What Would YOU Do in this Situation?
I received the email below from a reader and can completely relate to what she had to say. If you’re a couponer, then I’m guessing you’ll be able to relate too…
I read your website religiously, and have gotten over being treated like a criminal when I use a lot of coupons by managers/cashiers. What I am having a hard time with, however, is “letting it go”, when I know I am right regarding a certain deal.
I went into Target this past weekend with my sleepwear coupon and Tums MC/TQ among others. The cashier said I couldn’t use the sleepwear coupon because it wasn’t pants as shown on the picture. I nicely explained to her the bakery coupons show a whole cake, does that mean that is what I have to buy? She then said I couldn’t because I would be getting it for “too cheap”. Pardon?? She then set that coupon and my Tums coupon aside and called a manager. I was glad because I thought she would set her straight, given Target’s recent coupon problems.
The manager proceeded to say I couldn’t use that one or 2 Tums Coupons because I would be getting it “free”. She said she would only take one coupon for the Tums and not the sleepwear at all. I pulled out the policy, but nothing I could say would sway her. She said “the problem is, you people don’t listen!’
By this time I was livid, and called customer service while in the store. She said she was a supervisor and read from the manual, and said it is up to a managers discretion to accept a coupon if it beeps, with no apology whatsoever for the horrible customer service.
My question is, what do you do when you are very honest ( I call it CWI, couponing with integrity) but you know you have every right to a deal, and get treated with such disrespect? What happened to Customer Service? What would you do?
Here are my thoughts…
I am a very positive person and well, don’t spend too much time or energy on being angry. It’s not worth it to me. Now don’t get me wrong, I have been angry upon leaving a store before, however, letting it ruin my whole day doesn’t do any good and really makes me feel as if I’m letting the store “Win”. Instead I try to focus on the positive shopping experiences I’ve had and the amazing cashiers and employees I’ve dealt with. There is always going to be a not so coupon friendly cashier out there and maybe even one that is downright disrespectful… but there is also always going to be a kind and very coupon friendly cashier. Focus on those great experiences and the bad ones will start to feel like distant memories. Being positive, laughing, smiling… it can do wonders… even to grumpy cashiers! 😉
Now it’s your turn – what would YOU do in this situation?
I’ve had a terrible couponing experience myself at Target. I was beyond embarassed by the time the manager and cashier were done telling me how wrong I was w/all my cpns (even though I knew I wasn’t and politely did my best to not lose my temper). What did I do? Never go to that target again. There are plenty of other Targets in my area who accept my cpns w/o questions and even if they do question some of them, at least they’re polite and let me explain why that cpn is valid for my purchase!
There’s also reporting the store to the Attorney General Consumer Protection division. If the store issues a coupon, like the sleepwear coupon, and fails to accept it, a case would be opened based on the complaint.
I have filed complaints with CVS for price fraud, as the stores in DC will list prices on the shelves, and then ring up at higher prices, and it was a repeated and common occurrence with the store. The complaint was taken seriously and investigated, and the store called me to apologize and gave me a gift certificate and said they would fix the problem going forward.
If you do file a complaint, get all the details you can, date, time, exact store location, cashier and manager and even get the name of the person on the customer service phone line. It is fraud to issue a store coupon and not comply with it. The Target Sleepwear coupon was a store coupon. They may choose not to take the tums, for their own asinine reasons, but they MUST take their own coupons as stated on the coupon.
Great tip! Thanks.
I was really into couponing for most of 2010. I have lost steam and only occasionally use coupons now. This person said she got over “being treated like a criminal” but I know that I haven’t been able to do that. I hate how I get treated and couponing makes me unhappy. I feel like you have to have more of an aggressive personality….even it you mask it with smiles and sweetness. I still like to request the freebies and find great online deals though. I keep thinking that I will return to serious couponing but lately have realized that whenever I think about it I feel unhappy and hervous. For me, right now……couponing is not a good fit. I feel happier just paying regular price than I do being treated with so much condescension when I use a lot of coupons. I’m a wimp, I know…..but perhaps couponing isn’t right for everyone.
I’m relatively new to couponing, as I’ve only been coupon shopping in earnest for the last few months. I’ll be honest, I still dread walking up to the cashier because I’ve had some very bad experiences even though I do my math twice before going to the store to make sure I know my deals and that I’m using coupons appropriately. For now I’ll keep up with the couponing because, well, the economy ain’t getting better any time soon but if things start looking up, I agree that i don’t know if it’s emotionally worth it for me. Sure, being low on money makes me feel bad, but getting hostile treatment from store employees when I’m trying to shop smart can sometimes make me feel even worse.
I know what you mean, but sometimes it is kind of in our heads. I cashiered for many years and I have to say I didn’t really remember most people past 5 minutes.
I FIND I GET RESULTS FROM E-MAIL TO CORPORATE HQ. HAVE ACTUALLY HAD A
A MANAGER CALL AND APOLOGIZE TO ME (NOT TARGET, SINCE I DON’T SHOP THERE)
IF POSSIBLE, TAKE NAMES AND STORE # WHENT CONTACTING THEM.
Walgreen’s manager called once to apologize within 30 minutes of my posting a comment on their website.
Yeah, I’ve noticed that when you post on stores Facebook page you usually will get a pretty quick response.
I do have to say that my daughter and I went to 2 Ace Hardware stores with the 50% off one item under $30 and they would not honer it on anything that we wanted to buy. So we took the coupon to Home Depot (they honor competitors coupons) they accepted it on what we wanted and we bought other items while there. I will stay with Home Depot.
I seldom shop at Target anymore and rarely use coupons there because of the way I have been treated by their customer service (in short, I was once accused of theft and they threatened to call the police on me because I walked away from a cart full of food that they claimed they would have to throw away because they wouldn’t take my coupons). If it weren’t for the fact that I hate Walmart even more and that I am a plus size person and I don’t have many places I can shop for basics without spending an arm and a leg. That said, I think they know there are a lot of people who choose to shop at their stores because it’s the lesser of two evils and because between Target and Walmart, they’ve wiped out smaller stores that would carry the same items, so they aren’t particularly worried about customer service. I have received some excellent customer service, particularly by their returns department, but I’ve never been able to get through a coupon transaction there without some sort of incident. But now I know that they can’t handle coupons/couponers and I don’t really give them a chance to rain on my parade. I think that once you know their “standard operating procedure” (which for them should be “non-operating”) you can prepare yourself for the inevitable outcome and move on. They really don’t understand coupons and I imagine that the managers are under a lot of pressure to keep numbers up in these hard times and they think they are “losing” money by accepting coupons.
Thats crazy! police please arrest her, she won’t buy this food from us. LOL what idiots.
Exactly why I don’t do my main shopping at Target anymore. I would definitely call corporate again.
Id be most offended with the comment about “the problem is you people dont listen?” US PEOPLE well im glad we are our own type of people! Seriously so rude. You dont say that as a supervisor. Id be reporting that to someone higher up on top of them not accepting your coupons.
Sorry they didnt take your coupons! I would of been bummed. Try a different target or save the tums coupons for a later deal at another store.
I have been in this situation at Target on more than one occasion. I remained very polite and calm during the whole ordeal and later submitted an email to corporate about my shopping trip. All I received back was a generic reply from corporate along with their coupon policy, which I already had and they refused to honor. I only have one Target store in my area so I choose to no longer shop there. I love getting awesome deals and using coupons but my not at the expense of my dignity. A person should never be made to feel inferior because they choose to use their hard earned money wisely. Until Target gets their employees trained properly and their system to work correctly. I will not be going back for ANYTHING.
I agree with the writer. I am new to this couponing thing, and I enjoy reading all the helpful hints and ideas. But I had a similiar incident at Walgreens I showed them there policy but since I was using too many coupons they denied the usage of 2 coupons including my Rewards coupons. I was angry. I do not think it is right in this time and age of having to save there should be no reason for a corporate giant to disagree with their own policies.
When I have trouble at Target and the cashier just isn’t going to agree, I say ok and then go to customer service and hand them my coupons with the receipt. They give me the cash no problem. They have to scan the receipt but the register doesn’t beep like it does when going through the purchase.
I work at customer service at a target store and that is the best way to do it! Plus you get cash back! I know its a hassle sometimes to go up to the desk but cash is always better! Sorry about all your trouble, I know I’m not responsible, but as a coupone clipper myself, I wish target would fix the policy!
In this particular case, where the customer was treated so badly, I would have left my entire order, no matter how much it was, on the counter and told the manager I would be taking my business to a competitor from then on.
Wow – I have been there. At this point, I would rather not deal with the drama than argue – so i just say, “you know, I think I will pass on this transaction – I am going to go to another store that will honor my coupons” – and I just leave. I am always pleasant…but life is too short to start a fight with someone that is not going to change their mind.
I try shopping at slow times now so I can take my time and not worry about the growing line behind me. As much as I don’t like it – there is still stigma about using coupons!
I would either just leave with nothing or the other deals if they were worth it. If they were not worth it as they would not let me have the free cheap items , I would leave it all . Our Targets here are like that make up coupon rules if u get it free or cheap . If you dont use coupons on things that will be cheap or free they will let u stack or use them lol So i have just chosen not to shop target. I can get plenty of free health and beauty products at CVS wags . And food at my Publix as for clothes I can do Walmart or Online deals. Target is not worth giving my $ too and getting a headache over . I just chose to pass on Target deals now even if there is a chance I could get it for free or cheap . Just not worth it . When not only Managers get to make up there own rules but the cashier does too [ and the manager will back them] Plus Corp ripping off consumers . They knew about all the programing thing for years . Ask any one higher up who has worked for them a while . Not untill National news go ahold of the story [ they ignored local broadcast of it] did they even attempted to fix it lol bring in your recipet and prove it then u will get your money back lol big fix
I had a similar situation with the sleepwear coupon – the sales person wouldn’t take it, called a manager who said one of my items was – wait for it – LINGERIE, and not sleepwear. Oh really, I never knew that, thanks for setting me straight!! I put my three items back, came again a couple of days later, managed to find the 3 identical pieces of sleepwear, including the LINGERIE and this time the salesperson over-rode it. I used my second coupon today and this time it was a guy who said I couldn’t use it, but luckily 2 of my things actually said Sleepwear inside and so he took it – I paid just $1 for a sleep hoodie, shorts and YEP, you guessed it, a piece of lingerie!!
I’m glad you got your deals. I used two coupons for sleepwear on two separate days and managed to get all my items for nearly free. The coupons beeped on both occasions and the first time a manager was called in…twice…but finally the coupon was ok’d and the second time my checker heard the beep, asked me if I got the brands that were listed on the coupon (I did) and said “okay” and pushed it through. Target issued the coupon…they should honor it. Sorry to all those that weren’t able to get that deal! 🙁
I have had a problems with target. Included the manager talking really loud and failing her arms so everyone in the area would stare. I emailed target but they didn’t seem to care. So I don’t shop at target. Target was one of my favorite stores. :/
I also had a problem at Target today. I bought my daughter roller-blades for Xmas on Black Friday. They went on sale yesterday. I went back today to get the adjustment. No problem.
Then I got home and looked at my receipt. If you spent over $100 on Black Friday, you received a $10 Promotional Gift Card from Target. They divided the $10.00 over all of the items purchased. I lost money from my Promotional Gift Card and I spent over $200.00 on Black Friday. I called Customer Service and they said that is the way it works. I was not happy. So people that return gifts after Xmas will not get the full price paid, because they will deduct a percentage of the Promotional Gift Card from the return. How unfair is that? I hung up on the Target representative because I was so mad. I don’t normally do this. How unhappy I was.
I would write a letter but in the past, I found contacting stores through their official twitter works really well (my guess is that only high ranking marketing officer gets the sweet job of twittering for fun)!
Even managers have managers. I would give the corporate or regional manager a call. There’s no excuse for treating any customer that way.
I would recommend going to a young cashier. They are usually more flexible with coupons. I understand your situation because my sister and I left a Target one time being treated so awful by the cashier and manager. We don’t go to that Target anymore.
I would write a letter to corporate (and send a copy to the store manager), detailing everything as clearly as you did here and even providing a photocopy of the coupons — as one of the other writers did. You should state how disappointed you were with both the store and response from customer service. I know calling HQ would be way faster and easier, but I think it’s really hard to argue with a letter and it also shows by the effort of your writing how upset it made you. Once you send the letter, I would let it go because at that point, there’s nothing else to do (except perhaps avoid that store). Good luck!
In defense of Target employees: this past week-end there was a lady in front of me with LOTS of coupons. The cashier was extremely nice, even though he had to get a manager a couple of different times because it would beep at him. The other lady in line was very impressed with the savings and the cashier explained to her that you could get all sorts of Target coupons @ target.com and pair them up with a manufacturer’s coupon. Even in this busy shopping season, this cashier was friendly, helpful and not at all cranky about the savings(her total was $9.00–before coupons it was $35!)
I am a target employee, and typically work at customer service/ cashier. I am very glad people cut coupons, really how else would we survive, things are so expensive! I am not sticking up for all the bad experiences that everyone has commented about, BUT… Having worked at target, your have to realize, everything that prompts on the computer, gets recored and overlooked by a supervisor, and if there are too many things that are passed by the cashier, when they are prompted to be wrong (even if they are not) the cashier will get in trouble and possibly lose their job. For example, with coupons, if it says the coupon is invalid and the cashier accepts the coupon, espeically in a transaction with a lot of coupons, the transaction is redflagged to the supervisor and the cashier will get talked to and possibly written up. You have to understand that when a cashier says they can’t accept the coupon, and have to get a manager, just be calm and stay positive! The cashier is trying to follow rules so they don’t get in trouble, I know it sounds silly but its true. If coupons don’t work, go to customer service and say it’s a missed coupon from the reciept and you will get cash refund.
I think we can all relate to being “treated like a criminal” when we use coupons. The thing is, it is completely illogical. I mean think about it–would a thief even use a coupon???
It is about as illogical as refusing to take a check without a phone number on it. Would a thief actually give you his REAL phone number??? One of the things that I try to do, is get to know one or two checkers at stores where I frequently shop. I have found that if you learn their name and call them by their name, they usually respond with civility. Unfortunately, dealing with rude and disrespecful store clerks seems to be part of the territory, but I try to put up with it because of how much money I save using coupons.
i will write to some senior corporate ppl and file a complaint. If there is any survey then i will fill it out. I prefer to write. If i were you i will ask manager to show me the items on which i can use coupons. because that sleepware doesnt restrict clearance items. I have used it four times without any issues and got 12 items for free
I have to admit that would upset me greatly and I would probably never go to that Target again if given the choice. But, I have had only good experiences with the one closest to me, so I am lucky.
However, I do not go to the Walgreens closest to me because I dislike the cashier that seems to be there 24/7 and have had coupon problems with her in the past.
But, here is my suggestion… Target has a lot of turn over, just lay off them for a couple months and by the time you go back a whole new set of people will be working there.
On a positive note, I went to Target a couple days ago and had a massive amount of coupons one of which the cashier wouldn’t except for a stupid reason (it was $.75, I just let it go without an argument) and at the end she said “I have never seen someone with so many coupons, where do you get them?” I told her I print them online and then gave her the coupons I didn’t use. She was happy, I was happy.
also post your story on their facebook wall….they dont want their bad image in public. You will get your apology
I know the feeling. I had the same exact issue with Target regarding that sleepwear coupon. The cashier claimed that I could only use it on pajama bottoms b/c of the picture. However, I told her I had used it the day before with pajama bottoms and tops. I had her take the stuff off my order. I don’t know why some cashiers are so rude regarding coupons. All they have to do is scan it and now at Target, press a button to confirm the amount. It is not like they have to type in individual barcodes or something. Then, the comment about getting the item for free after coupons is irrelevant to the duties of the cashier and even the manager. The company will be getting reimbursed. I try to avoid Target unless there is just a great deal I can’t pass up and when I go, I try to go in the morning so that it will not be as many people lining up behind me if I have to deal with rude or confused cashiers. It’s no wonder they are being sued and constantly in the news for coupon issues.
i pick my cashiers carefully before i get in a line……i make sure to pick a happy person, and sometimes teens/college kids (they are usually more laid back and just put the coupon through)
I can completely relate to the feelings experienced by the reader. After a while, it has absolutely nothing to do with how much money is saved. I would venture to say at least 50% of the stuff I get with coupons is stuff that is “nice to have” or “great for gifts” as opposed to “absolutely something I can’t live without.” BUT…everyone loses out when people just “let it go.” Indeed, it’s like declining to discipline your children because it’s too much of a hassle.
I lose out because I have a bad experience and am treated rudely. The store (whether Target, Wal-Mart, Kroger, etc) loses out because these stores are part of huge corporations that need to know how erroneously their policies are carried out. The shareholders are losing out because profits are driven down by bad service. Heck we all know we can buy most anything SOMEWHERE ELSE. Over time, that is what everyone starts to do, but they rarely let enough people in management know WHY it is that people are choosing to go elsewhere. Many people shop based solely on how they are treated during a shopping experience.
I won’t say that I haven’t just decided to “let it go” at times. I don’t like confrontation any more than the next person. But there comes a time to decide whether to do the right thing or the wrong (lazy) thing. It’s not about how nice we are, how nice we can be, whether we can smile our way into the good graces of another person, etc. And it’s my opinion that cashiers don’t just arbitrarily tell people they can’t use coupons because they are having a bad day. They really don’t know store policy and have not been properly trained. If they WERE held accountable for the times they are wrong and are subsequently trained, then they will enjoy their jobs so much more. At Wal-Mart I have had cashiers refuse to even try a coupon and refuse it. In such instances, I have gone to the service desk and explained the matter. I have yet to have one of them refuse the coupon.
Believe me, I know EXACTLY how it is to know EXACTLY what you are talking about and have the cashier, etc. so adamantly assert otherwise that you start to doubt yourself. I am never rude or combative, but if it comes down to it, I will leave my entire order sitting there for them to put back. I would never use coupons that do not align with the policies of the store I’m patronizing. I don’t try to find loopholes, etc. BUT, if the store says I can do it, then I am going to regard it as my right to do so. On more than one occasion I have had to point to the sign at Target checkouts (they have them at every register) that states customers may use “one manufacturer and one Target coupon.”
Of course, I usually don’t take my kids with me when I am doing major coupons, so if I had them with me, I would go home and make several phone calls.
At the very least, in this reader’s situation, I would call corporate and ask them if they promote a corporate culture that makes customers feel like criminals.
I agree with everything you just stated!! It’s a time for everything under the sun, it’s a time to cry, and a time to shine, a time to fuss, and a time to smile, and there comes a time when you have to stand up and demand “RESPECT”!
I told my husband after one of the manager’s told me Target was her store, “If Target was her store, she would be on a beach sipping on some Gin and Juice”, lol, who is she kidding? 😉 I really enjoyed reading what you had to say, thank you for sharing, what great “WISDOM”! 🙂
I wouldn’t shop at that branch anymore. I know it’s easier said than done with the big box stores, but I do this with any store who gives me the feeling like I’m stealing when I use coupons. Sorry, you’re not going to get another dime out of me when you treat me that way. I’d also send an email to corporate with your demographic, about how much you spend at that store, and why you’ll now be shopping at store XYZ from now on.
The internet is a very powerful tool. I may even mention the fact that your experience was highlighted in a very popular saving blog read by thousands of their customers. I find that most stores make an effort to keep a good online reputation.
I would continue it with a customer service call to the main headquarters and see where that gets you. It may not get you the discount as you were hoping for in the store, but it will, at the very least, enlighten the higher ups about the poor customer service you received.
When I run into this situation, I kindly ask for my coupons back and tell them to please void the sale out as I will go elsewhere. Then I will either go back later that day or another day. I have to say Target has been very good in honoring my coupons and even when their scanner was messing up and the coupon was taking off the higher item even though it wasn’t suppose to and it was brought to their attention, I was told simply they had to give it to me. I truly think it all depends on where you are at and what type of day they are having…:) Hope it get’s resolved
I had this same experience last friday over the same PJ coupon and was told the same thing: the coupon was for the flannel Pajama pants that were shown on the picture. I tried to explain that if they wanted me to only buy pj pants, the coupon would have been for pj pants. Manager was having none of it and dismissed me after giving me the number to corporate CS. I completed my transaction and walked outside of the store and called CS. The first rep I spoke with stated that it was the manager’s call as to how to interpret the coupon. I then asked to speak to his supervisor who got on the phone and began to tell me that I was correct and that she wanted to speak with the manager at the store where I was. Amazingly, after speaking with corporate CS, this manager was MORE than willing to take her store’s coupon on sleepwear with no issue. Sometimes I just let it go and other times I think it is worth it to go through the channels. Hopefully someone else was able to use their coupon without hassle because of my inconvience.
This happend to me two weeks ago. I went into Target and was going to purchase 10 Weight Watchers Meals, and use my Target coupon, along with my MQ. Now also, I had a Q from Target that stated I would get a 5.00 Target Gift Card if I purchased the products.
I did this same deal at the location by my house, no problem whatsoever. Well, the cashier was very nice, the machine beeped, and she didn’t know what to do regarding the 5.00 Gift Card Q, I told her when it happend at the last Target, the manager told me she couldn’t give me the Gift Card but she would take off 5.00, which was fine by me, she put in a code and that was it.
Well here comes the manager at this new location I visited, she was rude! She told me I could only use one of the coupons, and I told her that is not the policy, she told me that was her store, and she can do what she wanted to, and that I needed to learn how to read.
I told her I do know how to read, by this time I kindly told the cashier to take off ALL the dinners, I wasn’t going to argue over some frozen meals, so I walked out, and the next day I called customer service, explained to them what happend, they got my address, and they are mailing me out a 10.00 dollar gift card.
I am going to write to the Corporate Office, and report how awful I was spoken to. For whatever reason some of these so called manager’s don’t want to take our coupons, it doesn’t give them the right to talk to us like we are lower than them. I enjoy saving money, it is my HOBBY, I get a kick out of seeing the faces of people after they hear the cashier tell me how much money I saved.
I’m so sorry this has happend to you, write a letter to the Corporate Office, and let them know how you feel, and you can take your business else where, if you are going to be treated that way. Target is in the business to make money, and baby, word of mouth will hurt their company, :). Can you imagine what would happen if all of the unhappy couponers wrote to the Corporate Office? LOL!! You will see some of those manager’s out the door so fast, they would be seeing dust flying, 😉 hang in there. It will get better, I promise! 😉
You could also forward this post to Target….show them the feedback. That all across the country Target gets a bad rap because they just do not know how to treat couponers. Show them that US PEOPLE do this to help with hard times in this economic situation we are in, to feed, clothe and shelter our families. We are NOT criminals and trying to steal but following guidelines that the corporate office put in place. They are being reimbursed PLUS the usual .08 so what is the big deal if we are smart enough to figure out that a coupon equals a free product, it does not mean we are stealing it…it simply means we know how to put a little more effort into saving money and that little more time could be well spent in another store!
I would just go to another Target and grin ear to ear when they put my coupons thru without a hitch. I do this with Walgreens and CVS all the time.
That’s horrible! I would be angry too. One thing my stepmom and I have learned, is to always go to a male checker, the youger, the better. They don’t care and they don’t wanna argue with a crazy coupon lady like myself. : )
That what I use to do too. It worked beautifully for a long time. But then last time I shopped there that all changed. I was treated like an absolute criminal for the last time by the cashiers & Managers! So I give up on Target! I’m done w/their politics & horrible customer service. They don’t even exist to me anymore. Boycott boycott boycott to get them to change!!!
I have completely boycotted Target! Just to many problems w/coupons, customer service, managers, & not having products in stock as well. Trust has been broken w/the over charging as well. I think the only way they will step up there customer service is if they get hit in their pocket book! So I shop @ thrift stores, Kohl’s, Old Navy or online w/sales & free shpg. I just act like Target doesn’t even exist anymore.
I too am a generally happy person and coupon with integrity. I am also the person who won’t bother getting upset and venting at the store level. I will politely explain myself (with butterflies in my stomach of course) to the service provider/cashier. Once the cashier (and manager) have given me ignorant responses, I go the Clark Howard (he has a form letter on his website) route and write a letter to corporate. I used to always send hard copy, delivery confirmation, return receipt via snail mail. Now with email and tracking options I usually try email first. I have NEVER wound up unhappy. In fact I have wound up loyal to certain brands b/c of their CS responses!
Last year the Olay promotion (the one where the first XXX on their site won a starter kit) totally irked me. I was online and kept getting kicked off when I would go to check out/register (do not remember the details). Having worked in marketing for tow very large corporations I get the “everyone doesn’t win” concept but it was the implementation and server crashes that frustrated me. I was at the site and did have a product BUT the server crashed and I lost out – twice! Anyhow, an email or two later, I had a kit, multiple high value coupons, a personal phone call from the project/brand manager – on a Friday night none the less. Then to my total surprise about a month ago I got another kit with an apology about the “promotion”. It was obviously sent to many people as the letter is generic.
When my HP scanner died after 2 years (but I had only used it a dozen times), I tired tech support – no luck unless I wanted to pay per call, and so on. One version, 5 copies of the same letter addressed to the big wigs at HP and I had a new scanner.
I do not try to get one over on any company or business BUT I do expect to be treated respectfully and fairly. If you are offering something (a product, service or coupon) you should stand behind it. If the downstream chain of command goofs up (putting it nicely) then take it to the higher ups who do not want unhappy customers.
Oh yeah – I would only do this for big stuff – not a pack of gum!! 🙂
I never have a problem at Target with my coupons. I do try to go to a young or new employee because they don’t usually mess with the beeps and just let the coupon go through. I totally hate when cashiers go through your bags or items to make sure your coupons match the items. I have had a bad experience at Walmart. They said they would not except my online coupons. The cashier agrued with me and I asked to get a manager. The manager hesitated to take them but he did after I threw a fit about them. I don’t go that Walmart anymore because I’m not going to get embarrassed like that again just because I want to save some money.
I agree- the young cashiers are the way to go to get your coupons through!
I love this post because I have been having similar customer service issues lately. Some stores are WONDERFUL, and others, not so much. I think what Hip2save says is right, just think of all the “wins” and try not to get down about the “losses”. Put the items back if you don’t want them and go to another Target if you have time. It is a pain, but this whole couponing process can be time consuming. It is worth the effort for the deal sometimes, but not always.
ugh, the cashier coupon haters…where to begin, lol.
i live and work around a bunch of targets, some are great, some are not.
all i can say is i hold my ground. long gone are the days of being embarrassed for me!
i will hold up that line all day if i have to! when it comes to them flat out denying a coupon that should be used, i would probably flip! i did have one cashier recently try to deny me because it would be free. i just held my ground and repeated back to her what she was saying, ” so you’re telling me that even though it is Target’s policy to accept a man and store Q, you are not going to let me. i wasn’t aware that target let their cashiers make up their own rules… is this new?” stuff like that. after a few dirty looks and big sighs from her, she let me do it, “just this once” yeah, right, we shall see.
if you know you are right, stand up for yourself. make them start the whole transaction over. go through the coupon policy line by line with them, ask for the name of the store manager/district manager. tell them you are really angry about this and that you will be following up with every person you can above them.
once i had a rotten rite aid manager that was denying a very basic transaction and was quite nasty about it. lecturing me on all the couponers that were committing fraud. i asked her to hold that thought for one minute as i took out my phone. i said, “i just was to get this recorded for your district manager and corporate to see, because your behavior and hostility towards me is so shocking that they might not believe it when i tell them.” she was pissed, but let me do the transaction in the end.
i am all for being nice and friendly to the cashiers, i appreciate the great deals that we get from the stores and all that. but if they get nasty with me, i can be a stubborn you know what right back! 🙂
also take those surveys that are on the receipts and also go on the website and send email complaints. calling corporate is okay, too, but emails get forwarded to all sorts of people in the company and if there is one store getting a lot of complaints, the pressure will come down on that store manager to change their ways. 🙂
In this case I’m not sure I would have let it go that far. It’s just too stressful. I used to get all bent out of shape when things like this happened to me but I ‘ve learned to be really nice no matter how rude they get. I used to have problems with the manager at my local CVS. I’d never had a problem with anyone before her. I even called customer service and filed a complaint. Of course nothing was done about it so I decided that no matter how rude she was I was gonna be extremely nice. I’ve never had a problem since. She is actually friendly now. I dont always get my way but I dont let it ruin my day anymore.
Ugh, what is with Target? It used to be my fav! Why do they have act so snobby? it really hurt my heart reading this story. I still go to Target, even though I too have had problems with coupons there. I try to pick a cashier that doesnt look like they “care” lol. Because a lot of times it just depends on the cashier. And if they wont take the coupon then I just dont get the item and I get some kind of revenge that they have to put it back lol.
I have found a lot of discrepancies with Target and coupons. I find that I have to double check the receipt everytime I purchase something with a coupon. The last time I purchased kraft cheese the receipt said it deducted both the Target coupon and the manufacturer coupon but it did not deduct the manufacturer coupon so I had to take the coupons to the service desk and have her do the math. I was very pleasant and said it must have just been a glitch and she gave me back the money. I have had them decline coupons so I just do not purchase the item. I have had problems at Walgreens as well – I now watch every item and coupon as they ring it up. I have gotten to where I go to certain stores and get to know certain cashiers that are just wonderful. I LOVE CVS – they always take my coupons make the rewards work for me. Frys in AZ is the best grocery store – they take all competitor coupons and double every coupon so I take all of the Target coupons there for the best deals. My best trip at Fry’s: I saved over $400 in coupons and store promotions (you buy 10 items on promo list and they credit $5.00) and paid just over $7.00 out of pocket!!! Thanks for your coupons Target – I’ll match them with the manufacturer and score at Fry’s!!!!
Thanks for all your tips – especially all the deals for Christmas this year!! Love your site!!!!
I would go to the stores website and send an e-mail
I guess in that situation she did everything she could do. I try not to get angry about things like that but I do usually let it ruin my day LOL But thats because I live in the boonies and I drive almost 30 minutes to the nearest Target/Giant Eagle/Walmart. So, yes if I go out because I hear about a certain deal, and then they don’t let me do it, It makes me mad. At that point I’ve wasted $5-6 in gas for nothing…..and if they don’t let me use my coupons, you better believe I’m not buying anything else during that visit either ;o)
I have totally had this happen to me (at Rite-Aid), and I still won’t go into that particular Rite-Aid in my town. I also practice CWI and would NEVER intentionally use a coupon that is illegitimate or obtained unethically. I have also worked in many customer service capacities (from being a cashier in college to working professionally) for nearly 20 years before becoming a stay-at-home mom. I would never dream of treating a customer the way that I have sometimes been treated while couponing. The rule was that the customer was always right and as far as coupons went–if it wasn’t expired we were supposed to give people the benefit of the doubt and we never were to make false accusations of a customer. With my bad experience at Rite-Aid, I literally had this horrible cashier yelling in my face about my coupons. I promptly went home and called the corporate headquarters (anyone that has met me knows that is not something I typically do). In this case, I too would have called corporate headquarters…what is the purpose of a coupon policy if the store refuses to follow it? The Target in my area is primarily very nice about coupons, so I can’t complain about them. I would certainly complain about the treatment this reader received! I figure as long as I am acting ethically then the problem lies with the store, but it is hard to let it go when you want to be treated with the same respect that you give that store in relation to your couponing.
I wouldn’t have purchased the merchandise. Screw them.
LOL!
I just wouldn’t shop there anymore. I didn’t shop at a Walmart for two years after they treated me horribly when I exchanged a smaller size diaper for a larger one. My son simply grew too fast. I was recovering from surgery and spent his nap trying to exchange it while my mom was watching him. Since they changed the price and I brought my receipt, they made me pay the difference even though they were going to put mine back on the shelf and charge the new higher price. Maybe two years was too long, but it was so exhausting and they were so rude. The only way you sometimes have to get your point across is to speak with your money.
And tell all of your friends.