I usually enjoy shopping at this Dollar Tree because it is generally clean, organized, and well…read morestocked. The employees I've encountered in the past have also been friendly and helpful. It's a very busy store, so it's understandable that they can sometimes run out of popular items and that the checkout lines can get long. In my experience, however, the employees have always done a good job managing the crowds.
Unfortunately, my experience today was very different.
I stopped in late Sunday afternoon when the store was extremely busy. There was only one cashier initially, which didn't bother me at all because she was doing the best she could. Another female employee, who identified herself to me as Win, eventually opened another register and called me over.
Most of my purchases were Halloween related, and most were glass. I had also purchased a Halloween bag specifically so I could put my purchases in it rather than use and discard a paper bag. When I placed my items on the conveyor belt, I politely told Win that some of the items were glass and asked if she could please wrap them. I also explained that I had purchased a reusable Halloween bag and wanted my items placed in that bag.
Unfortunately, she did not acknowledge me or respond. She placed the glass items into a paper bag, and I could hear them hitting against each other. I asked several times if she could please wrap the glass items, but there was still no acknowledgment. Eventually, she appeared frustrated and said something along the lines of, "Let me ring it up first." But why put the items to be wrapped in the bag prior to wrapping them.I even offered to wrap them myself. Again no acknowledgment.
She continued placing the glass items into the paper bag without wrapping them. I also reminded her that I had purchased a Halloween bag and wanted to use that instead of paying for another bag. Again, there was no acknowledgment. Eventually, she grabbed some paper towels and just put them in between the items not wrapping them.
At that point, I told her I would simply wrap the items myself and I did so. I also told her I did not want the paper bag, but she still gave it to me and charged me for it. The ten cents is not the issue at all. It's the principle and, more importantly, the lack of communication and customer service.
I wasn't rude or confrontational. I was simply trying to make sure my glass purchases were safely wrapped and that I could use the bag I had already purchased. I eventually took the paper bag and paper towels and wrapped the items myself because I didn't want to hold up the line any longer.
I also had to ask Win several times for her name before she finally responded. I explained that I was disappointed that I had been charged for a bag I specifically said I did not want.
I thought this may sound like a very small issue--and I understand that this is Dollar Tree. The ten-cent bag certainly isn't going to make or break anyone. But customer service still matters, regardless of the price point of a store. Listening to a customer's reasonable request, acknowledging them, and communicating with them should be basic customer service.
I even wondered if there might have been a communication issue, but I had heard Win speaking with other employees when I first entered the store, so I don't believe that was the problem. Perhaps she was simply having a bad day. I had never seen her working there before.
I am sharing this because I normally have a very positive experience at this location, and I hope management will take the feedback constructively. One difficult interaction can certainly happen, especially during a busy Sunday afternoon, but I hope this employee can be reminded of the importance of acknowledging customers, listening to their requests, and treating them with courtesy.
I will continue shopping at this location because, until today, I have generally had good experiences there. I just hope today's experience was an exception rather than a reflection of the customer service customers can expect going forward.
