[quote name='The Lou']Ok. In writing this response, my first and likely only post I'll ever make here, I thought of many different approaches.
Humorous, acusatory, defensive...
Instead I'm going with serious.
Allow me to start with an introduction: My name is Luis, and I used to work at that very store not too very long ago.
And as such, I personally know each person you named and demonized in your self righteous diatribe.
When I started reading the post, I did so expecting to think you were just some blow hard with absolutely no reason to be upset. I was incorrect, as you do have some valid reasons to be upset.
By the time I finished reading the post, however, any sympathy I had melted into apathy for your discourse. And coming at you is a nice big break down of why.
Chapter 1 ---Sense And Sensibility
Gathering a list of items you wish to purchase and checking availability online was a smart move, I commend you. I commend you even further for having the foresight to call and double check, as online inventory is never, ever accurate due to levels of seperation.
Yeah, that phone system. We never knew why it did that. Hell, it inconvinienced all of us just as bad, if not worse, than it does the customer. But hey, you're a smart guy and realize that they were open.
Good for you.
The problem begins when you're told that the thumbdrives are not in stock, despite inventory claiming otherwise.
Now, usually at this point a stock check at the nearest Circuit City, in this case less than five minutes up the road (literally), is performed. I have a hard time accepting this didn't happen, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.
Instead, you found a similar item, and can't belive that they'd not be the same price.
So a supervisor is called, and so begins your decsent into worthlessness.
First, you named him. You named him, and his location, on a public forum with the intent of making him, and the others that followed, seem like incompetent shlubs while simultaneously attempting to make yourself seem the paragon of customer excellence.
I would have loved to be there, to witness your attitude. To witness as you talk down to them, act so high and mighty so you can get what you want like a spoiled child.
Be that as it may, Nick went off to look for your drive. Upon returning, he didn't find you where you last were.
Now, this wasn't some unreasonable place, some 'unmarked waiting area', no, this is the customer service line. A big, monolithic desk that slaps you in the face as soon as you enter the store.
And when baby wants his bottle, that's the area you wait in. You went there to obtain Nick, why not expect him to return there with the results of your pleas? No, you expect him to return, not find you there, and search Heaven and Hell to find Mr. billg and inform him of the lack of thumbdrives.
No. If you order a pizza, and you're not home when they deliver it, you don't get a free pizza. You don't get a hoagie at 15% off. Common sense.
Chapter 2 ---- Name Calling And Your Mama Too
So, you climb higher, go above Nick, and it is Brian who gets the pleasure of dealing with the situation. Now, before Brian has even had a chance to speak a word in your story, you attack him. Multiple times.
His shirt, his facial expression, and his position within the store.
Does he intimidate you so? You paint him to be some bruiser, as if Arnold Schwartzeneggar himself walked over holding a big green firedog shotgun that fired hate and purple thumbdrives.
So at this point, you are told no, they won't discount item B because item A is out of stock. You mention how you later find out how he can discount the item, he simply wouldn't. Really now, why should he? I know, I know..you're a sweet innocent customer, perfectly calm and reasonable being viciously victimized by big, evil Circuit City. Brian and Nick deny you exactly the reasons you guessed: the company specifically targets YOU.
Ah, I remember with fondness the early Sunday morning meetings, where we had diagrams of your house and life and disscussed the ways to insert sadness into your otherwise pleasant exsistence.
Either that, or you're simply...being rude. Even...dare I suggest it...an asshole?
I offer free advise, consume it as you see fit. Those retail employees you so hate to deal with are people. And as such, they will respond to you as a person. In otherwards, is Brian, Nick, or anyone there mandated by company policy to grant this price match?
No.
So try being a sweet, nice, friendly person when you ask a favor, and you might get it. Sure, the nasty thing might have worked on mommy when you weren't allowed a cookie before dinner, but Circuit City ain't yo mamma.
That's right. Yo mamma. I figure if you can attack them for sport, then Imma go grade school on you.
Chapter 3---- What A Difference A Day Makes
Your next two ordeals involve calling the store and getting hung up on repeatedly, and waiting around as you were led around the store to get rung up.
Know what, you have a point there. No sarcasm, ask any long time employee at the store how hard it is to connect a call and you'll hear massive contempt.
Ideally, the store would have an entire department dedicated to maintaining incoming calls, but sadly this onus falls on the overworked Customer Service department.
Getting through to Circuit City shouldn't be such a hassle. Hell, I'll even apologize on their behalf for that shortcoming. It's unintentional, but it never seems that way when you're the one making the call.
As for the confusion in getting the DS bundle rung up, again a chink in the armor is found. "It happens" simply won't cut it, and this here is the first true incident where I've seen a breach in their customer service as according to your story.
Be that as it may, they scan your DS bundle...and the price doesn't match what it did a few days ago.
...
And it's here that you lose me again. Man, and I was almost on your side...
You argue that it wasn't a Black Friday only deal, but that's a moot point. Seeing as you're on CAG, it's almost certain that you know that Circuit City sales run from Sunday till Saturday. If you need that explained in simpler terms: What be cheap on Saturday, may no be cheap Sunday.
You then go and argue that you meant to buy it with The World's Most Important Thumbdrive™, but simply couldn't bring yourself to do it after all the heaps of injustice Store 700 forced down your throat.
Yeah, well I also MEANT to hit my brakes at the red light, officer, but all that acceleration from my car was too much to bare.
Cry me a river. You know when the sale ends, and frankly, at this point, I would take great pleasure from denying you last weeks' sales price. This is another example of you wanting a favor, not for employees to follow their company mandates.
Chapter 4 --- Entitlement And The Beast: The billg Story
This here is where you call the Cool Line. It is also where you state, and I quote: "...that my very basic needs as a customer were not being met at any level of the hierarchy..."
Your very basic needs as a customer? And what exactly are these needs that aren't being met? The store didn't line up on their knees and beg your forgiveness of their lack of stock? That they didn't give you a plasma TV for the inconvinience of purchasing something outside of it's sale?
Or was Brian just so godamned intimidating to you, that you lost all ability to make purchases at a retail level?
No no, I see why you feel your basic needs weren't met...it's a power struggle to you. This whole thing is about getting what you want, and having a trophy for it.
A $10 gift card for not being able to buy a $15 thumbdrive? More then reasonable.
A $10 gift card because you don't feel as if sale dates apply to you? Bending over backwards.
You also mention that you want an apology from them. No, no. You owe humanity an apology. It's this type of pathetic behavior that drags Philadelphia and society in general down. This attitude of "I deserve this!", this attitude of "If I complain loud and long enough, I can get what I want!"
It used to be that a child would get slapped if they acted in this manner.
And the Cool Line deals with these slap-worthy people all day. Their purpose is to deal with you. To placate if possible. And when that person seems unreasonable, and refuses to meet in the middle, to actually find a solution that doesn't border on the rediculous...they hang up on you.
Eat it. Live it. Love it.
Chapter 5 ------- Cul De Sac
You then demanded some phone numbers, some this, some that, yadda yadda yadda. At this point, I'm running low on steam. So I'll wrap this up: Even if Phil himself shows up at your door, with four DS bundles, two 8G thumbdrives, and the opportunity to slap big mean Brian in the face, you'll still be nothing more than a self important blowhard.
I personally hope that none of your withering 'demands' are met, and offer anyone reading this a reiteration of my earlier advise:
Be nice, people. Yes, every retail location will have moments of poor customer service, and in those situations you are fully justified for standing up for yourself and trying to find a solution that makes things right.
But when you are in a situation that requires someone going out of their way to help you, be nice. Your life will be easier, and you won't come off as a pompous ass like the OP.
Good day, good night, good luck.[/quote]
I wish every single person on here could read this, absolutely hilarious and yet so true at the same time.