Total spent: .06 cents
Total before coupons: $28.41
I got:
16 cards
4 Hamburger Helpers
4 packets of cornbread mix
2 Yakisoba bowls
1 roll of foil
I had an interesting experience at the store tonight. There are some awesome cashiers at my store, and I know them all pretty well, since it’s a small town. So when I got into the checkout line tonight, the supervisor who was ringing said, “Beeb! I’m so glad you’re here!” Apparently, someone in customer service was concerned about some of my sales. The CS staffer didn’t understand the Hallmark promo, or the 10% discount that I have loaded onto my card. She wanted to watch my transaction being rung up, so she could find out what was happening. When she saw the $5 come off for the Hallmark deal, she furrowed her brow and said, “It’s like we’re paying you to shop here, I don’t understand it.” My total at this point was 2 cents due, so it’s not like I was getting any overage back – I would understand them taking issue with that, since every cashier seems to make their own policy in that regards.
I asked if she would like to come over to the card section with me, and I could show her the sign that they have posted about the promotion. As soon as she saw the “Save $5 on your groceries!” on the sign, she understood. “Oh! Off your groceries!” She said that she had been confused, because she thought the discount was supposed to just be on the cards. I also pointed out the exclusions on the sign, and illustrated how the cards I had purchased were included in the sale. “That’s a great deal!” she said. I also explained how I had gotten the 10% discount – HCW has more info on this offer, as a side note to my readers.
So, I was able to clarify Safeway’s promos to their own customer service reps, and once I did, they understood what a good deal it is – both for the customer, and for Safeway, since they are being reimbursed by Hallmark for it (at least according to this CS rep)!
I guess there was also an issue, because the same supervisor who was checking me out had given me a refund for the 10% earlier in the month, because the register messed up and did not take the discount off. Customer service did not understand what had happened, so I ran home and got my receipts, and brought them back in so that I could show them what had happened and straighten it out. It’s no fair for the cashier to get in trouble for doing her job, and fixing something that did not ring up right. I also don’t like the insinuation that I was doing something wrong, because I am following all the coupon policies correctly and honestly. But I explained all this to Customer Service, and the cashier said that she was so glad that I had saved those receipts!
I’m sharing this story, because I want to illustrate how coupon users can be misunderstood by employees. They may question you if they don’t fully understand coupon redemption rules or in-store savings promotions, but if you explain clearly what you’re doing, it should no longer be an issue.
