Poor Customer Service and a Complete Lack of Accountability
I purchased a hookah from this store on Wednesday, October 21, for $20. After using it on and off for the past two days, I attempted to charge it before returning to work, only to discover that the USB-C charger would not go into the charging port completely. The hookah still has all of its juice because I was saving it for my first day back at work, which was today, Friday, October 23.
After work, I went directly to the store, still wearing my work uniform, to explain the issue. One employee attempted to insert the charger and was unsuccessful. He then proceeded to plug his own vape into the same charger, and it worked without an issue. That should have been enough to warrant a closer look at the product I had purchased just two days earlier.
Instead of offering a reasonable solution, KHALID told me I would have to return and speak with the employee who originally sold me the hookah. I explained that I work on the days he would be there. Keep in mind, it was approximately 7 p.m., and I had just finished working and made my way to the store to resolve this issue.
KHALID's response? "So you just work all the time?"
EXCUSE ME?
Yes, I work. I have a job, responsibilities, and a schedule. Why should I have to rearrange my work schedule to address a defective $20 product purchased from your establishment? And why is a customer being made to feel like an inconvenience for bringing a legitimate issue to your attention?
I asked for the name and number of someone I could speak with regarding the situation. I was told, "I can't give out anyone's information." I even heard him express that he didn't want to get fired. Well, if you're concerned about losing your job over a customer complaint, perhaps the appropriate response would be to contact a manager and attempt to resolve the situation professionally.
WHERE IS THE CUSTOMER SERVICE? WHERE IS THE ACCOUNTABILITY?
I came into this store with a defective product and a reasonable expectation that someone would at least attempt to help me. Instead, I was met with unnecessary commentary about my work schedule, no meaningful resolution, and an attitude that made a simple $20 purchase an incredibly frustrating experience.
I was so fed up that I LEFT THE HOOKAH IN THE STORE.
Let me be clear: this is not about the $20. It is about how customers are treated when something goes wrong. I was standing there in my work uniform, explaining a legitimate problem with a product I had purchased only two days earlier. Why would I make this up? What exactly did I have to gain from this interaction?
I have over 11,000 followers on TikTok, and I fully intend to share my experience. Customers deserve to know what they may encounter when they spend their hard-earned money at this establishment.
I will NEVER shop at this store again. A business should not just be interested in taking customers' money. It should also be willing to stand behind the products it sells and treat people with basic respect when problems arise.
Management needs to do better. A $20 product should never turn into this level of frustration simply because a customer expects to be treated fairly. read more
