For that, I need to call billing. That was when I asked to talk to a supervisor. I talked to a man I will call C. He informed me he would take care of both of these issues for me, and he would call me back within 20-30 minutes to let me know if he could get me an earlier appointment. We hung up at 7:50 p.m.
At 8:30 p.m, he called back, asked me when I was available tomorrow (today) and Thursday. I told him. He said he was still working on it and would call me "right back." I called him back at 10:10 p.m. and he stated he was still working on it and would call me back when he knew something. He called me back at 10:40 p.m., and he said that no appointments were available sooner than 01 September, but he kept that appointment for me (so I wouldn't lose it), he was leaving a notation for the say supervisor to call me in the morning in case an appointment the next day (today) opened up. He promised the day supervisor would call me between 7:00 and 9:00 a.m.
I waited until 9:54 a.m. and called. I spoke to a man I will call A. He said there was no such notation in my account from C that I was to be called. Further, he had no idea who C was. And he isn't sure who C was talking to last night since scheduling closes at 6:00 p.m. I asked A if he could try to get me an earlier appointment. No, because he's tech support. When I kept pushing, A changed to "I COULD call, but I know what they'll say." When I kept pushing, he changed it to "I'll call and keep you on the line so you can hear me." Then he came back and said that they didn't even answer the line, which is why he didn't patch me through. But that he would keep trying. And he would make sure my bill was credited for 15 days. I pointed out that I would be without service for 16 days. He said the most he could do without calling Billing was 15 days. I suggested he call Billing, then.
I also pointed out that I've had Verizon for less than three years, this is the third time I've had to have a technician to my house, and the first time, it took them nearly two months to right the problem. He tried to look it up in my account, but conveniently they've switched to a new system, and my first problem with them is no longer in their system. Interesting. I also informed him that while he's working on trying to get me an earlier appointment and get my bill credited, I'll be working on checking out other ISPs because I'm tired of all of these shenanigans. Clearly, either he or C is lying to me, and I don't feel like paying a company every month who employs people who can't tell the truth to their customers, especially when those people are at the supervisory level.
Suddenly, A says, "I've been looking at your account while we've been talking, and I think if I work with the Status Department, I can get someone to your house by 26 August."
I decided at that point to call Customer Service to let them know about what was going on in this office (which is an office not in this country but very nearby). After being transferred four times, I finally got in touch with a lovely woman, S, who actually is based in the Philadelphia Field Office. She had no record of any of my calls to tech support (although she readily admitted that tech support may use a different system that she couldn't access), so she couldn't really track my calls to/from C and A, but she did record my version of events and that I had been told two ENTIRELY different things by two different supervisors. But she did transfer me to Scheduling so I could verify my appointment.
Apparently, I had an appointment for 26 August. I asked if I could be moved up. I was given the number for Dispatch. I explained that I needed an earlier appointment for a job. After another hour, I got an appointment for some time between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. this Friday.
And Verizon can still bite me.
09 April 2011
My new obsession
I have a new obsession (well, actually a few, but I may need more blog ideas later). But this obsession may benefit y'all, so I'm sharing. See, I'm generous like that.
One of my friends turned me on to the this site, and I have now spent HOURS on it: krazycouponlady.com
Don't worry, I won't turn into one of those people who spend hours every day couponing and has a stock room full of non-perishables. When I said I've spent hours on the site, I meant since the day about three weeks ago when she told me about it.
Things I love about this site: The "Print Coupons" link. Go there and all of the brands are listed in alpha order. It's easy to just scan for the brands you love and see what they have.
The "Freebies" page. See what free samples they have. Keep in mind that just because a sample was listed yesterday doesn't mean the sample isn't still available today.
The "Couponing 101" tips. It explains how to become an "extreme couponer." I don't really want to go all extreme (multiple trips to multiple stores in a week just aren't practical for me when I can barely afford to ride SEPTA to my required doctor appointments!) right now, nor are multiple newspaper subscriptions, but I can understand the theory of it. And some of the tips make a lot of sense. I'm even implemented some of the them. Coupon stacking FTW ("stacking" is using a manufacturer's coupon and a store coupon on the same item, which most stores allow - bonus if you do it when the item is on sale!)
And the "Store" links. They have separate links for Target and CVS, which are handy for me since I frequent those stores often. They'll show you what each stores have on sale, deals there, coupons you can use there, and what the final price for an item breaks down to after the coupon, sale price, etc.
Also, my first trip to the store and Target after I used a crapload of coupons and saw how much I saved...? Omg - I think I actually got a bit of an adrenaline rush! (No, seriously - don't worry; I'm not turning into one of THOSE people!)
One of my friends turned me on to the this site, and I have now spent HOURS on it: krazycouponlady.com
Don't worry, I won't turn into one of those people who spend hours every day couponing and has a stock room full of non-perishables. When I said I've spent hours on the site, I meant since the day about three weeks ago when she told me about it.
Things I love about this site: The "Print Coupons" link. Go there and all of the brands are listed in alpha order. It's easy to just scan for the brands you love and see what they have.
The "Freebies" page. See what free samples they have. Keep in mind that just because a sample was listed yesterday doesn't mean the sample isn't still available today.
The "Couponing 101" tips. It explains how to become an "extreme couponer." I don't really want to go all extreme (multiple trips to multiple stores in a week just aren't practical for me when I can barely afford to ride SEPTA to my required doctor appointments!) right now, nor are multiple newspaper subscriptions, but I can understand the theory of it. And some of the tips make a lot of sense. I'm even implemented some of the them. Coupon stacking FTW ("stacking" is using a manufacturer's coupon and a store coupon on the same item, which most stores allow - bonus if you do it when the item is on sale!)
And the "Store" links. They have separate links for Target and CVS, which are handy for me since I frequent those stores often. They'll show you what each stores have on sale, deals there, coupons you can use there, and what the final price for an item breaks down to after the coupon, sale price, etc.
Also, my first trip to the store and Target after I used a crapload of coupons and saw how much I saved...? Omg - I think I actually got a bit of an adrenaline rush! (No, seriously - don't worry; I'm not turning into one of THOSE people!)
01 February 2011
My Most Excellent Pharmacist
Many of you have heard me talk about my excellent health care physicians. And some of you have heard me talk about how awesome my former pharmacist Jeffrey was. Jeffrey had hired Joshua several years ago, and now that Jeffrey has left, Joshua is now the pharm manager and he has followed in Jeffrey's most excellent footsteps as far as customer service skills. It probably won't come as any great surprise that Joshua and I have gotten to know each other pretty well over the years, given the number of health issues that I have.
After yesterday's doctor visit, I headed straight to CVS to pick up my prescriptions. My doctor's office send prescriptions electronically to cooperating pharmacies, so I knew that (in theory, at least) there was a chance that the scripts could be ready by the time I walked there. I got there, picked out a few supplies I needed and headed to the pharmacy. The pharm tech looked for my things (yes, ALL of the pharm staff know me by name), but didn't find anything. I told her that it was just called in (I still use the "old school" term), so it was fine if it wasn't ready yet. She checked and couldn't find it. She checked with Joshua, and he didn't have it. But I heard him say, "When I'm off the phone, I'll check the voice mail."
I sat with my BlackBerry (I didn't feel like pulling out my book) and Joshua came over and said, "Min? What exactly is it that I'm supposed to have for you?" I told him the two scripts, and I said, "But it's not phone; it should be fax." He said, "Gotcha." Not more than ten seconds later, he came back with a piece of paper, and whispered, "Just give me a few minutes to get this done for you."
Then I remembered that the NP had said that the cough syrup was "really nasty tasting." So I got up. "Hey, Joshua?" "Yeah?" "I was told that the syrup tastes awful." "Really? Uh... okaaaaay." "Oh, really? It's not that bad?" "Nope. Not really." "Oh, okay. 'Cause I was just going to ask you to do some magic to it to make it NOT taste as bad." "How about you eat some candy after you take it?" "Works for me! Thanks!"
About ten minutes after that, I had my meds in hand and was being rung up. I had another question for him about one of my other meds that I'm supposed to take "with dinner," but since all this started, I haven't really been eating, so he gave me some advice on that, too.
Overall, he's pretty awesome. No matter how busy he is, he takes the time to answer questions, ask how you're doing, make sure you understand your med changes, etc. He listened to my concerns about his tie selection (seriously - that tie was NOT appropriate for post-Labour Day wear), and he gave me advice for what to watch when I was couch-bound for three weeks in row ("The Office" - U.S. version). Also, when the receipt pops out the random survey for you to take, he'll give you free candy. But it's not a bribe. It's just an advance. You know, for your time for filling out the survey. :)
After yesterday's doctor visit, I headed straight to CVS to pick up my prescriptions. My doctor's office send prescriptions electronically to cooperating pharmacies, so I knew that (in theory, at least) there was a chance that the scripts could be ready by the time I walked there. I got there, picked out a few supplies I needed and headed to the pharmacy. The pharm tech looked for my things (yes, ALL of the pharm staff know me by name), but didn't find anything. I told her that it was just called in (I still use the "old school" term), so it was fine if it wasn't ready yet. She checked and couldn't find it. She checked with Joshua, and he didn't have it. But I heard him say, "When I'm off the phone, I'll check the voice mail."
I sat with my BlackBerry (I didn't feel like pulling out my book) and Joshua came over and said, "Min? What exactly is it that I'm supposed to have for you?" I told him the two scripts, and I said, "But it's not phone; it should be fax." He said, "Gotcha." Not more than ten seconds later, he came back with a piece of paper, and whispered, "Just give me a few minutes to get this done for you."
Then I remembered that the NP had said that the cough syrup was "really nasty tasting." So I got up. "Hey, Joshua?" "Yeah?" "I was told that the syrup tastes awful." "Really? Uh... okaaaaay." "Oh, really? It's not that bad?" "Nope. Not really." "Oh, okay. 'Cause I was just going to ask you to do some magic to it to make it NOT taste as bad." "How about you eat some candy after you take it?" "Works for me! Thanks!"
About ten minutes after that, I had my meds in hand and was being rung up. I had another question for him about one of my other meds that I'm supposed to take "with dinner," but since all this started, I haven't really been eating, so he gave me some advice on that, too.
Overall, he's pretty awesome. No matter how busy he is, he takes the time to answer questions, ask how you're doing, make sure you understand your med changes, etc. He listened to my concerns about his tie selection (seriously - that tie was NOT appropriate for post-Labour Day wear), and he gave me advice for what to watch when I was couch-bound for three weeks in row ("The Office" - U.S. version). Also, when the receipt pops out the random survey for you to take, he'll give you free candy. But it's not a bribe. It's just an advance. You know, for your time for filling out the survey. :)
08 January 2011
One of these things is not like the other
Mom and I went to Hancock Fabrics when I was in Missouri to look for patterns, in case there was anything there I wanted to sew up. They had McCall's patterns on sale for $1.99, but there was nothing that sparked my interest. Mom found some doll patterns she wanted for her inventory and she needed some interfacing.
We went to check out and we were using a 40% off coupon from Jo-Ann, which we could use at Hancock since they honour competitor's coupons. The woman rang up the order and told Mom the total was $21 (and change). Mom asked her if she had scanned the coupon. She then did so and said, "Your new total is thirty-one dollars." Uhh....
Mom said, "How could a discount coupon make my total go up?" The lady told her it didn't. Mom said, "But you just said my total was twenty-one dollars, then you rang up my coupon, and then you said my total was thirty-one dollars."
The woman then pointed to the small thing on the counter that you slide your credit/debit card into and said, "You can't always go by that. You have to watch this here." Then she points to the cash register monitor. Um... aren't they connected, though? At this point, Mom and I both say, "But you TOLD US the total was twenty-one dollars."
"I DID NOT!"
Mom gives me her "Am I nuts?" look. Just then, the woman at the next register (the two cashier stand back-to-back) asks, "Is there a problem?" Mom tells her the issue, and the woman comes over to look at it. Mom tells her that if it'll help, she'll just take the coupon back because at this rate, she really can't afford to use it anyway. I walk away before I die laughing. They get it straightened out, and we leave. The woman never would admit that she ever did tell us the total was $21.
A few days later, Mom and I went to Kohl's because she needed to take something back. While we were there, I bought three pairs of pants (a pair of jeans and two works pants - yeah, I being optimistic) that were on clearance. We checked out around 8:30 p.m. By the time we got home, let the dogs out, and Mom fired up the computer to check her email about half an hour later, there was a 20% coupon for Kohl's starting the next day. The coupon was good for anything in the store, including clearance items.
We went back the next day with the pants, the receipt, and the coupon to see if I could get my 20% back. We explained the situation to the customer service representative working the counter, she processed my refund, gave me cash back (yes, actual cold, hard, cash!), and gave us our coupon back so we could continue to shop in the shop in the store with it. When Mom asked if she needed to mark our bag since we were going to browse in the store, she looked at us and said, "Oh - you brought the merchandise back with you? In the future, you don't need to do that. Just bring your receipt in. That will be plenty fine, ma'am."
When we were in line to check out (they have one main line and then you go to the first available cashier), Mom asked the woman behind us if she had a 20% coupon. She didn't, so Mom gave her one of ours. When we got there to check out, I checked out first and used the remaining coupon. Then I gave the coupon to Mom to use. And the cashier (1) didn't even care that we were recycling a coupon, (2) actually knew how to ring up a 20% discount both times, and (3) let us take the coupon with us since it was still good for a few more days.
Now THAT's customer service.
We went to check out and we were using a 40% off coupon from Jo-Ann, which we could use at Hancock since they honour competitor's coupons. The woman rang up the order and told Mom the total was $21 (and change). Mom asked her if she had scanned the coupon. She then did so and said, "Your new total is thirty-one dollars." Uhh....
Mom said, "How could a discount coupon make my total go up?" The lady told her it didn't. Mom said, "But you just said my total was twenty-one dollars, then you rang up my coupon, and then you said my total was thirty-one dollars."
The woman then pointed to the small thing on the counter that you slide your credit/debit card into and said, "You can't always go by that. You have to watch this here." Then she points to the cash register monitor. Um... aren't they connected, though? At this point, Mom and I both say, "But you TOLD US the total was twenty-one dollars."
"I DID NOT!"
Mom gives me her "Am I nuts?" look. Just then, the woman at the next register (the two cashier stand back-to-back) asks, "Is there a problem?" Mom tells her the issue, and the woman comes over to look at it. Mom tells her that if it'll help, she'll just take the coupon back because at this rate, she really can't afford to use it anyway. I walk away before I die laughing. They get it straightened out, and we leave. The woman never would admit that she ever did tell us the total was $21.
A few days later, Mom and I went to Kohl's because she needed to take something back. While we were there, I bought three pairs of pants (a pair of jeans and two works pants - yeah, I being optimistic) that were on clearance. We checked out around 8:30 p.m. By the time we got home, let the dogs out, and Mom fired up the computer to check her email about half an hour later, there was a 20% coupon for Kohl's starting the next day. The coupon was good for anything in the store, including clearance items.
We went back the next day with the pants, the receipt, and the coupon to see if I could get my 20% back. We explained the situation to the customer service representative working the counter, she processed my refund, gave me cash back (yes, actual cold, hard, cash!), and gave us our coupon back so we could continue to shop in the shop in the store with it. When Mom asked if she needed to mark our bag since we were going to browse in the store, she looked at us and said, "Oh - you brought the merchandise back with you? In the future, you don't need to do that. Just bring your receipt in. That will be plenty fine, ma'am."
When we were in line to check out (they have one main line and then you go to the first available cashier), Mom asked the woman behind us if she had a 20% coupon. She didn't, so Mom gave her one of ours. When we got there to check out, I checked out first and used the remaining coupon. Then I gave the coupon to Mom to use. And the cashier (1) didn't even care that we were recycling a coupon, (2) actually knew how to ring up a 20% discount both times, and (3) let us take the coupon with us since it was still good for a few more days.
Now THAT's customer service.
26 April 2009
Some PSAs
First, the American Family Association has started a boycott against Pepsi.
Their flyer reads:
Boycott Pepsi
Company becomes major backer of homosexual agenda with $1,000,000 in gifts to gay groups
• American Family Association asked Pepsi to be neutral in the culture war and not support the homosexual agenda. Pepsi refused and plans to continue giving major financial support to homosexual organizations. In the last two years, Pepsi has given $500,000 to Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and another $500,000 to the Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). The total of $1,000,000 was used to help promote homosexuality in the workplace.
• HRC and PFLAG were major supporters of efforts to defeat Proposition 8 in California, which defined marriage as being between a man and a woman. HRC gave $2.3 million to the effort to defeat Prop 8.
• Pepsi forces all employees to attend sexual orientation and gender identity diversity training where they are taught to accept homosexuality.
• Pepsi’s products include Pepsi soft drinks (914-253-2000 or 1-800-433-2652), Frito-Lay chips (800-352-4477), Quaker Oatmeal (800-367-6287), Tropicana (800-237-7799) and Gatorade (800-884-2867).
It's my personal plan to start buying and consuming as much PepsiCo product as possible, as soon as possible.
*****************************************************
For you "Survivor" fans, you know that Brendan is working on his newest project, Evol Burritos. Go here to get a coupon for a free Evol Burrito. This offer is good until the current season of Survivor ends, or until Coach gets voted off.
Their flyer reads:
Boycott Pepsi
Company becomes major backer of homosexual agenda with $1,000,000 in gifts to gay groups
• American Family Association asked Pepsi to be neutral in the culture war and not support the homosexual agenda. Pepsi refused and plans to continue giving major financial support to homosexual organizations. In the last two years, Pepsi has given $500,000 to Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and another $500,000 to the Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). The total of $1,000,000 was used to help promote homosexuality in the workplace.
• HRC and PFLAG were major supporters of efforts to defeat Proposition 8 in California, which defined marriage as being between a man and a woman. HRC gave $2.3 million to the effort to defeat Prop 8.
• Pepsi forces all employees to attend sexual orientation and gender identity diversity training where they are taught to accept homosexuality.
• Pepsi’s products include Pepsi soft drinks (914-253-2000 or 1-800-433-2652), Frito-Lay chips (800-352-4477), Quaker Oatmeal (800-367-6287), Tropicana (800-237-7799) and Gatorade (800-884-2867).
It's my personal plan to start buying and consuming as much PepsiCo product as possible, as soon as possible.
*****************************************************
For you "Survivor" fans, you know that Brendan is working on his newest project, Evol Burritos. Go here to get a coupon for a free Evol Burrito. This offer is good until the current season of Survivor ends, or until Coach gets voted off.
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