Customer service, or rather lack of it - am i entitled to be royally pissed?

[ashdavus]

Yesterday my son went into a game store and purchased a game and accessory, both used. When he got to the car 90 seconds later, where I was waiting with his baby sister, he realized that the accessory was not for the right system. Now common sense tells me that if a kid walks up to the counter with a game for one machine and an accessory for a different machine, you ASK if he knows. Am I right?

Now, he turned right around and took the dang thing back in the store. May I remind you it had been 90 SECONDS and the clerk had not asked him if he knew the accessory was for a different system than the game. They refused to refund his cash that he paid with. In fact, not only did they give him nothing but a reciept for a store gift credit, but they rang his return in as a trade - in and KEPT the sales tax they had collected.

Now, when he came out with nothing but a slip of paper looking genuinely pissed and hurt, on his birthday no less, I took it back in and requested his cash. The clerk was rude from the minute he opened his mouth and snarled that they don't give cash refunds. Now I'm pissed, so I demanded the cash back. Again, more rude, only this time the jerk tells me I need to leave, they don't give cash refunds for any reason.

Now, folks, it takes quite a bit to piss me off to the point I am pissed about the incident already, but then the guy tells me not to come back. EXCUSE ME? They owe the kid merchandise, they have his money, and they are telling me we can't come use it???? At this point I remarked, on my way out the door and loudly enough for the other shoppers to overhear, that I can't believe these fucking assholes are ripping kids off like that.

We went to the store next door to pick something up and then I took the slip from the game store to put it in my purse. It is now that I notice how they cleverly screwed the kid out of the sales tax. So I go back in the store.

I place the reciepts on the counter and rudely announce to jerk the clerk that he did not return the sales tax. Yes, I was rude in my tone of voice. I got rude from him, so I returned the favor. He snatches the slips off the counter and tells me I have to leave or he is calling the cops. I tell him to refund the tax and I will go. We go around in circles like this 4 or 5 rounds and he actually gets the phone and starts dialing. Mind you, he still has the store credit reciept in his hand. I'm not STUPID enough to leave without it. So I tell him to go ahead and call the cops. After all, he stole the sales tax and I'd like to have them come down and deal with him. He now puts down the phone and with a nasty attitude issues another credit slip for the sales tax. Again, as I am leaving, he tells me not to come back.

So this morning I call to complain about the service to the store owner. At this point, it was no longer about the money. I'm thoroughly pissed about the way I was treated. The guy cut me off after about 10 seconds and then HUNG UP ON ME. OHHHHH....no no no asshat, you do NOT hang up on an angry customer. Never, never, never. In fact, you do everythin possible to keep said customer, and you don't tell them to leave and never come back. I called back after he hung up on me and he yells into the phone that if we come in there I will be arressted for trespassing. Yep, I'm inclined to think now that this fucking asshole is fucking asshole number 1's father. Same confrontational shitty attitude.

Here is the real kicker....their store website says "we care about and take care of our customers, neighbors, and friends". With what? A shovel? I actually had to call the police about the credit owed my kid. Of course, he was all milk and honey with the cop and I'm the bad guy. Whatever. My kid can go in the store and use his credit, but not me. YEAH, like I'm going to send the poor lamb to slaughter alone so they can rip him off some more??? I don't think so.

Now I have to send my FIL down there with him.

Interestingly, I mentioned the name of this place when I took him over to Gamestop to get the correct item. From a room full of strangers I got a collection of assorted moans and complaints. They ranged from "what they did to you was crap" and "OH, THEM (insert sick look and rolling eyes from commentor)", to " I was there for 2 and a half hours last week and they only got ONE customer". The clerk at Gamestop said "We would have given his cash back." NICE.

Statistically, for my ONE complaint that the owner refused to hear out, there are 26 other folks who experienced the same and just never went back. 26% of consumers report they have stopped visiting an establishment because of rude employees. Obviously, I got a rude employee and a rude owner. We got shafted and I think it is pretty pathetic that I had to involve the local authorities to get what my son has coming. Anyone think I was WAYYY out of line or don't have a right to be SERIOUSLY pissed off about this???

[Gilbrit]

By law a sign must be posted as to their credit refunds. It cannot be hidden or placed in an obscure place.

First - File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. You can go to www.bbb.org.
The BBB can do nothing to but report you claim and their rebuttal BUT it will be in writing. Your complaint stays in their system against the store for three years.

Second - File a complaint with the State's Attorney General. Now this one is for real and they WILL look into it. You can google the web address for your state and file a complaint on line. You will receive a confirmation number and a reply in WRITING.

Third - See if they belong to your areas local Chamber Of Commerce. They do not handle complaints but you can inform them on what a chapter member did.

Next time, pay with a credit card or debit card. When retailers act like this - go directly to your credit card company and dispute the charge. Cash is invisible and you saw how fast they were trying NOT give it back to you.
One small piece of paper showing a purchase is not like a credit card statement that will carry the store's name and phone number on it as proof of purchase.

Use your anger now to file the complaints.
You'll feel much better afterwards! :)

[katyk]

I work in management for a company that makes custom garment labels and trim, as well as help source garment contractors for people. When people start clothing lines, they spend SOOO much money, and some companies drop $10k like it's nothing with us.

When something goes wrong, even on the smaller $200 accounts, people can sometimes go nuts! My boss always sends them to me, because I believe 100% in making the customer happy. I always agree with them (even if I really don't) and offer them anything to make them calm down and make them happy. So to answer your question, I think you are in the right. You should do what Gilbrit said and start filing reports. Especially since the mistake was made by a kid. How hard would it be to just give him his money back? It's obvious he wasn't trying to rip them off. What morons.

The only thing I never tolerate is when someone starts personally attacking me or my staff. Then I just professionally tell them that we can't accept their business any longer, regretabally.

[Aelwynn]

Stores like Gamestop and EBGames do not ever offer cash refunds for sold as-if/used items. My bro used to work there. There's a huge sign behind the counter and on it. Because they are used, they make sure in their own store that they work correctly. So no worries about that.

The only thing they legally, from the company mind ya, can give ya is a discount on another game in the future. That's usually only IF they feel sorry for you. They aren't required to do this.

I completely agree with you. I deal with bad customer service all the time. Try calling up WoW customer help and see how they treat you. The worst part about all of this is - even if you bitch, they are still getting millions of dollars from other people. So it really has zero effect on them at all. This is how the game industry has been for my whole of 20+ years and it sucks.

I am positive the supervisor hung up on you because he had heard of what happened from his store employee. He is most likely on his employees side because in gaming stores, they are all little mid-teens to mid-20 yr olds working there and they all stick together like glue. So guaranteed if my bro had a problem with someone, the rest of the workforce there would back him up with it.

I would have snatched the receipts out of his hand. Although I wouldn't of let him touch them, I would only lay them on the counter and state that they are MY property now.

OH! And the Better Business Bureau is awesome for privately owned stores. They don't like getting bad comments at all. I had a problem when I tried to buy a 4 post bed from a private store and the assholes refused to refund my $2,000 even though I had no bed for over 7 months and was waiting on it. The BBB helped me get my refund and that complaint is still on their record.

[ashdavus]

Stores like Gamestop and EBGames do not ever offer cash refunds for sold as-if/used items. My bro used to work there. There's a huge sign behind the counter and on it. Because they are used, they make sure in their own store that they work correctly. So no worries about that.

Thanks. We have purchased games at these two places for years and every time we have had an issue, they have gone above and beyond to make us happy. I'm sure the clerk at Gamestop said they would have refunded the cash because I specified that he returned the item 90 seconds after buying it because it was not the right one. We had an issue once with one manager at one location refusing to exchange a defective christmas gift because we did not have a reciept. I called another location and drove 40 miles to complete the exchange. The manager at that one told the clerk I could exchange the item for ANYTHING I wanted. Then he recommended that I purchase a better brand of the item because the one we had was notorious for being defective. WOW.

The store we had the problem with is a locally owned business. With service like I got, I look for it to be a closed business before long.

[WhatThe]

My blood pressure is through the roof for you. It is amazing that those people would turn around and give you a hard time - just like THAT. I HATE being a consumer. Anytime I buy anything, I just cringe. I swear. Please - let - this - work. Past - warranty. PLEASE. When I find a place that is nice to me, I am a customer for life. When I find a place that is nice to me and goes out of their way to HELP me - I tell everyone I know.

[SqueakyClean]

There are various sites all over the net - ripoffreport, epinions, complaints.com, etc. I think you should tell your story on every single one you can find. Maybe you can hit them where it hurts. And the pocketbook, too. ;)

[Aelwynn]

The store we had the problem with is a locally owned business. With service like I got, I look for it to be a closed business before long.

I'm sure if it's completely locally owned they are jacking up their prices as well, trying to compete with the bigger game selling stores. That's a bad idea nowadays.

If it's not completely locally owned...and they get supplies through a certain company like EB. You can complain to that company and hopefully they will stop sending them their items to sell as well.

[Castille]

With a locally owned store there is no vast corporate policy of no cash returns. There ought to be reasonable flexability - that's one of the points in favor of a small privately owned business! Coming back 3 minutes after the sale because it was the wrong thing means they can just cancel the whole sale at the register. Heck, back when I use to work customer service at Best Buy, that bastion of rude service, that's how I'd have handled it. But on the other hand, having more than a passing familiarity with the gaming and comic book set, there's a substantial number of scamming shoplifters among them. And the young men who do that crap don't give a thought to how badly it hits small private businesses. Until their fav comic book shop they use to occasionally swipe from goes under anyway. And I only mention this because I think it must factor in to how poorly this owner and employee appear to view the customers they are presumably serving. From that aforementioned stint at Best Buy, I learned an important lesson about how working in customer service too long can make you hate and suspect people of the worst intentions. And if they're victims of this mentality at your neighborhood store, then if their business goes under, it may be for the best for them. I'd be happy to be clear of them myself, but I understand your outrage at being asked not to return. What pricks.

[ashdavus]

Castille,
I totally understand the theft thing. In fact, the first time I entered the store, there were 4 or 5 teen boys milling around and the employees were all in a back room. I stood at the counter long enough to have robbed them blind and actually had to slap the countertop to get someone to come out of the back.

However, they had just sold the kid the item and he even made sure he had the reciept when he took it back in. At this point, however, it is not about the money. It is the principle of the lack of customer service, the bitter and hateful attitude, and the shady business practice(ringing the return as a trade in to keep the sales tax).

I did as some of the PP suggested and made complaints online. I wrote the local paper, added a comment to a BLOG I found touting their fantastic customer service. Then I called the State revenue office. I got referred to another number after I explained what happened and when I called it, it was their criminal division. I hope they audit the bastard!

Also, I sent my inlaws down there with my son today. I instructed him to use the credit slips to purchase a game before the guy could pull any more funny stuff. Now that he no longer has the kid's money...I can REALLY let loose my anger! And we will never set foot in that place again.

[CorruptedMistress]

I believe you totally have a right to be pissed off. This was an honest mistake and they should have assisted your son in the situation, not only as an employee who was representing the business but also as an adult. Obviously, they don't really care too highly about the customers if the manager also treated you poorly, which surprised me.

Local businesses should pride themselves in services that bigger businesses don't offer, such as cash refunds even if it has to fall under certain circumstances. All of our local gaming stores offer cash back for ALL trade ins , no matter how many days have passed. They also tell you your store credit - which would be a bit higher, but they still give you the option to trade for cash. Unopened items should be a no brainer with cash refunds. Hell, I even became friendly with a guy who worked for Gamestop and he would let me buy a game to take home and try and if I didn't like it, he would let me return it for a full cash refund.

They must be really hurting for business if they had to trap your son with the store credit bullshit just to guarantee a customer.

I wish you luck with your complaints and can only hope that they learned never to treat their customers rudely.

[ashdavus]

They must be really hurting for business if they had to trap your son with the store credit bullshit just to guarantee a customer.

My thoughts exactly. I myself have worked in customer service for more than 10 years and we believe the same thing. The customer is always right.

What these guys do not realize is that the only thing they guaranteed is that we will never patronize their store again. We had planed roughly $700 - $1000 in new purchases over the coming year. BUT...dissatisfied customers always take someone else with them.

Consider, if you will, that 20 percent of unhappy customers will tell 8-10 people about their experience. 13 percent will tell more than 20 people. This retard has just lost 10 customers just in our family. Then there are the 25-40 kids he will likely tell at school. Statistically, about half of those kids will choose a competitor based on what they were told. If you figure the average customer will spend $50 bucks a month the losses in sales over a year hurt.

Additionally, the small locally owned store does not make millions of dollars like the national chains. They cannot afford the sales losses that poor service breeds. I am inclined to believe that both the store owner and his employee are uneducated. This stuff is common sense!

[Athena]

First off, definitely follow the advice Gilbrit gave. These organizations, especially the state Attorney General, will make sure to address the issue.

Secondly - What's the name of the store so the rest of us can avoid it? There's nothing wrong with publically shaming businesses.

[ashdavus]

The store is Gamerz Planet in Grand Junction, Colorado.

I agree, they should be publically shamed. Especially considering the number of law breaking retards in GJ that seem to find their way to a featured spot on this site. Shit, when I was a kid this was a nice town and it was safe for an 8 year old to walk to the store alone. WTF happened???