Dollar Deal

Like many I support all the retailers in my community and like many of you from Dumont I was so excited when we got our own dollar store. I am an avid dollar store enthusiast. Now to say i frequented the dollar store is to put it mildly. I know I am not the only one that would go shopping there once or twice a week but I believe I am of small group that would go sometimes everyday for weeks at a time. Sometimes debiting simply a dollar up to believe it or not $80.00 on many an occasion. The year Dollar Deals opened I had a small fire in my basement and the majority of beloved decorations were destroyed. I easily spent upwards of $300.00 to 4.00 hundred between Christmas and Easter that year replenishing and buying holiday goodies for parties/gifts , etc. Unfortunately although I like the selection and convenience I will be taking the extra minutes to travel to one of the many Bergenfield dollar stores, which also have terrific selections. Some of may know me from our neighbor or the dollar store itself. I am the morning receptionist at the Dumont Animal Hospital for years now. I am a lot of things but one thing I am that is for sure is patient and fair, certainly working in customer service my whole life. On a recent trip to Dollar Deals I put my normal amount in my chart but as sometimes occurs to get to the register and you just were not prepared for the bill. I was actually so embarrassed. There was a line of people, some I was chatting with in the store, and I realize I am way over my budget for the particular event I was buying for and realized while I needed most of it I had to shave a little off the top to go to other needs for my event. I began on the line to go thru my stuff and was breaking a sweat from , embarrassment. I just said I'll take it all. I was so frazzled and couldn't even decide. The owner knowing me so well said, "take it home and whatever you don't want we'll take back". Now I know the rules of the store very well. No refunds just exchange and I never look for special treatment and am never the squeaky wheel. I am the one who will wait in a doctor's office for hours without a peep and just understanding or waiting for my valet while old ladies pass me. Now knowing the owner knew me so well and saw how much I usually spent and that I was so upset I believed he was telling me this was an exception. Especially cause I paid cash this time so I figured easy fix if I go back same day before close out. I went back simply to return $20.00 worth of stuff, which wasn't much but was going to be used to a few other small things I needed. I was told that I would only get a credit, There that same day after a cash transaction. The owner said I would use the credit anyway so why not take it and that I had misunderstood him. And maybe so. Maybe I misunderstood him, obviously , and I get rules however I also know good customer service, and making exceptions to that would ultimately benefit the business. In this one instance in my life I felt I would take a stand for me. Not be the squeaky wheel or an entitled person, cause I am not but fair is fair. And I felt this was very unfair. A misunderstanding that turned to dismissing behavior from a business I supported. I told them I did not want the credit and would not use it. To me I would never step foot what if I used the credit and went over 14 cents. No way. Not a cent. The credit was written. I was told "the is not price is right" and that people think they can do whatever they want. My loyalty meant nothing over a misunderstanding and twenty bucks. So in true me fashion I took the credit went to a nice elderly women in the aisle and told her it was her lucky day. That credit became worthless to me and their handling and solution was not going to be accepted. I told the nice lady it was her lucky day and adding to my karma bank. Disappointed. Know your cliental and appriciate them and the situation at hand.