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Hmmmph.
Did you ever get one of those ignorant cashiers that you just wanted to punch? (EVEN if you’re a non-violent person!) Monday’s CVS trip was like that- and I didn’t even GO- it was Biker Bob who encountered Rude CVS Boy.
In fact, we were SO annoyed by Rude CVS Boy’s, well, rudeness, that I dropped an email to CVS’s corporate feedback. In the past they have been very speedy with replies, but as of today (Wednesday) at 2 pm est, I still have not received a response. I am irritated.
So we were continuing this crazy quest to watch my CVS savings add up week after week. Read my CVS 101 post to learn all about CVS and Extra Care Bucks.
Entering the store this week we had:
$13 in ECBs, a $5/$25 purchase coupon and $3 left on a CVS gift card.
We bought:
First, our list was thrown off by the Post Cereal deal. Different cereals were included in the ECB deal than we had coupons for. We had a $10 ECB that we had to use all at once, so Biker Bob scoured the store and came up with Jack Links (not pictured). Not as good as the cereal deal would have been, we ended up basically wasting about $5 ECBs. Oh well.
He bought:
1 Jack Links Beef Jerky (not pictured) on sale for $5.59
6 SoBe Life Water @ $1.69/each (on sale B1G1 Free)
Venus Embrace Razor @ $9.97 (get back $5 ECBs)
BioTru @ $2.99 (get back $2.99 ECBs)
Total: $28.69
He used the following coupons:
3 B1G1 FREE SoBe printable coupons
$2/1 Venus coupon
$13 ECBs
$5/$25 CVS coupon
Total: $0
Total into pocket: $7.99 in ECBs
Tale of the Rude CVS Boy: Rude CVS Boy was not happy with Biker Bob’s stack of coupons. Rude CVS Boy attempted to refuse the B1G1 coupons on the SoBe (Gah- I am getting SO SICK OF THIS!!!). Then, after applying the coupons and ECBs, the total came out to a negative price. As Biker Bob quickly searched for a candy item as filler to get the balance up to zero, Rude CVS Boy lectured, “SEE, you went too far with your coupons!”
RUDE CVS BOY: How dare you speak to Biker Bob in such an ignorant manner! How inconsiderate, thoughtless and humiliating!
Fortunately, Biker Bob kept the steam in his ears until he got home, otherwise, Rude CVS Boy might have ended up Mangled CVS Boy.
It’s such a shame that couponing can fall under such scruples. That some people automatically assume that you are a cheat or a cheapskate. In fact if you are a couponer, you are BRILLIANT. You are frugal. You save money that others throw away so that you can treat yourself or your family to other things. If a company handed you a $5 bill would you crumple it up and chuck it? PEOPLE! A coupon is like MONEY that companies THROW at you- they WANT you to use them- so do!
*Steps off soapbox*
Needless to say, that evening I wrote to CVS’s Customer Care and included the store number and cashier number in question. I requested a written copy of their coupon policy so that I can have it with me when shopping at their stores- since so many of their cashiers seem so unaware of their rules and regs.
I will let you know when/if I hear back!
As it now stands, here are my savings after nine weeks:
Total value of purchases: $376.82
Total out-of-pocket that I paid: $9.21
Total ECBs generated: $90.97
Total cash back received from Mail in Rebate: $10
I also had a d-bag of a cvs cashier yesterday! And he was the store manager! I had 3 b1g1 coupons for the sobe
And he would only take one, so I ended up paying for 2 sobes, which I guess isn’t that bad
But hello they should have been free. So I also emailed cvs yesterday with the store # and cashier # and story. Ugh :(
LOL My husband told me for the second time after going with me on July 5th to stop going to the CVS near us. Reason:
I got 6 SOBE’s and 1 Dove Shampoo and 1 Dove Conditioner. She scanned everything, then told me the BOGO coupon I had from the SOBE game was 1 per transaction, but called a mgr for verification of that. OK no problem 3 transactions. lol She wasn’t happy to hear that. I told her I didn’t want them unless I used the coupons.
She scans both Dove products, then 2 Sobe’s. She then scans 1 sobe coupon and I thought she was scanning both Dove coupons and kept telling me it was over $4 and I kept telling her it was the wrong total. Take $4 from $6, you get $2! After 3 tries, I finally heard her say, she was scanning 1 Dove Coupon! HELLO!! I kept saying there were 2! She told the mgr that she scanned only 1, so that was the problem. Got the total to $2.66. Ok scanned other Sobe’s price $.14, then after she’s scanning the last 2 bottles of Sobe, the mgr said in reality I shouldn’t be allowed to use the BOGO coupon with the BOGO sale because you are suppose to buy 1! I then told the MGR, I am getting 1 free from your sale and 1 free from the manufacturer and the manufacturer is paying you for the coupon, so you aren’t loosing money! I also told her I had a coupon policy in my purse if she wanted to read it!
I got the policy from another blog, but I am writing to coorporate and asking them about the use of the coupons, I’m tired of my husband getting aggravated because of the cashiers! Took 10 minutes to find out about the Dove coupons! Rediculous!
They were surprised that I knew about the manufacturer paying them. lol
i had a similar problem at cvs! (they were refusing a b1g1 coupon with a b1g1 item a few weeks back) i called cvs customer care WHILE I WAS IN THE STORE. customer care called the store immediately–talked to the manager on the phone and told him to take the coupon. he was furious! he told me he would take the coupon as a courtesy but to “never waste my gas money” to drive to that store and use a bogo coupon on a bogo item again. i too emailed corporate and was just told that i was right to use that coupon and that they would “look into the matter.” i agree it is EXTREMELY frustrating. customer care was great on the phone and i did get my items. sometimes it doesn’t seem worth the hassle–even though it is IRRITATING to know that you aren’t doing anything wrong and you’re just up against ignorance! coupons bring out such strong reactions in people–i love them so and wish people could understand! anyways, glad i’m not the only one!
I never write to corporate, but i had to yesterday. I was so excited for my weekly CVS trip and planned it out so well but they gave me such a hassle with my coupons. They completely refused my SOBE BOGO coupons. I was so mad and there was a line of men behind me that i could tell were mad and just couldn’t understand why i was even bothering with coupons. Anyway, i left so mad and i told them that i would be back with the SOBEs i paid for and a letter from corporate and that i would expect my money back at that time. I emailed CVS last night and still haven’t heard anything. I’m hoping i get a response tomorrow and i will be at my CVS immediately!
Also, last week when the M&M’s were BOGO i asked for a raincheck since they were out of the pretzel ones all week. I had a couple BOGO coupons that i wanted to use. The cashier told me she wouldn’t give me a raincheck if i planned on using the BOGO coupons with it. SERIOUSLY? what nerve, i lied and said i didn’t have the coupon. I think i might wait until she’s working next to redeem my raincheck and coupons and then pull out my email from corporate….her reaction might be priceless!
I live in the land of CVS’s(that would be multiple CVS stores in case that makes no sense). Anytime I have an iffy or perhaps “might cause any issue” coupon, I always go to the CVS in Swarthmore, PA. To say that they are fabulous might be taking it too far, more like they just don’t care. But I have never had an issue with them taking a coupon and used some of my BOGO sobes on Sunday. I’ll be going back for more on Saturday…try to find one you like ladies, it will save you a ton of aggrivation and calls to corporate, even if the local store is wrong!
I’m so glad to read that I’m not the only one who’s had problems redeeming the B1G1 coupons w/the B1G1 SoBe water sale. I visited a CVS in Central PA earlier this week (Sunday) to purchase the beverages (in addition to other items) and the cashier flat out refused the coupons as advised by the manager whom she called to the front!! She said B1G1s were not able to be used in conjunction with a B1G1 sale. I told them both that was news to me, I had done it before at that same store and that I’d be back later when other mgmt was working. I was told not to bother because ‘they’ (corporate office??) have instructed CVS cashiers to not accept internet coupons (especially B1G1 free ones) due to ‘fraudulent activity’. I immediately returned home to email corporate via their form on the CVS site inquiring about this new policy I’ve been told about. I’ve heard NOTHING as of yet and it’s Wednesday night. If their policy to respond to email inquiries within 48 hours is taken as serious as their coupon policy, we’re in big trouble!
Thanks so much for your input everyone! I’m glad I’m not alone- but I’m annoyed to see how many other people have been hassled. I STILL have not heard back from CVS. I think I will send them the link to this post tonight.
It’s frustrating, too – not to be a real saver.
Why would you want to buy 3 @ CVS for $1.69 which is over $.56 each – when you can get ALL the SoBes – teas, flavored (my favorite) and lifewaters – regularly priced @ Wal-Mart (yeah – that sux) for $1.00 which is $.50 each.
I have to say, I have had the same arguments with cashiers… mine are usually at a Rite Aid or Target. I despise for the cashier to act as if I’m physically pulling $ from their wallet by using a coupon. All that being said, I had an absolutely DELIGHTFUL cashier yesterday at CVS. I was purchasing some Cristophe items (clearance for $1.99) and had tear pad coupons for $2 off. He rang all of my items and had a problem with the multiple Cristophe coupons (I had overlooked the 1 per customer notation on the back); when the cashier noticed, he volunteered to ring each up seperately so that I wouldn’t miss out on a great deal. Came out of CVS with 8 bottles of conditioner and 6 SoBe’s for $0.14. I thanked him profusely for his help and patience during the transaction. New favorite cashier!
FANTASTIC! I really love to hear GOOD cashier stories!!
I’m so sorry to hear that people are having trouble at their CVS’s :( I’ve never had any problem with mine. One reason may be because of a particular cashier that they have. He’s in there almost every time I shop & now he’s just used to the way that I do things. He knows that I always have a green bag tag & lets me bag stuff myself as he’s ringing to save time. He knows that I often do multiple transactions, so when he sees me he’ll usually ask “How many transactions?” He always works with me if the coupons are being weird & not scanning. He never tries to rush me and he doesn’t bat an eye if my total comes to zero (it almost always does). It helps that he knows how to run his register & work the rain checks & all that jazz. I got my Sobe this week with no trouble at all. I guess I need to be very thankful for my good CVS & my wonderful cashier! (btw, I’ve had other cashiers too & none have ever given me any trouble)
That is wonderful!!
I had a terrible “rude cashier” experience in 2009. So bad, in fact, that I not only e-mailed corporate but I also sent them an actual letter via USPS. I will never, ever darken the doorstep of this particular CVS in my town but there is another one that is the total opposite that I will visit. It’s farther away but the manager there has no problem taking coupons. Anyway, I decided to copy/paste my letter to corporate and also let you know that I did receive a phonecall from the local district manager. He was pretty defensive about the store manager I dealt with, saying she was a good manager and he was very surprised to hear that she had been anything but friendly toward me. Here is my letter/experience:
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing to let you know about my shopping experience today at one of your stores, located at (I removed the address) in Tyler, Texas. I had $8.99 in ECB’s that needed to be redeemed by today’s date, which is why I went there today.
To preface this, I am a regular customer who has shopped at this particular store many times, and this is the first time I have ever come across anyone this rude behind the counter. She was not wearing anything that identified her as a CVS employee – no name tag, no jacket, just regular street clothes. She was probably in her mid 50’s, had bleached blonde hair and spoke with an accent. She told me that she is that manager of that particular store, so that should narrow down her identity.
One of the first issues I had was that the Price Checker kiosk was out of paper, so I was unable to get any of the CVS coupons that are issued when a customer scans their card. I informed the lady behind the counter of this and she just acted like there was nothing she could do about it and shrugged it off.
Next, the first item I intended to purchase was for Dawn dish liquid, a product that was on sale for $1.00 (regular price was $1.99). I also had a coupon for $1.00 off ANY size bottle of this same exact product. The lady at the register started ringing up my items (I had four) and then stopped – started scrutinizing the manufacturer’s coupon – and then advised me that I could not use a coupon with that purchase. When I asked her why, she said something to the effect that it was because it was already on sale. That made no sense to me, as I have used coupons with sale items many times and it has never been questioned. So even though I was confused, I felt it best to let it go. I asked her to void the items she had rung up as I decided against getting them.
She next scanned a package of Pampers diapers, which rang up at $17.99. I stopped her when I saw that because they were supposed to be on sale for $9.88. She said no, I had gotten the wrong item, but I told her they were in the spot where the yellow sale tag was. She didn’t bother to send anyone to check so I let it go. Also, during this time, she did ask another associate who happened to walk up there if the sale price would show up as she scanned the item. The fact that she did not seem to know this information already made me wonder why she was a manager. So I decided against the diapers, and she voided them.
She next rang up a “Buy One, Get One Free” item, which I asked if she would take a coupon for $1.50 off each item. She would only take one of the coupons for those two items, which I did not mind.
She then rang up another sale item that didn’t look like it was the advertised sale price, so I brought it to her attention. (Pringles Potato Chips @ 2 for $3.00) It was ringing up at $2.29 so she informed me that I got the wrong size of the product, which turned out to be incorrect because in looking at the sales receipt, they ended up being $1.50 each. In the meantime, she had deducted my $8.99 in ECB’s, which left a total for me to pay of only $0.38. That is when she said, “Well your total is only 38 cents, so what is the problem?” She was very condescending and rude in the way she made that remark, and I told her as much. It was at that point that I decided I wanted to revisit the reason why she would not originally take my $1.00 coupon for an item of the same price, and she finally just came out and said, “because it brings the amount you would pay to ZERO”. I told her that should not matter, since the manufacturer of the coupons reimburses the merchant for that money. She basically told me that wasn’t the issue … and that she just flat out did not want to take those coupons.
It was at this point that this CVS store lost my business. There were so many issues in one transaction that should not have been issues. She could have done some checking in the aisles where some of these products were to see where any customer could get confused. She could have taken my perfectly legitimate coupons, but didn’t feel like letting me get something for “free”.
Up until today, I loved shopping at that particular CVS but I will forever go out of my way to avoid that store at all costs. This lady needs either some serious “people” skills or another job where she doesn’t have to deal with customers. I have spent a lot of money in that store and she made me feel like I was trying to “get away with something” just because my total was very small today.
Thank you for your time, and I would appreciate any attention you could give to this matter.
Sincerely,
(my name & phone number)
P.S. I am attaching a copy of the receipt I got as well, in case there is any information you need that you can get off of it.
Wow – thanks so much for sharing your story… that’s awful! I’m glad there’s another store nearby for you to shop!
I know this is an old thread, but these reasons are why I feel like I’m pulling my teeth out when I shop CVS, and only darken their doorstep when the sale/coupon/reward stacks are irresistibly awesome. Out of my last 6 experiences at CVS, only 1 (!!!) was pleasant, and even that one had some bumps with the computer not wanting to accept perfectly fine coupons which had to be fixed. More times than not, the cashiers are overly rude, almost always act like the money for the coupon is coming out of their pockets, and the stores in my metro area almost never have the sale items in stock, even if you go first thing on the first day of the sale (I’m a night owl). The worst experience I had was when two cashiers were working night shift and were texting and screwing around instead of working, acted like I interrupted their fun, and then criticized everything about the transaction and how cheap the cost of the items were with bargain hunting, ending in them missing two coupons, then giving me crap about it when I pointed it out after the sale was closed because he had to give me a merchandise card (not “allowed” to give cash for coupons) which took precious time away from him not working. I avoid them like the plague most of the time and shop Rite Aid (favorite!) or Walgreens.
Wow, Sherry – talk about frustrating!! I’m at least really glad that you have other options nearby – like RA and Wags!!
Honestly, I’ve found the best way to deal with cashiers who do not know the policies is to be exceptionally nice, apologetic, and grateful when explaining things to them. If you lose your cool, they automatically get the upper hand and you end up upset and humiliated. I’ve found that this gets me quite far when dealing with cashiers who do not know the store coupon policy. I spent a summer during college working in retail, and sometimes you are just beyond pissed off because of some things customers try to pull. I knew there were definitely days where I would bend over backwards for any customer who was nice to me.
Great thoughts and reminders, Melody! So true!
Ok, I only have a few things to say.
I know I should probably just leave without saying anything, but as a CVS employee I feel like I should give a point of view from the employee perspective.
Honestly those employees should have just taken care of the Sobe coupon mess without calling their manager…it involves pushing two buttons on their screen and entering in the amount the coupon recommends. I understand that corporate often bombards employees with scams to watch out for involving coupons (which makes it difficult to keep track of), however it easier to just enter the coupon manually rather than cause customer issues.
On the other hand, I am disappointed that so many of you are resorting to tattling to corporate when a cashier doesn’t smile your way or graciously accept your gazillion coupons. We deal with a TON of cranky customers that often try and put one up on us and OUR job is on the line every time. I’m not defending those cashiers that were outright rude, but you’re messing with someone’s money, ability to feed themselves and their family, job security and that is something that you should not take lightly.
Instead of whining to corporate, why don’t you stand up for yourself as soon as the rudeness occurs. If they make a mean comment, call them out on it or immediately request a manager. If you’re that offended why run away from the problem and call corporate? Think beyond the power play of getting employees in trouble with the higher up powers and help them grow as a professional by dealing with the issue immediately after they happen. Stop being so competitive.
Lastly, keep in mind what would happen if they came to your work and nitpicked your every move. Maybe we all need to relax, and treat each other like you want to be treated, and not hold a grudge because a cashier was having a bad day.
Always important to see things from both sides.
I always 100% without a doubt give the employee the benefit of the doubt. I spent years working in retail and am one of the most polite customers you could ever hope to have in your store.
That being said, when I am being polite, helpful and am doing nothing dishonest, I will not tolerate rudeness. There is no call for that. I remember going into work as a 22 year old the day after my mom died and still found it within me to treat every customer with respect and a polite attitude. I stand up for myself every single time – I have only ever called corporate twice – and both times, in the end, I was right.
I agree that the shopper should try to resolve the issue in the store – and call corporate only as a last resort. There is a time and a place, for sure.
Also, using coupons correctly has absolutely NO effect on anyone’s “money, ability to feed themselves and their family, job security and that is something that you should not take lightly.” Not sure where that’s coming from. Stores are reimbursed for coupons at full face value PLUS money for shipping and handling. No one is out of a job, losing money, etc. ??
I think unknown was talking about cashiers who are always on the lookout for people who fraudulently use coupons.
But that is no need to be rude. If the cashier believes someone is using a coupon fraudulently, they need to get management involved or decline the coupons outright. Sarcastic comments are not required.
“money, ability to feed themselves and their family, job security and that is something that you should not take lightly.” Not sure where that’s coming from.
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I meant that when you call corporate with every little complaint you are messing with someone’s job security, when you could deal with it in person a majority of the time.
Okay, that makes more sense.
If they want to keep their jobs, then shouldn’t they *not* be rude to people then? Cashiers who do their jobs and are not rude aren’t the ones receiving complaints.
i am a new couponer, and i would like to try out some coupons i found for razors at my cvs. they are currently running a bogo 50% off sale on all schick razors. I have a bogo mc coupon for any disposable schick razor, which is what i plan on getting. so, if i am reading their policy correctly, that means i should only have to pay for the 50% off item correct? for example, the pack of razors are 8.49 reg price. but the bogo 50% off sale and bogo coupon should only make me pay 4.25 correct? plus, i have two cvs coupons which i believe i should still be able to use because the policy says i can use a mc and cvs coupon on each item. since i am purchasing two items, i should be able to use two coupons. each coupon is for $2/1 shick disposable razor. that should make my final price for two packs of razors $0.25. am i reading the policy correctly? do you have any helpful tips/see any potential problems with my planning? thanks!