Told by an employee, Vivian, to "Get the F... out of this store!!!"…read more
Why? Simply for calmly questioning a policy they apparently have, to not do business with anyone who has discussed flooring with Home Depot first.
The Story:
On Wednesday, April 9th, 2014, I drove 45 minutes to Ottawa Diamond Flooring to look at hardwood and to line up an in-home consultation, for which I was prepared to pay their stated price of $75.00. When I happened to mention to Vivian that I'd been to Home Depot three months previously, that they'd told me that Ottawa Diamond Flooring had the contract to do their installations, and that because of that I figured they must do good work, Vivian abruptly and very brusquely interrupted and informed me that they "couldn't do business with me".
Genuinely perplexed, I asked why not. Responding with a very crisp and condescending tone, she informed me that it was a "conflict of interest", that because I'd already spoken to Home Depot, they simply would not work with me. There was no, "Oh, I'm sorry, but...", or "Gee, sorry for the inconvenience...", just an abrupt and rude, "We can't do business with you." And then, because I was incredulous and asked two or three more times how it could be that because I'd simply spoken to Home Depot three months prior, without signing or purchasing anything, I was now unable to do business with them, genuinely trying to understand the policy, I was summarily told, "I don't have to deal with this! Get the F... out of this store!!!", with Vivian turning her back on me and walking away.
Trying to give Vivian the benefit of the doubt, truly believing the woman must be under some kind of serious personal stress, I told her I didn't know what I possibly could have said to deserve that kind of treatment, and Vivian again stormed away, continuing to swear, telling me to "get the F... out", that she "doesn't need this!". She went into an office, picked up the phone, and two other female employees came out from the back. One of them asked if there was a problem and I responded that yes, indeed, there was now a very big problem, given the way I'd just been treated and the language used. She simply reiterated the policy and, I might add, did so in an abrupt and defensive, rather than apologetic tone. The other employee stood there silent, but she later did provide me with the contact information for the owner without adding fuel to the fire, as the second employee had by seemingly choosing to excuse Vivian's behaviour.
I was standing there with my 81 year old mother and most certainly hadn't used any kind of foul language or rude tone with Vivian, nothing I said or did could possibly explain or justify Vivian's response to my genuine questions regarding the policy. To say my poor, elderly mother was completely shocked is an understatement. She's undergoing cancer treatments and on this, one of her few relatively good days, I'd asked her if she'd like to come shopping with me. This experience ruined her day and left her completely rattled, so much so that she was trembling when we got into our vehicle.
Honestly, I'm still shocked and appalled as I write this a few hours later. In all of my 54 years, I've never had anyone speak to me like that, let alone an employee of any business.
I subsequently stopped by Kanata Home Depot on my way home and spoke to the manager, telling him what happened, and also told him that because Ottawa Diamond Flooring has their installation contract, there was no way I would purchase flooring from them as I wouldn't want any of our hard-earned money to go to Ottawa Diamond Flooring, given the treatment I'd just received.
In the meantime, I also stopped at Westboro Flooring, which is just a couple of minutes away from Ottawa Diamond Flooring - also just off Colonnade Rd. - and had a wonderfully pleasant consultation with the staff there. They'll be sending their consultant out to my home within the next few days, even waiving the in-home consultation fee after I told them how abhorrently I'd just been treated at their competitor's, and I plan to give our business to people who respect others and don't treat them the way Vivian treated me and my elderly mother.
Ottawa Diamond Flooring may carry excellent product and the owner may be a decent fellow, but his employee was more than completely out of line and has cost him our business.
