Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Toys R Us Shopping: Not so "Rewarding"

Despite the fact that I am more than a week behind on my reader and have mountains of work due tomorrow, I still sit here and feel the need to tell you of my exasperating shopping experience this morning. You know, because my middle name hasn't changed from "PROCRASTINATION".

My mom (AKA: The Mack Daddy of Grandma's who spoil the grandkids) wanted to do some Christmas shopping for the A's this morning. So, after dropping the kiddos off at school & having a planning meeting for an upcoming event, I picked up mom and we headed to Toys R Us. We knew exactly what we were going for, so after filling a buggy with many expensive items, we ran to the checkout, for what I was expecting to be a seamless transaction. Mistake #1.

The child running the register appeared to be just out of high school and came complete with the snotty attitude and reckless disregard for customer service. Oh joy, it's my lucky day. She rang up our copious items and just before she was about to wrap up this transaction, I asked her about the "Rewards Program" that I saw advertised on some signage. She reluctantly hands me a brochure explaining the virtues of the rewards. Just as I ask her if we can sign up, she says yes, but that what we just purchased will not count. *Crickets.* As I feel my blood pressure start to rise, I ask her to verify that the mega-bucks that we just spent cannot be applied to the card. Wisely, she asks the manager to come over and verify this. With a wry grin, he confirms this policy and says "sorry".

Now, in our current economic climate with stores closing left and right & people losing their jobs due to poor retail sales, I must be crazy to think that a store might actually WANT to keep my business. I guess this isn't the case at the Toys R Us here.

So, I tell the manager that we're returning the entire purchase, so we can activate the stupid rewards card and re-purchase everything. He says ok and begins the tedious process of returning and voiding and re-keying, blah, blah, blah. In the meantime, my friendly cashier shoots me dirty looks, eye rolls at her fellow cashiers and loudly directs customers behind me to other lanes. Not because she's trying to make me feel unwelcome or anything ludicrous like that.

I wish I could say that the story ends here, but alas, that would be too easy. The manager voided the first transaction and then re-keyed the second purchase, when my mother's credit card was declined due to "suspicious activity". At this point, I said "forget it" and loudly proclaimed this whole situation avoidable if the idiot cashier had just done her job and asked every customer about the rewards program, like I would imagine the corporate office has instructed them to do. I even heard her tell a brand new employee that she only asks certain customers certain questions because she doesn't want to be bothered with "hard to handle" customers. GAH!!!

Moral of the story: If you're making a big purchase somewhere, ask about free rewards programs BEFORE you pay for anything. And Toys R Us is now added to my "Do Not Shop" list along with Wal-Mart and Best Buy. Congrats Toys R Us! It takes a pretty big gaffe in customer service to land you on THAT list.

15 comments:

Julianne said...

Yikes. I love that you insisted on returning everything though. Go you!

Kori said...

Way to go on telling them you'll just return everything. I would so call the corporate office and report my bad experience.

Jane In The Jungle said...

Amen sister, amen sister!! I boycotted TRUs after trying to return items after I had the girl, and I laugh at the money they've lost from my 4.
Haven't shopped Walmart in so may yrs I don't remember when I did, big Daddy can't stand them!
I never go to Best Buy cause of stories like your's!!
I am a hugh stickler for customer service cause I've worked it!!

Keys to the Magic Travel said...

Your list is my list. Just add Circuit City - but they are going out of business anyway. And honestly...you can get those items, for less, at Target. At amazon.com - and you can do it there with free shipping.

One of my favorite places to shop - not going to help you with some of the kid stuff - is endless shoes. It's free shipping. AND they don't charge you shipping to return the items. And for Christmas - they do have High school musical, Dora, Princess, and Spongebob crocs...

Unknown said...

Oh, I'm SO with you on TRU! Bravo to you for sticking to your guns!

Shannon said...

You go, girlfriend!

I got to hear the account in person... and I still can't believe it. And I still say you should contact a District Manager or something. Do it!!!

Angela said...

I am so sorry!! That sucks! They don't call it Toys "Backwards R" Us for nothing, as Dave Barry says. I hate going in that place and now I have even more reason to avoid it!!

Hugs and love and hope you guys had a great getaway weekend!

Michelle said...

Ahhh... my favorite store. I go there only to ummm return things I got for the wee ones' birthdays that are duplicates/obvious dislikes. So I end up with GC and it is almost impossible for me to find something to buy there because it's out of stock or missing parts or too expensive or whatever. I HATE that Little Miss's bike was from there (because it was a gift we returned and had to repurchase with said gift cards in a larger size). Good for you for sticking up to them. And send a note onto corporate. So disappointing!

Reillybug said...

I never go there, but I am glad you stuck to your guns!

Nik said...

How FRUSTRATING!! Yeah that's rotten that they couldn't just do a manager override and take care of it. SHEESH!

I only go to TRU if I HAVE to.

Unknown said...

More corporate america run amok...


$10 says they'll be pettitioning congress for a bail-out in less than 6 months.

Brandy said...

Customer service is almost non-exisent anymore. I don't have a TRU story but Papa Johns and me aren't bffs anymore over $2. And if this Comcast lady doesn't call me back, they will be history too.

Tam said...

OUR TRU is horrid here in Savanah. It is now being remodeled and I hope and pray the WHOLE staff is also being remodeled! Walmart, Best Buy, Toys R US are the MAIN ONES That we avoid here in Savannah toooo..but add our KMART which is so very bad that I can not even find words to describe it!

Rhea said...

What a pain! Goodness.

Unknown said...

Oooo I would have been PISSED.. & I would have made sure I got both of their names & wrote a letter...

 

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