Let's talk about customer service.......

I have serious issues with people that suck at their jobs. Not only that, you know what, I don't care if you are new, or you just don't get it. If you are polite and at least attempt to be helpful I will be the most patient, understanding, and kind customer you've ever met. The minute you step over that line and are rude, unhelpful, and in general - a terrible person I will be your worst nightmare. 

I have encountered this on multiple occasions. I'm not sure if it's because I'm a mellow nice person but I get treated like total crap by people that suck at their jobs. I'm not sure if at the end of the day they high five their co-workers and exclaim "I finally got to flip out on a customer and she didn't try to kill me!". Tell you what, no no no. No more of that. If you're bad at your job I'm going to straight up tell you. And then I'm going to tell your boss. And if your boss is a jerk I'm telling their boss too. We live in corporate America, your boss' boss' boss doesn't care if you work for them or not. They only care if I'm still spending my money there. 

So now I want to tell you about an experience I had last night. 

Let me first say: DO not EVER get in the face of a woman that is nine months pregnant (not me, my friend Tiff that went through this with me) she will chew you up like a cannibal that raises pit bulls for a living. She is no joke at this point in her life. and you pregnant girls know what I mean. She was actually excited about the fact that she got to flip out on this little dude because she has been holding it in for the last 3 months. 3 MONTHS! you do not want that kind of rage in your life. 

So Tiff and I are not into hanging drywall. And that's what the guys were up to last night. 

We decided to take off with the Tahoe and pick up the furniture I purchased.

On March 3rd I went to Big Lots to purchase a couch and a dining room table set. They were having their friends and family sale that day so everything in the store was 20% off. Score! I paid for my two pieces in full and asked that they be held until I could actually get into my new house. Since it took us a little longer to get into the house and we've since been doing some major construction I hadn't had a chance to pick up my furniture. I called twice to check on it, make sure it was still there, and also make sure that it was still okay to be there for another week or two. On both occasions I was told it was no problem, the pieces were there and they didn't mind hanging onto them. So yesterday, with a large enough vehicle and some extra time we went to get them. I said paid in full right? We get there, tell them what I need and are then told that I needed my receipt. I told the guys I didn't have my receipt, we are in the middle of moving, but I think I know where it is. Why should that matter though? I had my ID, and my furniture had my name on it. But Nick, the assistant manager, still insisted that it was policy and he wasn't allowed to let the furniture leave without a receipt. Not only does he insist but when Tiffiney questions him about the policy he gets red faced, and mad. Folks, this is the part where you go back and read the disclaimer about fighting with a girl that's 9 months pregnant.  Lucky for me, I'm pretty organized and I knew exactly where the receipt was at home. Then he breaks the news to me that they have my couch, but he can't find my table. Remember how I had said they were paid in full? So he's going to load me up with the first piece of the couch and then when I return with my receipt he's going to magically pull a new table out of his butt. Or so that was my understanding. But wait? Isn't it policy to not let me leave with furniture? Moron. 

Wilson, the furniture manager helps us load up the first part of the couch. And while apologizing for the mix up, tells me he's going to figure out how to fix it. He's been on vacation and it must have been an accident and someone sold my table without checking. 

La la la la la, we drive home. Boys unload the couch, I find my receipt, we're back on our way. No where on the receipt, or delivery slip does it say that we MUST have it with us to pick up our furniture. Imagine Tiffiney's excitement when she finds out that Nick lied to us and is being a turd. He's in trouble now. Tiffiney finds Nick at the front counter when we get back and I went to find Wilson to find out how he was going to fix it for me. Well he had gone home for the night so I had to go back up and deal with Nick the ass. manager. Come to find out it's Nick's policy, not the stores. At that point I didn't really care I just wanted him to make the situation right. Nick pulls up the stock number in the computer 1 table in store, 0 in transit, 0 in order. The piece in stock was the display model. That was the only one they had left, and they wouldn't be getting any more because it is now discontinued.  The two options Nick gave me were:
1. He would sell me the display model for 20% off. (20% are you kidding me? The display model was garbage when I came and purchased my original piece. It was scratched, and gouged, and ripped. No, unacceptable, not going to happen.)

2. (and this was the option that really sent me over the edge). He would refund my money, and I could just not do business with them anymore. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? That's your solution? You can give me my money back and I can go spend it somewhere else? Wow. Customer service is not your strong suit. Wow!

Mind you, he's told me at least 3 times now that he'd just give me my money back so we could leave. 

How do I react? Hmmmmmm..........

I actually laughed at him. I said "Nope, keep my money and find me a table". That's all I really wanted. I wanted the product that I purchased. It wasn't until I had suggested that maybe another one of the surrounding stores had one left that he finally looked it up. Alpena had 3, TC had 3 and Petoskey had 2. 

This is how the conversation went:

Nick: They have 3 in Alpena. 

Me: Great, just get me one of those and I'll be happy.

Nick: Well we don't do store to store transfers so you'd have to pay for shipping. 

Me: Waaaaaaiiiiiiitttttt a minute. It should not be my responsibility to fix your mistake. It should be your responsibility to make the situation right and get one here for me. 

Nick: well my manager lives in Alpena, maybe she can pick one up for you. 

So then Nick says he's going to check into it and he will let me know tomorrow (which is now today) and I should only deal with him, I don't need to involve his manager. Hmmmmm...... that seems odd. 

Annnnd what was the first thing I did this morning? I talked to Anya, the store manager. Anya basically blew me off, told me she would get it taken care of and that I didn't need to come back to the store until she called me to pick it up. 

Customer service must not be something they strive for. So what's my next step? Corporate. I unleashed the pregnant girl on the corporate office. Ohhhhhhh Nick, I hope by the end of the week you are jobless. 

This is the most ridiculous, asinine situation ever. 

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