Since Thanksgiving weekend, apparently the consumer (or the "shopper") is supposed to be at least as significant as missing rock climbers and a little more significant than say policy or soldiers or civilians in Iraq . . . I find it rather striking that such stories are probably really in reality about the companies, not us who are pleaded or commanded to go shopping . . .
My rant today is basically yet another example I've had within the past two years. When something goes wrong and the consumer say needs to go back to the store for an exchange or a credit. Two years ago, my mother bought my pants for the Holidays at Macy's. She forgot I now had a different waist size (okay, now you'll hate me, it's smaller . . .) so I go to Macy's to simply exchange the pants for the exact same item only in a different size . . .
they would not acknowledge my exchange. I even had documentation that it came from Macy's--it just didn't have the actual receipt with the actual amount. They needed to know whether it was on sale or not--if it was on sale, you see, then I would have to pay the difference for the new pants. Until they saw such evidence, I couldn't exchange the pants . . . but even more nonsensical, if my receipt proven that my mother got in on sale, then I have to pay the difference . . .
Uh, is something not quite right here? Actually, for all the waste of news stories they had over the Thanksgiving Holidays about how you're a nobody if you're not shopping because according to them, there's apparently more shoppers at that crowded parking lot in the store compared to say soldiers in Iraq, and what are you doing just sitting there if Walmart does not make a profit this season?
So to ramble even more with my rant and to get to the point . . .
today I went to an Office Depot to return software I bought a couple of days ago. The software was supposed to provide extras for my Ipod--and while I could've simply wrote down info. about the functions I saw from this software when I went shopping, went home and tried to either get for free or at a reduced rate some pirated version, I actually decided to buy the official Broderbound brand. So I go home, and of course, the software doesn't work--it's not compatible with video Ipods, even though of course, there's no such message on the box or the instructions inside. So what do I do next? The logical thing. Return it. I had the receipt. The note from Encore, Broderbound's outsourced support, stating it didn't work with video Ipods. I even brought in my video Ipod with me. And they would only exchange the software for the exact same item. In this case, they wouldn't even listen to what I was saying. It was if by instruction the service people would only talk about store policy. Well, okay. I used to work for retail back in the 80's. But how things have changed since then.
The customer is no longer right in these retail stores anymore. Both Macy's from two years ago and even more Office Depot would not even listen to my case, let alone consider. The attitude I got was go home until you do what you're supposed to. They didn't seem to care whether they were losing a customer. They didn't understand the insulting logic as I was apparently interfering with the profit margin.
I asked to see the manager. At first they wouldn't go get the manager because they didn't care for my attitude. Well, okay--with their attitude and their likely insultingly low by hour salary, I can understand, I guess. I let them put me in their place so they would get the manager. I saw them speak to the manager and overheard them saying nasty things about me. The manager came up to me as if not hearing what he heard and asked what's the problem and before I even finished had the policy reiterated to me. His response--if everyone returned their software with every small problem, we of Office Depot/Best Buy/other stores, etc. would go out of business. I pointed out to him why would they go out of business because of the fault of Broderbound? I then attempted to get him to read the documentation. He wouldn't even read the box and kept making a statement about store policy. So I said okay--who do I contact? Can you give me a number of Broderbound or someone higher up in your company? Finally, he said he'd make an exception for the first time and credit me, but he said that it was my poor judgement in terms of buying the software. I thanked for the recredit and then let him know that Office Depot/Best Buy, etc. just lost my business (I wasn't even going to go into now that I know they're part of Best Buy how red they are).
So what have I learned and why did I waste your time? The consumer is a nobody in this new global economy. If they screw us, we apparently don't have much recourse. We are put on the spot and treated like idiots because the manufacturer/company is never wrong. We are. If we get a gift that's the wrong size or not compatible, WE must pay for it. No more free rides.
So when you do participate and become a shopper in this new economy--I'd say 1) buy blue and then 2) give only gift cards. And when it comes to software, you now are encouraged to be smart and savvy and look for the cheaper out.
Just a little tip from a nobody, idiotic consumer. They just want our money. And come January, when the media is bemoaning how these companies did not make their holiday profits, do me a favor. Don't shed a tear. They've already abandoned us. Why should we help them?