I had COVID, in addition to a half dozen more, that were diagnosed yesterday. Bath & Body Works had…read moresent me a text today, stating this was the last day to pick up my online order in the store. I called 11 different people without finding someone that was in town, healthy, or not in the hospital. So, off I went.
I parked in the fire lane right next to the door, in hopes they might send someone out with my order two minutes before they went on break. Ashley, the manager, said no to that, and would not hold my order until I could find someone to pick it up, or, I was past the contagious phase. She did not want her employees risking a COVID exposure by me opening the trunk to my sedan remotely, and staying in the car with all four windows up, and masked. Instead, she said I could go inside, to pick up the orders.
I called the online order, pick up in store number Ashley gave me, and two of the three people I chatted with stated that an employee was allowed to do that, or mark the orders as picked up, keeping them in the back, until I could fetch them. If I ordered everything again, many of the items were sold out online, and in the store, both. Ashley also did not want to cancel my order, but keep the items set aside until a better pick up option could be arranged.
Instead, Ashley insisted that I had to be present to pick up the order as it stood. She needed to check my ID. There were other excuses, but, Ashley refused to offer a compromise, or any other possible ideas. Yet, corporate said she could do it, and it wasn't against their rules. Called Ashley back, and repeated what I had been told. Still, a flat no.
But, by going in the mall to pick up my order, I'd expose all her employees and customers to my viruses. I gave up trying to reason with her, and was just going to suck it up, and do as she bid. Upon entering the store, two employees were standing in the middle of the walkway, to a third woman. Nobody acknowledged me entering the store, offered a shopping basket, and such. I asked two of the gossiping women if I could get by. I simply said excuse me, and asked if could get around them. Two of the women gave me dirty looks, and moved after a moment. They were blocking the walkway, chattering on, and it was MY fault I could not get around them? (The side aisles were blocked.) Finally, I made it to the checkout line, wheezing and coughing my head off. I felt sorry for the dozen or so customers ahead of me. But, per Ashley', that is what I was supposed to do! With a high fever, my eyes were watering, my nose was dripping, and I looked pale, minus the red cheeks from the fever. In getting my orders, the sales associate never asked for my ID, ironically enough, since that was Ashley's excuse that they needed my ID. Mission completed. I got both of my orders, and it was time to go. There were only four customers roaming the sales floor, since everyone else was in line with that one cashier. One of the gossiping women could have done what she was being paid to do, and open another register. Yet, there were the three women just ending their conversation, still blocking the aisle. They were done by the time I finally reached them. One stayed in the middle of the aisle, but two walked away. Apparently, the employees working were vital, and could not do the drop off. With only one doing actual work for at least the twenty minutes that I was in the store, it didn't seem like they were that vital. I even asked if one could leave a minute early for their break. It was a firm no, because they were so vital.
So, as the store manager, Ashley could hold the order longer, or brought it to my trunk at her will. Corporate had no issues with any of the scenarios, and two of the three that told me that were managers!
So, instead of bringing the orders to the closest entrance, for fear of COVID, without any interaction, she let her employees, customers, and mall patrons get exposed to COVID, the flu, and everything else I had going on. With that kind of attitude, it's obvious she did not care about her customers. Fine. I'll take my business elsewhere.
