I placed an order for in store pickup for one pair of combat boots. They did not have it in my size…read moreat my local store & I didn't want to wait for shipping, so the location that ended up having it in stock (wareham) was about 30 mins away, which was ok with me. When I went to pickup my order, after getting to my car, I noticed there was something on the side of the boot that couldn't be easily wiped/scraped off (glue?). I would've dealt with it if it was just that, but then I also noticed one of the rivets on the hooks that hold the laces onto the boot was missing, making that hook unusable. These were expensive boots, so I went back inside & showed the problem to the employee.
The employee that helped me, Ruby, jumped right into action & went out back in search of a replacement pair. Unfortunately due to my size being a rare one (11) I knew the odds of there being another of that style in the same size were slim, & I was right. She did however have them in another color, which wasn't what I had initially wanted but I liked it enough that I found it an acceptable replacement. I thought for once maybe dealing with an issue in a retail store might go smoothly.... But, of course there had to be another hiccup.
Ruby informed me that since they didn't have the shoes in the same color, they couldn't just exchange them. Due to their new system, she would have to refund me & I would have to do an in store purchase for the replacement shoes. The problem with that is, refunding to a credit card is not immediate & I didn't have enough to cover the purchase a second time (pay day is tomorrow... I had $18 in my account). Ruby kindly offered to hold the boots for me until tomoro, however I explained to her my frustration that I'd driven 30 mins to get here (plus 30 back) just to leave empty handed & that I probably wouldn't want to take another hour out of my day to return tomorrow for a pair of boots in a different color than I even wanted in the first place, all because of a mistake on their end.
It's not my fault that the shoes were broken, it's not hers either, but someone should've checked to make sure the boots were in new condition before I picked them up. And it's also not my fault that their new system doesn't allow for exchanges with a different color of the same item, nor that I had to get a different color in the first place. Things weren't looking good, & I was aggravated for sure, because it seemed to me that I was going to be leaving boot-less, and this was all going to be a waste of time, gas & money. Ruby seemed frustrated with their new system as well, and that there wasn't a good solution for situations like this, and after hearing the details of my situation, she asked me to bear with her.
2 mins later as a receipt was being printed, she told me "you're all set. My drawer is going to be short, but u are right this wasn't ur fault & u shouldn't lose out like this on a technicality". THAT is customer service people. Ruby made me a happy customer today. She went out of her way to solve the problem with odds stacked against her to make sure I left a satisfied customer. Honestly, I work in customer service as well & I had to keep telling myself to be patient, it's not her fault, because while I felt the need to communicate how unfair I felt this situation was, I've also been dealing with rude customers all day long, & I didn't want to be that for her. She could've just told me I was S.O.L. but instead she went above & beyond to turn my experience around. Ruby is a hero, she has restored my faith in humanity... we should all be more like Ruby. Give that woman a raise! I am leaving a satisfied customer, with a new pair of boots & a smile on my face instead of a ruined evening of wasted time. I wish more people were like Ruby.
