February 6, 2014

Grocery Budget Update and A Seriously frustrating shopping experience

I went to Acme today.  Just a quick stop for some produce on my lunch 1/2 hour which turned out to be not so quick.  Here's what happened:

Me (watching the cashier ring up my produce): "Did those apples just ring up at $4.99 per pound?"
Cashier: Yeah.  It looks like you picked the organic ones.
Me: Yes, their organic, but the sign said $1.99 per pound.  
Cashier: Um.  Well.  I typed in the code that was on them.  That's how we know how much the are.  The register says they're $4.99 per pound and they are the organic ones.
Me: Yes. But I know these were only supposed to be $1.99 per pound.  That's what the sign said.  The Organic Gala Apples were $2.29 per pound.  The organic fuji's were $2.29 per pound and the organic red delicious were $1.99 per pound.  I double checked before I put the apples in my cart. (I'm Thinking: See I'm miss smarty pants.  I can recite the price of the apples.  I'm obviously right, your wrong. Fix it now)
Cashier:  Well, I could just take them off for you if you don't want them.
Me: But I do want them.  
Cashier: Hold on. (Discusses with customer service)  I'll have to call someone from produce if you want them or else I can just take them off if you don't.
Me: Go ahead and call produce.  I know the sign was there.  I need apples so if I don't buy these ones I'll just have to go back over to produce to pick out new ones so I might as well just wait here for the price check and get the ones I wanted.
The Cashier calls the produce guy and we wait for about 3 minutes while he does a price check.
Cashier: He said they are $4.99 per pound.
Me:  That's not what the sign said.  Go ahead and take them off and I'll go over there myself.
I finish checking out and carry the darn $4.99 per pound apples with me back to the produce section.  There is the produce kid standing in the organic section holding a sign that says "Red Delicious $1.99/lb.".
Me: Hi.
Produce Kid: Can I help you?
Me: Yeah.  I'm the one with the apples.
Produce Kid (looking embarrassed): Uh. Yeah. The sign did say $1.99 per pound so that's what you should get them at.
Me: Right. Thanks (thinking - You freaking idiot.  Why didn't you say that to the cashier?!)
Back in line - Cashier: Did you get the apples figured out?
Me: Yes!  The produce kid took the sign down.  He was holding it there when I got back there.
Cashier: Oh maybe he didn't realize there was a sign until after he confirmed the price.
At this point I was so furious I didn't say anything else.  But really?!  What did we wait 3 minutes for a price check for?!  Hello!  
Cashier: Well, I don't know how to ring these up at $1.99 per pound because if I use the code its still gonna say $4.99
Me: You can't enter the price manually
Cashier: No.  Well at least I don't know how.
OMG - She said she would estimate it and make it in my favor.  Her estimate was $2.44.  At this point, I didn't really care as I was already running late now.  So I paid it.  I just figured it out and it should have only cost me $2.36.

I did email the company once I got back to work because I was so furious.  I don't want to get anyone in trouble but... Seriously!  Talk about horrible customer service.  And how hard would it be to ask someone how to ring it up manually.  I was a cashier at a grocery store for a couple years and did it all the time.  I can't believe there isn't a way.

Total Spent out of grocery budget: $25 
$243 left for the month of February

3 comments:

  1. This is definitely a very frustrating situation!

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  2. At least she said "I don't know how." Usually a cashier would argue that anyone else was wrong. I don't think young people know how to resolve an issue by providing all the information, like what the sign said AND what the sign was supposed to be. Have young people had so few conversations and negotiations with others that they are handicapped? When my son was eight, he would have been all over that conversation and making sure that he considered all problems and solutions, including asking someone how to do it. But, he did not have games and phones and things to do beyond go play somewhere outdoors. He even talked to me and discussed what went wrong when we left a store. I agree that the problem should be solved from above. I suggest retraining.

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  3. Here in CT, if that happened, even if in error, since it scanned at a higher price, the customer is to get the item (up to $20) FREE! That's the law, and it must be posted at each entrance and at customer service,

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