Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Since there are learning opportunity in every day events, why should today be any different?  This evening I encountered a consumer problem and asked an employee if they could get their store manager for me.  The employee called someone over a walkie talkie and within seconds two men in company polo shirts appeared in the isle.  One of the men, who never identifed himself and to whom I hope was not the store manager, walked up to me and positioned himself to be within inches of my face. Before speaking to me, he spread his feet apart then asked "what is your problem?"  Being taken aback by his approach, the thought did cross my mind to retort back "you and your breath"; but I took the higher ground, bit my tounge, ignored his body language and the tone of his question. I explained the problem and asked if he could have someone check the stock room to find the item which was on display.  He replied "I could check but it won`t be there." Even though I had explained the display item and stocked items were two similiar but different products he went on to tell us we could purchase what was stocked on the floor.  Before the conversation ended I asked him, don`t you find it to be false advertising because the store is displaying a product you don`t have in stock but have batched the two products together so you are selling a similiar product with fewer watts at the same price to consumers?  He didn`t respond to my question but asked if we wanted the product they had in stock.

Everyone has bad days and sometimes in life we encounter people who rub us like sandpaper going against the grain.  Regardless both the approach and  the response can set the tone in the conversation and/or esculate from a bad to worse scenario. Ultimately the approach can provoke or difuse a customer`s reaction and visa versa. 

 

 

 

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Nicole Champagne
Email: influencialexpectations@gmail.com
Cell: (734) 262-3730
Soar With Influencial Expectations!

I don`t know.

I`m not sure I would go back after such a reaction!
I`m so bad like that. Rub me wrong, I`m not coming back!!

If the events were exactly as you describe them, then that man needs to be removed from management since everybody that works for him will see him as a role model and emulate his actions.

Likely what happened there was that the store was out of stock on the advertised product, knowing this, in an attempt to satisfy the customers that go to the store with the intent of buying that product they offered another comparable product as a substitute, this is standard operating procedure for most large retailers. There is not intent to deceive as in this case the company is likely taking a loss with every sale (why would they deceive you to lose money?), items that go on sale often are bought on discount in large quantities specially for the sale, substituting the sale item bought at a discount with another that was bought at a regular price is done solely to satisfy the customer then and there even if that means the company takes a loss. If you didn`t want that substitute you can always ask for a raincheck and get the product you want when the advertised product is back in stock.

I once made a decision to sell all of my stock in a large retailer based upon a similar event.  When management forgets who the customer is, it is a good indicator of bad times ahead.  My sell decision was a good one as it was revealed a few months later that the retailer was losing market share and the stock price suffered  significantly.

After the incident, I went to the store`s headquarters website and emailed a complaint.  Given it is the weekend I wasn`t expecting a response but The following is from one of their store managers:        &nb sp;   "I am writing in regards to your trouble that you encountered in_____ store. It is my understanding that you wanted to purchase a microwave and the display was an 800 watt and the only we had in a box is the 700 watt. I have taken down the display and replaced with the 700 watt so we do not run into this problem again. I would like to offer you the display a 20% discount if you would like to purchase it. I would also like to apologize to you for the way you were treated by the team leader. If you would like to purchase the microwave please reply to the email or you can call me at the number below."

I find it a little strange that the store manager would start the first line of his response with "Your trouble".  Not only does it imply that the incident was one sided but it also dilutes the closing apology.  Regardless of right or wrong, no customer deserves to be treated in the manner we were and at this time I don`t want to purchase anything from that store. 

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Nicole Champagne
Email: influencialexpectations@gmail.com
Cell: (734) 262-3730
Soar With Influencial Expectations!

I agree I wouldnt go back to that store either!   And I would make it a point to tell everyone I knew how poorly I was treated. Sometimes when businesses get too big (for their britches) customer service falls real quick.  When someone in management acts like you described it is unacceptable behavior almost threatening and kind of scary.
 As far as sale items, sometimes they plain just dont bring in enough of the items.  They hope that the sale brings the customers to the stores though. I say this because there was a sale at Kmart for something I wanted a few years back.  I made sure I was there when Kmart opened. I asked for the item and sure enough they were sold out. I asked for the manager who said I could have a rain check. That never worked for me at Kmart since no one calls when the item is back in stock..I asked how it could be sold out already and how many they actually had.. He told me ONE was what they had....how can a store have a sale with a quantity of one? ....sounds like something is wrong here.....my 2 cents