CS , you mad?

[mcon]

what is it with some customer service people?
save-on-foods some woman doesnt like me because i stack
same with london drugs, theres 1 woman who is nice, but theres also 1 that doesnt like me(comments about people abusing coupon stacks while im standing there with 2 stacks....)
, and she was there today when i went to go stack for some advil

so i go up she says to me "last time you were in here and stacked, the coupons you used were not stackable, i read them after you left and they said cant be used with other coupons, i got in trouble for it"

but when in FACT i know the last time i stacked with her they were all same advil coupons i was using today
so she is just standing there lying to me......i advise her that the last time i was in there it was also for advil, yet she refuses to admit she was wrong..... she just starts with the "ive been a cashier for 10 years...".......i just gave up and said "ok" and stood there until she goes "but ill just do this for you" and takes my coupons.

what was the point of lying to me? trying to embarass me or something?

so i pose the question again, what is it with some customer service people?

[DianneS]

I agree. My mom got reamed out by a SOF cashier this week for trying to stack some yogurt coupons. She was mortified. The stacks she was using were correct but the clerk insisted you are never ever allowed to use more than one coupon per product and absolutely refused to call customer service despite my mom's requests. I am going to be popping in at that SOF next week and asking for the manager. Save-on has been allowing stacking for long enough that their cashiers can reasonably be expected to be familiar with their policy. If they are not, then they should call the CS desk. If they don't like the fact that people stack then they should take it up with management....not take it out on the customer.

When I coupon, I can deal with misinformed clerks. Mom my is 80 years old and she was repeatedly berated by the cashier while a line-up of people stood behind her. I told her she should have left everything on the belt and walked out of the store. I also told her to let me do her couponing for her in the future. What really annoys me is that she was stacking at a SOF location where I have stacked on numerous occasions. She wanted to save $2.50 on two cartons of yogurt...the rest of her $50 worth of groceries were coupon-free.

[thriftygranny]

I agree. My mom got reamed out by a SOF cashier this week for trying to stack some yogurt coupons. She was mortified. The stacks she was using were correct but the clerk insisted you are never ever allowed to use more than one coupon per product and absolutely refused to call customer service despite my mom's requests. I am going to be popping in at that SOF next week and asking for the manager. Save-on has been allowing stacking for long enough that their cashiers can reasonably be expected to be familiar with their policy. If they are not, then they should call the CS desk. If they don't like the fact that people stack then they should take it up with management....not take it out on the customer.

When I coupon, I can deal with misinformed clerks. Mom my is 80 years old and she was repeatedly berated by the cashier while a line-up of people stood behind her. I told her she should have left everything on the belt and walked out of the store. I also told her to let me do her couponing for her in the future. What really annoys me is that she was stacking at a SOF location where I have stacked on numerous occasions. She wanted to save $2.50 on two cartons of yogurt...the rest of her $50 worth of groceries were coupon-free.

What a shame, your poor Mother.I think some cashiers just enjoy being demeaning.I can pick up that vibe as soon as the transaction starts.I have shopped at my neighborhood Sobeys for almost 30 years and they have a newer cashier that comments on my coupon use every time I go even if I am just buying milk and not using coupons.On Thursday she stated quite loudly, oh great here is the coupon lady, whoever is cashing out tonight will have fun adding up all her coupons, glad it's not me.I was so embarrassed but I just smiled and told her how sorry I was she had a difficult time with addition.I used 6 coupons on a 100.00 shop, how hard is it.I love my neighborhood Sobeys and the new owner is a gem but I think I have to move my loyalty elsewhere or have a talk with the owner.
I think it is fantastic your mom is out couponing at 80 years old, that is so sweet.

[mcon]

I agree. My mom got reamed out by a SOF cashier this week for trying to stack some yogurt coupons. She was mortified. The stacks she was using were correct but the clerk insisted you are never ever allowed to use more than one coupon per product and absolutely refused to call customer service despite my mom's requests. I am going to be popping in at that SOF next week and asking for the manager. Save-on has been allowing stacking for long enough that their cashiers can reasonably be expected to be familiar with their policy. If they are not, then they should call the CS desk. If they don't like the fact that people stack then they should take it up with management....not take it out on the customer.

When I coupon, I can deal with misinformed clerks. Mom my is 80 years old and she was repeatedly berated by the cashier while a line-up of people stood behind her. I told her she should have left everything on the belt and walked out of the store. I also told her to let me do her couponing for her in the future. What really annoys me is that she was stacking at a SOF location where I have stacked on numerous occasions. She wanted to save $2.50 on two cartons of yogurt...the rest of her $50 worth of groceries were coupon-free.

oh, it wasnt even that she was confused about policy , she literally lied to my face saying that i had used coupons that said "cant be used with other coupons"

i do stacks in different piles
if its one item, ill go london drugs because they only price match 1 item

next pile is for pricesmart (mine is right beside LD) . if its more than 1 item since they will pricematch more then 1.

and then save-on-foods since then will stack any coupons except p&g.

and the coupons i use at LD or pricesmart, i read, then reread to make sure they can stack there.....

so i just dont understand why she would lie to my face.

[c_mcarthur]

Not that I condone her attitude, but perhaps she was having a bad day?
I've worked in the CS field for the past 9 years and while I try not to let family or home issues bother me while I'm at work sometimes annoyance creeps through.
Especially when people are RUDE to me in the first place.
Now i'm definitely not referring to you at all in my examples, I just wanted to let you know how is it on this side of the fence.

Example, yesterday I was at work, working on a project and people just walk up and start talking to me asking questions, no hello how are you. no excuse me could you help me, just WHERE IS THIS... HOW MUCH IS THIS.

Common courtesy is a two way street.

[kellyanna_99]

Not that I condone her attitude, but perhaps she was having a bad day?
I've worked in the CS field for the past 9 years and while I try not to let family or home issues bother me while I'm at work sometimes annoyance creeps through.
Especially when people are RUDE to me in the first place.
Now i'm definitely not referring to you at all in my examples, I just wanted to let you know how is it on this side of the fence.

Example, yesterday I was at work, working on a project and people just walk up and start talking to me asking questions, no hello how are you. no excuse me could you help me, just WHERE IS THIS... HOW MUCH IS THIS.

Common courtesy is a two way street.

That is true. I was having trouble with a transaction one day, was rushing, had a 4 year old with who decided to turn that moment into brat city and my 6 year with asperger's decided to totally lose it in a meltdown, and it felt like the cashier was being rude. I think she was , but I certainly wasn't at my best either. And two kids in full on meltdown, really improved neither one of our moods. I left in a huff (sort of, I think). I felt really bad, so I hauled my kids back out of the carseats, and went back in and apologized not for being wrong (still believe I was right about the coupon) but for being rude. She was very sincere in accepting and apologized as well. Being or feeling right, didn't give me the right to be rude.

This cashier has now been a huge help with coupons now. She is thorough and careful, but as long as my coupons are good (which they almost always are) for the products, she is great at processing my order.

I couldn't do CS. I did 6 months as a cashier at Home Depot in university 20 years ago, and it was the worst job experience. People can be crazy, rude, all kinds of things. You're not paid much, and the bosses expect perfection, under very difficult circumstances. I lasted 4 months.

Sorry you had a hard time OP. Just giving the other side. Bad days affect everyone, and it can creep in on any job, to some degree, at times.

[mcon]

it was not a bad day, she is rude EVERY time shes there and i stack coupons
the woman in front of me she chatted to and gave a little hug as they left and were joking around

itll be slowest day on earth, im only one in the store, and she is rude about it
and whether its a bad day or not, thats no reason to stand there and lie to me about what i did before.

one time i go in she says " i phoned a bunch of these companies, they said they dont like stacking, they are going to stop it" as im about to stack..and thats with no conversation, she just starts talking as i stand there waiting to pay...trying to get a shot in at me or something? just thinking to myself, "sure you did lady"


also i notice you bring up me being rude to her, when if you read you will notice as soon as i got to counter, she was the one that accused me of use non-stackable coupons before......other then that i replied with "i check my coupons before i come in"

[c_mcarthur]

also i notice you bring up me being rude to her, when if you read you will notice as soon as i got to counter, she was the one that accused me of use non-stackable coupons before......other then that i replied with "i check my coupons before i come in"

actually if you read my post you would have seen this

Now i'm definitely not referring to you at all in my examples,

[MillieH]

I don't understand why its ok for staff to be rude.. they are paid to do the job.. if they can't do it properly they shouldn't be there...Sometimes when we work in customer service we have to 'act as if' . I don't care if staff are friendly.. I am quiet and respectful and I do expect them to be respectful and do their job properly.. thats what their employers expect and it is what they are getting paid for.

[Darth Penguin]

I don't understand why its ok for staff to be rude.. they are paid to do the job.. if they can't do it properly they shouldn't be there...Sometimes when we work in customer service we have to 'act as if' . I don't care if staff are friendly.. I am quiet and respectful and I do expect them to be respectful and do their job properly.. thats what their employers expect and it is what they are getting paid for.

Sadly...I've seen far too many customers act like a$$h0les in the past 30 yrs than I have seen cashiers/CSstaff act in the same way on both sides of the Atlantic..

Frontline staff have to balance the store's poilcies against customer expectations and generally end up up not helping either side due to not being trained enough or having the ability to change the policy...
Once a rather strident customer makes a huge fuss and the manager backs down..then we get the whole"Customer is always right"..rather than a more considered case by case methodology based on emperical evidence..

[MillieH]

That balancing is part of their job, it doesn't justify them being rude, even to the A$$holes. Sometimes they start treating all customers as though they are the problem. If the person isn't able to handle the challenges of that particular job, they need to work in a different department, stocking shelves etc.. Maybe they need a different career path where they don't interact directly with people.

When staff can't control their feelings and treat customers rudely, they need to be transferred or let go. They've become a liability to the store.

Sadly...I've seen far too many customers act like a$$h0les in the past 30 yrs than I have seen cashiers/CSstaff act in the same way on both sides of the Atlantic..

Frontline staff have to balance the store's poilcies against customer expectations and generally end up up not helping either side due to not being trained enough or having the ability to change the policy...
Once a rather strident customer makes a huge fuss and the manager backs down..then we get the whole"Customer is always right"..rather than a more considered case by case methodology based on emperical evidence..

[mcon]

i shot off a complaint email to london drugs, got the generic "we will reveiw it, maybe the location will undergo more training" etc etc yeah right :D

[--Becks--]

I haven't encountered unprofessional, bad attitudes at LD or SOF. Talk to the manager!

[tjthemanto]

Sadly...I've seen far too many customers act like a$$h0les in the past 30 yrs than I have seen cashiers/CSstaff act in the same way on both sides of the Atlantic..

Frontline staff have to balance the store's poilcies against customer expectations and generally end up up not helping either side due to not being trained enough or having the ability to change the policy...
Once a rather strident customer makes a huge fuss and the manager backs down..then we get the whole"Customer is always right"..rather than a more considered case by case methodology based on emperical evidence..

Yup , I also don't believe that the Customer is Always right crap ..guess what sometimes they are not and are rude , arrogant , obnoxious & scamming the system.

If they are wrong they are wrong and should be told so to prevent abuse .

If they let the customer get away with everything under the sun under " The Customer Is Always Right " , it also affects polite and decent customer's like us who don't abuse the system in terms of increased prices etc. Some people are just abusers & not customer's and " The Abuser Is Not Always Right."

Just because its a CS job that doesn't mean you lose your dignity & manners and start mouthing of at a CS person , since you know that they are helpless & their hands are tied. When I go shopping , I see this sense of entitlement far too often from fellow shoppers.

I have seen way more rude shoppers in my lifetime than retail employees , almost all the retail employees are nice to me as I am not abusing the system nor am I being impolite to them.

But if you are right and polite and the CS is still being rude then I guess they need to be taught CS skills

[Caelinsmomma]

Wow, I guess I've been really lucky! My save-on-foods cashiers are a-maz-ing when it comes to stacking, they are so polite, and always open up a separate till with an experience CS. They are so great, I don't even bother going to LD anymore.

Edmonton Oxford Save on Foods really are wonderful!

Sorry that you are having some bad experiences!