[Wendytww]

I will be sending a letter to cooperate and the store involved. Can you read this and tell me if it is clear about what happened?

1/19/12

I have been going to my closest Dollar General location for a long time. Recently, I started using coupons and have found some great deals. Before I started couponing, I had great service there. In the last month, I have been spoken too very rudely several times. Yesterday was the worst and I felt I needed to contact you to report what happened.

At approx 1:45 PM, I went to your store at 1428 E Ovid Ave in Des Moines, IA. I was carrying my coupon binder in a cloth cover with a handle (similar to the way bibles are protected and carried). I was told very abruptly that I had to leave my bag in the front of the store. I was surprised because I had just been at this store 3 days ago and the associate who spoke to me knew it was a coupon binder. No one had ever told me to leave it before. I said very simply that it is not a bag and I opened it to show her. She said it IS a bag and it has to stay at the front. I said ok than I will stay in front too, the stuff I want is in the front anyway (this store keeps a clearance section at the front and that is what I went there for). I needed my binder to match coupons to products.

After a moment of looking, I realized that one of the items I wanted to buy was not there. I asked for the associate’s supervisor so I could show her that this is not a bag. The associate told me, “If you keep talking to me like that, I will have my supervisor come to kick your butt out!” I was extremely embarrassed as there were several other customers there and I left. It just wasn’t worth staying with such a hostile environment.

I have been a long time customer and, as a business woman, purchase large amounts of food and other items for my company. I am disappointed by my recent experiences and it is my hope that you will address this issue with your employees so that others do not have to experience the embarrassment that I experienced.

If you have any questions about what happened, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Signed,

[staceydu]

O..m..g..thats all I have to say! I am so Sry this happened to you, yet another reminder to why I don't shop there! Your letter was very clear. Please keep us posted of the outcome.

[Caeridwen]

Letter was clear. I hope you get the reslution you want. plz keep posted

[nina1234]

Omg. I can't believe she said that to you.

Sent from my iPod touch using AFullCup

[Wendytww]

I am not even sure what resolution I want. I just need to let someone know what happened. I am still mad.

[nina1234]

I pray to god this never happens to me or in front of me- i would give her a piece of my mind- on the spot make her hate her life and regret she even came to work. My goodness. I'm just appalled at the stories I am listening to recently.

Sent from my iPod touch using AFullCup

[joshmamabear]

That associate must be having a bad hair day or she must've been reprimanded by supervisor, but that doesn't justify her rude reaction towards you. I understand why you're mad.

As to resolution, make sure to have something in mind in case corporate contacts you. Would an apology from the erring personnel be enough? You have to add a contact number or email address (I don't see it in your draft) for them to respond to you.

btw, if I was told to leave my purse or anything of value where they cannot guarantee somebody's watching, I will just leave the store instead of arguing with them and insisting I'm right. I understand there are areas where shoplifting and robbery is rampant so they have come up with such rule. I prefer not to be subjected to it, they lose business.

[Wendytww]

The contact info is in the letter at the top, just didn't post it here. I might have just left but I was surprised, I had been there so many times before and it isn't posted to leave bags at front and she knew it wasn't a bag. It is like going to your local grocery store and being told you have to surrender your shoes all of a sudden.

[Kayline]

"I have been spoken too..."

Your letter is good but please change this "too" to "to."

I hope you get a satisfactory response.

[RobinWrob]

I do not have that store near me, do they have the policy posted to leave bag and such up front?
Your letter was very clear. I could feel your frustration and embarrassment.

[Wendytww]

Originally Posted by Kayline

"I have been spoken too..."

Your letter is good but please change this "too" to "to."

I hope you get a satisfactory response.

Thanks.

[dayraydes]

I know what it's like to be made to feel like a criminal because you coupon. I was at a local Rite Aid recently and was scouting out deals, now keep in mind I have multiple sclerosis, am 28-years-old and walk with a walker and grimace in pain and have seizures while walking quite frequently, I am not menacing at all! While looking at the make-up deals (hey us disabled girls gotta feel pretty too, heh!) I noticed an older man with glasses kept walking by the isle and watching me out of the corner of his eye. My boyfriend was with me and was holding my binder and had coupons in his hand so it was clear as to what we were doing. While still shopping and rolling (XD) through the rest of the store I noticed this same man, with a Rite Aid tag, walk by us more than a dozen or so more times in the same way. At this point, I said, "we're clearly not welcome," packed up my coupons, left my cart and walked out of the store. I won't be going back, because he clearly thought we were up to something and made us feel uncomfortable. I have to also state that we were the only people in the store at the time. Was this his way of "finding something to do?" And if I were to steal something, where the heck would I be sticking stolen merchandise? In a pocket of an overstuffed binder? In a walker wheel? Oy. Thank goodness there's a dozen other Rite Aid stores in a 10 mile radius. I have yet to coupon at Dollar General but will be this weekend for the first time. From what I've seen of it, they don't hire the nicest people so we'll see how it goes!

[Aliciaboo]

That is just terrible please keep us posted....I really don't see much differnce between that and our purses but that shouldn't be tolerated

[deneisetorres]

Very clear & concise.
I'm sorry that you had such an awful experience. I hope that Corporate Customer Service will send someone to that store (not just call) who will spend some one-on-one training time with this cashier. She really needs to learn that the #1 rule of customer service is politeness. I can't imagine what was going on in her head that made her think that it was acceptable to speak to you in such a way.

If she was one of my employees when I was managing a retail store, she would have probably lost her job on the spot. But then again, I actually spent the one-on-one training time time with my employees before they ever waited on their 1st customer explaining what I expect & what is & is not acceptable when you are handling customers.

Good Luck & let us know the outcome.

[jojoelse]

are you emailing or calling Dollar General? Please call their customer service number. My friend who is a manager at a Dollar General here in IL would be extremely appauld with the treatment.

[Wendytww]

I actually wrote a letter and mailed it with a copy mailed to the store where it happened.

[scottd09]

Wow, that's insane.

They don't tell people with diaper bags or purses to leave them in the front. I've taken my backpack in the store before and they've never said anything to me. I would leave before I left it unattended too given my laptop and other expensive gadgets are in it.

Your letter looks good. I know they've never done anything like this to me with a bag or my binder. I hope you get this resolved and that associate is reprimanded.

[Wendytww]

So I was contacted by the store manager "Abby" who left a message on my voice mail saying that she wasn't excusing what happened BUT it looked like a bag to her. I was mad that she seemed to be excusing her employee's behavior so I didn't call back. I than received a letter from corporate apologizing and saying that they will address the issue. Pretty much a form letter.

Fast forward to today and I got a email to call the district manager and a message on voice mail from yesterday that he just got the letter and wants to talk to me. Apparently this isnt the first complaint he has had about this associate. I told him I understood that they can't allow big bags around the store but this employee was familiar with me, was instantly hostile and surprised me. I usually open my binder, leave it open throughout the store and through checkout and than close it. I did that exact routine 3 days prior to this with the same employee looking on. He seemed surprised that she said anything at all when she knew what I was doing. I also let him know that the manager "Abby" left a message backing her employees actions and he said he will let the NEW manager know that as well.

He did ask if there was anything he could do to make this right for me and I told him that I just wanted people to be able to shop in peace in the future. Some people use boxes for their coupons and they would have the same issue if this store continued to be hostile. He didn't give me an action plan but he did assure me that I would have no problems in the future.

[joshmamabear]

I than received a letter from cooperate apologizing and saying that they will address the issue

same as in post #1.

just a small error that may be a typo you're not aware of. sometimes, we need spell check to make sure we type/write what we mean so there's no room for misunderstanding.