Using your mother's authorized credit card?! Not in my tacky boutique!
I went into this store 30 minutes ago to find my boyfriend a new spoon to use at home. (He had cracked the old one.) The sales clerk was an older man, not very friendly. Didn't think much of this as he was on the phone while we browsed. (He showed us one basket of spoons in our price range and when we asked where they were from, were told "probably from china" in the gruffest possible demeanor as he slammed them back into the glass cabinet.) We decided rather quickly not to actually purchase any glass from what was obviously an internet resale shop, and attempted to purchase a few hemp filter tips and some metal screens for the broken bowl.
This is when hell broke loose.
The sales clerk did not like the fact that we were together. This seemed immediately obvious to me. As I tried to use the credit card that my mother and I both have authorization to use (but which is in her name), I was informed (again, by the irate older man from before) that the store policy did not allow me to make the purchase as my name was not the primary one listed on the card. I was fine with this, as I had plenty of cash to back up the purchase, but decided to try to let the clerk know that although it was not my name on the card, I did have permission from MasterCard to use it, and that my mom had also sent me with her current ID. (Yes, we also share the same last name.) He said it was store policy not to, and that he couldn't. He also made a passing reference that he didn't believe I had the legitimate right to use the card. I asked for his name to inform management about the lack of customer service and how awful this guy was at talking to people.
He refused. Not only did he refuse, he told me to get out of his store. That he would call the cops on me if I didn't. and that I was a "bastard".
I tried to keep breathing deeply to remain calm, but I could feel the anger rising up in me. I informed him I was going to the other store to report this behavior.
That was a mistake. He had called ahead, you see. And when I arrived at the store on 9th ave to complain, I was greeted by three young men ready to escort me off the premises. I spoke with the manager for maybe 60 seconds before I was insulting demanded of, "Why are you here?!" I told him about the spoon breaking and the disgruntled clerk at the other store and asked him why someone so clearly not wanting to serve anyone but themselves would be allowed to run the store completely alone, as he was. The rest is hazy, but the next thing I knew I was being told that the police were en route and that my tag had been written down. Of course this was all a lie and fear mongering.
Fear tactics are great customer service, don't you think? Or at least a great way to get rid of angry customers who were treated like criminals. read more