What Would YOU Do in this Situation?
I received the email below from a reader and thought that all of you could offer her some great advice and encouragement!
[h2s_box]Hello Collin,
I’m reaching out to you because I am really concerned and angry with my area Walgreens, Walmart, and other stores in general. I don’t know if it is because I live in a highly touristy area or just because extreme couponing in Fort Lauderdale, FL is a bit hard… especially at Walgreens! Where do I begin??
First of all, I’m a paralegal and I have a deep experience on policy analyst. I’m mentioning this because I want you to know that I understand Walgreens policy completely, but the cashiers & managers (assistant manager in general) are so ignorant when it comes to the coupon policy of the store! It doesn’t matter how many times I explain it to them and show them their own coupon policy, they refuse to do it.
At first I thought maybe it was my attitude, so I approached in a more friendly way, but I realized it’s not. I used to enjoy extreme couponing and it was a stress reliever, but now I get really stressed just by walking into the store knowing that I have to deal with them. At the end they always end up saying ” I won’t accept this coupon because it is not going through” or ” I don’t want to lose my job” or ” typing the coupon manually is illegal”. HOW DO YOU WIN THE WHO IS RIGHT BATTLE ON COUPON POLICIES?[/h2s_box]
What would YOU do in this situation?
I’ve given up on shopping at Walgreen’s, too. Cashiers are baffled by the coupons. Their policy of not giving you RR if you use coupons during the transaction is ridiculous. Just not worth the hassle.
That is not the policy at Walgreens. The only coupon you cannot use during a transaction is a register reward for the same product as the register reward or more coupons than you have items.
I stopped shopping at Walgreens a few years ago. Their policy is so frustrating to customers. Cvs gets my business now!
I got really upset with my local Food Lion store. They refused to take coupons that had Walmart or Publix written on them, and then when they knew I was super upset, they refused to take a BOGO coupon because it didn’t scan. I left the cart full of groceries there, and left the store. Couponing is very frustrating. I would suggest contacting the main office of each store.
I agree with Becky about contacting the main office or corporate office. However, I have filed several formal complaints now with WG Corporate and they have yet to call me back to discuss any of the complaints. I am always told I will receive a call back within 24-72 hours. It’s been since Nov, 2013 and I have reported 3 cases. No call backs. CVS has my business now 🙂
Oh, I do hope that rather than having different types of coupons (stacks like mobile, cartwheels, gift card back, target coupon + manufacture ones), the retailer should just have 1 or 2 store-specific types with higher value/%. All the twists and turns and triple stacking of coupons will just confuse the cashiers and even consumers. As a consumer myself, I enjoy the great deals I can get from couponing. But sometimes the multi-level, zillion-stacked couponing just get my eyes crossed. I find myself having to spend a lot of time just understanding how they all work and would just pass on them to save my time.
On the store cashiers, many are friendly and want to work with you. But there are ones who are ignorant due to lack of training or just plain having a poor attitude (just like you will find in any other professions). A few times, I remember when I tried to use a equal valued coupon off an item, with the item being free, the cashier refused to take it at first and saying out loudly that “you cannot simply get something for free!” Even though I KNEW the coupon was legit and there was nothing wrong with what I was doing, it was embarassing to have the cashier say that for all to hear.
After working twenty odd years in retail, I can assure you if you ask for the corporate telephone number and make a few calls, things will definitely change. Also don’t deal with the ass’t manage ask for the Manager. When the clerk says she can’t put a coupon in manually she or he are lying. The manager should be called on the carpet for not remedying the situation. Shame on him or her. As I know the customer isn’t always right, but when the store doesn’t even know their own policies, shame shame. coupon clipper in New York
I disagree that things change when you call corporate offices. I had contacted corporate for dollar general several times just to be told they would talk to them. But, every dollar general in my area still says the same thing and it is NOT what their corporate told me. I understand the frustration with Walgreens also. Unfortunately, we have 4 Walgreens in my area. Even Walmart has stated they can not take a coupon if it does not scan. Luckily, the register managers have so far. The biggest lesson I have learned in all this is to seek clerks who I have done a lot of business with and know me. Otherwise, I look for a different store and just do the best I can with the idea that they may not have to take coupons, but I do not have to shop their stores.
hey sharon i m from NY too and i hate to go to target coz they make you feel that you are wrong and they are right i tried calling corporate one time and explain my ordeal and they said they will try and talk to the people and make them more aware of the policy but they also told me that they have the right to not take a coupon its on store manager decision ;(((((((((((
This sounds like all my dollar generals. I think the kids in my first grade class can count back change better than those people can.
In general, Walgreens is difficult. I had some issues at Rite Aid but the “stupidvisor” (hand to God it was on his name tag that way) moved on. Yoga breathe and stand your ground. Peace, love, and coupons!
As a former manager I can tell you to call home office and district office until you get a respond to this matter. Explain what is going on and is not the first time. Walmart has their market office number with the name of the market manager contact them and home office. Keep doing it until you get a respond. By doing this you will let them know what is going on in their store. I hope this helps.
I had the same issue at my local Walgreens a few years back. I argued each time because I knew I was not doing anything wrong. I finally got tired of it so I contacted Walgreens corporate, clarified, verified and got their confirmation whether what I was doing adhered to policy or not, then I had them call that local store while I was on hold. I also requested that I be contacted directly by the store manager so I can get an assurance that the next time I shop there, employees are better educated and hopefully not have the same problem. I have not had any major issues after. Good luck to you.
Tried coupons at Walgreens twice and it didn’t go well. I remember it was the $3 off Mens Nivea Body wash. The cashier said he cant take coupons for “free” products. HUH?!?!? I said it just makes it free, it is not for a free item. …blah blah blah. I attempted to use a Walgreens coupon for AZ Iced Tea and it beeped and they would even take their own coupon?
i completely 100% agree with that letter; i get the same feeling and reactions for those stores and it is aggravating knowing your doing the right thing but because they are un educated on couponing they make you feel like that. It does suck to walk into a store knowing you have a chance of having a problem with the cashiers for those reasons… but i keep going because i love couponing!
No matter what store I shop at if they give me a hassle about coupons I then ask them for the corporate phone number. I have even called the corporate office from the store and then I never have a problem. If they won’t give me the number I get their name and then contact the store online. Believe you me, it has always worked. The corporate office usually always then sends you a coupon worth anywhere from $5.00 to $10.00 off you next order.
That’s why I stopped using my Wegmans…. If they can’t stick tomatoes off the vine (and swear they have never sold them that way), and then look at EVERY STINKING COUPON with a magnifying glass and loudly “apologize” to the person behind me about my couponing. Well Wwgmans, you lost about $12000 a year.
My advice would be to contact management. Once that is done allow some time to pass to see if your issue has been resolved and if not contact them again and let them know your situation again. I don’t think people should lose their job for the misuse of coupons, but I also think that people should be able to follow instructions. If the store teaches its cashiers on coupon use, and they choose not to pay attention to how it works then they shouldn’t be cashiers and should be working on the floor.
I go to CVS and rite aid its so much easier than WG. I’ve given up shopping at WG since the number of coupons has to match with the item. There isn’t a lot of BR promotions as well or really hard to get every week. Rite aid is like CVS but they make you use the UP reward the next day instead of using it on the next order. CVS is better than RA b/c the EB doesn’t expire till one month and also they are well stocked. Some cashiers at RA can give a hard time with your order if they are there.
A couple years ago right after Christmas, Walgreens had Axe gift sets in their sale ad for 50% off (so $5.00) I had $5.00 off coupons so I ran to Walgreens on Monday morning and had 4 of them in my cart. Well, the coupon beeped! So the Manager came out and refused to put it through. He said those were supposed to have been pulled from the shelves and broken down to sell by the piece. I showed him the ad and he still would not sell them. I gave up and went to another store! None! and another store, None! I called Corporate, the Regional Manager etc. By then every Wags in town had pulled them from the shelves! In the end I ended up getting a $10.00 gift card mailed to me to shut me up! Well it did! I have never shopped at Walgreens again! They do not honor their own ad!
Same happened to me with the Axe set here in GA. After I brought in the ad, the manager finally agreed she would sell them to me. I bought 2 and have had a bad taste in my mouth for Walgreens ever since. I think I have gone in there once. Not worth the hassle.
Moving to Florida has been a downsizing in savings because stores here do not double coupons. That has been frustrating but I thought at least stores would compensate by being more customer friendly and having a coupon policy they understood from managers to cashiers to store customer service. I haven’t found that to be true. There have been issues at all my local stores. Coupons will beep, cashiers are not always sure what to do next but I just smile and wait to see what what is their next step. Sometimes I ask to see a manager if the line is getting long I ask them to just total it and I’ll go to customer service for the price adjustment, failing that I’ll call corporate.
What I find mind bogeling is more than a few of my calls to corporate that have ended with: “so sorry you have had this experience at your local ………….store but this is at the descretion of the store manager. I can pass your comments on.” I have rarely received a gift card from a manager or corporate office as many have said they have. It would be a pleasant surprise but I would much rather know when I walk into my local stores they know their coupon policy, sales are real and not just a few items on the shelf, and questions are not met with snappy, short responses that make it crystal clear whatever you are asking is not their problem.
The 3 stores that have been the worst to deal with seem to be what many of you are finding. Walmart, Target and Walgreens. Recently at Walgreens, yet again there were errors on the receipt. This has happened to me more than a few times. Anyone else have this problem?
Omg my Target is great place to shop for deals. Very helpful and even when I don’t ask they will start talking and letting me know the deals from cartwheel and target coupons. Which is nice to see and letting me know that I could combine them together.
I know that I’ve been frustrated in similar situations before, but I do know getting angry and stewing about it definitely doesn’t help my own mental health. I try to be confident, polite, and understanding of reasons given if a coupon doesn’t go through. I don’t feel judged or treated like criminal when things don’t go smoothly because I’m confident that I’ve read all the fine print and am using them correctly and in general the cashiers are still polite. If the cashier is extremely rude or extremely incompetent, ask to see a manager or contact customer service online. Stores can make up their own rules (most coupon policies even say something to that effect). I can choose not to shop at stores that give me problems or try my luck. If a coupon doesn’t go through or the cashier won’t take it for whatever reason, I am not shy about asking them to remove the item from my purchase if I feel I’m not getting a good deal anymore. At one of our Walgreens, they won’t take my printed manufacturer’s coupons if there is a logo or “(redeemable at….)” on it for another store. I know I’ve used some before and they always have scanned just fine. One time I stated this and asked if they could just try to scan it, but they said they have had problems getting reimbursed on some of them in this situation. On a similar note, when printed coupons don’t scan, there is no way for the cashier to be able to determine if it is a legitimate coupon and they don’t want to get in trouble or fired for pushing through bad coupons for which the store can’t get reimbursed.
I was having similar issues at my local Walgreen’s leading me to stop shopping there until I realized why should I stop saving money somewhere when I have done nothing wrong and have the right to?! I found that at my local Walgreen’s it’s easiest to check out at the cosmetic counter and I became very friendly with a few woman that normally run the cosmetic counter and now love going in there! There’s two cashiers at the front registers I cringe at the thought of having to check out with them. My local Target is a hit or miss on difficulty, I’ve also been ‘profiled’ at my Target they see I have a stack of coupons and the front end person literally stands there with her hands folded watching the cashier. It’s the same thing as discriminating against someone for what their wearing or color of their skin in my opinion. And most of the time the issues I have with coupons not scanning are the store specific coupons it’s a Target coupon I’m at Target I have the correct size and item take it darn it!! Glad to hear I’m not alone in this coupon quandary! Keep coupon-on!!
I had a Walgreens cashier in SE arlington texas tell me my coupons were fake right in front of other customers. I was still new to couponing at the time and was so embarrassed. I told her they were not fake I printed them myself off the web site. I just left the store feeling all crappy. I shop at cvs across the street now and they are so nice.
I was accused by the store manager of photocopying baby formula coupons at Vons. He went off on me in front of other customers. I couldn’t believe it. My coupons were not photocopied. I would never do that. I was irritated but I calmly told him that and then went home and called the corporate office. Later on in the day the same manager called to apologized to me. He said to come back in and he would accept the coupons now. Needless to say I didn’t go back.
The only thing I hate about my walgreens is them not accepting manufacturer coupons if it says available at Walmart or something like that
I know what ya mean. I gave up pointing out it says manufacturer coupon and save the coupon for publix or walmart or whatever store it “suggests” 🙂
WALGREENS just plain and simple does NOT adequately train their employees regarding coupons. They have an extremely vague policy regarding the number of items you can buy and I’m told now they have a training ideo with a girl with a gazillion school folders and I’m assuming mead coupons, what the hey…,, No more than normal house hold consumption, do you really want to have us bring proof of the number of people we support! really, ridiculous. also, why would you care, not talking about hot coupon items, i get attitude on something there is not even gonna be a rush on. would you care if i was hrowing 100 dollar bills at you, we shouldnt be treated lesser than because we are smart enough to save. i even had a manager coupons were only designed for ou to try something different once. ughhhh! I’m so tired of their AtTITUDE. I use to feel the same way about Target but they saw the pros and lost revenue and hopped both feet on board. WAGS may be a thing of the past because lots of us couponers don’t just take our coupons when we stop shopping there, I’m almost to the point of taking my $12,000 per year (no exaggeration in scripts a lone) some where else also, not o mention the people I continually refer there.
Am I remembering it wrong…but wasn’t there higher value coupons online and in the Sunday inserts and magazines than there is now since that extreme coupon show?
Whew! Lots of issues at Walgreens. My issues there boil down to the fact that they have so many different things going on – store coupons, register rewards, balance rewards, and then sometimes happy cash/jingle cash. Then you have a million rules and coupon ratios and filler items. No one can figure it out including the people who work there. It makes couponing there generally unpleasant unless you have a seasoned cashier.
I rarely get into all that, specially at Target. Never failed something would go wrong with the transaction. I discovered could have been from reading it on hip2save(thank you for all you do, Collin) that Publix accepts competitor coupons and my publix lists Target as one so I print and stack the Target coupons with manufacturer’s and use it at Publix.
Smart girl:). No public here:(
YES! Exactly! Too complicated…
I have two targets within 10 minutes of me. At the one that is closest to me I usually run into problems when it comes to using coupons. At first they didn’t follow the coupon policy when it came to overages. They simply wouldn’t take the coupon instead of adjusting it down like they’re suppose to. I called the corporate office to complain about it when I got in the car. When I got home I filed a similar complaint online as someone else. The next day I called and filed a complaint as someone else. Two days later I filed another similar complaint as someone else. Well sure enough the next time I went back their cashiers knew the policy. Just one customer complaining isn’t going to do anything, but “multiple” customer complaints will 😉
Now when it comes to picking out the right cashier if your favorite one is off for the day I tend to go for one that looks like they don’t give a crap. I find they just push anything through.
Haha! So true – I look for the young guys. They do not care enough to hassle you!
Not true at my local target. The young guys there read through each line of my coupons. I think the manager told them to do that. This target is very unfriendly toward couponers. They only allow one coupon per product per transaction (despite the actual wording on coupon or their coupon policy)..i just try to avoid this store whenever possible. Not worth the headache.
With regard to couponing headaches I do think it can go a long way to ask the cashier how their day is and be friendly. I’ve had a lot of cashiers go the extra mile for me (calling over a manager for an override without me even asking or pushing coupons through), especially at my local target, and I think it’s because I’m extra, extra nice to them. I also always make sure that my coupons are good by triple checking dates, sizes, varieties. I also put free items last so that they can look up the prices quickly. They don’t have the best job (I know – I’ve done it) so I try to make it as easy for them as I can and honestly…if they give me too much trouble with a coupon I just take my coupon back and don’t buy the item. I’m not going to raise my blood pressure and ruin my day.
Very thoughtful, A 🙂
No disrespect but at WALGREENS sometimes it just boils down to poor hiring, poor training, poor attitudes and being nice just doesn’t seem to matter. I had one cashier the other day when I was paying like$3 on a pro fusion razor,(not a great deal but needed) theatrically grab her glasses when I handed her a coupon look over her glasses at me and sigh, I politely reached in my bag pulled the item out and said I think I got the exact item on the coupon she yanked it out of my hand threw it in the bag and said well I don’t like to take coupons. And I love the ones that think because your using your points your getting them free, do they know sometimes how much money I had to spend to get them… In case u haven’t noticed I’m not in a good place with WAGS right now. The other post is right you need a phd in couponing to go there, they make it too difficult. Sorry ladies and gents WAGS tends to suck these days:(
While I agree you should be nice..I also think that they should be doing their job the correct way. I shouldn’t have to kiss someones rear end so they do the job they are suppose to do. I don’t think its asking to much for them to follow their own written policies.
agreed it would be nice..we are customers and have a right to expect that..its not asking to much for them to follow the coupon policies they put in their tv ads, post online and in pamphlets but two wrongs don’t make it right and kindness matters. At least I hope even their corporate offices will finally realize rules can be customer friendly and still good for their bottom line
Meh…I definitely don’t kiss anyone’s rear end but at the same time I don’t go in with an attitude or expecting problems and I rarely get them. Also, it’s not the cashier’s fault they’re not trained – when I cashiered in college I think I had maybe 60 minutes of training before I was pushed out on the floor. They cover just the basics. I’m sure wags (or anywhere else) doesn’t spend countless hours going through the coupon policy with them line by line. Deal hunting should be fun. I’m not going to freak out about it and yell at someone over a few dollars.
I didn’t say u did…and yes I’m sure they don’t get days and days of training. However..they certainly can read their own coupon policy! Nope I don’t freak out or yell..I just will not shop at stores where the cashiers and management are rude and ignorant of their own written company policies. Just my opinion…
Agree! So many people go into stores and forget that the person behind the register is just that, a person.
True..everyone should be friendly and nice. But…they should also follow their own written policies. I don’t think that is asking to much. If they don’t want to follow the policies then they shouldn’t even have any.
When I started at Walgreens I got zero hours of training on anything. Luckily, I already used coupons, so I was familiar. I can clearly remember a co-workers face when I asked if the order of the next person was one transaction. Luckily, most of the people I work with in the beauty dept also use coupons, so we are all knowledgeable. It can be kind of confusing to explain it to a 20-year-old who has never used a coupon before.
Good point Laura:-) Yes it would be easier if cashiers are couponers:-) In 2 wags where I coupon 2 of beauty cashiers are couponers, sooo much fan when that 2 ladies are there. 🙂
i am so glad i am not alone when it comes to shopping at walgreens…it is HORRIBLE..MY BLOOD PRESSURE SHOOTS UP when i have to shop there. .
once they had the dominos sugar 4 lbs on sale for 1.98 and they were out of it i requested the manager if he can substitute 2 , 2lbs dominos sugar for which he said he cannot do that and that he can give “NICE ” BRAND, I said domnios is more exp and its is on sale and it is def a better brand..but heck now he was adamant and i just walked out. till date i did not step back in the store..
I try not to generalize when discussing clerks and/or the stores they work out. It appears to me that if you are friendly and try to find the friendliest cashiers you will be very successful. My Walgreen clerks are unbelievably nice and helpful – going in the back to check to the stockroom if necessary. I live in Wichita, KS and I will say overall clerks are helpful at Dillons, CVS, and Walgreens. Not all stores are the same – but you just need to find that one store or that one clerk to make all the difference in couponing. I always ask if they have any babies; if they would like my diaper coupons that I don’t need. I need let them know when the best deals are coming up in the store for them to use the coupons.
It can be a wonderful sharing experience if you just try to find common ground with the clerks. Good Luck – don’t lose heart; we all need to save a buck now a days.
Yes I agree you should always be nice but there comes a point when you should not have to bend over backwards to get the cashiers to do their job and follow their written coupon policies. I for one am done with the rudness..the eye rolling..the sighs..the slamming down of my coupons.
OMGosh…its like you were standing behind me a few times that happened to me, Meg!
Lol
The sighing and eye rolling is the most irritating thing. I am nice and friendly at the store but if a cashier or manager tries to give me attitude over legitimate coupons..well I just whip out my phone and call corporate. The two stores that I have the most problems at are Walgreens and target.
Wow, the first time someone slammed my coupons down or rolled their eyes in from of me, that would be the time I would call the manager; and I work at Walgreens part-time.
Can we do a poll of some sort for coupon friendly stores.
Ha! That would be a short list in my area!
Extremely short list in my area as well.
Just look around and find stores that are coupon friendly. I drive 10 miles more to coupon at one awesome Target and skip two Targets close to my house , same thing for Wags. No more Rite Aid for me (we only have two of them). I’m lucky to have great Safeway close to house. Be nice and don’t let rude people make you to give up. I save money and use coupons and yes I’m proud of that:-)
I gave up shopping at Walgreens a long time ago because of the many, MANY problems I had using coupons there – even ones that they had in their own ads were an issue at times. I shop at CVS now and they are very friendly and I’ve never had problems with them.
Same here. Yesterday, Walgreens did not accepted my coupon for the papermate pens. They remove the $2 off coupon from the 2.29 pens, same serial number, but they assure me it was the wrong item at wrong place and the pens were ringing at 3.29. Liars!! The product # match the tag. I was in a hurry and didnt had time to argue w them. :-/. Another scenario. Walmart cashiers and their spsly managers dont even know their policies. I was using a BOGO plus a $1.50 off coupon for my dogs treats and cashier refused to take them, including my print out coupons. She then called the “asst manager” as if I was doing something wrong. Asst manager too refused my BOGO, saying that would actually make my transactions to cents, and said ” I can’t let you do that” I responded to her, I am doing nothing wrong, and this is the purpose of using coupons, to reach the cents or free items”. She didnt like it and I left everything there. Now I’m going to carry the polices w me. I love target and Kroger!
From Dallas, Tx.
I moved about a year ago and started going to a new grocery store. I had complained to corporate bc a cashier had refused to scan my coupon and acted like I was doing something fraudulent. I spoke with the store manager whom apologized. I spoke to him for a good 20 minutes and he told me how shocked I would be about how much coupon fraud there is and actually gave examples. I was shocked!! Being an honest person I hadn’t really thought about it, I always triple check coupon dates, sizes, etc. What I can say is, I shop at this grocery store all the time now and after a while they know I coupon with integrity and that I’m nice. But trust me these cashiers remember the rude couponers way quicker than the nice ones bc unfortunately alot more are rude than nice 🙁
The way some cashiers act, you’d think the discount was coming out of their own pocket. I have heard that some manufacturers don’t pay back the stores for the full amount of the coupon.
The way some cashiers act, you’d think the discount was coming out of their own pocket. I have heard that some manufacturers don’t pay back the stores for the full amount of the coupon.
I’ve experienced that too. Sometime Wags managers limit the quantity of items and they have shelfs full of item, and I am thinking, “are you saving it all for yourself?” Like in Nice baby wipes. And I don’t shop at Walmart not because of couponning, but because my husband is Union worker. I refuse to support Walmart heiress- “The Walton siblings are each worth at least $33 billion” (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/heirs-and-heiresses-of-the-wealthiest-people-in-america-134134504.html) and we are not talking about other relatives
You should go over their heads. Call corporate. Write an email, paste some of these posts that have people agreeing with you.
I live in NJ and last week while i was at the checkout of walmart the cashier an older gentleman spoke very loudly and chided me for trying to use an expired coupon. It was my mistake of course but he really should not have treated me that way. I went to customer service and told them what had happened and to my surprise they gave me a $5 walmart giftcard. These employees need to realize that without costumers they have no job. What happened to the costumer is always right?
Walgreens is just too much hassle with their cashiers and coupons. CVS/Target is winning this gals heart. Maybe Walgreens corporate should read this post!
I’ll bet that if you contact your local news station reporter “On Your Side” and ask them to investigate and televise your shopping experience along side you. What company doesn’t like negative press? Just have their coupon policy in hand and your coupons at the register while the mayhem unfolds on prime T.V., I’m positive you’ll raise some eye brows and get some attention. This is the information & media age, use it!
Lights ~Camera ~Action!
I’m a Tampa couponer and yes I’ve couponed from West Palm Beach to Boca Raton – not easy or just too many rich folks?
The last 2 times @ walmart i had to wait 10-15 min to get my coupons approved. Once for online coupons. And once for a 50 cent off 2 lysol toilet cleaners. I got 2 2packs of the product and was told i really shouldnt do that bc they are already discounted. Some of these cashiers act like we should be hauled off to prison for trying to save a few bucks. Target is always great here in central il. I dont go to drugstores a lot.
My blood pressure also rises a bit when getting ready for the check out. My CVS’s are generally great with the exception of one. The folks at my Walgreens store can be sore sometimes but are generally all right if I demonstrate that I’m organized and prepared for my purchase. (Except once when a cashier told me that you can’t use RR’s on a product that produces RR’s period, when, as we all know so well, that you can as long as it’s not the same product or from the same company.)
My only tip to deal with a direct (or more often oblique) accusation of fraud is to play down the drama of “COUPON FRAUD!!!” Like, I’ll sigh and say, jokingly, I’m just a person… I don’t know how to *defraud* someone. And if the cashier’s don’t take them, I also ask why. Like, for a while one of my CVS’s weren’t taking printed coupons because they actually did get some fraudulent coupons like $10 off detergent or something. And then of course, I go elsewhere, as a last measure.
Ha Ha “COUPON FRAUD” Some of the store around here seriously thinks that if I print coupon in black & white, it would mean I photo copy them = FRAUD. I tried to explain that anybody can print Black / white from printer. Boy, that’s was the last time I print coupon in black / white.
My problem with Wags was a few months ago with Crunch bars on sale and the hiding of Crunch Girl Scout flavor bars. What store would hide merchandise people want to buy on sale?
Another local grocery store had something on special with coupon making it cheap but, they didn’t have product in stock. I sent e-mail to corporate and the local grocery manager told me NOT to do that. If I have any issues, bring it up with him FIRST. I’m hesitant to make any complaints about that store anymore.
I hear you, whatever good “come on ” aka. baits that advertised on Sunday ad, my local Walgreen only have whatever on the shelf until next Sunday. Even if they have trucks that come during the week, they are not stock shelf on those popular items. It has to be really good items for me to get up early Sunday morning to go on a hunt for those.
I work partime mainly as a cashiet for a Walgreens in Omaha, NE. Im also a pretty avid user of coupons. The main problem I see with my store is the lack of training on the policies regarding coupons. I never shopped at Walgreens before I worked there so I didnt know the policies. When I started basically my learning of the coupon policies was “on the job”. It was also right before the holiday season so Ive made many mistakes. Along with at my store the managers are not on the same page. Some will say I can enter a coupon in manually without them & others say I have to have their approval first. So I can see both sides and I get it. It can be frustrating all around. My advice is be patient, be kind, and dont give up on WAGS just yet. 🙂
Can you blame Walgreens employees for not knowing what I going on with coupons–their policy is so convoluted and there are so many crazy other little “rules”. I rarely rarely shop there anymore. It just about gives me a nervous breakdown every time I have to go there because of inevitable coupon issues.
I have to say that as a Walgreens employee, this is really disheartening. I have to agree with the others here that state that you should talk to the store manager, and if that does not work, then as for the district manager and go up from there. I don’t know who said it, but they are right, everyone has a boss. Coupons are refunded by the manufacturer to the store and certainly don’t change my paycheck in the least, so I take as many coupons as people have and even bring what I don’t use to the store for others to use when I can. The rules can be convoluted, but as I learned today at Target from the awesome cashier, always do your Cartwheel last. I would not hesitate to ‘like’ the Walgreens Facebook page and write your frustrations. Typically, this has worked for me with other situations.
I haven’t couponed at Walgreens in a couple of years because of their negative attitude toward couponers and the fact that all the RR’s were never available. I couldn’t understand why they never had any of the deals I went in for even at 12:01 a.m. on Sundays. Then I found out that one of their employees was fired for taking the RR’s deals and placing them in the back room and only bringing them out for their friends and relatives. I never got into the balance rewards either. I only go to Walgreens to pick up my free photo deals! Funny thing is, I went in today to get my free 8 x 10 collage and thought I would get the free Starbucks coffee posted (with no coupons) and the shelf was empty! They lost LOTS of my $.
I haven’t couponed at Walgreens in almost 2 years. I hate the way their registers are set up, hardly any product on the shelves, and the customer service is terrible! When I went to pick up my free photo order the manager said, “we’re not friends of free.” I mean c’mon it’s a promotion from Walgreens’ own website! Ridiculous
My Walgreen is always out of stock of the sale items. I can go there early sun morn and the shelves would be wiped out. They always say to come back mid week when their truck comes and I have done that a few times ..only to find the shelves still empty.
Not sure if somebody mention this. Post complaints on their Facebook page often time you would get some kind of reply from those web/online image look out person for the company.
I always shop in smaller towns. Not in big cities. the people are much friendlier and they seem to have a much better attitude about couponing. I am amazed at the difference in the staff at walgreens in smaller towns and larger cities. Like doctor jeckle and mr hyde. As you become more familiar with the different stores in your area, you will learn where to go for the best deals and no hassle. thanks for letting me comment and don’t let the sour lemmons detour you. the benefits of couponing far out weigh the difficulties. kathryn archer
Has anyone thought of copying and sending this whole question and answers segment to corporate. Collin, would it be okay with you if I copied all the responses and sent it in an email to Walgreens.
Please do!!!!
I give Walgreens 5k+ stars for hiring all the worst, rudest cashiers in the country, and even placing them in manager position :/ Walgreens get my positive feedback for having the worst customer service ever.
I think the first qualifications of cashiers that walgreens are looking for is…NO KNOWLEDGE OR EXPERIENCE IN COUPONING lol. I hate that place and would stay away from it like plague unless there’s a really good deal like rock bottom price or free items that I can score from walgreens.
Call the Corp, Office. I did and I have had no trouble since. I also wrote a letter to the Corp. Now when I go to Walgreens they give me no trouble.