Shopping Frustration

The portable USB hard-drive that I use to store my photos is beginning to stutter around so I thought I would buy a new one before it packed up completely.

There are a couple of shops that sell these – I dismissed the big PB Tech store because their staff are always so patronizing (little old ladies know nothing), so drove across town to Warehouse Stationery.

The hard-drives were not on display.  Instead they had little cards hanging there, to be taken to checkout to receive the item you want.  I chose one and picked up a card, of which there were at least five.

The checkout was unattended,  so I crossed the shop to The Warehouse checkout and stood in line to be served.  When I asked if I could buy it there she said yes, but she didn’t know what the card was about. 

Wait for a supervisor.   No, I will have to go to the Warehouse Stationery checkout for that.  “But there was no-one there,” I complained.  “Oh,” she says, “you just have to stand there and someone will come eventually.”

I walked back across the shop and there was a girl, all by herself, with a queue of people waiting.  I waited patiently, but one woman in front of me plonked her stuff down and walked out.

The girl, who really belonged to the Copy Department and not the Computer side, searched through the cupboards but couldn’t find anything so she rang for assistance.  Lots of people waiting behind me now.

A woman sauntered over and took the card from me.  She slowly went to the back of the serving area and picked up some keys and unlocked a cupboard.  Finally, she came back and shoved a box at me.  “We don’t have that one,” she says, “only this larger one” as she scanned it in - it was $50 dearer!

“But what about all the cards hanging at the display,” says me, beginning to lose my cool.  She pulled a bit of a couldn’t-care-less face, shrugged, and said “Nobody’s been up there to remove them.”

I walked out. 

I don’t need to give my custom to any business that operates like that.  Son says he will buy me one online (but not from them!).

Now, I feel much better having told you all that!  I'm not complaining, but I do expect a certain standard of quality from the shops that I give my money to.

It is just coming in to rain again so I am glad to be home.  The builder came yesterday and put a new floor down in the toilet, and the plumber is expected on Monday to install the new unit.

All is good J

Margaret.