If I could give this store zero stars, I would. The only redeeming factor is the man named Chuck that works in the lighting department, the first person I dealt with from this store.
I called on a Tuesday to ask about a pair of discontinued lamps that this store had in stock (I live 2 hours away and my local store no longer had them) and Chuck found them for me and set thing up for them to be sent to me via FedEx. They came that Friday and arrived broken. I was sorely disappointed because they were to be Christmas gifts for my best friend, who was in the hospital at that time.
I contacted the store and spoke with Cody up at the service desk, and one of the managers, Dave, just happened to be up there. It was relayed to me that it was my responsibility to contact FedEx and start a claim. After speaking with 2 FedEx customer service reps about what happened, they both told me that it was the stores' responsibility to file the claim since they were the shipper. Called the store again - got argued with by management about this, so I emailed the corporate office. I got a response almost immediately, telling me that I should be expecting a call from the store manager and they gave me his direct dial number.
The following Tuesday, I still had not heard anything, so I called and asked to speak with the store manager. He was a bit in the rude side, and spoke to me as if I were a stupid child who could not possibly understand him, again insisting it was MY responsibility to start the FedEx claim.
Another email fired off to the home office, this one not as pleasant (but I refrained from being downright nasty), and the next day he called to tell me that they were filing the claim the next day, which was Thursday.
Meanwhile, I was asking to exchange them, at my own expense in gas money, since they still had 3 in stock, and was repeatedly told no.
The following Wednesday I called the store manger back to ask if he had heard anything and he told me he had not. So I took it upon myself to contact FedEx again since I had a case number, and actually got to speak with the agent handling the claim. He said the claim had been approved and the check sent that morning, that Menard's should be receiving it in 2-3 business days.
December 23 I called Larry Thompson (the store manager) back and spoke with him. He claimed to have called FedEx himself and left "2 or 3" messages but had not heard anything. I informed him of the convo I'd had with the case manager and asked once again if I could drive down there and exchange the broken lamps for ones that were not, and was told no again.
The day after Christmas, Cody from the front end called to tell me that they had gotten the check from FedEx and had refunded the card I used for the purchase. I asked AGAIN if I could come and exchange the lamps, and he informed me that the 3 they had had on hand were sold!
First of all, those working in retail or any other customer-oriented service position KNOW you don't ever tell a paying customer that they are in the wrong, or that fixing something you are responsible for is their job. You don't talk down to customers as if they are 2 and cannot understand you (because chances are pretty good they are actually smarter than you). And all the while, the store manager KNEW I wanted replacement, un-broken lamps and did not put a pair aside for me.
I am glad they refunded my money, but this is, hands down, the most piss-poor customer service I have ever experienced in my life. That's pretty damned bad coming from someone that used to work for Walmart! Thanks to this experience, I will never set foot in a Menard's store ever again. read more
