Avoid this manager at the austintown GE

[lifeskills13]

Well i am now adding Austintown GE to my blacklist (with niles)
This brain manager has something against me. My hubbie is goin to call corp. this time..because i called the last 5times. (sometimes i just let it go)

A normal problem is dealing with cats..not big deal..lol ok it is but its understandable. The point of a store is to SELL items, get it out of the store. Mike the other manager was there too (always was nice to me before) but was taking brain's side..but ina nice way whatever that means.
I can understand limiting me on the TP and TB's..i bought 16 (a lot less then what i bought at howland the day before) But i only bought 12! yes 12 of the kraft dressings (my family will go thru three bottles a day) They said they are not goin to allow me to purchase anymore "toothbrushes, toothpaste.." and she looked in my buggy "kraft dressings" i asked her why the kraft? i only bought 12 so far..she said because i bought some last trip into the store and she won't let me buy more.

Heres alil info about me. i have anxiety problem, i can't stand in line with people behind me..one is ok..three is too much. ill start shaking, sweating and not thinking right to where ill mess up my orders. also it looks like im trying to get away with something to the cashier lol. I hate displeasing people so much if effects my whole life (im working on it)
so how do i fix the problem..i make trips in and out of the store..if i have three transactions..i only make a trip for that..if my buggy is half filled i make a trip for that. Well the lady was acting like i was lieing "i never seen you here before and i work every sunday" to my response i do multiple orders all the time and explained why.

When i was goin to leave my FULL buggy (my last trip had a lot of produce, meat and pepperoni. plus four TB's and 12bottles of kraft dressing. She said "oh but if you still want to buy the produce and the meat we will still let you.." WHat?! i said you got to be kidding me..the only reason im buying produce here is because im already here marcs is why cheaper and i can get the kraft dressing cheaper at walmart. "thats fine" she said. "we are just limiting you on the sale items"

So its my coupons im thinking. she said no, we need enough products on the shelfs for the rest of the customers (i never clear out shelfs and when i know i will i preorder, again its about displeasing and i don't do that) there was about 50or so more bottles of kraft and hell a lot more of TP and TB's

I asked her if i was limited on the pepperoni because i bought more of those then the kraft dressing. She said no i can buy more of those. What?! you said you are limiting me on sale items..i had like 20packages in my buggy...

grrrr!!!!
also wanted to mentioned i was off the couponwagon for three months..only went to the store for odds and ends...oh and the sloppy joe mix sale :) I had a problem of always asking for a ride to the store and getting the kids ready..taking two hours just to get to the store. so i needed a break.
so i thought this week would be a great week to start up again, i got really nervous in the car and my hubbie trying to say don't worry about people, you are goin to the store to shop just like everyone else who cares what they think...of course that never helped me.
today i HAVE to finish my orders (no TP lol) so im goin to howland. yet today, i will be overly nervous and making myself sick to my stomach.

my trip to the car the last time i ask my hubbie if we can finish at a different store i think they are goin to say something else to me (i did two trips on the shelf checkout first, everyone praises it so much i thought it would probalbly help my anxiety problem) no problems but my coupon will beep 1/4 times "unvalid" but then it will work the second time i scan it. so when i go to pay it needs a override. because it had an error. she told me this is the last time im doin this..you can't get these for .20cents repeatably it won't allow it." i thought oh great..so i changed to a cashier and started buying other stuff (only did one trip like that with one transaction) it was the second time she stopped me.

so really i made four trips into the store...*Shock* i make more then that on a NORMAL day.

My hubbie said sorry to me he should have believed me when i told him that they were watching me in the store. (you know the kind where you "think" you saw one of them but you can't pinpoint if they were watching you or doin what they need to be doin) im not a paranoid person just anxiety lol he said he thought i was just being paranoid because i was getting nervous..

I cried so much last night...ate the whole box of icecream thrumbsticks lol why do i have to push so hard just to get a shopping trip done?! why is it so much easier for everyone else? :(

thanx for listening lol i know i have bad grammer and can't spell :)
just wanted to tell people who will understand my problem more then my family will.


p.s. my hubbie did go into the store to try to understand what happened because i got into the car crying so much he couldn't understand what i was saying. he spent 40mins in there and when he got back in he said its the same manager he always runs into coupon problems with. (he also went in to get everyones names so he himself can call corp.) they told him they are limiting me because its more then a normal family will need. what?! how do you know who im buying for?! i buy for my whole family meaning extended..if anyone needs anything they just take it out of my stockpile. also 1/3's of my trips are for my inlaws because i will see more deals then they do. My hubbie told them, "you can't ASSUME the situation how do you know how big our family is?!" "you just don't like people usign coupons" my hubbie said.
brain said "no its not that we have limited other people too" ha! no one has the same problems like i do with him.

~liz~

ETA oh another thing i forgot to mention. the second trip in the store using the SCO. i was leaving out the door and looked back the as.manager im now calling her. has opened the coupon box in the machine and was standing there counting coupons?! you got to be kidding me!

[marrelam]

that's horrible liz - you should get the district manager info and complain there along with calling corp. and you should also ask for this "policy" in writing from corp. Lucky for you that you have a supportive husband in this fight.

[neekyme]

I feel so bad for you! My goodness that was quite an ordeal. I dunno what would be the best - but I think contacting corp or at least the district manager would be a good idea. Make sure they understand that you feel discriminated against due to your anxiety - that because someone may perceive your actions as 'shady', you are treated like you're stealing.

As to a cashier saying you can't be getting something for 20 cents - that's crazy - apparently she doesnt understand that the manu. reimburses them for the coupon, so while you might only be paying 20 cents, they are getting the full value of that coupon too.

The reason they run sales is to generate business - they get you in the door with loss leaders (like the Colgate/Palmolive deal) and while you're there you pick up other stuff, like produce and kraft dressing! It's a win-win for everyone! If they lost too much money on things like the Colgate/Palmolive deal - they wouldn't have one every few months! They aren't going to continue a promotion that doesnt increase their sales!!

12 Bottles of dressing isn't that much if your family eats salads with every dinner, or uses it as marinade or you are having a party. Heck, even with a small get together I know I buy at least 6 different kinds of dressing - so everyone can have their favorite kind. We use it for dips too. They're not the biggest of bottles, so how could 12 bottles be 'too many'?.

If calling corp doesnt get you anywhere, I would sit down and compose a very throrough letter voicing your concerns - but try to keep emotions to a minimum and focus on stating the fact - and snail mail it. Sometimes that gets a better response.

I have anxiety issues too - not as bad as you, but I know your pain. That's why I love to go first thing in the morning or late at night. The other night was great - I was able to do 9 transactions back to back and only had to move out of the way for 1 customer. It was quiet, I could think, and I was able to have everything in my buggy organized.

I have found it easier though to have several transactions to do at once, instead of coming in and out of the store - to me, that looks more shady than having a buggy full and seperating it down. If they ask why in a nasty way, sometimes I tell them I'm shopping for my mom, my MIL, and sisters. I know one of the crazy coupon ladys that I see up at my store all the time is a personal shopper for a bunch of people - that's her job. So they're used to her having tons of transaction and oodles of coupons.

I wish you luck though - hopefully your hubby can get through to someone at a higher level. If you call the store and ask for the contact information for the next higher up managers, they have to give that information to you.

[cina409]

I live in Boardman, very close to you, come over here you will not have a problem. I fell so bad for you. My store has never given me any problem. Doral RD. next to Walmart, I hate that store I can't shop there they are so mean for no reason, they just hate couponer.
I hope you feel better!:smile77:

[sagesonamabuster]

I am so sorry you had to deal with that. I hope if you call corporate you can get some resolution. They acted completely inappropriately.

[Emmy's Mommy]

I'm so sorry that happened to you. It seems the stores are starting to "crack down". On their weekly flyer, it states they reserve the right to limit quantities. So, on that aspect, they can, but they were just downright mean about it and that isn't called for.

12 bottles of dressing really isn't a lot. My dh is on a special diet and has salad every day for lunch and we have it at supper as a side. Now, we also do not like the same kinds of dressing. So, the two of us could very well use quite a bit.

I always have to fly under the radar at our store (Alliance, OH). If you go in more than once or twice a week it seems the cashiers mention it, heck, even the cart guy has said something to me.

I have to say, I go to the store as much as I need. If I forget something, I'll go back the next day or later in the day to get it or if I decide to bake and find I'm out of vanilla, I will go or send dh. I just look at it as if they don't want my business, someone else does.

I would call corporate, although, I must say, I haven't been real satisfied with their response to issues. Usually they send the complaint to the store manager, who will call and be snotty some more.

[flaminicecube]

I went to the Austintown GE on Sunday on my way home from work and had a young manager type woman(20 something) check me out. She questioned how i got 9 salad drsg coupons which I told I get out of the out of town papers the weekend before. Sghe made a remark which I remembered as odd but didn't think much about it. "We have all the papers from last week and I'll have to look for that" From her tone, I wasn't sure whether "We" meant the store or her family. But it was in the plain Dealer and Post Gazette that I bought actually from that store the weekend before.

I always had problems with coupons at the Doral Dr store when that was my most comvenient store. The three cashiers in the morning always gave me problems. From what I hear they are still there being coupon ****s. I know the others that are there are more cpn friendly.

I shop early morning because I work nightshift and I also go as soon as my son gets on the bus. I just like going w/o fighting crowds and get the discounted produce and meat.
Whenever I have deals I always rotate my shopping among at least a couple of stores. I also go to the 224, Canfield, Belmont stores and occassionally still the Doral Dr store.
Lifeskills13, don't let this drop. Corporate will probably just han the matter back to the store. Let us know the outcome. There's enough of us in Ytown that can put a dent in any one GE if it can make a difference

[TerryTerrific]

I have found in my 100+ years of shopping that snail mailing a one page letter (no novels) is much more effective that a telephone call.

The main reason being it that with a telephone call, they can easily blow you off.

Another reason that a snail mailed letter is more effective is that there is a paper trail.

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Instead of venting, I offer a win-win solution by stating constructive comments.

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I always go to the top of the food chain (the CEO).

No one else will do.

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Terence in Brook Park, oHIo

[powermxpx]

If the stores are worried about their stock depleting on sale items, why don't they order more stock? They will always sell it. Seems pretty simple to me.

I think some of these supervisors and managers are on power trips. You know...they handle a lot of money and large sets of keys.

I usually don't get anyone saying anything to me because I'm a guy and I'm a little over 6 ft tall, in my 20's, and built big. But, the other day, I had a lady shopper say something about my coupon usage to the cashier after I went through the register and was loading my bags into my cart. As soon as she said it, I stopped loading my bags and made eye contact with her, looked at her with a straight face, and dead stare until it was uncomfortable, then went home.

I like to mess with these people every now and then because I know what some people (like the original poster) go through...it isn't right. I understand the store's right to limit a sale (which they are allowed to do), but tact is everything when it comes to customer service.

The way I look at it, if people start noticing your coupon usuage and respond negatively or positively, you are doing something right! :0)

Keep fighting the good fight.

[puakinikini]

I usually don't get anyone saying anything to me because I'm a guy and I'm a little over 6 ft tall, in my 20's, and built big. But, the other day, I had a lady shopper say something about my coupon usage to the cashier after I went through the register and was loading my bags into my cart. As soon as she said it, I stopped loading my bags and made eye contact with her, looked at her with a straight face, and dead stare until it was uncomfortable, then went home.

Oh, to be 6 foot tall with a steely gaze! I wish! I am 5'4" and look like a mom (you know, hair in a bun, no make-up and a pair jeans and a black t-shirt, with flip-flops exposing my non-pedicured toe nails). I still give them a look (raise my eye brows, purse my lips in a questioning way and then smile) but I do it with a smile and kill them with kindness. I kinda see it as a game - as I know that I am not doing anything wrong and that they are wrong to not be giving me the Customer Service that I deserve. If it is really bad - whoa, I had one at Safeway the other day (I too could have written a small book - this guy was channeling an army General talking to new recruits on a bad day) - then I call corporate. I do not complain easily though because then it is not effective.

I am sorry this happened to you - let us know how it goes.