Recently I had a leak problem in the basement and my contractor needed some plumbing parts. On our way to the local Home Depot, we drove by this little hardware store, and for a moment I thought "Instead of going to the big box store, why don't we save some time and stop by to support a local small business?" Thought that was the right thing to do, and boy was that a mistake!!!
My contractor went in to buy the plumbing parts (less than $20) while I waited in the car. Later we returned to my basement where he figured out a different way to repair the leak, so we ended up not using anything he had bought from Windy City Hardware. Before leaving, my contractor left me with all the parts and the receipt so I can return them.
I went back to Windy City Hardware that afternoon to try to return the purchase, but as soon as I explained my intention, the shop owner, a middle aged man, told me that he would not process the return and that I should instead return the next day when his wife would be around to handle the refund. Apparently his wife had been the one to sell the stuff to my contractor that morning, and according to him, his wife liked to give discount to customers so only she would know how much we REALLY PAID for the merchandise. I pointed out repeatedly that I had the receipt showing the dollar amount, and he said that the receipt MEANT NOTHING TO HIM!!!
If this is not bad enough, it gets worse. I told him my contractor was from out of town and a first time customer, so there was no reason for his wife to give him any discount, and he said he wouldn't believe what I said. Then I asked him to call his wife to verify how much we had paid for the merchandise if he had any doubt, and he said his wife was with her parents and he WOULD NOT CALL to bother her. Then he went on to BLAME ME for NOT BOTHERING to make another trip to return the stuff despite I'd told him I had to work the next day.
As you can imagine, the conversation was increasingly frustrating and aggravating, and when I finally let out a "WOW" at the ridiculousness of the situation, he said that was nothing to wow about, and "WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?" At that, I finally left with the merchandise.
Someone here pointed out that he was a former cop, so THAT EXPLAINS A LOT. Turning your customers away despite they have the receipt solely because of some remotely possible "discount" which, if existed at all, should have been reflected on the receipt anyway, and then refusing to do anything to verify the existence of the said discount, and then rudely shifting the blame to the customers for not wanting to waste time on another trip, and then callously and arrogantly saying "WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?" is pure bad business.
I am all for people spending a little more to support neighborhood mom and pop stores, but if this is the kind of "customer service" they offer, then I don't see the point. If you are thinking about giving them your business, consider yourself warned. read more