undergroundagent Posted October 2, 2003 Report Share Posted October 2, 2003 Last night, my girlfriend and I went to an optical store in our area looking for a set of eye glasses for her. After much debate and trying on a few pairs, we came to a decision that she would purchase a pair worth $500 (Can). We were both very happy, as she needed a new pair for a wedding we are going to in a few weeks. The gentlemen helping us was very helpful and nice. We all came to th agreement that we would come back the next day to pay for them. In the meantime, we gave the guy our full address and her work number in the event that any problems arose. A few hours past, we are back home, and all of a sudden there is a knock on our apartment's door. Low and behold, it's the guy who sold us the glasses. He has come to see if we "accidently" took a pair of glasses that she was trying on. Apparently, he left the cabinet door open and was unable to find a pair that were in the vicinity of the ones my girlfriend was trying on. Of course, we are surprised and feel bad, but we certainly didn't take anything. He leaves without apoligizing. Today, my girlfriend phones to see if he had any luck in finding them. He says no, but is still not apoligetic. Thus, my girlfriend decides that she doesn't want to do business witht his guy fearing that he might try to manipulate the situation and use her credit card for unethical practices. My question is this: Do you think it was appropriate for a guy to show up at our door (without warning or using the buzzer) basically accusing us of theft? And, if not, what should be done about it? Should I simply confront him and tell him that he has made my girlfriend feel like a criminal and, thus, she is sick to her stomach today at work? Should I demand an apology? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connoisseur series500 Posted October 2, 2003 Report Share Posted October 2, 2003 I guess I'd feel the same way you do on the issue. Sure, I'd be offended and take my business elsewhere. Makes you also wonder about the loose shop they're running. I'd tell the guy to stuff it, but in a nice way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacman Posted October 2, 2003 Report Share Posted October 2, 2003 i'd talk with the store manager, and i'd take my business elsewere. it was totally innapropriate for him to show up at your apt. besides, he left the cabinet door open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mule Posted October 2, 2003 Report Share Posted October 2, 2003 My question is this: Do you think it was appropriate for a guy to show up at our door (without warning or using the buzzer) basically accusing us of theft? And, if not, what should be done about it? Should I simply confront him and tell him that he has made my girlfriend feel like a criminal and, thus, she is sick to her stomach today at work? Should I demand an apology? To question number one: Hmmm....let me think.....NO! I admire your restraint and politeness. I think I would have lost my temper once I realized what he was implying. As to the rest of it, I would either call or go there in person and demand an apology. I would also ask to speak to the manager or owner and inform them of what happened. I would also find out who the corporate parent of this company is (assuming there is one) and write them a letter explaining what happened. They should know. I don't take things like this lying down. I think every consumer who has had a bad experience with a company or product should take their beef as far up the corporate ladder as they can get. I've often found that the higher-ups are actually glad to know what's going on in their stores that they never hear about. Don't take no for an answer when dealing with customer service. Always get the names of the people you're dealing with and ALWAYS ask to speak to their superiors if you're unhappy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
couw Posted October 2, 2003 Report Share Posted October 2, 2003 The customer still is king in my part of the world. When you gave the guy your full address, what was the reason behind that? What did you expect might occur for him to be in need of your address? I wouldn't give my address unless something needs to be delivered. A phone number should be enough. Showing up at your door with an accusation is simply bad behaviour in my book. Not apologising for it is even worse. One thing though: Before you take on the situation make sure your girlfriend wants you to. The girls are sometimes strange in situations like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connoisseur series500 Posted October 2, 2003 Report Share Posted October 2, 2003 (edited) NO! I admire your restraint and politeness. I think I would have lost my temper once I realized what he was implying. For crying out loud, Mule, you lose your temper whenever a conservative posts a thought!! (Sorry, this comment belongs in the politics section, but I stopped posting there!) All jokes aside, I might have lost my temper right then and there as well along with mule. Edited October 2, 2003 by connoisseur series500 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
undergroundagent Posted October 2, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2003 The address was given for billing purposes. My girlfriend does want me to address the situation, if for no other purpose than I was essentially being accused as well. It's quite surreal because I've never been put into this situation before, but my gf is taking it hard because she's straight as an arrow. There isn't a bad bone in her body! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maren Posted October 2, 2003 Report Share Posted October 2, 2003 I would definitely report this to a manager, directly. I would no longer deal at all with the guy who came to your door. At BEST, very bad judgment on his part. At less-than-best, seems really fishy to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe G Posted October 2, 2003 Report Share Posted October 2, 2003 Did the guy really think you would take a pair of glasses after leaving your address??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
couw Posted October 2, 2003 Report Share Posted October 2, 2003 Yup, really fishy. What would have happened had your girlfriend been home alone and other nasty thoughts enter my mind. Report the guy. Be prepared to take your business elsewhere if his manager isn't VERY forthcoming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
undergroundagent Posted October 2, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2003 The address was left because we didn't have anything to pay with. We were taking the glasses no matter what! What's worse is the guy was the manager, and there is no parent company. It's a family owned store (I believe). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
couw Posted October 2, 2003 Report Share Posted October 2, 2003 Then confront him with what affects him directly: he's not doing his business any good by scaring the shit out of his customers or otherwise making them feel real bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maren Posted October 2, 2003 Report Share Posted October 2, 2003 What's worse is the guy was the manager, and there is no parent company. It's a family owned store (I believe). Given this situation, I would take my business elsewhere, and proceed coolly and with caution. Just write out the facts to the "Better Business Bureau" or whatever it's called in your neck of the woods. Cancel the order with the guy immediately by phone AND in writing, and state that it was inappropriate for him to come to your home. Just cool it with the guy. An apology from such a weird person won't mean much, and I wouldn't ask for it. Either he's a dotty guy (old?) -- or he's trying to scam somebody (his parents or uncle?) (to replace what he himself has taken from the till?). (Or worse, as couw hinted -- like that psycho-photo-shop-guy/Robin Williams movie.) Whatever... what he did seems quite abnormal, so you would only be entering deeper into an abnormal world by trying to get a decent response (IMHO). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mule Posted October 2, 2003 Report Share Posted October 2, 2003 For crying out loud, Mule, you lose your temper whenever a conservative posts a thought!! Hey, now! I only lose my temper when a conservative posts a stupid or untrue thought. I don't think you guys are always wrong.... Besides, I'm a Sicilian from Chicago...we have tempers and we lose them on occasion.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mule Posted October 2, 2003 Report Share Posted October 2, 2003 (edited) The customer still is king in my part of the world. Not here, man. These days I'm convinced that the first page of the customer service manual sez: "Make it utterly frustrating and time-consuming for the customer to get any satisfaction. It is our hope that the customer will then simply give up and go away and no further action need be taken." To tell this story fully would take up about 150 paragraphs, but here's the short version: I recently purchased a rather expensive chair for my home which broke (a spring bracket) about two weeks after I purchased it. I called customer service and they quickly dispatched a repair man to my home. I take the morning off to wait for him. He showed up, looked at it, and said, "The bracket is broken." No friggin' kidding as that's WHAT I TOLD THEM. I said, "Great! Fix it!" He says, "Oh, no, I'll have to come back. I'll have to order the part." I sez, "How long?" He sez, "Six weeks." SIX WEEKS?!?! He leaves. I call customer service back and they tell me, "Oh, no, we never told you he'd fix the chair on site. That was a consultation." "Funny, you didn't make that clear to me on the phone when I scheduled the visit. Indeed, I'll bet you purposely don't tell your customers that because they wouldn't stand for it. You're telling me that it's your POLICY to make the customer take AT LEAST two days off work to get their furniture fixed?," said I. "Well, sir, it takes six weeks to get the part because it has to be ordered from Europe. From Italy," she sez. I finally lost it then. "You mean to tell me that you don't have ONE lousy spring bracket for this chair in the ENTIRE UNITED STATES?" Long and short of it is, I asked for her boss and then the boss above that one and then spoke to the manager of the store I purchased the chair from (because of course the store employs an independent contractor to repair their furniture) and then I spoke to the person above her. I lost my temper and one point and said I'd be returning the chair by tossing it through their store window if they didn't give me satisfaction. Miraculously, the Italian bracket suddenly appeared in the city of Los Angeles and my chair was fixed four days later.... Edited October 2, 2003 by The Mule Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzmoose Posted October 2, 2003 Report Share Posted October 2, 2003 Well, having done my time behind the customer service counter, I could give you any number of horror stories about the customers who try to run scams, screw the store, etc. (my favorite was the guy who brought me the receipt for his new shower curtain that he'd bought the week before and then pulled his old torn, mildewed curtain out of the bag. ), but that really has nothing to do with this. If a store employee can't seperate the extremely rare customer that should be shown the door from the 99.9% that should be treated curteously and quickly have their problems taken care of, then they have serious problems. As for the original question, I would most certainly cancel my order immediately, and watch my credit card bill for "accidental" charges. If it's a family owned business, there's not much you can do past that, except tell everyone you know who needs glasses, contact the local media, the Better Business Bureau, etc. if you want to make a BIG stink. I can't believe he actually came to your home, agent! What a jerk! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mule Posted October 2, 2003 Report Share Posted October 2, 2003 Well, having done my time behind the customer service counter, I could give you any number of horror stories about the customers who try to run scams, screw the store, etc. (my favorite was the guy who brought me the receipt for his new shower curtain that he'd bought the week before and then pulled his old torn, mildewed curtain out of the bag. ), but that really has nothing to do with this. Oh, I have no doubt whatsoever that this a problem when you've got that job. My only point is that in America these days there seems be a distinctly hostile attitude toward the customer--all customers--and companies make it almost impossible to get any kind of satisfaction if you've got a problem. I was in a cell phone store the other day and the girl behind the counter acted like she couldn't be bothered to deal with me. I'm talking she wouldn't lift a finger to make a sale. If I owned that store it would make me insane. She was literally driving people out of the shop with her horrible attitude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzmoose Posted October 2, 2003 Report Share Posted October 2, 2003 I completely agree with you, Mule. There are sales people out there who are incompetent, lazy, angry, and really the bottom of the barrell. You'd almost think no one wanted a job that paid minimum wage and involved strangers coming up to you and yelling at you for things you have no control over... Seriously, I understand your point. I'm going to end up sounding like my father (and probably everyone elses father!) here, but one problem is that for a lot of these people, it's their first job, and they really don't have a effing clue as to what it is that they're supposed to do. You'd think they'd be able to figure it out from having been on the other side of the counter, but no, that involves too much thinking... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrdlu Posted October 2, 2003 Report Share Posted October 2, 2003 Isn't that awful, Undergroundagent? Just when you wonder if stores and service could possibly get any worse, something like this happens. Definitely cut loose from that store. Most things that I could say have already been well said. Also, I was surprized the see the cost of the glasses. Perhaps it's a complex prescription. Is this the going price these days in Canada? Another thought: you need these quickly. What about those "next day", or 4 hours places? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pryan Posted October 2, 2003 Report Share Posted October 2, 2003 Yup, really fishy. What would have happened had your girlfriend been home alone and other nasty thoughts enter my mind. Report the guy. Be prepared to take your business elsewhere if his manager isn't VERY forthcoming. I kind of agree. This guy might've just thought you were a friend or something, and wanted to hit on your girlfriend (ie. he assumed she would have been home alone). I know it's kind of creepy thinking about the situation like that, but there are some sick people out there. Personally, I'd ask the guy for an explanation as to why he showed up at a private residence, unannounced. If he doesn't provide a believable answer, then take your business elsewhere (although it sounds as if you're going to do that anyhow). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connoisseur series500 Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 Besides, I'm a Sicilian from Chicago...we have tempers and we lose them on occasion.... Instantly forgiven!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mule Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 Besides, I'm a Sicilian from Chicago...we have tempers and we lose them on occasion.... Instantly forgiven!! I'm glad you understand! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connoisseur series500 Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 Long and short of it is, I asked for her boss and then the boss above that one and then spoke to the manager of the store I purchased the chair from (because of course the store employs an independent contractor to repair their furniture) and then I spoke to the person above her. I lost my temper and one point and said I'd be returning the chair by tossing it through their store window if they didn't give me satisfaction. Man, Mule...that Sicilian temper of yours.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connoisseur series500 Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 And the bigger the company, folks, the worse is their attitude towards customers. You are cynically handed off to call centers and the like. I believe that the only true customer service is to be found in the small shops and family run places (except the one Underground visited). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mule Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 And the bigger the company, folks, the worse is their attitude towards customers. You are cynically handed off to call centers and the like. I believe that the only true customer service is to be found in the small shops and family run places (except the one Underground visited). Totally agree. I honestly believe that it's big biz corporate policy to treat the customer with contempt. Tried to deal with your cable company lately? The phone company? A bank? QUOTE (The Mule @ Oct 2 2003, 12:28 PM) Long and short of it is, I asked for her boss and then the boss above that one and then spoke to the manager of the store I purchased the chair from (because of course the store employs an independent contractor to repair their furniture) and then I spoke to the person above her. I lost my temper and one point and said I'd be returning the chair by tossing it through their store window if they didn't give me satisfaction. Man, Mule...that Sicilian temper of yours.... Yeah, I know....This is the thing, tho, I start out very pleasant and professional, then I move to firm and quietly authoritative, then I move to terse and steely, and then and only then do I threaten. But I don't usually raise my voice. I just sound like I mean it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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