I've been letting this review marinade inside me for a few weeks and today seemed like the time to pop it in the oven.
As I stated in a previous review of Best Buy ... it's one of my favorite places to shop. I have bought thousands of dollars worth of merchandise there and continue to do so.
A few weeks ago I had an experience that NOW, makes me laugh. I have to laugh because it sums up the major problem consumers face today ... coming face to face with disregard for basic common sense. Which leads to bad customer service, unhappy customers, and loss of loyalty. The ironic part of my tale is that it occurs because of a customer loyalty program. On with the story ...
As a LOYAL Best Buy customer, I enrolled in Best Buy RewardZone. It's a frequent purchaser program that tallies up points for Dollars. Every dollar spent earns you a point and every 250 points earned rewards you with a $5 certificate. After years of amassing points I printed a handful of aforementioned certificates and headed to the White Marsh Best Buy to pick up O.A.R.'s new released Live at Red Rocks DVD.
I arrive. Great parking spot. I walk in ... Greeted with a friendly "How are you today sir?" B line for the live music DVDs ... One copy left! Price tag on this bad boy was $19.99 ... Just so happen to have a $20 certificate!! Things couldn't get any better!!!
AND THEN
I walk up front to get in line (on a Saturday night at 7:30) and there are only two registers open. WAIT, one register. She just turned her light off. Three people in front of me. No big deal. I'm a patient man. During the next 10 minutes I must have saw no less than 15 employees doing everything else imaginable, except responding to those of us waiting in line. Finally I get to the register. The cashier (40ish white quirky man) scans the DVD and gives me the total of $21.18. I hand over my RewardZone fake chedda' of $20. THEN .. it just gets ridiculous.
"SIR, I CAN'T ACCEPT THIS" says the cashier in his Rain Man like loud voice. "THE CERTIFICATE HAS TO BE MORE THAN THE SUB-TOTAL" he adds ($19.99). Maaaan, he spit on me. I just looked him dead in the eye, paused for 10 seconds, and said "seriously??". When he confirmed that indeed he was serious, I proceeded to look for the cheapest item within 25 feet and may have been cursing while I was doing it. At one point I asked him if they sold anything that costs 1-5 cents. He was not amused and called a manager over to resolve this impossible situation. Now I realize I'm a tad bit crazy but I assumed that a member of management could come up with a resolution to our penny dilemma.
I'm afraid not. When I left that night, my bag consisted of my new DVD as well as a $1.30 mini can of Pringles. This was after my suggestions of overriding the system or charging me a penny more for the DVD were dismissed as "Not Possible".
It never ceases to amaze me, the lack of common sense that lives among us. Just waiting to attack!
The final slap in the face....
The Pringles were stale. read more