Target strikes out again!

[lisalynn47]

On Wed, Nov. 28th, I went to the Hazeldean location of Target armed with $6 off the purchase of two Glade candle coupons Target had in their flyer. My first step was to check out what was available on the shelf and current pricing. Lo and behold, they were on sale for $2.99 - my lucky day! Or so I thought. Being the prudent coupon shopper I am and using valuable advice I have picked up from SmartCanuck shoppers, I approach what looked like the cashier supervisor (a GSA in Target language or Guest Service Advisor, I think) to ask if indeed I could use these coupons to buy these candles. She said absolutely and reminded me I can only use four identical Target coupons at a time and that I could use 4 manufacturer's coupons as well (they allow you to use both at the same time...same conditions, maximum of 4 per transaction). Indeed I did have manufacturer's coupons for a BOGO on Glade coupons but in very tiny print, they say you can't combine them with any other coupons so they weren't used. So, armed with my pre-approval from the friendly GSA (name omitted here), I went shopping and returned to the cash lines to find them very long. Very quickly a new line opened and I was ushered into the line by Crystal, (only later would I find out she was the store's manager), who would serve as my 'cashier' (that was a farce as you'll see why). I joked that I was going to be complicated as I had coupons - her reply: I've never done a coupon before so I guess you'll be my first!. Oh my, I should have switched lanes at that point. I explained what I was doing and she made her 'attempt' to use the first coupon. Not being able to figure it out, she called over the GSA I had spoke to earlier to help which she did and processed the transaction. While I originally thought I had to pay the taxes on the product, the GSA informed me that because it was a Target coupon, the price comes off before taxes and therefore not even taxes had to be paid. Yippee! My 8 candles were free (my favourite word). It took a bit of time for the GSA to process the transaction as I am sure she had to override the pricing as the candles were on sale for $2.99 and the coupon worked out to $3 off per. But she did it and was trying to show Crystal how to do it and/or explain it to her. All Crystal could say was that she couldn't let 'free' product like this out of the store. If she said it once, she said it 6 times and kept trying to tell the GSA that she was doing something wrong, that this couldn't possible be this way. You can't let free product go out of the store. I calmly explained to Crystal that I had received preapproval from her GSA and that questioning her (and me) in such a public manner (by now the lines were very long and people were crowding to hear this conversation) was not good public or employee relations. The bill was zero, my product was bagged but she refused to let me out of the store with the candles. I was mystified! I told her I had received 'free' product from other stores using sale prices and coupons, in other words, being a good shopper, so this was not something new to me but she just kept saying 'I can't let you have free product'! Given all the image and quality issues Target is having with their entrance into the Canadian market, you would think she would just let $30 worth of candles leave the store and then quietly discuss the matter with her GSA in private. I asked her for the store manager and that's when I found out she WAS THE STORE MANAGER! I then asked her to give me the regional manager's name and number and she wrote her own name and number on a piece of paper. She clearly DID NOT think I would go further with this - which I did. I called the number she gave me thinking it was the regional manager but it WAS HER! I then told her she did not give me the number I asked for - again, poor service. She gave me a 1-888 number which I called and explained what had happened and was told I would be contacted very quickly as this should not have happened and the store manager was wrong about many things - most of which was in her interpretation of her own store's coupons and their use. I've given the regional guys 48 hours to contact me and since they haven't, I am posting this for everyone to see. 'Target-lite' is an apt name for them - they certainly have not lived up to their billing - and they need to hire better, more knowledgable store managers. Good luck Target, you are going to need it! Walmart is looking better and better...if you want to use coupons (and who doesn't), go to Walmart or any other store than Target. PS I had a number of people come up to me outside the store and say the manager was completely wrong, needed to go back to 'retail school' and should never had belittle either me (made me feel like I was 'stealing' somehow) nor the employee (she should have honoured what the employee had agreed to with a customer and not criticized her in public like that just because SHE could not understand how to do the transaction or how coupons work).

[anisa]

That's too bad. Obviously it was her lack of understanding that was the problem, and not Target itself.

I have had many transactions at Target, stacking coupons to get items for pennies, and even for free. Always with a smile.

I wouldn't call this a store review, rather a personal attack on the employee.

[Giving-Small]

So sorry that this happenned to you lisalynn47 - reminds me so much of couponing 3 or 4 years ago. The Manager definitely needs some training on Target's policies for couponing and more knowledge of couponing in general.

However, couponing aside, her customer service handling of this was definitely inappropriate.

[annedougherty]

I only read the first sentence of your rant. That coupon is not 6 OFF two glade candles. You PAY "$6 with coupon when you purchase two Glade candles." It is the only coupon in the booklet that does not say "OFF."

[coupon girl]

I read the coupon like that-I got 2 candles last week-the cashier rang in 6.00 off(I guess by mistake)well came on here to brag and everyone let me know I read it wrong -well I did-it is 6.00 for 2candles-so I just thought id help out with the correct wording

[lisalynn47]

For those who referenced the coupon - I too was curious why it was the only coupon that did not say 'off' in it which is why I asked the GSA to confirm what it meant. She told me that she word 'off' was missing from it. She agreed that ' $6 for two candles' that were on sale for $2.99 (or $5.98 for two) does not make sense. I would be paying more to use a coupon than the current shelf price. Again, I confirmed the coupon use prior to purchase which should have been enough. And if there was such ambiguity about the coupon, that's Target's marketing department's fault - not mine as the consumer. Clearly other Target stores used the coupon in the same way as the GSA told me I could use them.

[anisa]

I have seen other manufacturer and store coupons with the same type of promo where you are paying a set price for a product. It is quite common. It's too bad that a misunderstanding has turned into a venomous hate-on for an employee.