"I'm never shopping THERE again!" Share your story!

[Darcy]

If I could quit Royal Mail, I would. Two Amazon packages and a card have gotten misplaced (never to be delivered), and numerous packages have been delivered late because they hold them until I pay a customs charge. The customs charge is pretty dodgy, as the goods shipped are pretty much the same each time yet the customs charge isn't.

[Elfmama]

Sometimes people who have a bad experience at a store or whatever will complain about it at home then just stop going there.

I think store clerks feel that they can get away with bad behavior because once you've paid for your stuff, you are in a hurry to get home/go on to your next errand.  You don't want to take the time to hunt up a manager and complain.

I prove them wrong.    

[Jess13]

And for those of you (soon *us*) who live in New Jersey... get ready to pay sales tax on Amazon purchases.

Your Northern neighbors in NY already do!

[ShanghaiJill]

I've been on a lot of bus trips where the driver was admitted free to the attraction.   Apparently this was the case at a buffet chain where I used to eat.

I wasn't a party to this, I was merely in line with my family.

This buffet place was at a mall and a bus group came in.  Apparently some members of the group had chosen to eat at the food court of the mall.    The buffet manager was pitching a fit and said that the driver WAS NOT eating for free.  Right there in front of a long line of customers.

Witnessing this took the fun out of going there.

[silvercelt]

Amazon, I'm gone hafta quit you.  I understand that you get buys. Hey, we all have busy times.  But Amazon, I ordered my books from you (you, not a reseller), because you used to ship quickly and I  would get all of my books at the same time.  Over the past year, you've taken longer and longer to ship my orders.  I think that this last one might bring me to quitin' time.  I placed an order on May 20. You shipped today. Today is June 1.

Amazon, we may have to part ways over this.

My guess is that they're trying harder to get people to sign up for Prime

This is interesting.  I also ordered a book from Amazon on May 20th, and it hasn't shipped yet (although I did get an email telling me I should have it by next week).
This is weird to me because a) the site clearly states they have the book in stock, and has said that since before I ordered it, and 2) I'm a Prime member.

And it does state specifically that the item is being sold and shipped by Amazon, not another seller. 

[Mental Magpie]

I’ve had some medical issues and several surgeries over the past few years.  I’d been using the pharmacy at the grocery store (large chain) where I shop most of the time.  I noticed that one of the pharmacy employees (not an actual pharmacist) often seemed to have a bad attitude.  She was very rude with some elderly people who were in line before me, and she was snippy with me on a couple of occasions.  I really disliked going in to pick up my prescriptions.

I don’t currently drive and this store/pharmacy is convenient for me to get to.  The store itself was always fine – the problem was this person in the pharmacy.  I just didn’t want to deal with her.

On one particular occasion I had some out-patient surgery and had to have someone with me going home.  We had to stop and get a couple of new rxs filled to aid my recovery.  I hoped this problem person would not be working this day, but she was.  Her demeanor that day was worse.  I said to her “I don’t care for your tone.  You should not be interacting with the public;  I’ve observed and experienced that you’re very unpleasant every time I see or hear you.”  She rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath.  Another employee interceded and took care of my rxs, but I made mental note of the name of Ms. Nasty.

A few days later I submitted a written complaint and mentioned that me and my insurance company both spent way too much money there to tolerate such treatment.  I got a call from the manager who said she will be spoken to, and I was given a gift certificate for the store.  I noticed the woman still worked there a month later, so I transferred all my rxs to another pharmacy.

Sometimes people who have a bad experience at a store or whatever will complain about it at home then just stop going there.  Some people are even afraid, in this day and age of revenge, that the employee might track them down and do something.  But I think more people need to take the time to file a complaint because often management doesn’t know about the bad employee or due to HR procedures or union rules they are waiting for a certain number of complaints.  I feel it depends on the situation, but I don’t think customers should be afraid to speak up.

You seriously expected her to get fired over one (as far as you know) complaint?  (No snark, honest question, just trying to understand).

[PeterM]

A few days later I submitted a written complaint and mentioned that me and my insurance company both spent way too much money there to tolerate such treatment.  I got a call from the manager who said she will be spoken to, and I was given a gift certificate for the store.  I noticed the woman still worked there a month later, so I transferred all my rxs to another pharmacy.

You seriously expected her to get fired over one (as far as you know) complaint?  (No snark, honest question, just trying to understand).

I read it more as they could fire her or not, but they weren't getting any more of Portabella's business if they continued employing her.

Would you have acted differently?

[purplemuse]

I've never even HEARD of Ontrac, Lasership, or the Home Delivery Network, and after reading these posts, I am quite glad for that! The worst I've ever experienced was DHL, which a company I used to work for quit using due to their amazing ability to make important packages disappear into thin air.

After I'd seen a DHL truck careening through a turn practically on two wheels, at the same intersection around the same time on two different days, I called their "How's my driving" 1-800 number to report him. I was told that their drivers were contracted through a third party and there was nothing they could do.

Ah, DHL... I've had one delivery from them in my lifetime, and I only hope it is my last unless they smarten up. I think I've posted this story here before, so I'll do the short version.

BG: At the time, I lived right by the only entrance to my apartment complex. As in, if I went out to the front step, you had to drive past me to get into the complex.

I was supposed to be getting a laptop delivered, and was waiting at home for it. I got an email from Mr. Muse (around 10 am) saying that they'd tried to deliver, but no one was home.

I called the dispatcher-- she said the driver said the buzzer didn't work but he'd be back again in an hour.

I waited outside. 2 hours passed. I called again. Supposedly the driver has been by again, and no one was home, but he'll try again.

Second verse is the same as the first, only by now Mr. Muse was home and called. When the dispatcher said no one was home, he informed them that I'd been waiting outside for 4 hours now, and no DHL truck had entered the complex. She agreed to send him by one more time.

Finally, 4 pm rolled around, and with it, the DHL truck. The driver just handed the laptop to Mr. Muse without checking for ID or proof of address or anything and drove off.

[Snooks]

Another car story here, but with a slight twist.  I won't be stopping going there due to a non expiring warranty but my car went in for it's service today, the garage phoned and DH answered.  They told him one wheel bearing should be replaced, he questioned whether it was covered by the warranty, the girl on the phone told him the warranty manager was standing next to her and said it wasn't.  As it's my car he said they'd better speak to me before they did any work, when I got on the phone I told them that I'd had the same work done about four years ago and it was covered by the warranty.  They went very quiet and I took the opportunity to run upstairs and grab my car paperwork to see if I could find the date the work was done, about a minute later they got on the phone and told me that yes it would be covered.  I suspect this is one of the few times a garage has spoken to the woman and changed their tune!  Having that warranty saved me roughly £130 which would have been 50% on top of what I paid for the service.

[portabella]

Dark Magdalena

You seriously expected her to get fired over one (as far as you know) complaint?  (No snark, honest question, just trying to understand).

Well, not really.  But as many times as I’d observed her and had experiences with her (all negative) I found it disappointing that (as far as I knew) she hadn’t been put on notice.  Maybe they were just watching her and piling up complaints. Eventually she just wasn’t working there anymore; whether she quit, got terminated, or reassigned I have no idea.

Although her behavior was outrageous, I wouldn’t expect a firing based on one complaint (although that sometimes happens, depending on the circumstances).

[Elfmama]

No, I wouldn't expect someone to be fired for only one complaint.  Look at the stories on notalwaysright.com.  How many of them feature a customer blowing up at staff and demanding that he/she/they be fired, usually because the staff couldn't or wouldn't do what the customer demanded?  (And several demanding that the person be fired even though they don't work at that store and told the customer so!)

[Mental Magpie]

A few days later I submitted a written complaint and mentioned that me and my insurance company both spent way too much money there to tolerate such treatment.  I got a call from the manager who said she will be spoken to, and I was given a gift certificate for the store.  I noticed the woman still worked there a month later, so I transferred all my rxs to another pharmacy.

You seriously expected her to get fired over one (as far as you know) complaint?  (No snark, honest question, just trying to understand).

I read it more as they could fire her or not, but they weren't getting any more of Portabella's business if they continued employing her.

Would you have acted differently?

Yes, actually, or I wouldn't have posed the question.  If, after my complaint, I had only seen her once in an entire month, I would think that she had been at least reprimanded enough that she lost a few hours of her job and thus worked less.

Dark Magdalena

You seriously expected her to get fired over one (as far as you know) complaint?  (No snark, honest question, just trying to understand).

Well, not really.  But as many times as I’d observed her and had experiences with her (all negative) I found it disappointing that (as far as I knew) she hadn’t been put on notice.  Maybe they were just watching her and piling up complaints. Eventually she just wasn’t working there anymore; whether she quit, got terminated, or reassigned I have no idea.

Although her behavior was outrageous, I wouldn’t expect a firing based on one complaint (although that sometimes happens, depending on the circumstances).

If you only saw her once in one month, though, how do you know she wasn't put on notice?  Did you interact with her that one time you saw her?  Was she just as surly?  (I am, again, seriously asking this.  I try to understand how other people perceive things versus how I perceive them so that I can rethink my reactions and make sure I take into account other peoples' points of view.  In short, I like to make knowledgable decisions.)

[jedikaiti]

If any of the order was coming out of Seattle, the delay could have been from the issues that Amazon is having at their warehouse.  They have been having slow downs and problems from the staff due to working conditions.

 There was a big shareholder meeting last month downtown and it was all over the news that the staff is complaining that the warehouse is too hot and that Amazon refuses to install A/C. Never mind that almost NOBODY has A/C here in Seattle as it is rare that it gets hot enough to need it.  I never saw a response from Amazon so the only thing I heard was what the union/protesters issued in press releases.

Apparently, from what news reports I read, that warehouse is a sauna, and handing out a few bottles of water and some popsicles weren't cutting it... we're talking about 100+ degrees inside, and people suffering heat stroke.

[zyrs]

If any of the order was coming out of Seattle, the delay could have been from the issues that Amazon is having at their warehouse.  They have been having slow downs and problems from the staff due to working conditions.

 There was a big shareholder meeting last month downtown and it was all over the news that the staff is complaining that the warehouse is too hot and that Amazon refuses to install A/C. Never mind that almost NOBODY has A/C here in Seattle as it is rare that it gets hot enough to need it.  I never saw a response from Amazon so the only thing I heard was what the union/protesters issued in press releases.

Apparently, from what news reports I read, that warehouse is a sauna, and handing out a few bottles of water and some popsicles weren't cutting it... we're talking about 100+ degrees inside, and people suffering heat stroke.

I used to work in a building in the Seattle area that would get pretty hot even in the winter.  During the summer it was horrible.  This was without forklifts, heat guns, thermal printers and the like.  The owners of the company had moved in during the winter and saw the lack of air circulation that raised the temperature as a bonus.  Their mindset changed the first summer, but they were stuck with a signed lease.

[Girlie]

This is actually my sister's story, not mine, but it involves a certain chain sit-down restaurant in the middling range. It may or may involve some sort of pepper in it's name and image.

Anyway, she had gone out to eat with a group of friends, and the waitress was either new or clueless or just cruddy. She didn't bring them their drinks, then when she did bring them, they were wrong. She didn't write down their order, and sure enough, she had forgotten two people. When she finally got their food to them, it was wrong. No one said anything to the manager, no one said anything to the waitress directly, but it is my understanding that something was said between themselves and the waitress overheard it. And she got ma

Come time to pay, and the other people in the group pay with cash. My sister hands over her credit card. When the waitress comes back, no card. My sister asks where it is. The waitress deflects by saying the manager has it. She disappears. The manager just happens to walk by. Sister catches him and asks where her card is. He has no idea what she is talking about and goes to find the waitress. Waitress finally comes back with her credit card, and says, "You'd better watch it. Your card is all over Facebook now." 

Worst of it is, my sister complained to both the manager and to corporate, and both gave her the runaround. And the waitress is still employed there. Needless to say, what was previously a favorite place for us is no more.