Christmas Retail Blues

[US_Tank]

My feeling has always been that it's in my best interests to buy online whenever possible.  At least for my bloodpressure and anger management issues.  Saves me the aggravation of dealing with every douchebag with the iq of bufferin who feels the need to spout their verbal diarrhea all over my shoes.

Lord knows my wife has gotten redfaced and suddenly forgot she was married to me and wandered away during a number of my retail store encounters. 

Best one though was best buy.  The pimple punk at the door posing as security always pisses me off.  I mean if he's securing something first and foremost you're effed.  Secondly he's six feet from the register.  He watches you pay and then feels the need to flex and hold you up asking for the receipt.  One time he asked for the receipt.  I said, "alright you've got me.  I paid for the dvd but i stole the bag."  The little nsync numbskull looked so perplexed.  

I've had more encounters with these asses but i'll spare you the details.

 

 

[lol][lol]   Thanks Rob!   I will stow that one away in my frozen brain! 

[Matt-N-Ga.]

We have one very simple rule here at the shop.  If a customer walks into the shop, you greet that customer kindly and quickly.  At which point, if we are busy with another customer, we kindly tell the new customer,

"Welcome, I'll be with you in just a minute, let me finish this up and your next."

We feel that all customers should be acknowledged when they arrive, even if we can't immediatly see to their needs, we can at least let them know we know they are their, and ask them to give us just a minute to clear up whatever we are currently doing.


The cigar store incident you mentioned Tank is a huge reason why I won't frequent a certain store in my area.  The personnel they have on staff are more interested in their friends in the store or on the phone, or whats on the news, then they ever are to an unknown customer. 

[Skipper the cigar aFISHinodo]

My feeling has always been that it's in my best interests to buy online whenever possible.  At least for my bloodpressure and anger management issues.  Saves me the aggravation of dealing with every douchebag with the iq of bufferin who feels the need to spout their verbal diarrhea all over my shoes.

Lord knows my wife has gotten redfaced and suddenly forgot she was married to me and wandered away during a number of my retail store encounters. 

Best one though was best buy.  The pimple punk at the door posing as security always pisses me off.  I mean if he's securing something first and foremost you're effed.  Secondly he's six feet from the register.  He watches you pay and then feels the need to flex and hold you up asking for the receipt.  One time he asked for the receipt.  I said, "alright you've got me.  I paid for the dvd but i stole the bag."  The little nsync numbskull looked so perplexed.  

It's in the interest of all of these pimple-punks (thanks for that word) that I buy online. Yes, I have had police help me finish my purchases. Twice. And once they didn't allow me to finish my purchase. They just helped me find the door.

[Rob The Long Island Cowboy]

My feeling has always been that it's in my best interests to buy online whenever possible.  At least for my bloodpressure and anger management issues.  Saves me the aggravation of dealing with every douchebag with the iq of bufferin who feels the need to spout their verbal diarrhea all over my shoes.

Lord knows my wife has gotten redfaced and suddenly forgot she was married to me and wandered away during a number of my retail store encounters. 

Best one though was best buy.  The pimple punk at the door posing as security always pisses me off.  I mean if he's securing something first and foremost you're effed.  Secondly he's six feet from the register.  He watches you pay and then feels the need to flex and hold you up asking for the receipt.  One time he asked for the receipt.  I said, "alright you've got me.  I paid for the dvd but i stole the bag."  The little nsync numbskull looked so perplexed.  

It's in the interest of all of these pimple-punks (thanks for that word) that I buy online. Yes, I have had police help me finish my purchases. Twice. And once they didn't allow me to finish my purchase. They just helped me find the door.

ahahahahahahahahahaha!  at best buy?  me too.  lol...  i walked by pimples as he asked for my receipt to leave.  he grabbed my arm to turn me around at which point i snapped and yelled don't effing touch me and threw my hands up.  it was hilarious.  i felt like a dick afterwards but it was funny as it was happening.

[Rob The Long Island Cowboy]

for the record i hate effing best buy.  almost as much as walmart.  freaking greeters.  almost as much as that a$$hole at blockbuster who's so happy to see you when you walk in.  "hello".  "how am i?"

what the hell do you care?  eff off.  $hit.  let me shop in peace.  so want to jump the counter and smash his head into the table.  then scan him and charge him a late fee.

and if i effing want help i'll look for it.  at which point you won't know where the eff the $hit is and just waste my time either parading me around the store or trying to hump some other crap on me  which is why i didnt ask for help in the first place.

[Skipper the cigar aFISHinodo]

some day I'll tell you about the time I actually did get violent with the automatic sales clerk at Home Depot.

Man I beat the snot out of that thing. Left without my goods then found out I had been charged. I had no recourse, luckily it was under $20. (& I figure it cost a lot more than $20 to get my blood out & to put that POS back together again)

[Rob The Long Island Cowboy]

some day I'll tell you about the time I actually did get violent with the automatic sales clerk at Home Depot.

Man I beat the snot out of that thing. Left without my goods then found out I had been charged. I had no recourse, luckily it was under $20. (& I figure it cost a lot more than $20 to get my blood out & to put that POS back together again)

ah automated attendants.  for when a teenager talking on his cell phone with his purple hair while ringing you up isn't offensive enough.  now i have to ring myself up and then bag it.  why the eff don't i just receive it and pack it out on the goddamned shelf too while i'm at it.  what the hell ldo half of these stores do for the ridiculous markup anymore? 

[US_Tank]

some day I'll tell you about the time I actually did get violent with the automatic sales clerk at Home Depot.

Man I beat the snot out of that thing. Left without my goods then found out I had been charged. I had no recourse, luckily it was under $20. (& I figure it cost a lot more than $20 to get my blood out & to put that POS back together again)

ah automated attendants.  for when a teenager talking on his cell phone with his purple hair while ringing you up isn't offensive enough.  now i have to ring myself up and then bag it.  why the eff don't i just receive it and pack it out on the goddamned shelf too while i'm at it.  what the hell ldo half of these stores do for the ridiculous markup anymore? 

 

 

I go to the damn automated checkouts to save time and hassle.   Then it freezed up my purchases and makes a call signal for an attendant for which time I have to wait yet again!   Sheesh!

[-PO-]

 

Everyone who knows me knows I am easy going.   I usually don't complain directly and I just deal with the bad.

For example, Marcelo, Jimmie, and I are sitting in Casa Fuente in July.   My GOF was burning badly and very plugged.   I said something to Jimmie and Marcelo but did not complain.   Marcelo was not satisfied and he went and complained.  Thanks to Marcelo I got a new GOF.

So just this week I had a complete change of heart.  It all starts with retailers wanting to know my life's story.   Here is how the week panned out:

I am out of town getting an oil change on my company car.   I go to Jiffy Lube and they want all this info.   First I tell them I iuse Jiffy Lube all the time and I am in their computer, just look it up. I just give them my fleet card, said change my oil, and all pertinant company information is in my glove box.   Nope, they want me to fill out a form.

I stop by a walk-in hair cut place.  They want my full name, my addy, my phone.   I ask can I get a simple hair cut without giving you my life's story?

I go to the optics counter in Cabela's.   The attendant had just given a guy a scope to look through.   I am standing right next to the guy leaning across the counter obviously looking at a scope mount.   The attendant just looks at my brother and me.   After I sit for about 3 minutes I ask the guy if he has the ability to multitask.  The young punk attendant gives me a look and I tell him he needs to be more attentive to customers.  He then reaches over and gives me what I need to look at.   Is this so damn hard? 

Then I go to pay for my mount.  Cabela's always asks for zip code and I have no issue with this.   Today I just say "90210".

Then I go to Toys R Us.   I have my Christmas gifts for neices and nephews and I am paying for them.   The cute cashier asks for my phone number.  I said sure if she promises to pick me up for our date at 7.   The people in line behind me start laughing. 

Obviously not happy about a retailer asking for phone numbers, I have a change of heart and tell my 11 year old he can have that toy he was asking for a few minutes before.   So I let him go get it, give him a $10spot to pay for it but with instructions on what to say.   So my 11 year old goes to a different line, the cashier asks for his phone #, he says "My Dad says never give my phone # to a stranger".   Then I go the manager and state that I will not shop at Toys R Us again because I don't like the fact that they ask for my phone number every time I try to make a purchase there. 

Then this past week I am in this cigar shop I frequent when out of town.  The young male attendant sitting there is glancing at a magazine while some lady is looking at two humidors the attendant obviously pulled off the shelf for she.   I lean across the counter hinting I wanted to see something.   The attendant just looks at me never offering to help.  WTF?  He looks at the lady struggling with the humidor and glances back at his magazine. I smile nicely and ask him if he has the ability to multitask?   I point out what I need and he gets it for me.

So I get what I need but I can tell that the lady is struggling with humidors and the attendant is not helping out.   He is half ass back to his magazine although not reading it but not letting it go.  So I ask her what she is trying to accomplish in looking at humi's.   Its a gift for her husband for Christmas.   So I help her pick oneout, tell her how to season it before wrapping it, and upsell for the shop by showing her humidification and solution options.   Then I show her Xicar cutters, show her how to cut, and suggest a lighter and fluid.  She thanks me imensly for the help.   Then I go into the walk in humi and she follows me in.   She wants to get her hubby 10 cigars for the humidor.   So I help her in that manner also making sure her selection includes Oliva, Padron, Camacho, Padilla, and Pepin.   Again she is very thankful and I never once, seriously, never even heard the voice of the cigar attendant.   I never complain but I sent an email to the owner of the shop about the experience.   I voiced that if he is going to have an attendant sit and read a magazine, maybe the attendant should learn about cigars and accessories more.  And for God's sake be more personable.

Then another day I pop into Best Buy to get an Ipod for Christmas.   I left my wallet at home but my debit card is with me.  I go to pay for the gift, then enter my phone # to verify my rewards points which shows on the register my name and addy.   Then I swipe my card and they ask for ID.  I tell them that verification of signature is sufficient.   Not good enough for them.  I say I don't have my ID with me but the fact that my bank issued me this card is ID in the eyes of the law.   And I already verified my rewards points info.   Still not good enough.   Now I know better to carry my ID but I just did not have it.  I tell them that its a violation of Visa policy to ask for ID when verification of signature is all that is needed.   Hence  Visa's motto 'in, out, and on the fly'  .  They call the manager.   He gives me the song and dance that its for my protection.   I say thanks but its not their job to do that.   I ask him of they ask for ID for cash purchases.   What if the cash is stolen?   What of the ID used is stolen?  I state again, please verify my signature and let me be on my way.   The manager looks at my debit card and looks at my rewards points info in the register and signs off on my purchase.  

I may sound like an ass here but I finally purged this week.   I am sick of stupid retailers.  Thanks for letting me vent.

 

This is the exact reason why I hate x-mas shopping and everything about it.  Three years ago I started doing all my shopping online, yes I may pay a little more for the shipping but in my eyes its worth not having to stand in line with a--holes and deal with d!@#head cashiers and there never is anyone to help you out when you need it.  What the h$#@ happened to good customer service!!!!! [curse][curse][curse][curse][curse][curse][curse][curse][curse][curse][curse][curse]

[MaytagMan]

I'm with all of you...   to hell with all of them!   [pimp]

I am more than happy to shop online with my ass planted in my office chair!