Burt's Argos Adventure
Last week my George Foreman grill finally gave up. These grills are absolutely great but have a really badly thought out design - in fact I'd call it a glaring design fault…you simply cannot remove the "hot plates" to wash them. Duh. George Foreman, you might well be a great boxer and great gadget inventor, but you have certainly never had to wash one of your own grills. I digress.
OK, so I wanted a new George Foreman grill - went to my local Argos store (Argos is basically a shop full of homeware, electrical items and the like). Here in the UK we have something fairly newly introduced) called "Chip & Pin". You use your plastic payment card along with a pin number, meaning you don;t have to sign anything to purchase items…
In Argos, they have new wall mounted ordering points, which are Chip & Pin integrated. You tap in the number of the item you want, put in your card, put in your pin, wait 5 minutes for your item to be delievered from the warehouse…
The whole point about Chip and Pin is that it is easy and secure. No-one needs to see your Card after you have paid as only you (should have) the PIN number associated with it. This takes the onus of fraudulent purchases away from the merchant and onto you, the buyer. Fair enough, I like Chip and Pin.
Anyway, I pay for my goods using the PIN, get my receipt and wait for my item to be delivered. My number is called and I go to collect. Now here's the conversation;
Assistant: Can I see your card please?
Me: No.
Asst: I need to see your card to verify your order
Me: No you don't. I paid by Chip and Pin.
Asst: Yes I do, it's Argos policy to check cards
Me: You're not having my card.
Asst: Um, er, um. I'll have to go speak with the manager.
Me: OK.
She disappears for a good 5 minutes. And then returns with the Manager.
Manager: How are you doing?
Me: Not good.
Mgr: I can see that, so what's the problem.
Me: I paid for my grill, I want my grill.
Mgr: No problem, can I see your card.
Me: No.
Mgr: I have to see your card, it's Argos Policy.
Me: No, I paid by Chip and Pin, you do not need to see my card.
Mgr: We have to see the card to make sure that you are who you say you are. Would you rather that Argos accepted your card from anyone who might happen to have your PIN. it's for your own security.
Me: My security is up to me. Chip & Pin means that I am responsible, not you.
Mgr: Well, we can stand here all day arguing, or you can have a refund.
Me: Great, I'll take the refund, but you are not getting my card.
Mgr: Fine.
Mgr to Assistant: Would you put the refund through please.
He then disappears.
Assistant: Please follow me and I'll get your refund sorted out.
We move down to the other end of the Store and she wants my receipt. I pass the receipt over.
Assistant: Can I have your postcode?
Me: No.
Asst: Um, er, ok. Can I have your card to refund the cost back to.
Me: No.
Asst: I must have your card so that I can refund you.
Me: I told your manager, not 2 minutes ago, that I would not hand over my card.
Asst: But how can I refund you?
Me: I don't care how, go and ask.
Asst: Um, er um.
She then disappears again for another 10 minutes! by this time I'm starting to get a little upset because I've been in the shop for 30 minutes for a transaction that should have taken no more than 10 minutes.
Assistant then returns with a different Manager.
Manager: Are you who we have been talking about?
Me: I don't know, I wasn't part of the conversation.
Mgr: OK, I've had words with ** (name of the other Manager), and have highlighted a training issue. With Chip and Pin, we do not need to see your card. We did with the old style card. So do you want your item or would you rather a refund?
Me: I want the item, thank you!
Mgr: Follow me.
We go back to the other end of the store, she bags up my item, profusely apologises and I then go on my merry way.
I find it hard to believe that a manager would not know his own companies rules. OK, so the assistant does not get paid to know the rules, but I am certainly sure that a Manager is on good money.
The moral: Burt is a nightmare customer. Do not server Burt, at all, ever.
Comment by Oli Allen — July 11, 2006 @ 1:18 pm
After working in the warehouse part of Argos when I was younger, I've never bought anything from them - I prefer my goods not to have been thrown around the place when the warehouse supervisor gets bored
I would also have accepted the refund in this case and taken my business elsewhere!
Comment by Oli Allen — July 11, 2006 @ 1:35 pm
On a related note, what happened to that big advertising campaign about chip + pin being required everywhere after Feb 14th? Many shops (including some big chains) still do not accept it, and take cards the old fashioned way…
Comment by sarahG — July 11, 2006 @ 2:00 pm
I don't think you were a nightmare customer, I think you were a sensible one. I'll admit I don't watch my cards and hand them over without thinking.
As Oli says, half the big stores and a lot of the smaller ones still need you to sign it, and virtually all (apart from Asda and individual stores that I've used) still take your card and then get you to put your PIN in as their unit isn't fully working yet (and hasn't been for a year!).
Guess you won't be posting any GF recipes on here, I could do with more ideas for mine!
Comment by Toxie — July 11, 2006 @ 2:53 pm
You're just looking for any opportunity to start an argument ain't ya
Comment by HCG — July 11, 2006 @ 3:11 pm
You remind me of a customer we have on our books who phone's his parent's orders through periodically and uses a credit card to pay. Suffice to say we all hate him.
We use a card payment machine at work that we manually have to key all card details into. Since the introduction of Chip & Pin we are now required to ask for the post code and house number of the card holder as extra verification for the banks because the customer is not present at the transaction.
He refuses to give us these details. It is actually impossible for us to process a card payment without them due to the new regulations. It will decline any card payments that don't have a security number or postcode and house number.
He still insists that we take his card details to pay for his parents orders but will not give us his postcode or house number simply on the fact that his card is chip and pin and "Why would you need to know that!?"
In conclusion, it's quite possible that they ask the information because they need it, not just for the fun of it!
We ask all customers who pay by card for the extra details on the premise that the security number they give might be wrong. (Our target demographic are old and often can't read the numbers on the front let alone the back!)
x
Comment by Corby — July 11, 2006 @ 3:36 pm
Are you going to purchase another one?
Comment by burt — July 11, 2006 @ 4:57 pm
Oh, I forget to mention that I actually purrchased a Rosemary Conley (some has-been fitness guru) Griller rather than a George Foreman. The Conley one has removable hot-plates! Get in!
Anyway, the point is, I am a biatch customer from hell.
Comment by Ash — July 11, 2006 @ 6:09 pm
This could have been one of any number of retailers.
If you want good service consistently I think moving to the US is the only answer - they could teach many an English customer facing employee a thing or two
Comment by Dave — July 11, 2006 @ 6:39 pm
Good service in the US? I live in the US and "we" have the same problems as everyone else.
Some places are good, some are not.
Comment by Andrew Peacock — July 12, 2006 @ 8:21 am
Manager: Are you who we have been talking about?
Me: I don’t know, I wasn’t part of the conversation.
Pure class. I wish I was that quick in this sort of situation
Andy
Comment by Ash — July 12, 2006 @ 8:49 am
Dave
My experiences in the US have been very good in general - I think they are more proactive towards customers. I'm sure there is variance, but i'd bet the average standard is above the UK by some way