So Tired of Shoppers staff that don't understand optimum program!

[Panache70]

So this past Saturday was 20x points day if you spend $50.
I am in Quebec.
My total before tax was $51.88.
Cashier says, "you won't get the 20x points because you have 2 x 4L bags of milk, and milk is excluded from the promotion".
I tell her that she is incorrect, that milk only comes into play when you redeem points. You can earn points on milk in Quebec all the time, I have been doing this for years.
She insists, and also asks the cashier behind her who agrees i will not get the points.
I told her to just go ahead, and she replies "fine, don't believe me but i will not do a return / credit if you don't get the points".
I hand her 2$ of tide coupons which brings my total to $49.88.
Now she tells me that for sure I will not get 20x points because my total is below 50$.
I told her that coupons don't count when the system calculates the total.
Again, she asks the cashier behind her who agrees that if I don't spend 50$, I won't get the 20x points.
I tell them both they really need to get informed on the Optimum program, because they are giving customers incorrect information.

Anyway, the transaction goes through and I get something like 10,500 points (so the 20x points worked).
I ask her to tell me out loud how many points I received.
She was extremely annoyed and would not apologize. Insisting that cream, milk... even eggs are not supposed to qualify for points. (Never heard the eggs one before!).
She suggested that maybe the program "recently changed" and they were not told. I repeated that milk has qualified for promotions for years, and she just shrugged me off. The 2nd cashier said i should not have received the points because of the coupons, and there must be a system glitch.

Can you believe these people?
How many times do I have to educate Shopper's staff on their own program?
I am getting really fed up.
I know, I could just smile and say "no problem, I don't want the promotion" and have them process the transaction and get the promotion anyway. But it bugs me to no end that they tell customers to "buy more" to get the promo when they don't have to.

I don't have the strength to contact customer service every time, they don't really care and will just throw some points at you to shut you up.
Can someone at Shoppers in charge of the Optimum program please train these people?? Stop sending them memorandums that they do not read, you need someone to travel to the stores and train them. Do a mock transaction in the system and show them how it works with milk, coupons etc.

[torontogal12]

I do understand your frustration and I hate to sound like the bad guy, but I don't think she should have to apologize for trying to make sure that you get your points and don't leave disappointed. It is not their fault that they are not trained properly.

I'm guessing things will change when the Loblaws purchase is complete (not necessarily for the better, who knows). Sorry you had to deal with that and hope your day goes better

[Panache70]

She does have to apologize for her snooty behavior towards a customer "Fine don't believe me, I will not do a credit if you don't get your points" is not the proper attitude for a cashier, especially when she is giving out the wrong information. I can imagine a senior going to the cash and getting this info, they would probably run back and buy an extra 10$ of stuff when they did not have to.
Shopper's needs to get their act together. A customer should not have to train their staff.

[scouponer]

i have given up arguing with SDM cashiers, I don't even bother showing them my receipt anymore either not worth the effort and I am tired of being made to feel like a criminal sometimes during transactions. You would think that it is their money I am "stealing". DH spoke to Head Office over the gift card promo and they said that we can't really blame the cashiers as they are mostly parttime and only make minimum wage. Wow so they don't have to know the stores own policies and promotions and it is all right to give customers a hard time because the are ignorant of their own policies? I found that really shocking!

[thien_nga]

The store manager at my local SDM doesn't even know how to use cash register, he didn't believe I would get the points for buying SDM gift card either. So, if you know you would get points, just tell them something like "go ahead, I don't care" , really!

[Insane]

I've been lucky enough that the cashiers haven't given me attitude or argued with me. I've simply told them, it'll work don't worry. And it does. But maybe it's because I am known there! LOL

[carlyincanada]

That would be so frustrating! I only cash out at our cosmetic counter and the ladies know me well LOL so I don't have any problems. I've taught them well lol

[luckbealady]

When they tell me I haven't spent enough (after I've checked for myself), I just smile and tell them it's alright.
It's not worth my time and effort to explain that I did in fact qualify, and got my points.

It's actually even a big help when using the personalized points coupons. If they understood that I did in fact qualify for the event, they wouldn't let me use my points coupons - so I actually consider it a good thing that they don't know that coupons qualify towards the total

[suependous]

really glad you stood up for yourself! it is horrible when cashiers which represent the store are not educated and must be taught by customers...! again im really glad you told her that!

[SavvyLady]

Let me just start by saying my cashiers are great!! However, there are so many promotions, and so many stipulations that sometimes I don't know if it's all going to work at the end!! But, I do know more than the cashiers..first they didn't know you get points when you buy SDM gift cards, when the coupon says not to be combined with any offer, you have to really read these, you can't combine 2 of the same offer ex. 10x, 15x, or 20x personal e-mail cannot be combined with a 20x day...but you can combine different promotions..I recently had a coupon for $20.00 off when you spend $60.00 and it was also spend $75.00 get 18,500 pts..so I spent $95.00 used my $20.00 coupon, it come down to $75.00, cashier said you can't use 2 offers, then I handed her coupons! I also had a scop, so I had to go and get more products..anyways after everything was done I used the $20.00 coupon, plus got the 18,500 pts cashier was shocked she said I can't believe you got both offers!! I also have done the $10.00 Tim Hortons and the $10.00 SDM gc promotion with a personal e-mail get 18,500 pts when you spend $75.00 and both work ( this is one of the best promotions)... Sorry this is so long! Love SDM!!

[anisa]

If she had in fact been making an effort to make sure that you were qualifying for maximum points, then her speech to you would have been different, she would not have tried to ban you from a second transaction, and would have been pleasantly and happily surprised that the transaction did in fact work as you predicted.

she was rude and mean. boo!

[engo]

I ran into some cashiers with similar attitudes before. The worse one was when an experienced cashier training a new cashier and taught the new cashier with incorrect information about the program. At the end, he knew he was wrong by looking at my receipt but he did not educate the new cashier with the correct info.

Now, I'm "trained" by SDM that not to frustrated and just ask the cashiers to run through the transaction and let the cash register calculates the points.

On the bright side, my regular SDM store now have a very knowledgeable head cashier. It's a pleasure to shop there as I know I'm dealing with someone who knows the program well and understand that I'm trying to rack up points

[YOU AND ME]

I had that last month where the cashier said i wouldn't get the points for buying a SDM GC,she argued with me and finally i said that's OK.When she removed the receipt,i saw her sneak a peak at it,laughing i said what say you she was still arguing when i left the store lol and i got my points

[lucy2011]

The store manager at my local SDM doesn't even know how to use cash register, he didn't believe I would get the points for buying SDM gift card either. So, if you know you would get points, just tell them something like "go ahead, I don't care" , really!

You are right. just tell them some thing like "go ahead, I don't care". Some of staffs are not trained. The cashier should not be rude to customer and said "don't believe me but i will not do a return / credit if you don't get the points". It is the right for customers to return the stuff in 30 days.

[jsmile]

I say just tell the cashier to go ahead and say you dont want the points. Even if you prove the cashier wrong or teach the cashier how the program works, there is such a high turnover with cashiers that you will probably end up with another one anyways . :D