Why Special Deals Do Not Equal Customer Service

Yesterday, I went into a national drugstore chain to buy a pack of gum and some candy for the office. (I don't want to say the store's name, but it did have green walls, if you catch my drift.) I grabbed the store circular on the way in which was advertising a great deal, 2 big bags of candy for only $3!

I went to the candy aisle, picked out some bags that were pictured in the advertisement, and went to the counter. Upon scanning the first bag, the cashier told me that this bag was not part of the special.

"But this is the bag in that picture there!"

She assured me that it was not the same bag. She scanned the second bag, and said that this second bag (Reese's Sticks) was included. So I went back to the aisle to grab a second bag.

I returned back to the cashier with a bag of Twix to go with the Reese's Sticks, and my cashier had moved onto another Customer. She looked at me disapprovingly and told me that the Reese's Sticks aren't part of the offer.

"But you just said they were!"

She explained that she was mistaken. The bag was $2, so it was part of one special, but was not eligible to be used with the coupon that made it 2 for $3. Apparently, the bag of candy has to be involved in two specials.

I made a snap decision. I bought nothing.

This was bad Customer Service on many levels. The company came up with a special so confusing that the store didn't understand it. The store then labeled things incorrectly to make it look like some candy was involved that wasn't. Finally, the cashier didn't make the effort to help me find what I wanted; she just stood there saying no.

Having a special which asks Customers to jump through hoops is worse than having no special at all. I would have gladly paid twice as much for the candy had there been no sale at all. Now I'm just a dissatisfied shopper looking to go elsewhere.