It's funny how small things get blown out of proportion, and perhapse this is one of those situations. Tell me what you think. Last thirsday I was out running a few errands. One of the stops on my list was Harbor Freight to pick up a pack of those cheap brown work gloves to work on the car. Well, I swing into the Thorntons Gas Station for a couple gallons of go-go juice, and they have a big display with winter gloves and tobaggins on sale 2 for $1. I notice some of the tobaggins are full face, and some of the gloves are those nice "spandex style" OSFA. Then I see the cheap brown gloves there also. There packaged 2 pairs in one pack, and they have the exact same 2 for $1 sticker on the package... So I grab 2 packages for a total of 4 pairs of gloves. I get to the register and the clerk rings me up for $2,,, not the $1 the 2 for 1 would seem to indicate, so I questioned her. She said the manager had told her that since the package contained 2 pairs, it was rung up full price. Upon hearing this, I asked to speak to the manager. She came out, and I was standing next to the glove and hat display. I pointed the "mistake" out to her, but she stood firm that since each package contained 2 pairs, I was getting what I paid for,,,, even tho the package was price marked 2 for $1 just like every other package in the bin. In the middle of a normal, pleasant, peacefull conversation,,, she says "If you dont like it, complain to the corporate office", and just turns around and walks away. So I get home. Look up Thorntons in the phone book, only there's no office phone number, just numbers for the stores. So I look on the internet, all I can find is the big corporate web site with a 1-800 "customer comment" line. So I call that. Ring-ring-ring.... Thank you for calling Thorntons. For english, press one---BEEP You have reached the main menue, If you know your parties extension, dial it now. For a company listing, dial one. For an emergency, dial two. For field technical support, dial 3 For computer probles, dial 4 For corporate partners programs, dial 5 For customer comments, dial 6------ BEEP Thank you for calling the customer support line. If you know your parties extension, dial it now. For a company listing, dial 1 To learn about customer rewards, dial 2 To hear about our customer credit card, dial 3 To learn about our business credit card, dial 4 For all other customer service matters, dial 5------BEEP [soft elevator music plays for about 20 seconds] Thank you for calling Thorntons customer comment line. All of our opperators are currently helping other customers. Please leave a message, and we will return your call within 1 hour. So I leave a message, and nobody calls me back..... Thursday, friday, saturday, or sunday. Today, [monday], I hit the web again, this time looking for a local office. I find one, but no phone number, only an address, so I go to 411.com and find a local number for that address, and call it..... It connects me directly to the same computer I talked to last week. So I drive to the local office since it's only about 2 miles away. I'm told by the secretary that they dont handle customer related issues at that location, and I should call the 1-800 number. I explained to her that I had tried that already, and I would just like to talk to an area supervisor, so she hand writes a number on a card and gives it to me. Right there in the office, I call the number, only to have the fax machine behind her start ringing.... Yep, she gave me the fax number. She looked visably embarrased, and I politely said "Thank you, I now see how concerned Thorntons is with their customers", and I walked out. About an hour ago, my phone rings, and it's someone from the corporate office... Oh goodie! now maybe I'm getting somewhere! So I explain the situation to her, and she very politely tells me, "Sir, I'm very sorry this happened, but the coropration only deals with fuel sales. The retail stores are opperated by the local franchisee, and this falls under their juristiction" [Am I getting the run-around or what?] So I ask her for the number, she says "Sorry, I dont have it, but it should be in your phone book"........... Un-believeable!!!! Just as one last option, I called the store where I bought the gloves, and asked for a phone number to an area supervisor, and was given the same 1-800 number I called earlier. I explained that I had called that number, and they told me I needed to deal with the local management, so I asked again for a local area supervisor, and she had the guts to tell me "I'm not allowed to give that number out". So, as a last resort, I'm putting the word out to avoid Thorntons. They dont give a squat about their customers and actually go out of their way to avoid dealing with us!
I realize that it is your principle and desire to be treated fairly that made you go through the process above. I myself just would do it for $1. I will however not purchase anything at Thorntons where ever that is.
WOW, what a bunch of BS. Since the price gouging started with fuel prices, I pledged not to buy anything at a gas station. I have to buy their gas but I don't have to buy anything else. No coffee, no milk, no newspaper, not even a piece of gum. I use a credit card at every fill up just to take another 3% from them. I'm talking about corporate stations here, not mom and pop stations.
sounds to me you spent way too much time to try and save a buck on a cheap set of gloves. and the manager at the store didn't care about your buck, so its her fault. I wouldn't write the corporation off.
That's an awful lot of aggravation for a dollar, which has just depreciated by at least 1% in the last few minutes. Honestly, how much do you think this trivial matter has cost you in health problems? Write off the dollar to experience and just beware of misleading advertising. How little can the people be making that produced those gloves your only wanting to pay 25 cents for them? I sure hope you don't loose a dime when using a pay toilet.
I dont think it was about the dollar. It was the principle of the thing. I understand where your coming from with this Darryl. Nobody seems to give a crap anymore. 20-30 years ago, they would of bent over backwards to help the customer.
Remind me some day to tell you guys about my experience with Sprint last summer. Or my experience with Verizon. I will never, EVER deal with those two companies again. There are very few places that give real customer support anymore.
#1, Got overcharged $1.... no big deal #2, Manager [basically] tells me to F-off.... now it's a little bit bigger of a deal #3, Local franchisee "refuses" to put phone number "in the book"..... Do they care at all? #4, Computerized telephone system wastes 10 minutes of my time, makes me jump thru loopholes, only to tell me "someone will call me within 1 hour... That's annoying! #5, Nobody returns that call.... for 5 days..... Give me a break! #6, have to research to find the local office. Drive there, and am told "we dont want to deal with you".... Unbelievable! #7, Ask who will deal with me, secretary gives me a bogus phone number.... WHAT??? #8, Someone from corporate FINALLY calls me back after 5 days, and tells me "Sorry bud... Not my problem"..... Does anyone care anymore??? #9, backtrack to try and find out exactly who I need to talk to, only to be told the person I need to talk to does not want their phone number given out! I could give a rat's @ss about the actuall dollar..... .50 cents a pair is EXACTLY what I would have paid for them @ harbor freight. It's the principal of the thing. I would have been perfectly happy with an appology and an admission of the fact that I was right and the store was infact "falsely advertising" the product. Where do you draw the line?????? It's only a dollar, so it's no big deal??????????????? It's only 10 dollars ?????????????????????? It's only 100 dollars ???????????????????? What if it were a new car? What if it were a real-estate scam? [incidently, I have been a victom of one of these to the tune of $8,000] Do any of you remember Dr. Seuss' "The Lorax"????? "It's only one tree, how much harm can that be?"
A rip off is a rip off. $1.or $100. If they will rip you off for a dollar,they will rip you off for more.
My comment was not saying don't stand up. But with everyone there is a point when the time spent is more valuable than the money lost. Would you go through the same scenario if you stuck a penny in a gumball machine and no gumball came out or the mechanism didn't work? I doubt it. Do you call an complain every time your cell phone drops a call when you are standing within eyesight of a cell tower. I doubt it. We each have a point were we will say enough is enough. I personally would have just chucked the gloves back into their display and went to Harbor Freight. Now the other part about large companies not caring is easy to understand. The reality is most people are not cabable of handling a customer complaint. It really does take someone with the ability to listen and make the customer feel better without always giving away the product.
it's not like there aren't any non-Thornton's gas stations around. to all you guys telling Darryl to just "get over the $1". hey, it's not like Darryl doesn't spend a hell of a lot more than that every time he pulls up to the pump. i say, he's identified a company he doesn't want to deal with, what's in his wallet is his money, he should drive across the street and take his business elsewhere. and feel good doing it.
I wouldn't go there again either. F@#%$ em. I just deleted a local channel from the guide on our satellite because they are now running commercials for RAPID CASH in Spanish. So, tell me why all of their programming is in English but they need to run these ads in Spanish? Mexicans won't know how bad they are getting screwed by these scummy loan places if it isn't in their native language? I will never watch that channel again until they run a public apology. Everyone would likely just say "who cares"?? It is just a trivial thing. These things add up.
Even at the corporate stations, you're not hurting the oil company, just the poor guy who got bamboozled into buying the franchise. The oil co got their money, the franchise owner pays the 3%, not the oil co. As a station owner myself, I can truthfully tell you that the oil co NEVER looses, no matter what. The oil co makes the owner pay for ALL the gas. The stuff you buy inside, ie coffee, beer, butts, whatever, that belongs to the franchise owner, thats how HE makes his money. The franchise owner makes nothing on the gas, the gas market is too competetive. Talk to any station owner, corporate or not, they will tell you the same thing. If everyone took your attitude, all us station owners would go out of business, but the oil co would not. The oil co doesn't make anything on the coffee etc. The oil co tells the prospective franchisee that he will be rich and make lots of money selling gas but by the time the contract is signed, and all is said and done, the franchise owner is no more that an underpaid manager who is taking the hit on the c/c fees, the lack of coffee sales etc. And the attitude of making them pay the 3% just drives all the prices higher, and the oil co just laughs and laughs. pay cash, buy all you can at that station EXCEPT gas, and when the franchisee's numbers get better, he may be able to lower his gas price. Or his coffee, beer and gum prices. Hope this gives you a slightly better understanding of how stations operate.
I deal with customer service ALOT, and the only thing I would have done different, in your shoes from the start is, I would have demanded to know from the store manager who their boss was. She was the local point of responsibility, she was who refused you, and she was who was rude to you. ...Tweaking her nose a bit might have taken this in a whole different direction
and in chicago area there gas sucks everytime i use it my service engine light comes on until i get better gas in it
These companies forget that without you they wouldn't be in business. The thing I've learned, and beleive me my wife will vouch for me:TU: if there our other customers in the store get loud. Most places will do almost anything to stop you from disturbing the other customers. As long as you don't drop any F bombs and don't degrate the person just atack their policy or product and you can get what you want. I even had one store call the police on me and when they came they even told the store that I was in my right to get what I was asking for due to their display and that they got a good phone number for me to call and complain. Best thing to do is say your piece and not go back. Matt
I see the principle. But a dollar? If I was the manager I would have told you to take a hike. The manager probably makes 8 dollars an hour can't be bugged with ever person that thinks 1 dollar is too much to pay for gloves, but has no problem spending the next couple of days trying to prove his point. For all you know, this came down for head office and you are wrong.
I agree. It is called "walking up the toga".....keep escalating the issue until you get satisfaction. I see a lot of folks disagree with your approach to the issue. That is precisely why customer service is getting worse all the time. People will settle for mediocre or worst service. I never do. Especially now when you can get and send information easily to the right people....:beers2:
I always try to find a station that is locally owned. I am fortunate to have 2 that I know of. One is a Sunoco that I can get 94 octane from another is a Marathon that has free air and will that keeps the good Amsoil products in stock for me. They are a little harder to get to but that's who I do business with. Steve Thanks for the information. Everyone should know how the big companies work. I would assume that you would be the local business that I would go to. My point would be if at all possible find the locally owned business. Deal with them. Then if you have a problem you can look the owner in the eye and deal direct.
