Canned Air: 45 Minutes

It should not have to take me 45 minutes just to settle a customer dispute. For all those wanting another reason to hate Wal-Mart, I've got a big one.

I called the closest location to me (READS: within walking distence) yesterday to see if they would have the new Spore Parts Pack in stock. I was told that they would, but it wouldn't be on the shelves until midnight that night or 08:00 the following morning.

I went by at around 09:00 because I needed some canned air for my computer. I'm behind in cleaning the insides and noticed we were out, so I thought I'd pick it up when I went to pick up the expansion pack. When I got there, the PC game shelf was almost bare.

Long story short, they don't have it. But I had to be bounced back and forth between managers like a tennis ball. I don't like being treated like a tennis ball when it comes to Customer Service, and I make it a point not to do that when I'm on the clock whenever I work for the theatre. After 45 minutes, I left very upset that the root of my problem was a communications error that happened yesterday.

I took the off-chance gamble that the local GameStop on my way home would have it, but remembered that they said they don't stock PC titles. Boy, where they right. I asked the store manager if there was a way he could check the inventory of the other stores to see if they had the title I was looking for. Despite being put on hold for longer than my personal rule--and in person no less--their customer service was very much about the customer and trying to find the title in question. Eventually, they found the location of a story that had it in stock and told me where to go. As I was leaving, the manager then rushed out of the store and told me that he got a call from another location that just got the title. The fact that he went out in to the cold with no coat spoke volume to me.

With customer service like this, I wish I was a secret shopper. I should look into how to become one once I get out of school and... *sigh* learn to drive.