Follow Me Wednesday (and Thursday) as I Make a Few More Phone Calls to Walgreens!
Yesterday, I posted Part 1 of my 3 part video series that highlights phone calls that I made to Walgreens stores across the country. I ended the video yesterday in the middle of a very informative conversation 😉 with a Walgreen’s employee in Missouri. Today’s video will highlight the remainder of this phone call and will also showcase a call to the Lone Star state (my birthplace 🙂 ) and to Walgreens corporate. Enjoy and let me know what you think in the comment section below.
**If you can’t see the video, then go here to watch it.
*Please note that I contacted Walgreens managers in the following 4 states: Idaho, North Carolina, Missouri and Texas; and I called the Walgreens Corporate Customer Service Center in Alabama. Because these states only require one party consent to record a telephone conversation, I was able to record these phone calls legally! 🙂
Stay Tuned for Part 3….
OMG, I won’t sleep a wink tonight because the suspense is killing me!!! LOL
I, too, share a lot of frustration with Walgreens. I am a rule follower ( even if I don’t like them) but it is so disheartening when you feel that you “know the ropes” and then get all of these different answers. And don’t get me started on Register Rewards. I am a loyal CVSer and just about wrote Walgreens off after a BAD experience several months ago. I am shopping again, but just really limit my purchases and roll some RR deals but don’t let myself get stuck with them just because there are no good sales the next week. =)
Oh my gosh! This is a riot! This very thing can be so maddening when you are actually shopping but when you step back and look at it, you just have to laugh! Thanks for positing this! I always love your videos!
I too am not a loyal walgreens shopper because of all the complications and different versions of the rules. These videos are awesome and made me laugh. I loved the girl in Missouri who went on for what seemed like hours trying to explain about stacking coupons. I think at one time she put herself to sleep and kept babbling on incoherently. I think this is a great idea to call companies and find out how they do business in different areas. I can’t believe the corporate lady put you on hold after you stumped her without even a warning. Maybe you could call target next time or it would be interesting to call a manufacturer and ask them how the whole system works and see how they explain it.
I have an example of the Walgreens coupon policy differing by store locations. I had a coupon for $2.00 off Reach toothbrushes. I was in Marietta, Ga. for a Dr. visit so I went into the WAGS for a visit. I was able to buy 2 Reach toothbrushes that were on sale for .99 each~ no problem at all. My husband and I liked the toothbrushes, so I decided to try this same purchase again in Dalton, Ga. (2 different WAGS locations) Well, there was no way that these locations were going to loose the .02 on this deal!! I explained that I had purchased these items in Marietta. Both of the Dalton locations insisted that the other store should NOT have done that! Anyway, keep up the great work Collin! I am really enjoying the videos!!
I had the same problem with the Reach coupons. One location would take them and one would NOT. And I’ve had issues with two managers at the same location having different rules and explanations with coupons. NO MORE WALGREENS FOR ME!!!!
Love the video. PROOF is great!!!! And Collin always makes me laugh…WITH her, of course. Those calls were hilariously confusing. I see it’s not just here in Utah that Walgreens is frustrating. Yikes. They better get their act together….
Wow! Are you kidding? Walgreens really needs to get their act together. I am fortunate to have lovely coupon-friendly cashiers at one Walgreens, but avoid 2 others near me because of the “coupon police” attitude. You would think they could get some “ties” to get together and hash out a valid, reliable, CONSISTENT coupon policy at corporate. Really? If they lose all our business collectively, they’ll have LOTS of time to figure out a coupon policy that will bring couponers back! (They won’t have much else to do without customers!)In this economy, what business can stand to lose any business, much less the vast number of Hip 2 Save readers!
Too funny. It should be released in theatres….You’ll be the next Michael Moore. 🙂
I have had problems at Wags since I first started couponing and do not shop there at all anymore because of all the problems I have had. I HATE WAGS, I don’t even like to use the redbox there! LOL !! CVS all the way!!!
i have almost had it with walgreens myself. it seems like my store never has all of the same sales as are posted on line for one. i understand that sales are different in different regions but come on! also, the MOST AGITATING THING IN THE WORLD…..ALL of the Free After Register Reward items are GONE by MONDAY MORNING!!!! they limit one per person per day, and they are all gone after the first day? hello, order more stock!!!! i work 12 hours every sunday, but in order to try to roll my RR i am going to try to force myself to stop after work. 🙁 believe me, i am not jealous of the people who are getting the items, i am happy for them, i just dont understand why, if they know something is going to be FARR, wouldnt they buy extra?
i also have problems with coupons greater than the value of the product at my walgreens. they ALWAYS tell me that they cant change the value of the coupon, then i have to argue and tell them that they have done it several times before for me. one time my boyfriend was with me, and he requested to talk to the manager (which i wouldnt have done i would have just left without it, i have a hard time being confrontational lol) and she was like “oh yeah, well just type in 4.99”, crossed out 5.00 and wrote 4.99 and that guy has hated me ever since. i feel like as soon as i walk in, they would rather die than have to deal with me. there is only one person who is nice, and makes me feel welcome in the store.
i always get so excited for all the deals i feel like i will get, and when im done, i always feel irritated and pissy.
okay ill stop ranting, had to get that off my chest.
My Wags will never take a bogo on a bogo sale which is ludacris because what’s the difference if I pay with cash or a coupon? Ridiculous. That’s why I only shop CVS!!!!!
I’m sorry, but I busted out laughing at this. Umm, I think the spelling you want is ludicrous. Ludacris is a rapper.
CLASSIC!!! ROFL! I love that she put you on HOLD without asking cause she got SO flustered! hahahahhahaha……..
LOLOL…loved the ending to Part II. Can only imagine how Part III is going to go…where does Walgreens get their employees? Or (lack of) coupon policies??? 🙂
Too funny! You make me laugh always. I shop Walgreens also but it’s definitly very unpredictable unlike CVS which is alot easier. Thank you very much for all you do I love your hip site! By the way who trains these employees DUHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
I cannot wait to hear the rest of this conversation!!!!!!!!!!!!
Stop it! This is too funny! I love how she just put you on hold and didn’t even say anything!
Sounds like their Customer Relations needs a coupon policy update. It is really sad that their customers know how their systems work more than they do…
Sounds like their customer relations needs a course in phone etiquette, as well! What a hoot!
I am in the test area of Kansas City and I am really surprised to not see any comments on here about the card. I’ve had multiple problems with Wags and q’s before but now that they have this card, FORGET IT!!!! For several weeks now, they have been replacing the usual RR with specified amount of points on certain deals. It takes 2000 points to get a $5 Wags check back (Which is mailed to you). Some of the new deals offer like 200 points. Do the math…NOT GREAT! I used to frequent 4 Walgreens stores. I will no longer shop at Wags! Now that this card is in place, I swear to you that the couponing situation is worse!! None of my stores want you to use coupons, they have majorly limited the number of items you can purchase and half the time when I log into the rewards home to check my points status, half of my points don’t even register. Just wait! The rest of you are lucky to not have the card yet! I can’t wait to see how much this explodes when everyone has it!!
Thanks, Collin for all of your hard work! I needed a laugh today!
How unprofessional for the corporate lady to put you on hold like that without warning! She might as well have just hung up on you. RIDICULOUS!
I used the Walgreen’s store guide from this site one time in a WAGS as a coupon policy and the cashiers (yes 2 of them) bought it. How could you work for the store and not know there is no coupon policy.
Oh My! Completely hilarious!!! Why does it have to be soooo difficut, is this for real!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love it, keep them coming. I am waiting for your video on Target!!!
WOW that was so funny!!! I don’t understand why stores give people such a hard time about using coupons. They should be nicer to us coupon users since they’re making a profit on each coupon used. If I owned a business I would hold classes on how to use coupons so more people would use them in my store!
You almost gave yourself away on the Texas call (B1G1 Question) as you sounded like you knew the exact answer to the question you were asking. Lucky for you the cashier wasn’t the brightest bulb in the house.
And what’s with the cliffhanger?!? I want to know what happens next… why did she put you on hold? Did she transfer you to a supervisor? Is she having to ask a coworker the answer to your Q? Is she stalling? What’s going on?!?
Collin, thank you so much for providing me with a good, hearty laugh! The call to corporate is so hilarious…I can’t wait to see part 3! 🙂
THAT is freakin’ FUNNY!!!!!!!!!! LOVE IT. I wonder if that would work in a job interview… hmmm ….. not sure how to answer a question and it leaves you feeling flustered?? – That’s OK – just play some music! Dang, that’s brilliant.
You rock, Collin – this is THE BEST video yet!
I had to physically take in a copy of the Rite Aid policy to Walgreens and ask if they will do the same things. All I got was: that if it will scan, they’ll take it.
I would have totally lost my patience by that point in your experiment, so you’re awesome! Maybe you can send this video to someone at Walgreens who can do something about it. 🙂
I pulled out the Rite Aid coupon policy at Rite Aid one time, and they just said they wouldn’t follow it because “they’re (corporate) thinking about changing it.” Let’s hope that isn’t the result if Walgreens does come out with a coupon policy.
So………these are the actual true issues that couponers face all the time. The thing that makes me TICKED is that this type of ignorance seems to be acceptable to stores. If they would just implement a CORPORATE wide coupon policy and train the managers & cashiers it would eliminate frustration not only as the customer but also the cashier.
So Collin……..I think this is awesome that you were able to record the frustration people face……so my question is………Do you plan on forwarding this to walgreens so they can see just how ridiculous it is and hopefully give them some incentive to correct things? After all, if I was the executive of Walgreens I would be highly humiliated at my stores after watching this and would want to correct this.
Im a walgreens employee and let me just say! Sad. oh my………. embarrassing. But at the same time I LOVE THIS!
In my store, you NEVER get the same answer. People will argue about what you can and can’t do. I coupon… i started couponing after I started working at walgreens. Who knew I could save so much money!!! In fact a customer was one who gave me your website and am I ever glad she did!! You have taught me so much about couponing and I am forever grateful to you, how on earth did I not know this existed until I started working for walgreens!
Now to the best part. My manager, let me rephrase that. Store Manager, no longer allows me to coupon shop unless, get this, I have a manager APPROVE my purchase! Ridiculous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! why? You’d think I did something wrong, however I use my coupons like everyone else, but no the reason was because couponers clean off her shelves. It’s becoming ridiculous and she runs out by wednesday. Apparently her and several area store managers are tired of couponers cleaning out their stores… so her solution… she now places 1 RR item on the shelf at a time and stores everything in the back until friday and if there is anything left on friday, we put the rest out and employees can then purchase the products. whatever… what kind of business sense is this?? What she doesn’t realize is she is LOSING business, and $ for our store. What does it matter??? The manufactures give that money back. Even better is that last week we had an overstock of body wash left. ha. seriously? those would have been gone… and people are walking out irritated because of the goings on. In this economy and small town, well it just can’t survive!
I no longer purchase anything at walgreens! I doubt i’ll ever shop at walgreens again, left a bad taste in my mouth, and i get a discount! It’s that sad.
Wow, this sounds perfectly ridiculous! Are you the only employee there who coupons? Seems like if you work at a store that offers these programs, you’d want to take advantage of it…but it sounds like from these comments that most don’t. Have you talked to any other employees (non-managers) about couponing with the RR system? I don’t know how I would deal with my manager wanting to scrutinize my purchases. I have a high tolerance for BS, and I’m very non-confrontational, but that would push me over the dge. As far as limiting how much product is on the shelf at one time so you don’t sell out, there is a simple solution…ORDER/STOCK MORE!
Okay, Really??? Putting stock in the back of the store to make sure that the “couponers” don’t get it??? OMG that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard in my life…Order more stock, hope that your customers will come and purchase these items. Make a profit?????? I am a couponer and chose not to clean off the shelves because I don’t need that much crap in my house, but I do like to purchase name brand items for my family with my coupons. Times are more difficult now than they were a few years back when I would not bat an eye and spend $75 on stuff we needed at Walgreens. This is Unbelievable…
Now this is when i start screamin CVS RULES!!!! I LOVE CVS!!!!!!!!!….for the same reason i had bad shooppping experience with the b1g1 sales n mfc ….i will stick to meijer cvs krogers n target
As someone previously suggested, I also hope you do a video on Target next time. Target in my area is the worst about coupons, far worse than Walgreens and that’s sayin a lot.
Collin, youre so funny. You make the same faces I think I make when I call my cable company (they SUCK). Its super funny how clueless all these people are. You should call each of your closest Walgreens, and ask them your questions, and when you get all the answers you want from one of them, ASK FOR THEIR SCHEDULE! 😀 I have one cashier at CVS who doesnt care at all, hes always happy to push my coupons through if they beep and he even let me use my bfs ecbs when i didnt realize they were his (I reg. as mr and ms C**** so the ecbs are easy to confuse when youre as disorganized I am. hehe) He even takes over the cash when we come in, if hes not on one at the time. But then I have a Walgreens right next door who refuses to take IPs. Anyways I’m rambling but I just want to say this is AWESOME lady! So funny, and so embarrassing for them. Maybe next you should send them a letter, including the videos… like you did with Walmart… you could be like the Micheal Moore of couponing! Haha. Collin… the Micheal Moore of Couponing. Thats awesome. 🙂
When they do adjust the value of a coupon down for me, what price do they get reimbursed for? The coupon face value or what they adjusted it down for? It seems that if they still get the face value for it that would not be fair to the manufacturer.
store is reimbursed face value on the coupon. Coupons are scanned by huge machines at the clearinghouse that scan barcodes and credit back the store based on the amount entered. So, yes, store makes even more money off your coupon when they adjust it.
I was completely treated like a criminal tonight at Walgreens. First, the store knew nothing about the four day ad, then I get a cashier that thinks he was the coupon police. He would not let me do any transactions that I would be getting overage. He wouldn’t even ring them up. I have never had a problem at this store before. So, I argued with him and he proceeded to tell me that when customers come in there day after day and get $60 worth of items for $15 that Walgreens is being cheated. When I questioned him and told him they are not being cheated because the manufacturer will reimburse Walgreens for the coupon PLUS money, he changed it story to the manufactures are losing tons of money because of this!! Really??!! I went on to say, that if they didn’t want us to use there coupons they wouldn’t make them!! I called corporate as soon as I left and the store manager is supposed to be calling me back today.
Very Timely! I went to Wags Wednesday and was told they no longer accept internet coupons. (this was a location by my work). So I left and drove home, calling customer service along the way. Customer service sais they do take internet coupons and called the store and spoke to the manager. Someone gonna get in trouble! At the Wags by home they were more than happy to take all my coupons and even allowed the overage on the Purina One cat food and the Dentyne gum. And they wanted to know what websites I use cause the manager and the photo clerk there love to use coupons. Ofcourse I gave them your site (along with a couple others I use for local chains)
OMG. This is absolutely hilarious!!!!!! I don’t think I have ever heard someone babble for so long.. I lost what she was talking about! (i think it was the Missouri person) I really hope that Walgreens sees this and sees how inconsistent they are. I usually don’t shop there too often because of the frustrations with coupons. But thankfully, my local CVS will take competitor coupons. 🙂
I HATE HATE HATE Walgreens. Nothing but drama and confusion by the employees everytime I go in there. My city has 4 and I have decided to bring my business elseware- even if it means spending a little more. Shopping & couponing should be an enjoyable experience, and at Walgreens it never turns out that way.
Collin, that call to Coporate should be on utube, just hilarious. Amazing who these people hire to communicate with their customers.
Collin, you made me smile today. I love this website and you are a treasure. Thanks for all you do for us.
Oh, too funny!
This is AWESOME! Thank you SO much for doing this! I just had this conversation about coupons with a Wags manager last week. I was chatting with my favorite Wags employees about coupons. She’s a couponer too! I was telling her how I wished she worked 24/7 because it’s so much easier to shop when she’s working. She gets it. Well, the manager butted in and said that I could NOT have the coupon amount adjusted down because it’s fraud. I kept getting NONONO from him. It stayed on my mind and the next time I came in I asked to speak with him. I asked if he would adjust the price of a 99 cent item to $1 so my coupon would work. He again said no. I then spoke about Target and Walmart lowering the price of coupons. He said that’s fraud. I then asked about the coupon policy. He was again clueless! I told him how I’d LOVE to have rules in black and white. Again speaking of Target and Walmart’s policy being online. He told me that there’s general rules that they follow from store to store. I told him how it depends on which Walgreens you’re at and sometimes which employee with in the same Walgreens location. He told me ” I don’t know how you think this works. Walgreens doesn’t get the money back from the coupons that you use. They only get a percentage,” I happend to have a coupon with me(amazing right:) I read off the bottom, price plus 8 cents handing. I explained how they actually make MORE money off coupons. He again said how he didn’t get reimbursed. Then he explained that it was because they get lost. I said that coupons are money. Then said Oh, you don’t get reimbursed because of Wags employees not because of us couponers. I could see that he was frustrated. He went to walk away and I just gave up. It never even crossed my mind to do something this!
Thanks but no thanks they cant pay me to take it. Literally thats my motto .
This is why I dont shop Walgreens. I have found stores will change policy [even the same cashier] with the wind direction lol. I used to say not even if its free will I go there, now I say they cant pay me to take an item .[register reward] . I Would much rather wait till I can get a few cent deal or free at CVS or Publix. If it is something I cant do with out , stock pile is out and i really really need it, like a med . I will just take my coupon and pay regular price at another store. Pretty sad when I will lose money just to avoid a store . But with everything I save overall I am not losing just making my point and not giving walgreens mine or the manufactures $ either.
I also wonder about there b1g1 free sales. lots of times they dont ring up as free . I live in FL the land of true doubles [per truth and advertising laws on the books] so every other store rings up full price for one 0 for the other walgreens doesnt here sometimes a penny sometimes a weird amount so if you have a b1g1 free coupon with the b1g1 sale they will only take off amount that is programed in the register once they tried to only take off a penny lol.
I have gone the route of calling district managers and corp too. they are all the same no idea on what to do and a side of the mouth answer that changes depending on the way u ask the question or what the temp outside is lol .
That is so un-professional to put you on hold without even telling you. Obviously Walgreens needs to step back and figure out what to do with their coupon policy (non-existent) and with their customer support (lacking)!
Apparently these people aren’t couponers.
This is too funny! I haven’t had any problems yet using coupons at Walgreens, but I’m sure it’s coming… LOL! Can’t wait for the next one.. these are HILARIOUS.. you had her so flustered, that she just put you on hold without even saying anything… CLASSIC!!!
OMG! I didn’t think Part 2 could top Part 1, but it TOTALLY DID! Cracking up over here! Can’t wait for Part 3 now…
Laughing hard and waiting for tomorrow’s installment!
this is too funny!!!!….love what you do for us collin!!!!!
I can’t watch You Tube at work!!! 🙁 🙁 I might have to go home for lunch so I can watch!
The Missouri conversation………………welcome to my world! You would think they you were trying to speak in a foreign language to her! I have scoped out the persons to do couponing with while at Walgreens and have ‘taught’ them how it works so I can go to them with no problems anymore. Example: Yesterday I took in the 2/$3 printable Walgreens coupon along with a manufactures coupon. I handed the cashier the manufactures coupon first and she asked for both. I told her I needed her to scan the store coupon first. She was curious and scanned the stores and then mfg. When it beeped….go figure….she started again in the order I requested with no problems!!!
She has “no idea”….lol.
I am in Missouri in the test market for the new register reward cards. I have not seen any changes of magnitude at my stores. I have 2 stores both within 10 minutes of my home and 3 others all within 15 minutes of my home. ALl of my stores are very coupon friendly and I have been very lucky to be able to shop there. With the BOGO sales at my stores you can also use the BOGO coupons and recieve both items free. I think it must totally depend on what area you are in. If I had to go through what some of you ladies have I would have also given up at WalGreens. In my case my CVS is a major headache and rude as all get out. Plus CVS seems to have much higher prices in my area. I can not wait for installment #3 to see just exactly how the customer service rep tries to get herself out of putting you on hold without even asking. I can not believe how rude that was!
Seriously…that is halarious..but sad…is anyone in charge?…thanks for making me laugh and checking into this for all of us! Your the best!
This is so hilarious! I nearly peed my pants when corporate put you on hold. She couldn’t even finish her sentence! HAHAHAHA! This is really not looking good for WAGS…
I stop shop Walgreens about a years now. There are too much problem with register rewards that sometimes print and sometimes not print. Customer services is horrible. Blame on too many coupons usage that why RR are not printing. Limit customer to buy only one deal a day. Limited one of RR to use per transaction. All these problems I was faced. I call Corp. but there is no help. I even send complain to BBB but seems Walgreens is not even care. Ask for coupon policy LOL they send me that they do not have one only guideline. I ask to provide me the guideline they use for coupon handling. They said they not really have one. So there are no Standard at this company so any one work for them just make their own rules or whatever they feel like today to handle customer. Not worth my blood pressure to get way up when I shop at Walgreens. I have to say Walgreens is the worst place on earth to shop.
Wow….seems like all conversations at “any” store go this way. Okay…may be a little stretch…but I’m just as excited to see part 3 of Collins call as I am looking forward to the next Twilight movie! 🙂