Bad Shopping Experience

I am a shopper. I am also a Retail Manager. If you put those two together, you get someone who cannot abide poor service while they are shopping. I will walk into a store, fully prepared to make a purchase and then walk right out if I am not even acknowledged by the staff. Let me clarify, I do not want to be hounded, but I do want to be acknowledged, especially if I am going to make a large purchase. (Coach has lost hundreds of dollars from me for this very reason).




The other day, I wandered into Bath and Body Works to see if they had any nice new fragrances. I especially liked their new Japanese Cherry Blossom fragrance:



I noticed that there was a sign on the display that I was looking at that said Buy 3 Get 1 Free(this is a standard B&BW promotion). The sign did not list any exclusions. The only 2 items I was interested in were the Body Spray and the Shower Gel(I prefer unscented lotion), but I figured I might as well take advantage of the promo and picked up a Bubble Bath and a Shimmer Lotion and headed up to the counter. At this point, I would like to point out that I was yet to be acknowledged in the store.

When I got to the counter the girl informed me that the Body Spray was not included in the BOGO(Buy One Get One) promo because it was already marked down to 5 dollars. She then put my stuff aside and told me to go pick out another item. At this point 3 things went through my head:

1. The sign did not specify that the body spray was excluded.
2. There was no other indication that the body spray was marked down.
3. Just give me the body spray as the freebie.

I didn't say any of this, I simply said that I would only take the Shower Gel and the Body Spray(since these were the items that I had originally wanted). The girl sputtered and asked me repeatedly if I was sure, since the Body Spray was only 5 dollars. I very politely said that I was sure. She finished processing my transaction and then went to put my receipt in the bag, I told her I would rather take the receipt, but she placed it in the bag anyway. When I again told her, I would take the receipt, she turned her back and huffed away.

Suffice it to say, I will not be shopping at Bath and Body Works anytime soon, which is a shame because I really like the Japanese Cherry Blossom fragrance. I just don't like it enough to put up with a snippy, snotty sales staff.