The Art of Customer Dis-service

OK, I'm tired of every other company out there whining about losing out to the dreaded evil empire that is Wal-Mart. Wake-up morons, you're not going to beat WM on price, their economies of scale are just too enormous, so you need to beat them elsewhere, like customer service.

That's what I like about WM: if you buy something and there is something wrong with it, you can take it back. No questions asked.

My SIL bought some snow crab legs on sale at a major, nation-wide chain supermarket. Now these crab legs were in a box, and when she got home and removed them from the box, it was obvious that they weren't any good. They smelled VERY bad. So she calls the store and they tell her, "no problem, just bring 'em back with your receipt."

Now you have to understand, we live out in the country where the closest one of these stores is a good thirty minute drive. Today, I was heading into the Houston area to do some shopping on my own and planned on stopping by one of these stores to buy the same crab legs, steaks, and beer. So she gives me the package she wanted returned and the receipt and asked if I'd return them for her.

Not a problem.

Till I got to the store, that is. There, I am informed that since they were not purchased at that particular store, they couldn't be returned there, the SIL would have to return them to the store from which they were purchased.

Whiskey...

Tango...

Foxtrot?!?!?!

Did I mention that at WM, it doesn't matter at which store you purchase an item, ANY WM will accept the return. This national chain supermarket doesn't do that. BAM!!! They just lost the customer service battle in my opinion.

I walked out of the store, without buying crab legs, steaks, or beer, an app. $50 to $75 in lost sales for them. More to the point, it'll be a snowy day in Texas in July before I shop at that chain again.