OOOH So Mad at Michaels

[Amy]

I informed her I was going home logging onto the Ville, and let my fellow crocheters know what happened.

 

As an aside, I'm not sure it's kosher to use Crochetville's name in this way. Please don't flame me, but this is Donna's website. Sure, vent here all you want (we all sympathze; I always use the coupons for books), but if this was said in the way of a 'threat,' I'd be careful. We don't want the name of Crochetville getting a bad reputation. And I have no idea what legal ramifications there might be to something getting way out of hand, which clearly this situation didn't, but ya'll know what I mean.

 

Yes, we do prefer that our members not use "posting my issues on Crochetville" as a threat towards any retailer/vendor. That is most definitely not what this site is all about. We do not want to get a reputation as a site that routinely allows bashing of companies/employees, whether large or small.

 

People can share their experiences at a certain place, although names of people and smaller businesses should not be given. (Unless there is some sort of pattern emerging, and Donna and I decide we need to provide information on the forum to protect our members against an unscrupulous company.) But when sharing an experience, the poster should take care not be inflammatory when talking about the people involved, and should make very sure they are presenting the facts exactly as they happened. And nobody should ever try to get others to boycott a store based on their one personal experience. So far, I don't think any of these things have occurred in this thread.

 

The cashier may or may not have been rude when she told the original poster she could buy things in another store. Depending on HOW that was said (and we can't see body language or hear tone here), you could even interpret it as good customer service: symphatizing with a customer that your store can't meet their needs and agreeing that another store may be able to do so. Then of course, it could have been said in a manner that would be bad customer service. We just don't really know how everything happened, except for the original poster.

 

So let's please refocus this discussion by getting away from whether the cashier gave good or bad customer service, and keep the discussion focused on Michael's actual coupon policy.

 

I'm also disappointed that books and magazines are no longer included in the coupon discount, but it is true that there just isn't much of a profit margin on those items. So I can see why the decision was necessary from a company standpoint, if their statistics showed they were consistenly losing money on books/magazines purchased with coupons.

[JillD]

FWIW, I used my 50% coupon at Joann's last Friday to get the latest issue of Interweave Crochet. At least Joann's hasn't changed their policy regarding using coupons on books and magazines (yet).

[Amethyst Unycorn]

What? We can't be rude at McDonalds! If I had said what that cashier said to Wanda, I'd be fired and out the door! There's no excuse for rudeness, no matter what the customer says to me. No one should get that kind of rudeness anywhere. You should be complaining about it if you do. McDs has a toll free number on all their packaging. If you think someone has been rude to you and you don't see a manager or can't find one, call that number. Someone will get back to that store and that particular person. Great customer service is the most important thing!

[donnalynn2]

It's a shame that the cashier was rude to you. I was an FES as Michael's a few years ago and we would never talk to a customer like that. I know that I would have simply gotten the manager so that they could hear your complaint and I probably would have referred you to the corporate office to lodge a complaint as well.

 

Most everyone knows I personally dislike Michaels but it's just our local one I dislike. I've been in a couple other ones and the other ones I have been in have been nice but my local store seems to be set up for people who want to craft but don't know what they want and need to be told what they need and also for husbands and friends to purchase items for their friends and wives who craft. I'm serious here... Michaels has always been very unfriendly regarding coupons and such and very stringent on that policy.

 

I have noticed that our local Michael's in general seems to stock pretty much the same things and cuts down on good quality stuff. I mean, sure you can get some yarn and some paint and some flowers and some scrapbooking stuff but the really good stuff and unique stuff, you won't find there.

 

Ever since Hobby Lobby opened here it's really opened my eyes to the quality that's out there. They constantly update not only what they stock as far as yarn, paints, fabrics, flowers, decor, you name it at HL, but they can special order pretty much anything that they run out of for you where as at Michaels, forget it. It's like pulling teeth. You may not always have a 40% off coupon to use every week at HL but with their normal prices you honestly don't need it.

 

I wish we had an AC Moore nearby as I have heard nothing but good things about it. At this point I have even stopped going into Michaels for the few things only they carry because it just isn't worth the trouble for me. I think if enough crafters stood up for what they believed and made a clean break with a business that they don't like going to, maybe that business would take the hint and try to win their customers back. Just a thought...

[Amethyst Unycorn]

Without a doubt, Amy, you are correct. It's pretty hard for someone who does customer service everyday hear something that like what was said, and not think that that was totally rude. I don't blame her for being so upset! Although we are getting a new Michaels not far from where I live, and I will be going there! I don't believe all cashiers there are rude, but this one definitely was rude and didn't value her job very much.

[Amethyst Unycorn]

Oh, please! Don't burst my little bubble! I liked the two Michaels I've been to, one in WI and one in Charlottesville, VA. We are getting two new ones that will not be that far for me to drive to, so I plan on going to both. I'm really looking forward to going to both new ones!

 

In VA I bought three wonderful crochet books that I didn't even know about, and I was so excited that I found them. In WI, I've found lots of clearance yarn at great prices, and I really enjoyed looking through everything at that store in Sheboygan.

[EMedley]

The coupon thing does stink, but at the same time, they gotta make money somehow. If the coupon stated no books then that's that. I have to say that in the two years I've worked this retail job our corporation has changed their return policy like a dozen times at least, and its always back and forth between the one that is printed on the receipt to hey return whatever for in store credit using proper judgment. I would have never made that sort of statement to a customer, but well, not everyone is happy with their job everyday. There are days that I know Im in a bad mood...so I just avoid people if at all possible. I must say, our Micheal's store here is better than the one where I used to live, but I do like Hobby Lobby a lot better.

[thepunkrockinchick]

The silly thing about it all was telling the person she was going home to get on Crochetville and tell us all about it.. and the situation itself, NOT the fact that someone might have been rude to her. That's the last of my 2 cents.. it's a touchy subject, plain and simple.

 

This is the posters original statement in the first post. I dont think it is "silly" that she takes offense to being treated rudely. The whole point of the post is to "vent" that she was treated with such disrespect. I, for one, hope she has called the management of Michales to complain.

 

I was a bank teller for over 20 years, 15 of those years was spent supervising others, and if one of my employees spoke to a client in this manner, it would not be pretty.

 

Whether you are a bank teller or a cashier at a craft store you still represent the establishment you work for. Whether you are paid 6 bucks an hour or 10.00.

 

[Jempast]

I worked as a cashier at Wal-Mart and had a very rude customer. I was in the process of training. The man was trying to tell me how to do my job. When an experienced cashier was with me teaching me what to do. The man was very rude to me. I of course could not say anything mean back. I just continued ringing up his items. When he left the woman that was teaching me said he was very rude.

 

It was very hard for me not to tell that man off. I am an emotional person. But I was working for a well known business. I would have probably been fired if I talked hateful to any customer. I eventually stopped working for walmart because of the rude customers.

 

It is hard as a cashier not to want to tell a rude customer off. But if you are being paid by a company then you need to act professional.

[thepunkrockinchick]

What's funny to me is I've worked in a lot of retail and I have never, ever worked anywhere that would fire someone for something so simple. It's typically just a slap on the wrist. You'd really have to go off on someone to get fired from a retail job. You're more likely to get fired for not showing up to work on time than telling a customer off or being rude.

 

I worked as a cashier at Wal-Mart and had a very rude customer. I was in the process of training. The man was trying to tell me how to do my job. When an experienced cashier was with me teaching me what to do. The man was very rude to me. I of course could not say anything mean back. I just continued ringing up his items. When he left the woman that was teaching me said he was very rude.

 

It was very hard for me not to tell that man off. I am an emotional person. But I was working for a well known business. I would have probably been fired if I talked hateful to any customer. I eventually stopped working for walmart because of the rude customers.

 

It is hard as a cashier not to want to tell a rude customer off. But if you are being paid by a company then you need to act professional.

[Amy]

This thread has degenerated into mean-spirited, hurtful posts toward other Crochetville members, so I am now closing it.