Monday, February 9, 2009

GRRRR to HEB

I went to HEB today to pick up a couple of items and had the worst experience. I emailed the company via the contact us link on their website. Here's what I wrote:

"I have been a loyal HEB customer for over 20 years; however due to events that transpired today at my local HEB, I may never shop in another HEB store again.

At about 1:15 PM, I went to check out at a register manned by a new cashier named Kayla and a bagger named Israel. Kayla rang up my purchases, including a Kid Esentials Boost drink package selling for $10.99. I handed her my coupons, including a $1 off 2 Suave style products and a direct from the Manufacturer coupon worth up to $14.99 for the Boost drinks. The first coupon did not ring up so Kayla asked Israel how to proceed. He went over, grabbed the coupon out of her hands and entered the information for that coupon. He did not explain the process at all. She then scanned the Boost coupon and he literally grabbed it out of her hand, walked away saying, "I need to check if we can accept this." I explained that it was a manufacturer coupon and all he had to do was enter the amount because it had scanned. He gave me an ugly look and walked away. He was gone for over 5 minutes with no explanation. By this point, I am mortified and feel like I am being treated like a thief for trying to use a coupon. Kayla also seemed very embarrassed and kept apologizing to me.

After five minutes, Israel walks to a register behind us to manager Connie where they spent the next three minutes staring, reading and discussing the coupon. Neither one of them has acknowledged me or Kayla at this point. I leave the line and walk over to them and again explain that it is not an internet coupoon, but one directly from the manufacturer and that it did in fact scan the first time and just needs the value punched in. This time I receive ugly looks from both Connie and Israel and no acknowledgement at all. Finally, manager Connie tells Israel it is okay to use the coupon.

He walked back to the register and typed it in, with no apology to me for the rude behavior or any explanation to me or Kayla, and gets a message that because the coupon is over $10 a manager needs to override the transaction. He calls out across all the customers for Connie to come over, and she instead sends a lead cashier whose name I did not get. This employee did not offer an apology or explanation or even look at me. She couldn't complete the transaction either and called over to Connie who finally came to the register. Connie proceeded to try to complete the transaction, erring twice before overriding the transaction. In this entire episode, the only thing she said to me was, "I guess it would have worked the first time if I had read directions."

I want to again expressed that I was and still feel hugely embarrassed by this entire episode. I also want to express that the only person who apologized or tried to supply an explanation was Kayla, who had to deal with this on her first day as a cashier.

I sincerely hope you address the value of customer service with manager Connie and bagger Israel, or you will continue to lose valuable customers."

I normally expect this kind of thing from Walmart, but not HEB. Anyone else had this happen in an HEB?

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