It doesn't work

I had to go back to August 1, 2009 to view the last time I talked about customer service. It was a glowing report. This one won’t be. Not to pick on anyone in particular, let’s just say this concerns the management on hand at the Walgreens at 1306 N.Beckley and Colorado in Oak Cliff at 10:29 AM on Wednesday, September 30, 2009. I walked from one end of the store to the other, slowly, twice. Not a word was spoken. I felt like Mad Max out in the middle of the desert alone. I finally tackled a guy as he tried to dart around me, again without a word. He was the manager on duty! I followed him like a pet duck until he came to an abrupt halt at cosmetics. He answered their price check request and proceeded to just stand there facing no one. I finally waved at them sideways and said “later.”




I was now standing in the checkout line when lo and behold, here comes the mgr. who finally looked up and saw me, much to his dismay. Then he got all wiggly and apologetic so I proceeded to give him my story. All I wanted was someone, anyone to restock two items that they had been out of since I bought both of their last defects. Neither refund request nor complaint did I have. Just replace this crap that stopped working. Up until now, I have shopped there since it was a new store. I spent hundreds of dollars there just this month. Only two defects out of dozens of necessities, not bad really considering I don’t think one single item was made anywhere near the good ole U.S. of A.



Then came the excuses for not wanting to do any kind of actual work. Well we don’t stock that anymore was the first one. This coming after I had been told just days before that it would be restocked on Monday. So order one from another store I said. Well they probably don’t stock it either came the next one. Can’t you just check for me so I don’t drive all over town looking for a lower volume store that still has one in stock? Give me credit for trying to do the green thing here, folks. I’m sure they would be glad to get rid of it. I’m not asking for sex exactly, just do your job. Well we don’t and they won’t and she might. Try the girl in cosmetics. So I did. She yelled at the checkout girl whose line I was removed from ten minutes ago. I walked over to check on her after a few minutes and caught her going through a box of other defective items looking for one to swap out. Finally the first girl took my phone number down on a receipt that someone never received. The sign says you get $5.00 if they don’t give you a receipt. That is only there to cut back on employee theft. Don’t worry about me. I don’t have a receipt either. It was a gift to me from a good neighbor. I think what I’ll do is wait by the phone until I need a haircut or something. Then if they actually call me to say they found one, I’ll say “Just put it in stock. I’ll get up there sometime when I’m ready.”

PS  I drove to two other stores and found two of the same items. I bought both of them and I think I'll keep the defect as a momento.