I believe in advocacy and have always used this verse to promote advocacy for those who cannot speak for themselves. Sometimes we need to be reminded that we must speak for our selves, also.
This week, my husband and I advocated for ourselves over a very simple (to us) issue and I am happy to report we were successful.
During all of the crazy family doings on Christmas,
a gift card was misplaced.
Due to my very conscientious husband removing everything and trucking it away the very next day, we could not search through the gift wrap and boxes.
On Monday, after searching all possible places, we contacted the store where we had purchased the card. We knew we probably could not get a refund, but, in that case, we decided that we would purchase another card for the dear recipient.
While holding for further assistance my husband heard the head cashier say he was "s___ out of luck". When she returned to the phone, he reprimanded her with "Young lady, etc." He was not rude back to her but did tell her she should not speak that way to or about a customer.
After hanging up he called back to speak with the manager. After telling the manager what has transpired, and the manager stating he would speak to the employee, my husband suggested a written apology would be nice. The manager replied that was not going to happen.
Let me interject, that we have never had a problem with this store and have recently spent a good deal of money there on new appliances, paint, etc.
Because I have written many letters and court reports advocating for children, I offered to send an e-mail to the complaint department of the main office. I wrote the e-mail suggesting that with out the customer the employee would have no job. I added that, in this day of advanced technology I was surprised that a gift card # could not be cancelled and a refund or new card given. I ended with saying that we had planned to purchase another card but would now give the recipient cash rather than spend our money in this store. I was polite, but assertive in my value as a customer and my expectation of courteous service.
We received an immediate response asking for the store location and the receipt number.
Yesterday my husband received a phone call from the store (different manager)
and was told that the gift card was cancelled and a new one was in the mail!
Now what if we had just assumed we were out of luck?
On a similar note, asparagus has been puny, stunted in the supermarket for the past month. When I commented this week regarding the why of this, I was told that it is the consumer's fault!!
Why?...Because we keep purchasing it anyway instead of refusing poor quality.
Makes sense, doesn't it?
Six Years
10 years ago
