Trade Secrets: Dufferin Mall, Toronto, Ontario: letter sent to Corporate office

[Horrible Customer Service]

I am writing to you and documentingthe negativeand ultimate unprofessional experience I had at one of your locations.

On Thursday December 6, 2012 at approx. 3 pm, I attended a Trade Secrets location at the Dufferin Mall in Toronto. I was there to return a product (Redken Shampoo) that I had purchased on November 28th at the Vaughan Mills location. I had called the Vaughan Mills location and the Dufferin Mall location on the morning of December 6th to see if I can in fact return the item and they indicated that it was possible, however, only a store credit can be issued. Which I agreed.


I made a special trip to the store at Dufferin Mall and met a man behind the cash register (named Leo, was told he was co-owner of that location) and produced my receiptand requested my original receipt back as I had another item on it. Leo rudely (through verbal and body language) said "NO" I need to keep this. I clearly and concisely indicated to him that I will require my receipt back and that all reputable business' will not deprive me of this. I also stated to him that even though I do not need to explain my needs to him and that I require my receipt for various reasons: 1) For my business expense (afterall, I wasn't looking for a refund, all I was after was a credit, therefore, the value was still paid by me in full). 2) accounting purposes for my statement of my debit/visa. Afterall, a CUSTOMER needing to explain herself why she requires her receipt to an establishment is clearly PREPOSTEROUS!


I asked for a manager/supervisor, Leo indicated to me that they are not in. Leo offensively threw me a pen and said "write down your phone number". I asked him what he needs it for if he will not return my receipt. This is when I became very very irate.

At this instant I cleary was being harassed. How can a store worker ABUSE a customer in such a manner for a very reasonable request that I had and in fact, other reputable organizations have a system which returns the original receiptand they, in turn, keep a photocopy for themselves if required.


At this point, I called your head office, which was not any better. This is probably why the stores have such bad service.

The first lady I spoke to claimed her name was Valerie, then I asked to speak to someone higher, only 1/2 a second later another girl is on the phone who claimed her name was Tammy. She stated to me that I cannot return the shampoo and that I purchased it on November 28, why am I returning it now. "(November 28 to December 6 is only 8 days. Your policy of 14 days has not been exceeded I said to her)". She then hung up the phone on me and before that she told me to give her my number that she will call me back later. Perhaps these are bogus names, Not very Professional !!


Leo now left the front desk and went to cut someone's hair. The ladies in the store tried to help me and clearly they saw my point, but they said it was Leo's decision, as he was a Co-Owner(!!). Now again there is a theme of misrepresentation here and very evident this business is not run very professionally.

After looking to see if any terms and conditions of any kind were clearly posted in your store, I asked the staff this question:
"If a customer came in an purchased five curling irons, and then returned one of them for a store credit, would you be taking the receipt from them?" They shrugged their shoulders and had no response.
I don't know how ethical and legal that is when if in the case of my example with the curling irons, isn't a receipt also required for warranty purposes, business purposes, etc, etc??


The ladies went to make a photocopy of my receipt and I asked, I hope I am not waiting again to have him deny this request. Well, low and behold, he came out from the backroom and he said, "I WILL NOT ASSIST YOU CAUSE YOU SWORE AT ME".

NOW, he has unleashed some trouble. I clearly stated to him that I will be contacting Primaris and will be communicating this outlandish situation and experience to various organizations and people, including my blog and twitter. This will be making a great account for a newspaper and magazine article.

Next, I went to the landlord, Primaris office and explained this to the Guest Services Supervisor, Shendah. She took my parcel and receipt and went to the store to get my credit. I still did not get back my original receipt, only a bad photocopy.



To add insult to injury there is a bold stamp on this credit note that it is only redeemable at Dufferin Mall. I don't think this is accurate as if I can return an item to any of the Trade Secrets, I should be able to redeem the store credit at any Trade Secrets.



As previously mentioned I entered the store at 3 pm, at 4:15 pm I was at the management office, which means I spent in excess of one (1) hour being treated poorly. The staff at this store must be really stressed out to be working for such an ogre (Leo).


I have given my name with partial last name and my phone number and do feel I should not have provided this information especially how this incident escalated and hopefully will not be harassed further by that co-owner.



I make approx. $225 per hour and my time is very precious to me as well as my livelihood. I visited the Dufferin Mall only to go to Trade Secrets as this store was the most convenient on that day to do one task which should take no more than 10 minutes, only to encounter some really bad service, a horrible experience and to feel harassed and abused. I missed an important work appointment, of course which cost me the loss of that client therefore, will not be compensated. This is not an incident that I will forget nor ignore.


I would like to give the corporate office an opportunity to make a good decision here.

Regards,

[Horrible Customer Service]

Hell hath no fury like a customer scorned

[nicolthepickle]

*edit* Ouch, they did treat you very badly. They should just be helpful. Maybe you should have stated what remuneration you are looking for from the store. Are you looking for a formal written apology, you receipt returned, another product?

[ottawa]

i guess its all about perception. im sorry you had a bad experience.....my personal opinion is the cashier<s are probably posting their own rant.


ah christmas time, what a wonderful time

[filza]

Dear horrible customer service,
I am sorry that you had to go through this,But I dont think you should write down names with locations.
Also If this is me,I wont be expecting the big usual department stores regulations (like returning the original reciepts ) while going to a small buisness.

[newbiesaver]

Although I think it was reasonable of you to ask for your original receipt back (I always get mine back along with the return receipt stapled to it and the original receipt marked up) I have to say, I think your response was a little over the top.

Is this a copy of your actual letter? If so, am I correct that you actually called him a "OGRE" in your letter? It makes me wonder what you actually said to him during the incident especially when he responded that you swore at him. You think he abused you? I would say the same to you. Also, what the heck does making $225/hr have ANYTHING to do with the treatment you received as a customer? If I made $10 an hour, does that make me less deserving of attention from head office? Does that make my time less worthy? I absolutely hate when people bring what they do or who they are into the equation. We are all customers...no one should be treated better or worse because of who they are.

I'm sorry but although I do not agree with his conduct, I wholeheartedly do not agree with yours either.

[CrazyQT]

Couldn't agree more, newbiesaver. Word for word!

[SarahS83]

I'm all for personl responsibility. They didn't make you do anything and certainly they didn't make you miss an important meeting. You chose to prioritise this over your meeting. I'm not surprised you lost a client

[Gigi88]

I know Leo for more than 10 years and he is nothing but a decent and honest man. The horrible customer that you are probably sent him to the back, especially if you swore at him. Just because you are the customer it does not justify you to walk in to the store and change their policies, learn some respect and manners; it goes very far these days believe me.

[matt5225]

I love it when so called "management" doesn't know how deal with a simple matter. Maybe 'Leo' shouldn't be in business.

[DianneS]

I love it when so called "management" doesn't know how deal with a simple matter. Maybe 'Leo' shouldn't be in business.

and perhaps it may be assumed that someone whose username is "HorribleCustomerService" may not be the most objective shopper.

[LisaLisaBoBisa]

This is a funny thread.. The person who said they "know him" and he is great has 1 post and the OP has only 2..

Trade Secrets in Dufferin Mall is to be avoided at ALLLLLLL costs.. Do not shop there - ever. It is the usual mall I shop at as it is 5 minutes from home and other things.. I haven't shopped there in 10 years after horrible service myself - they just don't seem to give a crap. They have a small area in the back for hairstyling etc - and their salon products all well overpriced. Because this store has been in the mall for ages it is still using the "old" Dufferin Mall style service that existed before the larger stores came in - things like NO REFUNDS, ONLY STORE CREDIT with receipt.. ??? Next day or 2 weeks later same thing.. I believe the OP likely encountered the co-owner and I completely believe he would have been beyond rude. While he/she may not have responded well I still think that unless you've been in that scenario where the person working in a store is shockingly rude to you with no care for your business at all (or their job) it's hard to say how you'd react. Stores like these that are on their way out of dufferin mall are the reason that mall is still a bit of a laughing stock even though it's changed a bunch in the last 10-15 years.. Again, do not shop there. Go to the salon beside EB Games - wonderful ladies there.

[canadianhockeymom]

I asked for a manager/supervisor, Leo indicated to me that they are not in. Leo offensively threw me a pen and said "write down your phone number". I asked him what he needs it for if he will not return my receipt. This is when I became very very irate.


At this instant I cleary was being harassed. How can a store worker ABUSE a customer in such a manner for a very reasonable request that I had and in fact, other reputable organizations have a system which returns the original receiptand they, in turn, keep a photocopy for themselves if required.


At this point, I called your head office, which was not any better. This is probably why the stores have such bad service.

The first lady I spoke to claimed her name was Valerie, then I asked to speak to someone higher, only 1/2 a second later another girl is on the phone who claimed her name was Tammy. She stated to me that I cannot return the shampoo and that I purchased it on November 28, why am I returning it now. "(November 28 to December 6 is only 8 days. Your policy of 14 days has not been exceeded I said to her)". She then hung up the phone on me and before that she told me to give her my number that she will call me back later. Perhaps these are bogus names, Not very Professional !!


Leo now left the front desk and went to cut someone's hair. The ladies in the store tried to help me and clearly they saw my point, but they said it was Leo's decision, as he was a Co-Owner(!!). Now again there is a theme of misrepresentation here and very evident this business is not run very professionally.

After looking to see if any terms and conditions of any kind were clearly posted in your store, I asked the staff this question:
"If a customer came in an purchased five curling irons, and then returned one of them for a store credit, would you be taking the receipt from them?" They shrugged their shoulders and had no response.
I don't know how ethical and legal that is when if in the case of my example with the curling irons, isn't a receipt also required for warranty purposes, business purposes, etc, etc??


The ladies went to make a photocopy of my receipt and I asked, I hope I am not waiting again to have him deny this request. Well, low and behold, he came out from the backroom and he said, "I WILL NOT ASSIST YOU CAUSE YOU SWORE AT ME".

NOW, he has unleashed some trouble. I clearly stated to him that I will be contacting Primaris and will be communicating this outlandish situation and experience to various organizations and people, including my blog and twitter. This will be making a great account for a newspaper and magazine article.

Next, I went to the landlord, Primaris office and explained this to the Guest Services Supervisor, Shendah. She took my parcel and receipt and went to the store to get my credit. I still did not get back my original receipt, only a bad photocopy.



To add insult to injury there is a bold stamp on this credit note that it is only redeemable at Dufferin Mall. I don't think this is accurate as if I can return an item to any of the Trade Secrets, I should be able to redeem the store credit at any Trade Secrets.



As previously mentioned I entered the store at 3 pm, at 4:15 pm I was at the management office, which means I spent in excess of one (1) hour being treated poorly. The staff at this store must be really stressed out to be working for such an ogre (Leo).


I have given my name with partial last name and my phone number and do feel I should not have provided this information especially how this incident escalated and hopefully will not be harassed further by that co-owner.



I make approx. $225 per hour and my time is very precious to me as well as my livelihood. I visited the Dufferin Mall only to go to Trade Secrets as this store was the most convenient on that day to do one task which should take no more than 10 minutes, only to encounter some really bad service, a horrible experience and to feel harassed and abused. I missed an important work appointment, of course which cost me the loss of that client therefore, will not be compensated. This is not an incident that I will forget nor ignore.


I would like to give the corporate office an opportunity to make a good decision here.

Regards,

Did he actually throw the pen at you? or slide it across the counter toward you? There is a big difference! Did he scar you for life?
As you quote, you became very very irate (which is a strong word) so is it possible that you were rude through verbal and body language as well? Were you harassing?

Were you possibly abusive towards the ladies, who only work there? The ladies shrugging their shoulders in response to your possible abusive, possibly threatening behaviour, does not mean it was unethical or illegal, so I do not understand how you can bring that up and what exactly do you mean by a theme of misrepresentation when the ladies were only doing what they are trained or told to do? It certainly is not their fault. Trying to pit them against their boss is not very ethical considering it could possibly put their job in jeopardy, and this situation has NOTHING to do with them.

He unleashed trouble? I also believe you did as well though and perhaps need to take some responsibility in this matter, as your actions were clearly not mature either. Perhaps re-evaluating your own behaviour would be a good idea, as you cannot blame his action for your reaction. Do you know the meaning of harassment? i believe it is you harassing, and defaming, and slandering by blogging names, and all specifics.

Read: Defamation is comprised of two subcategories between libel and slander, which are discussed below.


1. Libel


The first portion of the Act deals with libel. Section 2 of the Act states that "defamatory words in a newspaper or in a broadcast shall be deemed to be published and to constitute libel". Given the nature of editorial and opinion pieces, many defamation actions for libel are focused on newspaper articles which are alleged to have disparaged, directly or indirectly, the subject of the article. In short, libel refers to written defamatory statements.


Perhaps you need to take responsibility for your own actions, you chose to stay and miss your appt, therefore it was very unprofessional of you, causing your client to miss the appt because of your own behaviour.




Even this letter you wrote, sounds threatening since as you say.. this is an incident you will not forget or ignore. In my opinion i feel you expect to be compensated well above and beyond the original cost and have a feeling, by your wording, that this is not the first nor last time, you have done this. This is only my opinion though.


did he scar you for life? time is precious to everyone, what about your client you dissed in order to go to the landlord..you chose to do this and maybe your client feels the same about you and will blog about your behaviour..this sounds like a vendetta/rage not a rant.




Do you perhaps feel entitled because you of your wages, well it doesnt mean you deserve or qualify for special treatment. What about your client's wages, should they be compensated? What about the guest services supervisor, maybe she feels harassed, and abused as well by you.

Is it possible you went overboard reguarding a receipt? I cannot imagine how you would react in a serious, more important issue. This is only my humble opinion, but you seem to possibly be full of rage, anger, and have more serious issues than a receipt and wish you all the best.

[SavvyLady]

I was behind you for your first paragraph then you lost me, the tone of your letter was very rude and harsh, if that's the way you write I can only image how you spoke to these people. If you make $225 an hour you should not have made a big deal over a $20.00 bottle of shampoo, if you didn't like it you could have given it to a friend or neighbour. You wasted your gas, time and you're still obsessing about it! You also mentioned that you can write it off with your business, so really I don't see the big deal.. I'm not saying people who make money shouldn't still save and watch their money, but this seemed a little over the top!!

[MillieH]

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