Friday, December 21, 2007

Shop Around

Let me just preface my rant here with a little insight into The Rock Chick.

I am a Payless/Shoe Carnival kind of gal. I love shoes and I have lots of them, but I can guarantee that no pair I own cost more than $50. The vast majority of my pairs are under $30.00. I like to have lots of shoe options and I don’t want to feel guilty if they get ruined or if I decide that I hate them by next season and dump them.

I also prefer the style of shopping that these types of stores offer...visible display shoes with stacks of every size they have in stock right underneath them and no salespeople hovering over you.

That’s me, but I do understand that some people (like my Oldest Daughter) have a fondness for what I consider to be very expensive shoes. The only think my Oldest Daughter wanted for Christmas was a black pair of UGG boots that come complete with a $200 price tag. (is UGG short for ugly?)

Money never burns a hole in my pocket, but price tags like that (especially for shoes) definitely push me one step closer to a burning ulcer, no doubt.

So yesterday, I trotted over to what I call the “hoity toity” shopping center near my home. Everything in that mall is about ten times the price that I would pay at say, Payless, and all the shoppers walk around with a marked air of assumed importance clicking their expensive high heels against the pavement while pushing baby buggies that probably cost more than my car.

This isn’t even an enclosed mall, so you have to withstand the elements while going broke at the same time. I would think for that kind of money, they could make you a little more comfortable.

Clutching my JCPenney coat against my skin for warmth, I stroll into Nordstrom’s...seller of the UGG boots. I find the style my daughter wants and turn around to find a salesman breathing in my ear.

May I have these in a size 9, please?” I ask politely.

He scurries off and returns with the box and says it’s rather busy so I’ll have to wait until a chair becomes available to sit down and try them on. I started to say that I don’t want to try them on, I just want to buy them and get the hell out of here. You know, before my churning ulcer becomes a full gastric bleed. You’d think I’d be a salesman’s delight. Our entire transaction lasted about two minutes.

But no, he walked away while I was telling him I don’t want to try them on to help another customer.

FINE!

I headed over to the nearest register and the salesman behind the counter asks who was helping me. I didn’t know his name but I described him as best I could (old, kind of crunched over), but this guy had no idea who I was referring to. Whatever. I look all over the place and can’t find my boot retriever anywhere, so I return to the register.

Would you like me to ring up your purchase?” the cashier asks.

The Rock Chick thinks: “No jackass, I’m just standing here at a cash register with my credit card in my hand.”

The Rock Chick says: “Yes, that would be lovely, thank you.”

Transaction completed, I start to walk toward the nearest exit when the salesman who did retrieve the boots for me comes up and grabs the package out of my hand.

WTF?

I’m supposed to ring you up! Did the other salesmen give me credit for the sale?” He’s digging through the bag looking for the receipt.

I don’t know,” I said, “you walked away when I was telling you I didn’t want to try them on and then I couldn’t find you.

Now he has my $200 boots and my receipt and he’s running with them back towards the register. I follow.

I told him that I was in a hurry, but he insisted that I had to return these boots and then re-buy them again so he would get the sales credit. I told him he didn’t sell me anything, he retrieved a pair of boots and then walked away while I was talking to him. Give me back the boots!

The manager was at the register and the salesman proceeded to tell him how we had to re-ring these boots.

Please, ma’am, just give me your card and we’ll refund this pair and re-ring them for you.” said Mr. Manager.

Ohhhhhh, you’ll re-ring them for me? UGG....I don’t think so. How about you just hand me back my $200 boots that have already been paid for and tell your whippersnapper salesman to pay better attention next time. You snooze, you lose, pal.

Ma’am, really. Please just give me your card and this will only take a moment.

The Rock Chick thinks: “No, jackass manager of the hoity toity store, I am not giving you my debit card so you can process a refund that will take three business days to get back into my account and then charge me again so your inept salesman can get his commission.”

The Rock Chick says: “Either give me my boots or call the police.”

I like the police. Especially in this town, because my hubby is one of the boys in blue. Not that that matters in this case.

I don’t think we need the police.” said the manager.

The Rock Chick thinks: You’re right, you are going to need an ambulance if you don’t hand those boots over.”

The Rock Chick says:
“Well, I think we just might. You are refusing to turn over what is now my property. Give me the boots.”

But, ma’am” he started...

STOP CALLING ME MA’AM and just give me the friggin’ boots because if I have to give you my card, you will be completely refunding me, not re-ringing them.” I yelled.
The package and the receipt came sliding across the counter. Finally.

I will never buy anything from that store again. WTF?

I’m sorry for straying, Payless. I will never shop around again! UGG!

9 comments:

rockygrace said...

Good for you! I am so tired of pushy/surly/jerky salespeople - I'm glad you gave them hell!

cindy kay said...

That is just a completely ridiculous incident. I would have been just as upset as you were, although I don't quite have the spunk you have, and would probably have let them run the whole stupid transaction while FUMING.

Anonymous said...

I knew the story wasn't going to be pretty when I saw the picture of the UGG boots, but geez. I would say you handled yourself pretty good considering. I am also glad you pointed out how darned ugly they are because my niece has them in all the available colors and I can't say out loud even one more time in a fake manner just how "cute" they are, Ugh!

Julia Phillips Smith said...

'You have to withstand the elements while going broke at the same time. I would think for that kind of money, they could make you a little more comfortable.'

LOL! I agree wholeheartedly. I don't know what market research convinced the retail industry that shoppers don't like malls anymore, but they didn't ask shoppers, obviously. As for the wacko salesman - I agree that he held your purchased property ransom. The woo-the-customer idea completely escaped him. He not only lost you, but all of us who have read your blog post.

Unknown said...

Those boots better be her prized possession for the rest of her life I would say...considering the aggravation they caused you. I could never pay that much for those things....for any shoes/boots, I don't even let Papa spend that much on his steel toe boots if we can help it.
Glad my daughter hasn't found an interest in them, also glad she didn't hear of these Webkins things too.
Glad you stood your ground with the manager....no way should the sales guy get a commission he walked away, and I would boycott the store. Not that I would ever shop that store...way above my budget, and I don't think we have one near here....maybe Chicago, but I don't come down there often, as my sister would tell you.

Crystal said...

UGG, indeed!!

I think I probably would have slugged the guy as he ripped the package from my hand. Umm, NO.

What is wrong with people?

The Rock Chick said...

rockycat: I'm so tired of salespeople I only go to stores that have them if I absolutely have to. Payless rocks!

mom huebert: I admit to being slightly cranky during the incident. If I was in a good mood, I might have considered just letting it go. Ok, maybe not!

sassy lucy: I know the boots will be one of my daughter's prized possessions and that's really the only reason I did buy them. She's been wanting them forever, or at least as long as they've been around LOL Other than that reason, I don't ever shop at those stores either. The prices are ridiculous.

crystal: I don't know what's wrong with people. Part of me would really like to figure it out, but if I solved that problem, what on earth would I rant about?

Jessica Morris said...

I am so, so, so proud of how you responded!! HURRAY!! The dumb guy didn't get his commission! =)
*how's that for holiday spirit?*

Jessica Morris said...

So - I told Paul about your adventure and he said you should write an onion letter ... ya know, a complaint letter :)
I totally think you should too!!