Phew, “W H A T – A – N I G H T!” Who wudda thunk it?
As you all know I’m working on a photo project that depicts the monthly themes of the Catholic Church year. I have been ordering my photos through Google online and getting them from the photo counter at Walgreens in Sparta, WI. I have been quite satisfied with the color and photos these past couple of weeks. I was especially impressed with a male clerk who helped me when an order I made didn’t show up at the store and it had to be made from my phone photos instead.
However, this morning I ordered 3 more prints around 0900, and was advised they were ready around 1100. I had to make a trip into Sparta this evening to drop off news copy for tomorrow’s “Bote” newspaper so my husband & I went to pick up the photos at about 1645 after the drop off at Evan’s Printing. Went to the photo counter, pressed the service button and waited. Another woman and her 2 children arrived at the counter and waited with me. The clerk arrived, got my photos, and asked me to come to the front register to check out. I did this. She asked me if I wanted a bag, and I said no, just a receipt. She placed what I thought was a receipt between the photo packages (there were 2) and I left.
As we were leaving the parking lot, I opened the photo packages and realized that 2 of the 3 photos were done landscape, and they had been ordered as portrait. We turned around, and I went back into the store. The woman who had been there previously with her children was still waiting at the photo counter. The clerk who had waited on me previously was checking out customers at the front register. I pressed the service button and waited.
When the clerk arrived the other woman told me to go first, she would wait. I handed the photos to the clerk asking her to make them portrait instead of landscape. She went into a long drawn-out explanation of how she wasn’t going to and couldn’t do that. I said oh, that’s funny because a couple of days ago the man at this counter helped me accomplish that.
She then told me to stop talking and leave the store. I told her she needed to work on her customer approach as she was sounding like Veronica on TikTok and it wasn’t working well with me.
I then told her I would simply return the photos for a refund. She asked me for a receipt, I handed her the paper she had given me and she said this is NOT a receipt. I responded with how could that be as that was what you gave me when I asked for one.
She told me to leave or she would call the police and have me removed. I told her that would be fine if she called them, I’d like to talk with them as well.
I haven’t a clue what she said to them over the phone, but in less than 5 mins, 2 uniformed officers arrived in a rush. The 1st Officer (JJ) advised me I would have to leave, I told him that when I got my refund, I would happily do that. He wasn’t interested in what I had to say. All he wanted was for me to leave. Officer #2 (ZF) was a bit more interested in hearing what had happened so I explained it to him along with, all the clerk had to do was go to the front register and look up the sale. He asked if I had a receipt and I told him I had only what she gave me when I asked for one, and she said it wasn’t a receipt. He then asked if I had gotten a digital receipt, and I asked why I would get that. I asked for a paper one. (Upon returning home, there was one in my email box)
Seeing the commotion my husband came in from the parking lot and that is when Officer #3 (CO) arrived with one hand on the butt of his weapon and the other in his ready stance. I haven’t a clue what they thought a 69-year-old, over weight, gray-haired, lady was going to do to them but they were NOT interested in having my husband present to hear what they had to say.
Office #1 said I must go outside, (it’s -22°) he refused to give me my DL back. Said once I went outside he would. He then said something to the effect of if I didn’t go we could make a trip and I said we can go downtown, that’s fine with me. His eyes widened and he said you want to go downtown? I responded I could go if that’s what it will take as it had now become “a principle of the matter” instead of getting a refund.
I commented this would make a good “Letter to the Editor”. I asked each of the officers for their business card, I received them.
Office #1 said he would get the manager contact information for me and be out shortly. I left with my husband. When he came to the vehicle he had no name for the cashier and a 1st name only for the manager. He told me he hadn’t talked with the clerk (which I find hard to believe as he would need it for his report) and an 800 # for the corporate office, during the phone call I would find all that out. I told him I wanted the clerk’s name, the manager’s name, and the number for the manager. He returned to the store for the information I requested coming back with only a first name of manager and an 800 number.
Upon returning home I called the number, it was not the correct #.
I notified Officer JJ of that by email and requested a case number and a copy of his report.
Time will tell if that ever happens.
Meanwhile, I’m out the photos and the money I paid for them.
I have filed a complaint with Google Photos and with Walgreens. I asked them for my money back, and for the supposed clerk to be retrained in customer service handling. I should have also told them they needed more staff in the store. That clerk was being run ragged.
1/22 Update… Corporate and local managers reached out, saying how sorry they were for my photo difficulties. No mention of my refund. Gotta love those automatic responses. They now have paper in the file saying they reached out.
There was no response from Officer #1 regarding the case# and report. I’ll probably have to let him know the manager name he gave me was also incorrect. I could also probably offer him the correct information, but right now, I’m not feeling very accommodating.
1/23 Update… I have been offered and have declined the $.78 refund on a $5.98 plus tx purchase. Should I look at this as a goodwill gesture or a slap in the face move?
1/24 Update… Refund being readied for pick up. Officer #1 advised no case#, no report, just a call for service.
In the "Wilds of Wisconsin & Cornfields of Iowa" 