Guest HoosierShadow Posted November 26, 2007 Share Posted November 26, 2007 I am NOT happy about my BF experience at TRU. I expected the crowds, and all, and that was fine. However, it was the service that ticked me off. I was trying to shop in the clothing section, and they had pushed all the racks back to make room for the sale items that they put around the main walkway. That was fine. BUT, the items I wanted to get to I couldn't...and there were a lot of employees around, and they SAW me trying to get to the clothing, and never bothered to help me or ask me if I needed assistance, and no most of them were not busy...I was over there for 20 minutes and gave up! This has been bothering me all weekend! It would have been one thing if they were busy, and didn't see me trying to get to a specific rack...but they SAW me, I even made eye contact with a few of them <and yes I had the 'I need some help' look on my face!>, but again, they just turned away and ignored me. I was going to write an email complaint, but you have to call a 800 number....I just don't know what I should do, leave it, or call and complain? I mean, I do understand they needed to move those racks, but for the people that were clothes shopping...we couldn't get to the items we were wanting <BTW, I wasn't the only one upset>, and we because of this, I didnt get the outfits I had wanted...yes I saw a couple I was planning to get, but they were hanging on the wall, and I couldn't get to them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alimfp Posted November 26, 2007 Share Posted November 26, 2007 I emailed TRU this weekend. You have to go to the TRU Inc. web site, not the TRU.com web site where you order toys. Personally, I would have asked for help or demanded it anyway... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
childofsolitude Posted November 26, 2007 Share Posted November 26, 2007 Personally, I would have gone to the employees and ASKED for help. As someone who works in the retail industry, one thing that really annoys me is when someone needs help, is standing directly behind me while fake coughing or sighing or telling the person they're with that they need help, and yet doesn't want to tell me directly that they need help. My job is not to go up to every customer and ask if they need help so unless someone comes up to me and asks for it, I'm not going to just assume that they need help. I highly doubt that those employees cared whether or not you bought a couple of outfits or not to be honest. It won't effect their paychecks any. I just don't understand what harm it does to a customer to come up to an employee and ask for help. If anything, employees give better service when a customer politely asks for help rather than beating around the bush. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afrey66 Posted November 26, 2007 Share Posted November 26, 2007 I was disappointed that all TRU BF deals were gone by noon. I know people buy up like crazy on BF but I would think TRU stores would've ordered more in anticipation. At every other store, I didn't have this problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conj Posted November 26, 2007 Share Posted November 26, 2007 sounds to me as if this would not be navigable by someone in a wheelchair. doesn't this violate the ADA, or a similar piece of legislation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conj Posted November 26, 2007 Share Posted November 26, 2007 Personally, I would have gone to the employees and ASKED for help. As someone who works in the retail industry, one thing that really annoys me is when someone needs help, is standing directly behind me while fake coughing or sighing or telling the person they're with that they need help, and yet doesn't want to tell me directly that they need help. My job is not to go up to every customer and ask if they need help so unless someone comes up to me and asks for it, I'm not going to just assume that they need help. I highly doubt that those employees cared whether or not you bought a couple of outfits or not to be honest. It won't effect their paychecks any. I just don't understand what harm it does to a customer to come up to an employee and ask for help. If anything, employees give better service when a customer politely asks for help rather than beating around the bush.Actually, at most of the large retail establishments this is your job! It is annoying as all heck when the clerks continuously ask if they can help, but I have been subject to the training, rating, and videos that they have to cope with, and I understand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2monkiesx3 Posted November 26, 2007 Share Posted November 26, 2007 I agree with both points. I can see where a customer should ask for help and believe me I DO ask all the time. But I also see where the customer SHOULD be helped or asked if they could be helped if they are struggling and there are employee's standing around picking thier noses, like PP said that is thier job and what they are being paid for How DARE you be trying to buy clothes on black friday!!?? LOL The department being like that would have been enough to make me SCREAM! I would have been frustrated but again I would have demanded help, or climbed the rafters to get exactly what I wanted, I bet THAT would have gained somebodies attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
childofsolitude Posted November 26, 2007 Share Posted November 26, 2007 Actually, at most of the large retail establishments this is your job! It is annoying as all heck when the clerks continuously ask if they can help, but I have been subject to the training, rating, and videos that they have to cope with, and I understand.At every store I've worked at, I've had to watch videos about asking customers if they need assistance. However, my bosses would be angry as heck if I asked every or almost every customer I come in contact with if they need help. Every worker has certain tasks that they must complete and we can't complete them if we spend most of our time asking customers if they need assistance. It may seem like it's part of our job but nothing would get done if we focused mainly on talking to the customers (unless you're a cashier of course). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steakgoddess Posted November 26, 2007 Share Posted November 26, 2007 I sent my own e-mail to Toys R Us this weekend. I have never been so disgusted with an employee as I was with this one. How long does it take to get a response from them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hack2222 Posted November 26, 2007 Share Posted November 26, 2007 I say just make a mess, if they not willing to help you out. Its there job to pick up after you not yours to pick up after them. If they wont help u out, take it into your own hands. Maybe once they pick it up, they'll get off their lazy bums and help you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikkilugi Posted November 26, 2007 Share Posted November 26, 2007 At every store I've worked at, I've had to watch videos about asking customers if they need assistance. However, my bosses would be angry as heck if I asked every or almost every customer I come in contact with if they need help. Every worker has certain tasks that they must complete and we can't complete them if we spend most of our time asking customers if they need assistance. It may seem like it's part of our job but nothing would get done if we focused mainly on talking to the customers (unless you're a cashier of course).I have done a bit of mystery shopping and having an employee come up to me and ask if I need assistance is always a question. There is usually a time that I have to wait and if an associate doesn't come up to me then I have to ask for help myself. Frankly we aren't talking about asking "every" customer - we are talking about someone who is in obvious distress and had made eye contact with a floor associate. At that point someone should have come over and asked to help. I think they have roving associates on the floor of TRU to make sure customers get the help they need. I understand you are just sticking up for the retail workers - however, serving the customer is part of the job. It is just blowing me away how it is becoming us against them. Where is the service? That is what makes customers happy and keeps them coming back to your store which then keeps the store OPEN. Sure there are some difficult customers out there - but I guarantee the stores that cater to these customers are making money and stores that have workers who don't give a crud are losing customers - plain and simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeliesMom Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 I worked at Blockbuster about 2 years ago. Granted, it's not a big store and all that, but there were 2 floor people every friday and saturday night. One persons job was stand at the door and greet every customer who walked in the door, yes every customer. The other floor persons job was to ask every person on the floor if they needed help, yes every person. I had to be the greeter and all that many times before. I would go around and ask everyone if they needed help, wanted me to look for a video, etc. It would get so boring, because I would ask every single person then I would wonder around the floor. I told my manager I've already asked everyone, they keep getting annoyed with me, and you know what he'd say, go around and ask everyone AGAIN! I am like my god, some people are gonna think I'm stalking them. Honestly, I asked the same people at least 2-3 times if they needed help, but that was my job. Employees do have different tasks they have to do, but if I saw someone in need I would have asked, now people aren't going to do more work than they have to do. If you don't ask, most the time no one will help. You should've asked for help. Granted you made eye contact and all that, people aren't going to do more work than they have to, if you would've asked they would've helped. I wouldn't have been over there for 20 minutes trying to make eye contact and acting helpless, I would've just asked for help if I needed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HAnderson Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 I agree with both points. I can see where a customer should ask for help and believe me I DO ask all the time. But I also see where the customer SHOULD be helped or asked if they could be helped if they are struggling and there are employee's standing around picking thier noses, like PP said that is thier job and what they are being paid for How DARE you be trying to buy clothes on black friday!!?? LOL The department being like that would have been enough to make me SCREAM! I would have been frustrated but again I would have demanded help, or climbed the rafters to get exactly what I wanted, I bet THAT would have gained somebodies attention.i agree Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crawfish Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 Here's one. Went to TRU when the Wii games were on sale. They didn't have the particular ones I wanted so the dept head told me to get any and I could swap them later as long as they were the same price. Went back today and the manager said you can't do that since it was during a promotion. Basically, all sales are final during the promotion. It didn't matter that a dept head told me otherwise they wouldn't do it. So I returned all three. I called the 800 customer service and they agreed with the manager. They even went so far to tell me that even with a gift receipt you wouldn't be able to make exchanges. That will be my last time at TRU. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HoosierShadow Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 Thanks for the input everyone. I did write a complaint at Toys r us inc. And got a reply today saying they would forward it and contact me, etc. I am definitely not saying that every customer should have an employee come up to them, but in my situation, they defiitely knew I was having problems. And yes, a person in a wheelchair would never have gotten through the clothing section...because I couldn't even get through with a cart. I had my 14 mo old with me, so I had to keep her near me. A lot of the clothing I was trying to get too was hanging on the wall, and on racks that were against the wall. I couldn't get around the other racks they had pushed up against the racks I wanted to see...and that made getting to the wall impossible I have worked retail before too, so I really wouldn't have complained if there hadn't been so many employees around, and making eye contact with them and them seeing I needed help. I mean...it was just plain as day, otherwise they would have been blind! I worked at Kmart for a couple of years, I was a manager at a different grocery store for a while, and I worked nightstock at a local Kroger store for 3 years. So I definitely have experience working with customers. So that's a big reason I was so upset. If I had been the employee, I would have gone to the customer to see if I could assist them. That was something I always loved about the jobs I had, helping customers. In fact, that is what I miss most about those jobs. I am not expecting anything from TRU, except that next year, they try to make sure it's more convenient for customers to shop in this particular area. I wasn't the only customer upset by the way the clothing racks were pushed together and unaccessable/unable to get around them too. You should have seen me wedging my cart in/out of the little section near the main walkway just to get a pair of pajamas that were on sale! Saturday is my oldest daughters birthday, and I always take my kids out on their birthday, and let them go to TRU to pick out something, take them out to eat, etc. And I plan to take her to TRU...but that experience on BF really has set in with me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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