By Down in the mouth mom
I live in a small town where word of mouth is big. I coordinated the Billy Graham Samaritan’s Purse Christmas Shoe Box gifts - which go to countries worldwide - for this region, including yearly donations from this Canadian Tire for over 12-years.
I go to the largest church in this region & although I am on disability myself - do nothing but try to help others. I shop exclusively at this Canadian Tire & the only credit card I have is Canadian Tire Mastercard & I make my payments @ this store on a weekly basis. I get my car fixed there & have had wonderful relations with the salespeople.
I have gone through a ‘rough patch’ in my life & was trying to return a product perfectly intact & unused, when I was rude to the saleslady. I tried to apologize to no avail & the new manager demanded I step outside where he told me I was banned from the store. I know my behaviour was inconsiderate, but I am so embarrassed & ashamed I cannot sleep. He showed no mercy & really belittled me with his apparent power. I don’t feel I’d want to go back even if I could. I don’t feel writing their Head Office or talking to owner would help.
Anyone’s comments or suggestions would be most welcomed. Am I completely alone in this experience?
joseff says...
I would call and ask to speak to this manager. I would explain your situation honestly, putting the blame solely on yourself and apologize profusely. You admit your behaviour was inconsiderate so you should be able to swallow some pride to make the call.
As a Christian, you have a duty to live your life as pleasing to God as possible, with the knowledge that other people are always watching you and trying to catch you up in some mistake so they can excuse Christians as hypocrites. Please humble yourself to prove you made a mistake and are willing to take the flack for it.
If you are indeed banned from this store, accept it. I think you might be able to apologize your way back in.
Sabina says...
Well if you did try to apologizes and it didn’t work, you could always call and try again. But from what I know is they can’t ban you for life just a year. So in that time find somewhere else to shop/get car fixed and so on. You could also cancel your card and get one somewhere else, I hear that walmart now has a MasterCard, sears dose to. I am sure they won’t even remember who you are in a few weeks anyway. I was banned from walmart one year as my friend was shoplifting and I was with her but didn’t see it and went back the week after and they didn’t even remember me or anything.
ambrose says...
Of course they can ban you for life lol. The ambulance attendant that went crazy complaining about the coffee got banned from Tim Hortons for life. Made news everywhere.
Im surprised there aren’t a lot of people on this site complaining about being banned, between the attitudes towards the stores and staff and the coupon scams
Cheap says...
I suggest that profane language not be used. We are better than that.
People have different religious faiths. Canada is a multi-cultural society. Some people are religious. Some people don’t believe in god. That is their right. We should not judge people on their religion or lack of religion but by their actions.
I believe that when a person feels remorse for what they have done then they should be given a second chance. Not all people feel this way. Sometimes people need time to cool off. I suggest that the person banned from the store, leave it alone for a few days to let everyone cool off. Then they could write a letter of apology to everyone involved and ask to be allowed back into the store. Even if a letter is written, it does not mean that the apology will be accepted. That is a decision to be made by the store manager. I believe that the store manager has a right to deny someone access to the store, depending upon what has happened. I believe that in this situation, the store manager’s decision should be respected until the apology has been accepted. If the apology is not accepted by the manager then a letter of apology could be written to the store owner.
These are simply suggestions that may or may not help with the situation posted by the store review above.
Bonnie says...
First of all..pray aout it.God WILL help you. Call the manager or write to head ofice.
Dave: I feel for you…………there certainly IS a GOD!!
and please keep your filthy language OUT of our blogs!!
Cheap says...
Since we are on the topic of religion, I would like to point out that there is a theory that God is the Devil: “The authors assert their claims by reference to a number of passages in Biblical scripture describing actions of God that they say are evil or Devil-like. Many of the authors have been severely chastised for their writings, and their followers killed.” Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_as_the_Devil
Throughout history, people have been excommunicated, tortured or killed for having ideas contrary to the Church: for example, Marcion of Sinope, Thomas Paine, the Albigenses.
Why are some religious people afraid of ideas and different beliefs?
Cheap says...
A suggestion to pray about a problem may not work for some people and may not work for some situations.
Some people don’t pray. Some people don’t believe in prayer. Some people don’t believe in god.
There are many successful people in the world who aren’t Christians. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes believe in Scientology.
Other religions include: Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Wicca, Taoism, …and the list goes on. Reference: http://www.101god.com/
Some atheists may include:
Abraham Lincoln - “The Bible is not my book nor Christianity my profession. I could never give assent to the long, complicated statements of Christian dogma.”
Thomas Jefferson - “Religions are all alike – founded upon fables and mythologies.”
Benjamin Franklin - “Lighthouses are more helpful then churches.”
James Madison - “Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it for every noble enterprise.”
William Howard Taft - “I do not believe in the divinity of Christ, and there are many other of the postulates of the orthodox creed to which I cannot subscribe.”
Thomas Paine - “All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit. ”
Ron Barrier - “If there were a god, there would be no need for religion. If there were not a god, there would be no need for religion.”
Buddy says...
You know what? The customer is always right. I would contact the head office. Even if you were rude, they shouldn’t have banned you. That is no reason and is ridiculous! Customers are very often rude, their job is to deal with it.
Ashley says...
Seriously? You were rude to an employee and were banned from the store, and you don’t understand why you were banned?! Have you ever worked in retail? Employees get treated like garbage, they get yelled at, sworn at, and belittled quite often. It’s very seldom that management at a retail store will actually stand up for an employee and take action. My advice…don’t be rude to an employee next time. Be nice and employees will be more willing to help you.
2010 says...
@Ashley is right… after having working as a cashier, I KNOW how rude some people are!!! It makes me so angry.. who do you think you are being rude to someone just because you’re the customers and (notice the apostrophes) “are always right”!!
FunkyMunky says...
why is this discussion totally going over the rails?! guys relax take a chill pill and maybe a cold shower too
wow so much hate!
Sally888 says...
Lets keep it civil guys, I was digsusted at the filth in this section.
tatiana says...
good job sally!
Mike says...
@joseff: are, ” other people are always watching you”? That’s totally not cool.
prickles says...
Stop being so rude to retail staff and you’ll have a better experience
brunt says...
Call the manager.
Tell him that you understand being banned and that you will abide.
Also tell him that you really feel bad about what you did, and that you would like to apologize to the cashier in person - outside the store if necessary. If he says no, ask if he would pass on the apology.
It is really all you can do.
Clear your conscience.
Elizabeth says...
I think a sincere apology, after some giving the staff some cooling off time, is really all you can do. If it’s not accepted then I would have to assume that whatever you did was way over the top, and you’re going to have to view it as a lesson learned and hopefully not behave that way again. There’s no way the ban would be for life.
At my workplace I had a horrible customer who created terrible situations every time he came in. After the 3rd event I finally took the steps to have him banned. Lo and behold he came in to see me, gave me a sincere apology (which I accepted), and we have practically been best friends ever since. If anyone saw him today they would probably comment on what a nice guy he is…..
Greg Brown says...
Too bad…Cancel Credit card..Do they have a facebook account??..put your story on their profile page..really is too bad…you’ve been a loyal customer for years and one little problem, they give you boot…shop somewhere else…they don’t want your money…i’d try and post story a few times on different sites to spread word about that….. i don’t really wanna go to Canadian Tire….woulda been awesome if we could somehow, get everyone to stop goin for a couple days….and everyone knows why no one is going…make that peticular store stand out in that protest type thing….woulda been awesome..they’d call you back fo sure..
Kate says...
The manager was totally in the right to do what he/she did. Unfortunately you have no right to treat people that way, regardless if you were “having a bad day” or not. If you’ve ever worked a customer service job you would know the crap the first line cashiers have to take on a daily business and in order to protect it’s employees, sometimes drastic measures are required, like banning someone for life. It’s unfortunate but you’re going to have to suck it up.
Wendark says...
I would contact head office. The manager was right to ask you to step outside (to cool off), but wrong to belittle you and ban you from the store, especially when you admitted your error.
Have you every tried to return something to Canadian Tire? They may as well stamp their receipts “all sales final”. I paid cash for a small item; tried to return it in pristine condition WITH my receipt and they said I had to produce my driver’s license and a piece of photo ID. Come on, really?
I have worked on cash during very busy times, with hour long line ups, so I see both sides.
kerry says...
Email Canadian Tire through there website,and see what happens.Other than that you get try to go to another clerk,or go the store when the woman isn’t there,like the weekends…..
Chase says...
How do they even ban someone anyway? Hundreds of people (thousands?) go to the store every day, employees change all the time… not like there are “Wanted” posters with your mugshot taped to every checkout line or employees being forced to memorize your name and photo as part of routine training.
Not saying it wasn’t deserved - no excuse for flying off the handle - but how do they physically prevent someone from coming back to the store?
Jeesica says...
“but how do they physically prevent someone from coming back to the store?”
They can’t, but if they catch you they’ll have you charged with trespassing.
NJ says...
why can’t we all get along?
denise says...
I can’t really give much advice without knowing exactly what was said between yourself and the cashier. Rudeness is pretty subjective; what one person considers rude may not be considered so by another. That said, I find there is a lot more rudeness in the world nowadays than there needs to be!
I worked in retail for many years and it sounds like those staff members did not know how to effectively de-escalate the situation. I doubt that they calmly banned you from the store–sounds like they reacted emotionally. I’m sure if they had remained calm in the face of an irate customer, they could have resolved the situation calmly and professionally. Too bad.
Cancel the card & shop elsewhere.
Christoph says...
Then you’re screwed. Deal with it.
Jon Henricks says...
no company in Canada can ban any person unless a court order has been issued to that effect.
call your lawyer. and this manager should never have belittled you in the first place as he lowered himself to the same level you did when you undermined that sales clerk, he needs to be addressed as well by his superiors
nscouponchick says...
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say this- you must’ve done something pretty serious to be banned from the store. I would suggest that you accept this, and move on. The customer is NOT always right- I tend to believe most bannings are justified.
Geri says...
Perhaps that sales clerk was a single mom who had been up all night with her kids. Then had to go to work in the morning to a job she couldnt stand I am sure you would have made her day.
Pray for her and remember~those staff have lives outside of work and you dont know what they are dealing with on a personal level.
I would suggest you read the “Prayer of Jabez” perhaps it will give you a new perspective on dealing with people.
Sue D says...
Take your pastor with you and return to the store and ask to speak to the manager. Admit that you were out of line but that it is not characteristic of your normal behavior. If you are in that store as much as you claim to be, then at least some of the staff must know you and know how you normally behave. Have your pastor give a reference for you. I’m just wondering if you were ruder than you are admitting here because it takes more than just a loud voice to get yourself kicked out of a store. You need to be honest with yourself about just how bad this incident was or was not. If you are truly a victim, then try the second apology to the manager and the sales clerk.
chalene8 says...
I would call heaad office for sure. Everybody has bad days, and it is frustrating when you are trying to return something and are given a hard time. The management/staff should have looked at it as “the customer is always right” and tried to help you. I too have had outbursts at stores and have felt embarassed at the way I acted, but have never been banned. I think it is more of the new manager on a power trip than your actual behaviour, and I would stress that in your call to head office. Just explain to them exactly how you explained it to us, and hopefully you can get this issue resolved. Good luck!!!
csp says...
I think its great how many people are lecturing the poster about being rude to employees. The fact is, most of you have probably been rude to an employee at least once in your lifetime weather it be a rude tone of voice, or a dirty look. It happens. When the stresses of life get to you, sometimes its very difficult, especially when you know the employee is wrong. Is it right? no but leave her alone. She admits she was wrong for doing it and is asking for advice on how to fix it, not to be shunned. The amount of hypocrisy in this community has been ridiculous lately. We are supposed to be helping each other out, not judging and shunning.
David says...
I was present when this incident took place, you have not been fully honest with your overview of the matter. I agree with the decision of the manager of the store. I have also witnessed your same behaviour at church gatherings, I might suggest that you seek help with your condition.
Lola says...
If the poster has a mental health disability then some leeway should be given. She or he has previously said that they do a lot of charitable work so cutting them off from CT may be detrimental to many recipients. The OP may be using the promo discount cards to stock up and give items to the less fortunate.
Perhaps the manager is tired of the great deals this person is obtaining and headquarters is questioning the number of coupons he is letting through so by banning the OP he is just getting his store back in the good books with HQ.
Fifi Trixibelle says...
Dave, tell us more.
For a banning, I’m thinking violence was involved.
EVE says...
How about we quit passing judgement. Until you walk a mile in anothers shoes, you don’t truly know what is happening. To the OP, profusely apologizing is in order, as you stated yourself, you were rude. Owning up to what you did and acknowledging and recognizing your behaviour (and perhaps a pattern of these behaviours)is the first step to not doing this again. We all make mistakes, we all have bad days, we all feel that we need to be heard. Good luck…
B.Mcphee says...
bringing a pastor? lawyers? seriously..grow up and don’t be rude more often,those cashiers that have to deal with this “customer is always right”stuff are real people too,you know…thye are NOT payed to put up with it..shop somewhere else and hopefully maybe down the line you can return and hopefully learn to treat people better..its not their job to deal with your life problems..sorry..sad but true
B.Mcphee says...
and dave im intrigued..were you really there or are you just trollin?
Elles says...
The sad truth is there are some people who will stoop to incredible lows of behaviour in order to get their own way. These “customers” are usually verbally abusive, belittling, disruptive and threatening bullies. Thankfully they are not the norm.
When a person is banned from a store, it is usually after a pattern of abusive behaviour not a one time thing. Everyone in the store knows this person and has found him or her extremely difficult to deal with. This type of customer usually can not be reasoned with, is unable to take no as an anwser and will waste hours and hours of valuable time in complaint resolution.
There is no profit in this type of customer because their needs and expectations are often extreme and very difficult to meet and are so labour intensive, it takes away from the ability to serve other customers.
The customer service rep does not set corporate policy but merely delivers the message. If you have a problem with a policy don’t take it out on the rep. Customer service reps are human beings who deserve to be treated with the same courtesy, respect and dignity you expect for yourself. If you are calm and reasonable, a rep will try to help to the extent he or she can. If you don’t like the answer, don’t get mad at the rep. Move up the decision making ladder to management or corporate. This where they make the big bucks to deal with your needs and to make policy decisions.
E Lamont says...
Dear Jim Henricks,
I can only assume you did not finish lawschool.
A business has every right to ban a troublemaker, just as you don’t have to offer a vodka tonic to everyone who breaks down your front door.
Born in Toronto…live in sunny San Clemente. That’s probably why I’m smiling.
carol hall says...
I did immediately write a lengthy letter of apology. There was NO violence involved. 90% of my experience at Canadian Tire was laughing with the front representatives. Canadian Tire no longer contributes to Billy Graham and I take responsibility for that. Yes, I have had emotional problems. It is humiliating to know that David P. knows everything I do wherever I am including church. You do not know the full story David and God will judge you in the same measure you have judged me. You are not perfect either and I no longer go to church. There is no mercy in this world. No forgiveness to help and allow people to change. The customer is never right - I just wanted to return a completely unused, unopened birthday present I had given someone, which they couldn’t use. Enjoy your power trip Elle - you have mouth on you which will get you into trouble as well sooner or later. I do thank the people on this cite who had at least showed some compassion. Things are not always as they appear. I guess you too have brought hundreds of people to the Lord, Dave. You are a saint.