Entering the store you saw few remnants of Christmas but lots of empty shelves. The reds of Christmas were rapidly being replaced by the reds of Valentines day! But we shouldered on after a customer passed us on the way to the register with a cart of Christmas goodies.
Walking to the back of the store we saw an occasional shelf with Christmas items saying, "50% OFF." imagine our surprise when we stumbled on rows of shelves in the back that said, 90% off, Clearance," music to my ears. I really needed only wrapping paper and bows for packages. After looking we found some other items then took them to the register.
As the clerk totaled them, she said the total was $25.00 with tax. Looking at the receipt I said, you only gave us 50% off, not 90%! "I want to speak to a manager." She directed me to Customer Service.
I showed her the receipt and said, "In the back of your store these items are clearly marked 90% off. What's going on? Her reply is we are having trouble with the pricing. I bet. Some items are marked 50% off and the same items in another part of the same store are 90% Off clearance items.
So she rang up the order again, several items wouldn't show up on her register but did up front. We finally said skip it and paid a vastly reduced total ... $1.90.
I paid and we left. If you included the discarded items, about $3.00, the total is less than $5.00, 80% less that what I was originally charged. Mistakes like this add up over time.
My Chinese friends taught me two things that HAVE saved me much money:
1. Always look at your receipts. ALWAYS. I have found mistakes everywhere including COSTCO and today at Target.
2. Ask for the deal. Americans tend to be shy about asking if there's an additional discount, even on sale items. You can imagine how embarrassed I was the first time my friend did this. I was completely shocked when we got an additional 15% discount. As one clerk told me, "You have to ask for it."
I should know better. After my stint in the Peace Corps, one of my first jobs was working as assistant manager for Kmart. Our manager was a great boss and friend who had many years and many stories managing stores. The story I remember best was about a retiring store manager known for never having any shrinkage (theft) in his stores. Everyone wanted to know his secret.
"Since I am retired officially I'll tell you my secret. At every register I had a broom that clerks were to ring up at every sale. If a person said the broom wasn't theirs we gave them a refund. Guess how many never noticed?"
Clearly the manager at Target knew this story. I wonder how many noticed their 90% discount was just 50%? And this isn't the first time. Be sure to check your SALE items. Often they have not been reprogrammed for the registers!
Thank you for reading my blog. I invite you to take the time to read earlier blogs where my emphasis is to explore the ways art and design affects our daily lives ... and always has. I share with you what inspires me with the hope that it will inspire you as well. Comments are always welcomed!
Be sure to check my ETSY store ... KrugsStudio.etsy.com. I am adding many new and exciting, collectible birdhouses and craft items. Many of the items talked about here will be for sale there!
