Not the Best Buy

Hey guys,

I just needed a place to rant, and so this won't be about makeup today. Feel free to skip this post if you're totally uninterested! Today, I'm upset about respect. Humans should treat other humans as though they are humans... right?  I'm so freaking sick of being treated as though I'm a pile of poo just because you are waiting on me at a restraurant or checking me out at a store. I treat everyone with respect. Its just how I roll. I don't care if you are a sanitation worker, Im going to treat you the same as if you were the president of a multi national corperation. I don't see why it's such a big deal to expect to be treated with dignity anymore. Here is the situation that really broke the camels back for me.

I LOVE gadgets and technology. I adore getting new toys to play with. My new obsession lately has been with the white iPhone 4. I have been researching it for months. Comparing it to other cell phones. Reading reviews and watching videos.  I can safely say it was something I wanted and had been very much looking forward to getting.  My husband and I decided that Thursday July 21st would be iPhone day! We are on graveyard hours and decided the best place to get the phone would be from Best Buy. They are open till 9pm in our area and we shop there often. That evening, we got ready and left the house both of us buzzing with our nerdy excitement to get the new phone. Unfortunately, we left disappointed. Below, you will find a letter that I have sent to Best Buy regarding the events that transpired that evening.


To Whom it May Concern, 

Hello there.

This is to discuss an event that occurred with a customer service representative who was working at the _________ location in ________,WA at your mobile phone sales desk on the evening of July 21,2011. The gentleman's name I didn't get. However, what I did get was being treated with disrespect. I will refer to this man from here on out as "Joe" to simplify things. I went into the store roughly 30 minutes prior to 9pm which was the stores closing hour. I stood in line and watched as 2 representatives helped other customers. I waited patiently for my turn which took 20 minutes without any acknowledgement from any other store employee. The man in question, "Joe" finished with his customer first. I smiled and started to walk over to his desk.  As he finished, he jumped up from his desk and spoke towards my husband and myself. He asked us if we had a quick question he could help us with? I replied that no, we didn't have a question but that we were there to upgrade a phone on a plan. I explained to him that we wanted to purchase a white iPhone 4 for the Verizon network. He responded quickly with a snide laugh and said that Verizon didn't have an iPhone 3. I repeated myself again and he stated that he,personally would be unable to do the upgrade for us because he needed to leave the store promptly at 9pm. "Joe" turned to his associate and spoke to us, he stated that this other man would be able to help us just as soon as he was finished with the customer he was helping, we would just have to wait a moment for his help, but he repeated again that HE had to leave promptly at 9pm. The other representative replied that he was untrained on how to finish a request like that and "Joe" replied to his co-worker that he would be able to ask any number of  other people who were still in the store working for help when he needed it. The other rep continued to shake his head and asked why "Joe" wouldn't just stay a few more minutes and help us instead. "Joe" replied that he MUST leave at 9pm.  "Joe" turned to us after arguing in front of us with his co-worker for a few minutes. He told us that he wouldn't be able to fulfill our request after all. He stated at this time that it was 9pm and the store was closing. He said that the transaction would require a minimum of 30 minutes to complete and that his manager was "cracking down" on hours and that they HAD to leave promptly at 9pm. He stated that it was company policy for them to leave at 9pm due to pay cut backs, and that no one would be allowed to stay. He asked if I would mind coming back the following day.  At this point I was quite confused and upset that I had been treated as though  my time had no value. I had indeed come in prior to closing time THAT day. I had spent my time waiting in line, I spent my time in my car to drive there, my time online researching what I needed to get so my transaction would run smoothly, I spent money on resources to get there. I was told that I would be helped, and then I was told minutes later that  it was against company policy to help me. I told "Joe" that if I wasn't going to be helped that evening,  that I would take my business elsewhere the following day. He immediately shrugged and stated "OK, that's fine." and turned away from us to leave. (His tone was very much uncaring, a "thank god they are leaving" tone) I did not expect "Joe" to keep the store open for ME, I didn't even expect to get my purchase that evening. After all that had transpired. But what I did expect from him was sincerity and kindness. I expected him to apologize for not being able to help me that evening, and possibly INVITE me back stating possibly his hours and what times he could help me if i decided to change my mind. An interest in helping me and keeping me as a customer.  Instead, he blatantly disregarded me and my business. He never acknowledged that I had waited any amount of time prior to closing, nor did he apologize for being unable to assist me with my purchase at that time. I took his uncaring attitude as to weather or not I came back as a sign that my business was UNNEEDED at Best Buy in general.Not just as a sign I was unwanted that evening. I feel as though, if the store is open and operational until 9pm then I should have been treated with as much service as all the other patrons in the store. I left the store with tears in my eyes, because he had treated me with such disregard, not because I didn't have my product. The following day, I went to a Verizon store miles away from the Best Buy I had gone to the night before. I was treated wonderfully. They helped me with smiles on their faces and because I knew exactly what I wanted to purchase the entire process took less than 10 minutes from start to finish.  The reason I'm writing this lengthy email is solely to inform you that your customer service representatives are not doing customer service, nor representing your company in a very respectful manner. The one I spoke to had NO regard for me or my purchase. I use to spend hundreds of dollars a year at Best Buy. My purchase that day would have been well over $200.00. But it makes no difference if I was there to spend 1000$ or 1$, all customers should be treated with the same respect. He gave me no respect. He was selfish and rude, and dismissed my business as though I was a speck of dust he was wiping from his shoulder. Because of this I will no longer be shopping at any Best Buy stores. Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter. I do hope that this might help in the future so that no other customers will have to suffer the disrespect I did that evening from this employee.

Sincerely,

Jenifer


In the end, I was glad I walked away. I didn't loose my temper or throw a tantrum in the middle of the store. I felt like I probably should have spoken to his supervisor but I didn't want to be so fully emotionally engaged when I spoke to someone about the incident. I don't like speaking out of emotion alone, because I feel I may regret things I say during those times. I was alot happier with the end result and the fact that I had gone to the different store where I was treated so well. I'm also very happy with my new purchase. I mean.. in the time it took this guy at Best Buy to shoo us away, he could of just made the sale and made everyone happy. And even if if truly was unable to sell it to us due to time restraints, because I realize stuff happens and some days you really have to leave at a certain time. But there was plenty of time for him to be polite to us, in fact, that's his job. He makes a salary to be polite to me and he still wasn't able to manage it. Lets try to find a little more respect for one another guys PLEASE.

Have you been treated with disrespect somewhere? How did you handle the situation? 

/end rant. thanks for reading & commenting! *hugs*