Assuming makes a donkey out of you and me
I made it to Barnes & Noble again today with more pep in my step. Christopher was feeling better when I dropped him off at basketball camp and though he still asked me if I was staying, I felt less guilty about saying, "No." Today I brought a book with me because I wasn't sure if I was going to blog and then the title came to me.
On Monday, I bought of pair of flip flops from a department store. I knew they were there because I'd seen them in the flyer from Sunday's paper. YellowBox are my favorite brand of flip flops. They are flattering on wide feet. Anyway, the flip flops came to $26 and some change. While the sales associate was ringing me up, I was frantically looking for my credit card. It took my brain a few minutes to remember that I had recently received a new card from the bank and they had changed the color of the card. Once I remembered that, I found it instantly.
I swiped my card, put it back in my wallet, and scrawled my signature on the swiper thing. As the sales associate pulled the receipt from the machine to place in my bag, another sales associate whispered to her to check my id and make sure it matches the card. Reluctantly she asked, "Can I see your ID?" I fished both my ID and credit card out of my wallet, remaining polite but feeling targeted.
The more I thought about it, the madder I got. Had I really just been targeted? Did I look like I had a bunch of stolen credit cards as I flipped through my wallet to choose one? I was sure I had never been asked for my ID for more expensive purchases at that store. I decided I would return the flip flops because I no longer felt happy about them. I could buy them somewhere else.
I completed an online survey yesterday for that purchase. I checked "no" to almost every applicable question regarding the enjoyment of my shopping experience and then gave the comments section a piece of my mind, concluding that I wouldn't be shopping there again. At the end of the survey, I checked "yes" to, "Would you like someone to contact you about your experience?" Sure, whatever, I thought as I checked to contact me by e-mail.
Today I unsubscribed to text and e-mail coupons and when I went inside the store to return the flip flops I said to myself, don't look at anything. Of course, I saw cute stuff in my peripheral vision that wouldn't be there if I was looking for cute stuff. I easily returned the flips flops citing the reason, "I just changed my mind" and left the store.
So I situated myself here at Barnes & Noble and read e-mail from my phone while my computer was booting up.
Good Afternoon,
I received communication regarding your recent visit to xxxxxxxx. I read through your experience and wanted to apologize for the way the associates handled the situation when you were making your purchase. I reviewed the video and talked to the associates to make sure that they understand the way what they did appeared to you. We recently went through a change in our policy for credit cards in order to better protect our customers and as part of the change we asked all associates to sign a document stating that they would ask all customers for ID for any purchase made using a credit card other than our own xxxxxxxx Card. It has taken some getting used to for some of the associates who are used to not having to ask for id. The associates involved were afraid of getting in trouble as we have been making the policy a point of emphasis this week. I hope that helps in understanding that it was not our intention to make you feel targeted in any way. Again, I hope you accept my apology for the experience and please know that we have spent time retraining all associates so that this type of experience does not happen again.
“Assuming makes an arse out of you and me.” #LifeLessons
Well how about them apples! I am so glad that I wasn't an arse on video. So the hurried, frantically searching for a credit card, mom in mom jeans, with windblown hair, a wrinkled shirt and jeans, wearing flip flops while Black, was not targeted after all.
If only I had,kept the flip flops.
The End
Do you write customer service or address your concerns in person?
Are you an arse or are you polite?
Do you have a favorite brand of flip flops?
Do you see cute stuff when you're not looking for it?
Linking up with Finish the Sentence Friday where writers/bloggers finish a sentence prompt. The sentence this week is “If I only had...” hosted by Kristi Campbell from Finding Ninee, and co-hosted by Deirdre Conran from Deirdre's Daily Dose.