Sunday, June 20

Corporate Calling...I'm Bringing Coupons Back!



So I took the day off Friday to for a little R&R. During the day I made a "quick" trip to Rite Aid to pick up some of last weeks deals. Everything was going smoothly as planned until...the cashier looked at my two $10.00 Everlast coupons and told me, "you can only use one".

Now I frequently need to "educate" cashiers about their own corporate coupon policies, but this particular cashier wouldn't not hear it (or see it, as I bring my own copy of the policy for exactly this reason). The cashier called for the manager who also told me (even after seeing the policy)that her district manager said they were "losing too much money" so they are "cutting back on coupon use". She then told me that "they"(district manager) don't "interpret" the policy to mean that customers can use two coupons on a bogo sale.

I stayed calm while the manager went to the back to call her district manager. I explained "in a calm and appropriate manner" that it doesn't really matter what the district manager says, as I have a copy of Corporate's policy, but she was not able to hear this. While she called, I called corporate from my cell phone. Once I got the CSR I told her the situation and handed my phone to the cashier who then handed the phone to the manager.

They were gone for about 5 minutes, but when they came back the manager apologized (after both the cashier and manager repeatedly acted like I was trying to leave the building with a flat screen TV in my pants). The cashier even said to me, "You'd be getting 5 items for $0.76". I responded, "Exactly, that's why I use coupons". She then asked me if I worked for corporate, I didn't say anything, just smiled.

Long story short the manager told me that I was right and she was sorry for the "confusion". I concurred and responded, "I'm glad we're all on the same page".

I don't like to argue, but when I'm right I will be aggressive assertive until I make my point. I left the store with everything in the photo for just $3.20 (two transactions). Plus I'll get back a $10.00 scr on the sunglasses and a $3.00 scr on the secret for a moneymaker of $6.80! The moral of this story is, be assertive, if you know you're right, don't let cashier bully you into feeling like you're doing something wrong. The whole ride home poor E had to listen to me singing my best rendition of "I'm bringing coupons back..." Yeah I Lame, I know.

2 comments:

  1. I love how people who work at these stores seem to all think they "lose" money on coupons. Maybe on fraudulent coupons but on real coupons, they make $. They make $0.08 for each one they redeem - sometimes more. For example, when a store adjusts a coupon down b/c the item is cheaper than the coupon, the manufacturer has no way of knowing that. They get paid the full face amount of the coupon + the handling fee! So I hate when they act like we are trying to rip them off!!! Good for you. I should have fought harder this past weekend when 2 of my LEGITIMATE coupons were denied.

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  2. Hi K,
    Thanks for the advice and will be looking more closely to the circulars at Rite Aid and CVS in NYC. These are great values and good for u and being right on with being assertive not aggressive. Here is a link for Tide coupons http://www.tide.com/en-US/offers.jspx, hey one dollar is one dollar of saving.

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