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CarolineFCY
last online: 07/21, 22:01
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Gift card guilt.

So a couple of weeks ago, I went to a certain healthy grocery store to get my brother a gift card for his birthday. The gift card I picked out from the little kiosk had a hole punched in it (like the ones behind it, so it could be hung up). Problem was, the hole was punched through the little black scanny bar. I thought that was weird, but went to purchase it anyway. Of course, we ran into some issues with the hole-punched card so we ended up getting an intact one, but this all led to my credit card being charged twice.

I've come to the store twice since then, second time with proof of the double charge. In my email inbox is a 10-message back-and-forth with the front-end-manager(s) about whether or not the charge got reimbursed. My bank's not registering the credit and I've told them so. Now they're offering me a $25 gift card at the store of my choice.

My question is... dear God, does the staff hate me now? Do I need to dye my hair and wear different clothes if I'm ever to show my face in that store again? Please tell me I probably haven't gotten anyone fired.

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Since writing this post CarolineFCY may have helped people, but has not within the last four (4) days.
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credit, store, card, charge, gift
Replies (22)
Dr. ralph club zps9ornptsl
DocteurRalph
last online: <time class="timeago" datetime="1729727397" title="Oct 23, 2024 23:49">Oct 23, 2024 23:49</time>
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They all hate you, but not as much as they hate the job they suck at...

Help me with:

I need help.

Roccoflip
Rockster160
last online: <time class="timeago" datetime="1730969927" title="Nov 7, 2024 8:58">Nov 7, 2024 8:58</time>
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Inclined to agree with Ralph... At places like that, the staff generally “hates” any customer they have to “deal” with.

However, many of the times (this time included) it’s the fault of the employees there. They should be concerned about you not liking them, not the other way around.

Electric
BA1
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I wend grocery shopping one day. Total was 60-something dollars and change. Paid with exact change in cash.
But when the brainless cashier began counting, she came across....one Canadian quarter...
"I'm sorry we don't take Canadian coins."
I said, "Sure you do -"
"No, sir, I'm afraid we don't."
I said, "If it makes you feel better, I can take my U.S. currency back and leave you with the honor of putting these groceries back...."
She said, "Please wait a minute." She picked up the phone and began talking to her manager. A couple minutes later she hung up.
"We've decided to honor the quarter," she said as she gave it back.
"Oh really?" I said. "Okay, you do that," and then I took my groceries and went out to my truck to put them away.
I sat in my truck looking at this Canadian quarter and I blew my stack. I began fishing around in my change and grabbed a handful of pennies.
I found myself back at the cashier requesting to talk to the very manager she spoke to.
Soon the manager and I met at the customer relations counter and I explained to him that I was a long time shopper that had spent thousands on their overpriced goods. I told him I didn't appreciate how the cashier made a big deal over the foreign quarter.
"Let's just stop the show and make a spectacle of it and waste my time!"
"Well, sir we honored the quarter!"
"You're missing the point. First, she holds up the show over a quarter, secondly she makes a spectacle by making a phone call to you look like a crisis rapeline call to S.T.A.R. and thirdly, you just reduced all the *******fucking money I ever spent here, down to nothing, makinkg me look like a welfare case, by 'honoring' my quarter - but, you didn't even have the decency to keep it." And I slapped the Canadian quarter down on the counter.
"Sir, the Canadian quarter has less value than the U.S. quarter -"
"So you're saying the Canadian quarter does have value, but not as much?"
"Yes."
"Then why give it back? Instead of taking a loss on an entire 25 cents, the difference would have only been 2 or 3 pennies..."
Then a look came over his face, and I continued talking as I laid out three more pennies on the counter.
"I am not here because of a Canadian quarter, I am here because of the ****shit you sent me through over three penny difference and you're looking at someone who is willing to share every moment of this dread with you. Make sure you play this video at your next board meeting and get it worked out."
And pointing at the change on the counter, "Meanwhile, I owe you 25 cents....I suggest you take it."
....And he did.
----------
I'm sorry. What was your post about?😋 Just kidding.

I brought you this story for a reason - you weren't unreasonable. What people dislike the most are those people who always accept the kinks of the system which was decided upon by people.
What all the CEO's and managers would like you to believe is they are a victim and it's outta their hands. But the system isn't a mindless machine - it is decided upon by people every day.
So...what determines a 'bad guy?'

2j0e9up
Max
last online: 07/27, 11:05
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No you'll be fine. That' what they do...all the time.

2j0e9up
Max
last online: 07/27, 11:05
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lol...been there Al.
I was in a USA airport starving from a crappy 12 hour flight and tried to buy a bag of chips and was short a nickle and he wouldn't take a Canadian nickle. I ate the *******fucking things in front of him! A customer paid for them for me..nice people are out there.
Sorry we highjacked your post.

12
Jebus-Zeus
last online: 10/09, 19:48
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screw that, its your money and you deserve to get it back...

Happy earth
smiley
last online: 11/26, 18:47
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First, you did nothing wrong. Second, they probably won't remember. It'll be fine, no need for a disguise.

Still doin stuff for starbyface
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CarolineFCY
last online: 07/21, 22:01
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Max wrote:
lol...been there Al.
I was in a USA airport starving from a crappy 12 hour flight and tried to buy a bag of chips and was short a nickle and he wouldn't take a Canadian nickle. I ate the *******fucking things in front of him! A customer paid for them for me..nice people are out there.
Sorry we highjacked your post.

Nah, I'm enjoying the stories! It's just that social anxiety heightens my sensitivity to the idea of being one of "those" customers on a ****fuck-customers blog. The team there was helpful and nice; I merely hate drawing this out. And I admire your bold public chip eating.

Still doin stuff for starbyface
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CarolineFCY
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smiley wrote:
First, you did nothing wrong. Second, they probably won't remember. It'll be fine, no need for a disguise.

I'll buy that I did nothing wrong! Appreciate the validation there. But oh boy, the transaction ordeal was one they'll remember for a while. At least they did the day I came back.

Happy earth
smiley
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CarolineFCY wrote:

I'll buy that I did nothing wrong! Appreciate the validation there. But oh boy, the transaction ordeal was one they'll remember for a while. At least they did the day I came back.

Ha! Must be a smaller, less busy store then. Well at least the worst is over.

Still doin stuff for starbyface
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CarolineFCY
last online: 07/21, 22:01
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Yep! New day, new problems. Apparently now a number for a gastro hospital/office a city over needs a "long distance access code." This is landline discrimination 😒

Happy earth
smiley
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CarolineFCY wrote:
Yep! New day, new problems. Apparently now a number for a gastro hospital/office a city over needs a "long distance access code." This is landline discrimination 😒

You have a landline? Wow, retro cool! Do you have a rotary phone?

Actually we have a landline right now too. It came bundled with internet and cable TV that my husband and kids like. (I use internet but don't watch cable TV.) We only use it to locate misplaced mobile phones.

Is "long distance access code" a confusing way of saying "dial 1 and the area code"?

Still doin stuff for starbyface
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CarolineFCY
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Rotary phone, yes! Plugged in? Nah. I just went through an antique phase. (Actually one of them used to be plugged in in my room -- scared the crap outta me every time it buzzed. I'd say I prefer the jingly rotary noise, but I set it as my iPod Touch's alarm clock effect back in high school and... that's exactly how you ruin a sound)

Man, the world is changing. My brother and sister's apartment has no landline, and they watch Netflix and Hulu instead of tv. Not that I'm complaining, my channels don't have 7th Heaven or constant SVU.

If only it were that easy! Tried that, "long distance access code" was the response.

Still doin stuff for starbyface
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CarolineFCY
last online: 07/21, 22:01
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Dude....!

Did you know the operator option still works?! Pressed 0, got an operator, he connected me to the gastro office. God bless. (Talk about retro cool!)

1581744157174 1581744149313 miss bot
soco
last online: 03/19, 3:49
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CarolineFCY wrote:
So a couple of weeks ago...

That's your answer.
This New York minute of your life happened so long ago now, not one bloody person that works there remembers you.
And no, you should not accept another gift card in exchange for THEIR error. They owe you your money back AND an apology. If you don't get both, threaten to sue. Bet they come up with an apology then!

Help me with:

We have another hurricane coming this way.

Still doin stuff for starbyface
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CarolineFCY
last online: 07/21, 22:01
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Starting to wonder who's a baby boomer here and who's a millennial! 😄

This store isn't exactly Wal-Mart I'm talking about in terms of building and staff size, but I hear ya. They've apologized plenty and thanked me for my continued patronage, and the gift card is "additional" to the yet-to-be-posted credit fix, so I'm gonna wait and maybe call my bank or card first before I throw out the "sue" word. My family likes the place!

Sherlock by olga tereshenko d9qdidc
Sherlock
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I believe in people getting their "just due." I endeavor to not cheat anyone; and I endeavor not to be cheated. As a matter of fact, I do not answer my phone unless I know who is calling, unless the call is coming from someone on my contact list. The last three calls coming into my cell phone were from scammers; I know this because I researched their phone numbers. In the States, I have a monitoring device on my phone that stops robocallers. I will tell you now that the "do not call" list is a joke. The telemarketers will still call you--and they do it robotically. But my device stops them cold. Over the last year, some 5,300 robocalls have been stopped!

Still doin stuff for starbyface
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CarolineFCY
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I figured as such. Our landline doesn't have caller ID (I /know/) so if I say hello, hear static silence for 3-5 seconds, and then what we call "boiler room noise" before the hello, I hang up. So much easier to do to someone when you've never seen their face!

My favorite exchange:
telemarketer guy: (says something about my computer being at risk)
me: "oh um i'm sorry, my computer's already in the shop"
guy: ".....you said there is a problem with your computer?"
me: "uhhh...." (hangs up)

Animation2 2
PepperJ
last online: 04/30, 3:52
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Most retail workers come and go, moving on to other jobs all the time. They won't remember you, and it was just another day at work.

Sherlock by olga tereshenko d9qdidc
Sherlock
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Don't worry about inconveniencing the store's employees. Like Pepper said, they are already looking for their next job, as retail totally and completely sucks.

I also advise people to check out a device called "Sentry." You can get it from Amazon. It attaches to your phone line. It stops the robocalls, and also gives a message to any telemarketer calling manually to bug off. Life in the States is miserable if you have a landline and do not have one of these devices. Imagine--mine kept me from getting bugged over 5,000 times!

Orchid 2
Orchid
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Smile and walk in as though you own the place ;)
They are supposed to be 'pleased to see you'. You are the one spending money there and its their job to be nice to you and not the other way round.

Help me with:

I was told that

Still doin stuff for starbyface
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CarolineFCY
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Went to said store on Sunday, issued a charge back to my credit card at the POS as a manager suggested. And now we play the waiting game.

Thanks to all for the encouragement! I'll try to take it to heart. It's my firm belief that it's our job as customers to show similar grace and gratitude toward the people providing a service, but sometimes my anxiety and hyperempathy can take it too far. Just glad that the problem is possibly over. (As soon as my bank shows the reimbursement)

A
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