Retail Ridiculousness

The following post is a little lengthy but funny and worth the read, as least I think so.

So all I hear on the news is how horrible the economy is, which I know and feel (in my bank account) to be true! Mentioned with this is how retailers are desperate to get customers and make deals. They are slashing prices and offering huge discounts in attempt to get people in the door. Which is why the following situations baffled me.

The Exchange

I got a gift for Christmas which was perfectly fine. I did like it. It was a gift set of body sprays from Victoria's Secret. Although I liked it I'm overly frugal and practical. Brent had gotten me some perfume (stiletto musk yum) for Christmas so I thought "I don't really need a half dozen body sprays, but I could return it and use it toward a Valentines Day gift *wink wink* I figured this would be no problem since the receipt was in the bag. (I never did figure out if this was intentional or accidental) Total purchase price $13.45. Not enough to get a V day present but that combined with the Semi Annual Sale should make for an affordable gift from VS. I get to VS and see that all 3 registers are open! Yea! I am encouraged this will be quick! I also see one lady who already has a bag, and is handing cash to the cashier. Perfect! I hop in line behind her, only to realize she's starting over, handing the cashier new product! She then got rung up, and paid, then pulled out MORE product to purchase! I stood in line, at least 10 minutes while she repeated this process over and over! The whole time I'm standing there thinking THIS has got to be the last time, but it just continued. In the mean time I'm getting more and more irritated by the second! I start mumbling to myself about how stupid is VS that they don't have one main line that then flows to the next ava. register?!?! That way I could have been done ages ago!! I finally hop lines to the one next to crazy million transactions lady, as soon as I do some girls, (who by the way looked to be maybe 10 years old! WHAT are they doing in VS,) hopped in line behind crazy lady? Anyway I was tempted to tell them you don't want to be in that line, but then I noticed the Coach bags hanging off their arms and decided, nah I'll just let them figure it out, at least they have each other! HA Also right after I hopped lines the lady pulled out more cash and I though so help me if she is done!!!! But no she was not, process repeated again! FINALLY my turn. I get to the cashier and hand her my gift set and receipt.
Me: I'd like to return this, cash back would be great but if not store credit is fine.
Cashier: Do you have the card it was purchased on?
Me: No it was a gift. So she pulls out a VS gift card fiddles with the register and hands me the card.
Cashier: Here you go, you have $3.45.
Me: What? $3.45 (I'm sure I must have heard her wrong, or she misspoke)
Cashier: Yeah that's what you get back.
Me (I'm confused!!!!) Well it said on the receipt it was $13.45.
Cashier: Oh well when she purchased it she used a coupon for $10 off so you only get $3.45 back.
Ok well there goes all frugality. Clearly the gift set is worth well more then $3.45
Me: Well never mind then. If that's all I get back then I don't want to return it.
Cashier: Well it's already been returned so you'll have to repurchase it......at full price.
Me: Excuse me!?!?!?! All I want is just to take it back and not return it any more.
Cashier: Well you've already returned it so if you still want it you'll have to repurchase it, and it's full price.
Me: No, sorry but that's not happening!
Cashier: Sorry there is nothing I can do.
At this point it is taking great control to not be completely rude, I was already irritated about crazy lady and bad line set up now this. Ok remain calm, remind myself to not take it out on cashier.
Me: Ok well then can you call your manager and we can see if they can take care of this.
Cashier: Calls manager....................awkward silence
Me: (I feel a little bad that I was a little short with her) I'm sorry I didn't realize I would only get $3.45 back, if I'd know that I wouldn't have ever returned it.
Cashier: NOTHING.........she says nothing!!! She then after standing there with a disgusted look on her face for quite a while does something with the register, hands me the gift set with a receipt. "Here"
Me: So we're all squared away?
Cashier: Yes (very grumpy tone)
Me: Well thank you so much have a great day!
Cashier: No words, just a dirty look!
Ok for retailers wanting customers so badly, that was some awful customer service. And who in their right mind would just process an exchange like that and not at least mention......You do realized you'll only get $3.45 back right? A little thoughtfulness on her part and this whole situation could have been avoided! Ridiculous! Oh and in case you were wondering, crazy lady was still repeating the process when I left!

Reservations

For Christmas we got a gift certificate for The Melting Pot. Very excited about this! We've heard nothing but good things and it sounds like great food and a great environment. The Melting Pot is pretty pricey though, a dinner for 2 can easily go over $100, so we have always thought it would have to be a special occasion! So we decided to go for Valentines Day, even with a gift certificate it's got to be a special occasion! With the gift certificate we also got a couple coupons, which is awesome, we could probably squeeze out two nights out if we are frugal, which as previously mentioned I am. But one of the coupons says it's not valid on weekends, or holidays. Well Valentines day is on Sat. and for sure a holiday. So we thought we'll just go the Thurs before. I don't think we've ever gone out on Valentines day anyway. It always end up being the weekend before or after. Which is fine with me, the whole point of V day is to remember the ones you love so to us the exact day does not matter. So I call to make reservations, yes I called in December but this place is really popular and I didn't want to miss out because I waited to long to call. I encounter a very rude hostess on the other end of the phone. Who tells me that they are not accepting reservations for V day till the 2nd week in Jan. Also the entire week before V day is considered a holiday. Again a very rude tone and she did not end with a so please call back then, or any other salutation of good customer service. So again, why such bad customer service if places are hurting so badly??

The good news: I have a wonderful gift set from VS that smells delicious! And we will celebrate V day early, over a week early. More time to celebrate our love right!!?!! Also, maybe we should celebrate holidays like the Melting Pot, for a whole week!!