Last week, and the week prior to that, I received a lot of complaints about a local Target store. A lot. A whole lot considering they were all about the same individual store.
Now, I receive complaints and concerns all the time about Retailer A did this and Retailer B did that. Most of the complaints I receive are of a general nature, and the person is requesting advice about “what should I do?” They are almost always different locations or cashiers (unlike the brouhaha we had over a certain Walgreen’s location). A good portion of the time, I advise contacting corporate, and if they do not receive a satisfactory resolution from corporate to ask for a return call from the regional (general) manager.
However, this was the first time I ever received numerous complaints about one store – I went back this morning and counted and there were 12 complaints. They were all the same issue (coupons) and all from the same location. Looked like a management issue to me.
The complaints included: limiting coupons to one alike, not taking a Target coupon with a store coupon (they have signs at the register at this store that they do this!) and not adjusting the coupon down to get an item free. The one alike coupon “policy” was stated in half the complaints to me!
I ended up calling corporate last Friday after someone emailed and told me that they limited her to one coupon per order and she was told “we’d rather not have your business” by a floor supervisor because she used coupons!
WOW!
Corporate was extremely nice and professional (and I did not even tell them the supervisor’s remark). While they could not relay back to me via email what occurred during the conversation between them and the store, I was assured that the store would be made aware of the correct coupon policy; that if you are allowed to purchase items within “reasonable family quantities”, you are allowed to use a manufacturer coupon and a Target coupon for each of those items, and the correct procedure to adjust a coupon down so the item is free.
In other words, the store would be told to stop the coupon discrimination.
So, I just got back from the store in question. I went in to write up TPCs, and really did not have any intention of purchasing anything. As I was wandering down the baby aisle, I noticed Pampers Baby Wipes (64ct) were $1.97. So, I picked up several, and used my $2 coupons at check-out. I purchased NOTHING else. I wanted to see what would happen.
The result was the cashier scanned the item, scanned the coupon, saw the coupon was greater than the product price and adjusted the coupon down to $1.97. She also adjusted the the other two coupons.
I did not do an unreasonable amount (3), I just wanted to be certain that they were not going to ding me on quantity or coupon price adjustment.
So, it looks as if corporate did call and set them straight out concerning the Target coupon policy. If you have any problems at this store (East Amherst), you are advised to pick up a red phone and call corporate while in the store.
Good luck!
I’ll have the TPCs up on the Main Target Page later tonight.
{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
Interesting post….I was one of the people who complained about this store and called corporate twice with what seemed to be little progress. Maybe someone was listening after all! I told them that I wanted my complaint put in with any others that might come in about this store…..maybe they all added up and someone actually did something about it! I had a good experience there last week but I thought maybe it was just the cashier I got and I was lucky. I hope things have changed! Thanks for looking into this!
Hi Sarah,
I did let it be known that I was a blogger and how many complaints I had received. I know that got me kicked up to a senior CS fast, although the original woman I spoke to was very good too.
Ann
I really can’t believe a supervisor would say that they didn’t want someone’s business. Are you kidding?!?!?
Luckily, Target is one of the few places that NEVER gives me a hard time about coupons. I LOVE shopping there because I know it will be smooth.
CVS is the only other place that is really good about coupons. I have NEVER had a problem there. Every other store – YMMV. Some locations are great, some not so much. I have had great service from one cashier, and then terrible service from another one at the same location so I can’t even pick a “good” store to go to.
I know you love Rite Aid, and I have been getting really good deals so I have been going there a lot, but I have not had the best service. Once again, some stores are awesome and some cashiers are really awesome, others are pretty awful. I have become pretty close with Carrie from CS, LOL!
I have become pretty close with Carrie from CS
ROTF
I love shopping at the Target near you, Suzanne. I just do not do it very often because it is so far away (and I pass a few others to get there). The one in East Amherst has always been a bit buggy about coupons, but nothing like what I was hearing the last few weeks. It was just crazy.
Ann
Ann – you should come and straighten out my Target. Hehe! All those complaints sound familiar to me yet after my countless calls etc, still all the same. The attitude hasn’t changed. I think it starts with management. I do enjoy non-coupon clearances though so I try not make a huge stink while in the store, just outside of it on the phone.
Good for you for straightening out the store!
Wow!!!! I totally cannot believe that “another manager” from a completely different store stated to them to shop “elsewhere”!!!! The excact phrase was told me to by a “Walmart” front end manager when I tried to purchase the Rotel tomatoes a few months ago. Had a congra mail home coupon. They refused to give the free product, when I asked that the manager called in, she (manager) litrally told me that she is “sick of ppl w/ coupons and to take my business elsewhere”. I called and emailed corp. It’s the superwalmart in Brockport, NY. That was in Feb. and I 3x attempts later I haven’t even received one email back or phone call. I will NOT shop walmart, not even for the “AllYOU” magazine. Since Feb. I subscribed to the mag.
You go Ann!!!!! You are the queen… *All hail Ann, All hail Ann* (bowing down0!!!!!!!
Oh I would not say that DiDi, Target’s policies are well spelled out. The store was just being dumb.
And I gotta tell ya, I’d never get anywhere with WalMart. Their CS is pretty awful, and their corporate coupon policy does not state anything about coupon adjustments.
However, I just stumbled upon a list of WalMart corporate direct numbers. If you’d like that… well, they aren’t toll free (and the VP on the list changed his number immediately after the list was made public).
Ann
i live in wisconsin and i have had similar problems this past week. i was told that i could not use coupons on clearance items,that they would not adjust down and the manager told me she didn’t like me and that she could refuse any coupon i had. basically i left all my stuff and said i would shop elsewhere. i shop there every week and feel so defeated because calling corporate does not work for me, this manager is always rude to me. and if i find good clearance they won’t adjust down or accept more than 3 coupons. i don’t think using 5 is in excess. i don’t clear the shelves.
I always wonder about people who cannot read their own corporate policy! Anne, if you ever go back here is the Target Coupon Policy. It specifically spells out the coupon adjustment when the store price is lower than the coupon, and it says “after other discounts” which I would say covers clearance.
I’m sorry corporate was not helpful. If you are inclined, call on your cell phone while checking out, or use a red phone in-store. I’d also print the policy so you can refer to it on the call.
Good luck!
Ann
Love this post. I have actually had tons of issue with my target (Austin) in the past month. This gives me faith to stand up for myself.
I NEVER shop at Walmart because I think everything about them is terrible. They treat their employees, suppliers, and apparently even their customers, like dirt. I can get better deals elsewhere.
As Ann pointed out, sometime you got to go up the food chain for help. One thing I found to be a pain is dealing with a franchise operation. Okay, I did’t get bent out of shape when the Subway employee told me, what free breakfast Melt.
Now a few weeks ago, the owners of a local AG franchise grocery store pulled a fast one with Kraft MQs. Instead of having the customers clip the coupons to get the sale prices on Kraft products, they adjusted the prices. For some unknown reason, no (bi-weekly) ads were available, except stapled on a board or with the cashier. What made matter worst was the OM bacon sale price @$1.98 was extended into the second week, while the in-ad MQ on the item was only valid for the first week.
So I clipped a few of those OM $.75 MQs and attempted to secure cheap bacon. The cashier won’t accept the MQs and his boss gives me a line of crap. I leave without buying anything and haven’t been back. On the following Monday I called Kraft about things; but my impression is that customer service doesn’t really care about merchant that play fast and loose with their coupons.
Well today I was at the other franchise store around town and got talking with the GM. Seems I wasn’t the first person who told him they had problem with MQs at the other store. Also this GM inform me that his people use to own the other store, except it was sold shortly after it opened.
There are actually studies out about WalMart pricing … it is now within 8% of local retailer area pricing. If a local has doubles, WalMart is unlikely to be cheaper after double coupon, if a local retailer has a sale, WalMart unlikely be cheaper. I think the current round of price cuts (if they actually do them this time instead of advertise they are doing them and keep the same price like the last round) may be in response to these studies.
I’m with you Suzanne … no WalMart for me either.
Ann
I have definitely walked away from an order when the manager is being a jerk.
A few weeks back, I had an awesome coupon at PetSmart for $15/$60. I also had a bunch of mfg coupons for $2/1 Purina One cat food, $3/1 Tidy Cat litter, and $1/1 Purina treats. I was able to come up with a scenario so that I would only pay $10 for $60 worth of stuff after all my coupons went through. I had two orders because the coupon stated that it could be printed twice. The cashier rang everything up, scanned the $15/$60 coupon first (I gave it to him before I gave him any other coupons) and then he took my mfg coupons. He scanned them all and then said he would need to add the $15 back on since my order was now under $60. The coupons had my name printed on them so he said, “I’m sorry Suzanne, but you will just need to decide what coupons you want to use.” I don’t know why, but I was really irked that he used my first name. If he called me Mrs or Maam, I would have been okay, but he doesn’t know me. What gives him the right to use my first name? I was steaming at this point. I said, “Thanks for nothing. I will just take my coupons to your other location where they follow the coupon rules!” and I walked out leaving him with a huge cart of stuff to put away.
The coupon didn’t say anything about other discounts or coupons so I should have been able to use them all.
I did do the same deal (2 separate orders) at the other location and the cashier there complimented me on my thriftiness. I got $120 worth of cat food, littler & treats for $20! Now, that’s more like it!
Ann,
Thanks for following up with the nightmare I had at this Target. I was so upset after all my time was wasted and I walked out with nothing! It will be awhile before I attempt to go in this store, I will try another one first. Thanks for all your time and efforts. I did show them the printed up coupon policy and they could not be bothered. I was told each store can do what they want.
See that’s the silly part, Lea Ann. Each store cannot do what they want, they do not have that luxury. The manager does have the discretion to limit quantities purchased, but s/he has NO discretion in veering from the corporate coupon policy.
And they know it.
Ann
Tecnically when they adjust coupon souldnt they write the reduced amount on each adjusted down coupon? They get reimbursed by the manufacturer the face amount, so they are actually making money on each coupon. This does not seem right.
A lot of people say that, Tatiana, but from what I know of the coupon redemption from retailer to clearinghouse to payment, no one would ever look at the face of that coupon to see the value written on it.
*shrug*
Ann
What about B1G1 coupons? They have a place to wtie the price of the free product.
I’m not sure how those are calculated. The coupons are (supposedly) scanned for credit, and those beep, sooooo …
Ann
The reason it does not make sense to me is that Target will not give a customer the 2 cent overage yet it gladly takes the overage for itself. A retailer is not supposed to make money off of the manufacturer coupon that a customer brings to it (other than the handling fees). Target should be a neutral pass through. I really dislike both Target and WalMart. Target may pretend that it is cooler than the Walmart but both of these stores are very similar in poor ways they treat customers. I avoid shopping at both stores as much as I can.
Oh I don’t disagree with you Tatiana. In theory, you are correct – why should a store profit from a coupon and not a customer? Wouldn’t good customer service state that if there was a profit to be made, it should be made by the customer? Wouldn’t 2¢ go a (very) long way towards customer goodwill?
Ann
I haven’t been getting my bag credit at Target. I never realize it until it’s too late. I need to start speaking up. So watch for them to scan the 5 cent credit for you!
Thank you so much for doing this! I never wrote to you, but last week I was also told by a floor supervisor that if I did not like their coupon policy then I could “take my business elsewhere”. I was given a hard time trying to use two olay coupons in order to do the olay giftcard deal. I was only buying two items and had two coupons, I was purchasing more expensive items so it wasn’t as if they were free and they were telling me they were now limiting one coupon per customer per day. I was amazed when the supervisor confirmed it and I took his advice and took my business elsewhere, to the Galleria target. I am so happy to hear that I wasn’t the only one offended by this! I am still a little skeptical though and may be taking a farther drive just to save myself the aggravation in the future.
Wow! One coupon per customer, per day? That’s a new one on me. I’m so glad that my Target is so good. I have NEVER had problems like you ladies have had.
Regarding Tatiana’s comments about coupons over the item value – That is the reason that my Walgreens says that they cannot adjust coupons down. They say that they would be getting too much from the mfg so they won’t do it at all.
I haven’t been to my target lately. I hope this is not going on in my store. I have been so busy I haven’t had time to get there. This would not be good.
thank God both my targets are amazing!! I can go in w an entire envelope full of coupons and they take each and every one. they are outstanding…
Now Wally’s, ummm they could be giving it away literally free and I’ll just “keep on driving”….
ooooooooo……………holy cow. Are you reading these comments anyone at Target & WalMart?
Pat the only way someone from Target or WalMart would read this is as a tweet. It would either need the hastags:
#target
#walmart
or addressed to them via
@target
@walmart
For instance:
Target & WalMart Customer Service issues http://bit.ly/99w9GV #target #walmart
would have someone come over and read the post if they were following either hashatg
But:
@Target & @WalMart Customer Service issues http://bit.ly/99w9GV
Alerts the PR people that run the Target and WalMart twitter page that someone wrote something about their company.
I just tweeted it with the whole shebang. Let’s see if it gets retweeted or read via twitter.
Ann