My first horrible Safeway experience. {sniff!}
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I was so excited to go to Safeway today. I had my plan of action: a list of 3 transactions ready to go with coupons slipped into separate plastic baggies. Everything was so well organized, and this trip should have gone off without a hitch, despite the fact that I had Cole (3yrs) with me.
I gathered everything up, and headed to the checkout. I was STUPID and picked the checker who rarely smiles. Why did I do that? GO TO THE MEN, people. The nice, young men. Not the grouchy ones. Profiling is okay (and encouraged) for the hard-core couponer.
{sigh}
So, she started ringing everything up for the first transaction, I ran my card, and the total came to about $23. Nice. Then, I handed her my coupons. LOTS of coupons. Lovely coupons! I saw the register go down and down and down . . . then BAM! She says I can’t use the Safeway Super Coupons now because my total is now below $20. Wha? Huh?
Oh, it was a mess. She was mean to me. My 3 year old was not standing quietly. Managers were called. She voided my transaction. I asked them to call corporate. They said they did, but I don’t know, because they closed the office door. Blech. So then the manager comes out and says that if the register accepts it, then it should be good. So, great! I decided to just do two transactions, so I put some things back. The manager wanted to ring me up herself. My total came to about $37 after club card. THEN, she started to scan my manufacturers coupons. And, she STOPPED and said, “Now, if I scan this, it will take you below $20, so you can’t use the Super Coupons.” HUH? But, you just said that if the register accepts it . . .
So, I was going to pay for my coffee with the catalina that I knew was going to print out . . . but I said, “Just throw that on there.” Now, we’re down to one transaction, and the coffee took me above $20. However, I was so flustered that I forgot to pull out my coffee coupon. Ack! THEN, she finally used my Super Coupons.
It was nuts.
They made me feel like SUCH a criminal! They kept on using the word “fraud.” No, they didn’t call me that, but I couldn’t help but feel small and defenseless when these older-than-my-mother ladies kept ticking their tongues at me.
I still feel like crying, and according to the time stamp on my receipt, it has been almost 1.5 hours.
WHAT I LEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE:
• Go to the men. (duh, Kelleigh.)
• When planning out the trip, take all manufacturer coupons off the total. So, plan it like this:
Club price minus manufacturer coupons (and ecoupons and doublers) must = $20, THEN use Super Coupons to bring the total down.
If the lady at the Customer Service desk had SIMPLY said this (not the most eloquent gal), my lightbulb would have gone off. I’m not an idiot. I promise. The problem is, Safeway leaves everything up to the Manager’s discretion. They don’t have an official corporate coupon policy. So, I should be thankful when the nice, young, male checker just scans my coupons with no questions asked. I shouldn’t EXPECT it. And, yes, the computer does allow me to use the Super Coupons when the total drops below $20. Trust me on this. Or, should I remind you of all of my other Safeway scores? Hmm?
I’m telling you, this is the very first time I have had anything but a positive experience at Safeway, so I’m pretty shaken up over it. I want to go back and give them my receipt and have them take off the $ for the 2 coupons I forgot to use in my flustered state, but I’m afraid that they will just HATE me!
Okay, so what did I get? This:
I paid $11.91, but I’m going to go back (blech) and have them give me $2.50 back when I give them the missing coupons. That will bring my total spent down to $9.41. Then, I’m going to go “buy” two more coffees with my catalina. That’ll show them. Hee, hee!
Seriously, people. I’m not the most confrontational person in the world, and I was definitely sweet the whole time because, um, my husband’s picture is on the grocery cart (advertising) and this is MY store and these are MY checkers. I really hope this doesn’t turn into some huge issue where they all hate me or peg me as “difficult” or a fraud. So sad.
(PS - I did call corporate to ask about the policy. Michael was so nice. He understood where I was coming from. He wrote up a complaint. (barf!) Then he called me back and told me exactly what my store’s policy is.)
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Oh, I would just cry. I’m so sorry. I had my first fairly upsetting couponing deal the other day too, and it certainly shook my confidence. I never knew you could take in coupons and have them give you the money back.(There have been WAY too many times when I have forgotten to give a coupon because I’ve been flustered.)
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Kelleigh Reply:
January 6th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
They do that at Safeway, and they are usually totally sweet about it, too. Of course, all of that might have changed for me today. I probably should have just smiled and walked away, but I really did want to understand!! Oh, well.
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Amber Reply:
January 6th, 2010 at 4:17 pm
They did this to me last night and I know which checker you are talking about. She told me that she didn’t appreciate all of the couponers getting such great deals. She is a grouch. Sorry Kelleigh, I would have just started crying because I hate when they do this.
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So Sorry that happened to you. I think I would have cried. I feel like every time I go to the store it is hit or miss with the checkers.
I had one experience where the checker actually yelled at Emma. I am not a confrontational person at all, but I went and found a manager.
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One time at Safeway, I had a “get something free” coupon that I printed from the Safeway website. The checker (young male BTW) wouldn’t let me use it because it “is against Safeway corporate policy to honor coupons that make an item free”. Hmmmm, so why was it on the Safeway website then (it even had Safeway logo and so forth on the coupon)? I’m not comfortable arguing over coupons. I’ve even read that Safeway will ban couponers who cause trouble from all their stores for 1-2 years. I read this on a couponing website forum, so don’t quote me on it.
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Kelleigh Reply:
January 6th, 2010 at 4:06 pm
Oh, I can’t even imagine that, Maureen! I’d just die if they banned me. Its my favorite store and I save SO much money there. PLUS, it’s about 5 minutes away from my house, so its definitely the most convenient. Ack! Usually the checker ladies all cheer me on, so this “episode” was hard on me. Gosh. Wonder if I have PMS. Good grief.
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I caught some flack from the Center St. safeway yesterday for using two $1/1 Cheerios coupons to buy two boxes. She tried to tell me I could only use one and I successfully won the argument. The worst experience I’ve had was the Herbal Essences snafoo at Rite Aid. I really don’t appreciate being treated like a criminal just for using legitimate coupons.
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I am so sorry that you had this problem.
We don’t have a safeway here but I have had my share of arguments when it comes to coupons.
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UGH!!!! I just hate it when I run into a cashier who couldn’t process my order right, call a manager and they talk with each other like I’m a fool right in front of me! Especially when I was right!!! Ugh! It raises my blood level!
So sorry to hear your bad experience!
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I was in the same boat yesterday with my local Walgreens. I tried to purchase (2) of the Stayfree Maxipad packages for $6.29 each at the nearby location. I had a manufacturer’s coupon that is buy one, get one free. When I tried to hand the ‘older than my mother’ female cashier my coupon, she refused it - instead rifling through her flyer to find the Walgreens coupon for the same product. (I was ready to give that coupon in as well.) The Walgreens coupon offers $3 off each 28 ct. or larger package. She told me that since the product was “on sale” I would only get the discounted value for my manufacturers coupon - essentially $3.29 - and not the retail value on the shelf, $6.29. No where in the store does it say that the product is “on sale”. When the item rings up, it is $6.29 - not the discounted value the cashier wanted to write on the coupon. This is not the first time I have had problems with this cashier and the store management.
I did the same ‘deal’ at two other Walgreens locations - and both of them did it, no questions asked. All in all, I got eight 28-32 count packages of pads for $1.96! And I will NEVER go the location close to my home ever again!
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I had a similar thing happen to me at Dollar General. I had a $5 coupon off a $20 order. When they took off the manufacturer’s coupons my order went way below $20 so they told me that they couldn’t use the $5 Dollar General coupon. I “suggested” that they take off the store coupons first…then the manufacturer’s. They voided out my order and we started all over again. They did it the way that I “suggested” and it worked beautifully!
Sorry you had such a horrible experience today.
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Quite a long time ago, my mom was a secret shopper for Safeway. The employees would bend over backwards back then. My sister and I loved going with my mom to “secret shop” because we could ask for samples from deli. I am certain Safeway still has these shoppers who evaluate the employees. They are really lucky you weren’t one of them today! Absolutely everyone I’ve talked to/read about says that you can use your coupons and it still counts for your total. I am very impressed you were able to continue the transaction as well as you did. I don’t think I would have handled it without walking out empty handed. Good for you and keep up the good work (just go to the nice young man next time).
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So sorry for your experience…it’s SO upsetting when it happens. Frankly, I’m surprised it hasn’t happened to you before at Safeway! It happens to me all the time at mine in Northern VA…but like you, I’ve learned which checkers to go to (i.e. not the grouchy women…go to the clueless young males…haha) and it’s been better. That $20 thing seems bogus to me. I usually just hand them the Super Coupons first and then my manufacturer coupons and nobody has a problem with the total being under $20…but like you said, each store has its own policy (arg!). My store just installed self checkout lanes and I’m excited to see if this helps ease up the strict coupon policies a bit since I know the coupons will go through if they’ll just scan them! My store usually says only 1 of the same internet printable per transaction (SO annoying!!) but if I manage to find a checker who doesn’t care, I can sometimes get them to do more…hopefully with the self check lanes I can do it all I want. Going to try tonight for the nut clusters deal.
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i so empathize with you! i have a love/hate relationship with safeway. i have to be very careful with picking a cashier, because several of the middle-aged female cashiers are quite mean - it’s like they hate to see me saving money because they don’t know how to do it.
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Egads, what an upsetting experience you had, Kelleigh! I’m so sorry you had to go through that. As I read over the comments, it seems that there are bunch of grouchy old ladies who work for Safeway. I wonder if they feel it that you are trying to get away with “something” or could it be that much more “work” for them to scan coupons? Whatever it is, that’s so not good customer service. (Maybe they think the store is losing too much money, although that is silly since the store gets money back from the coupon manufacturers, if I remember correctly).
Whatever it is, I’m glad you stood your ground and didn’t let them intimidate you (even if you might have been shaking in your shoes). I doubt they will “hate” you if you use your happy upbeat personality. Maybe they will respect you MORE in the end knowing you won’t back down from what you know is right!
Good luck next time. If nothing else this may make you appreciate the other checkers even more!
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Kelleigh Reply:
January 7th, 2010 at 9:36 am
I’m thinking of making them a card . . . a peace offering. Hopefully that will soften their hearts!! LOL!
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Ugh… that is horrible that they were that way to you! Coupons can be so tricky at times with all their rules… we don’t have Safeway, wish we did, you get some great deals… Our cheapest grocery store, Woodmans, doesn’t take coupons printed off the computer. But if a checker would come after me that way… I would have gone ballistic… my grandmother was a firecracker when it came to rudeness… and at times I can pull it out (we call it going granny)… the Best Buy dude knows never to ask me again if I want the warranty! Kudos to you for going back and getting your coupons cashed in! That takes spunk!
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I have completely stopped shopping at Safeway for the exact same reason. It is so stupid that they have this policy where you have to spent $20 to use their coupon, and that nothing can be free. The last straw was 2 months ago or so when they had all these free breakfast items if you spent $50, so i went and did it but they were out of almost all the free things! When I went to check out there were 13 people in line and only one checker! I took my cart to the front and said i am leaving all this stuff here because your service sucks. I even emailed corporate and never heard back. They are the only grocery store in my little town but I will never step foot in there again.
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I had a similar experience with a certain manager at Walgreens a few years ago. He would follow me around the store and give me the evil eye. I’m in a small town with only one Walgreens, so it was the only one I could go to. I got to where I only did exact transactions that I had read had worked for others. I always smiled really sweetly and was totally agreeable like you were, and eventually I became their favorite customer and all of the cashiers wanted to check me out so they could see how the deals work. Keep smiling. Good job getting all that!
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[...] crazy couponned MANY times before. I should have been so confident and relaxed, but after my horrible Safeway experience the other day, my stomach was in major knots and I was on the verge of [...]
Stick to your guns Kel. It’s funny how the cash registers alleviate the need to do any math, and being a Safeway employee doesn’t entitle you to any commission on what you sell at the register. Yet strangly scanning an extra barcode or 2 or 10 causes one to become sort of trollish in the protection of the foods price. It sounds like she was having a bad decade. But it is hard to want to represent Christ in a situation like that, You want to just start poking eyes! Good job keeping your cool sis.
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