Friday, May 23, 2008

Bounced Out of the Craft Store

Dear AC Moore,

Thank you for all the years of good service and quality merchandise. It seems I am always looking for just the right item but unable to find exactly what I want. Your stores have allowed me to make what ever it was I was looking for, therefore allowing me to have exactly what I was looking for.

Tonight all of that changed. I will now purchase the items I need on line with another supplier or at Ben Franklin if I need it right away. Why this sudden change?

I know it was almost time for the store to close but I knew exactly what I wanted and where it was (invitation ink stamp). My little girl and I scurried between two employees who were standing fixed in their spots blocking the isle a good deal and reached the stamps (2nd isle in on the left). Quickly I grabbed the stamp I need and a very sweet voice came over the intercom saying “It is now 8:58 and our store will be closing in two minutes. Please bring your purchases to the register.” I was not the only customer in the store. I saw a couple go in just ahead of us. As I bent down to reached for the over sized black ink pad I heard a store clerk say in a very stern voice “Put. That. Back. We. Are. Closed. You‘re gonna have-ta leave.” She was standing at the end of the isle with her arms folded and a very cross look on her face.

She didn’t give me a chance to say anything about the fact that we were ready, the two minutes left announcement or that I would be using a credit card so no one would have to recount their pre-counted registers. I slowly placed the stamp back in it’s place and kept my eyes fixed on the employee as if she were a wild animal and any sudden moves would result in a fatality. I kept Snow White strategically behind me, incase the creature decided to attack.

As Snow White and I walked past the registers to the exist there were 6 or more employees all standing close together with their arms folded, angry-someone-pissed-in-my-cherios-this-morning, haven’t eaten anything all day because of it AND I’m-gonna-eat-you-and-your-little-girl-too looks on their faces It was a mixer of the God Father’s body guards and the Wicket Witch from the Wizard of Oz.

I knew the store was closing and I was going to be quick and not inconvenience anyone. Apparently, they do not want my business and I am personally not welcome.

I admit I went in to the store just before it closed but to be told by an employee “Put. That. Back. We. Are. Closed. You‘re gonna have-ta leave.” That was completely uncalled for. On top of that to have the Giodo squad form a line? Did they really think that little Snow White all dressed in pink was such a danger? What was so important that it couldn’t wait until the store closed?

Not only will I not do my own personal shopping there but I will no longer purchase supplies for our Brownie and Girl Scout Troops at your store. I will also tell my parents who will tell all the organizations they participate in who will no doubt advise them to stop using your stores. My sister and brothers will also do the same. I plan on telling everyone I work with about my experience at your store. The last time a store pissed me off in such a manner (actually it was worse) they were out of business the very next month (smaller East coast chain). I am by no means saying I have “pull” but word of mouth carries more weight than any other form of advertisement. Should those who read this post stop buying from their local AC Moore? Only if your service is as poor as what was experienced by me on this night.

In retrospect…..

I had planned to use Fans as invitations for Snow White’s Birthday party. This way she could discretely pass out invitations at school where she sees most of her friends. The fans I ordered (because no one way out here in the country has paper fans) arrived with printing on both sides. Thus I would not have been able to use the meanie AC Moore invitation ink stamp.

Was this God’s way of saying to me “You have spent ENOUGH on this party! Stop it already!”

Given that I did a break down of last year’s expenses for Snow White birthday bash I will do the same this year. You wont believe what I went through to get it all together this year. The party looks simple enough from the photos I posted but there are so many more photos I didn’t post.

P.S. I haven’t visited the AC Moore shop since that dreadful night. Still a bit pissed at the pissy attitude.

9 comments:

Pageant Mom said...

The people who own the store obviously want your business...unfortunately that hasn't filtered down to the minimum wage employees they hired.

I'd write a letter to the company.

I usually get free stuff when I do that!!

But come on, don't you think if you worked in a store like that you might be a little edgy too?? that can't be the best job ever...
Oh, btw, it wasn't a Friday night was it?? Fridays for some reason are always particularly awful in those places.

LOL

raqgold said...

ugh, that was mean. i dont know what i would do when confronted like that esp when the kids are with me. like pageant mom said, write a letter to the company, just so they would know.

as for not going back to THAT store, i dont blame you. i have also boycotted a store because of the bad attitude of the employees. and it's definitely not my loss!

Anonymous said...

You should definitely send the letter to AC Moore corporate. I used to work at AC Moore and customers are supposed to come first. If there are still customers there at 9:15pm they are STILL supposed to be pleasant and ring you up. If no one makes corporate aware of the sales associates behavior it doesn't change. You're lucky there are so many people working in your store. At the store near me there are only 2 people at closing. Good luck with your birthday party!

raqgold said...

thanks for the support. hope you heard our greetings to you :D

MommasWorld said...

Pageant Mom - It wasn't Friday. If it had been I would have waited until the next morning. I needed it have the invitations ready that night so Snow White could give them out at school the next day. Free stuff is always nice but I am only interested in an appology.

I worked retail as a teenager and believe me I understand wanting to get out the door at the end of the night. That is why I thought ahead to use my credit card.

Jr - I will send AC Moore a letter. This post started out as a letter. Whiskey Marie wanted to hear the details of what happened and that is why I posted it here. This happed a few weeks ago and I was still upset about the behavior when I posted it here.

Raqgold - I tried my best! I heard MommasWorld and something about downloading Wan. Do they record that for listening later? If they do please send me the link! I would love to hear how everything went! Congratulations!

raqgold said...

thanks again! and yes, will give you the link for the podcast and as i said in my reply to your comment in my post, will even translate it for you. let me work on it :)

3carnations said...

I would definitely write a letter to the company. And tell everyone I know so they don't shop there anymore. Terrible.

Whiskeymarie said...

(shaking fist)
I worked retail 8 years and I would have NEVER done something like that. I would ONLY say something (nicely) to someone if it was going on 10-15 minutes past closing time.
Bad retail employees! Bad!

Send the letter- at the very least you might get some free stuff out of it.
And thanks for humoring me.
;)

Lahdeedah said...

SEND THE LETTER....

I mean, don't shop there again, but send the letter.

When I was 17 and worked in retail, we about would DIE, literally, we were rolling on the floor dying very agonizing deaths because of the three last people, one didn't know where the yogurt was, the other was running around trying to get done on time, and there was one full loaded cart... but we STILL rang each and every one of them up, and politely, too, and sometimes, our managers helped them find things... but NEVER EVER would we tell them to put stuff back!

That is HORRID.

Write a letter to the store manager AND the corporate. YIKES.