Attached is letter sent to CEO discribing my situation:
As of this posting NO RESPONSE
Thursday, February 21
Mr. Tilman
Mr. Tilman I'm writing this letter to inform you of a situation that happened to me today at the Lowe's Store in Buford Georgia.
I purchased two small items at this store the previous evening and because I wasn't certain that the items would be exactly what I needed I asked the sales person if I would be able to return them. I was assured that I could. The items were not suitable and I went to return them the following day.
At the returns desk I was informed that because I had written a personal check I could not return the items for fifteen days. I asked for the store manager because this was not acceptable to me. I needed to purchase the items at another store that day.
The manager was not at the store at this time (1:30PM) and the assistant manager, Mr. Tim Green told me that he could not help me. Mr. Green informed me that I could call the Customer help line but that they could not help me because it was Company policy that personal checks would not be refunded in cash. (I have never had a check bounce in 50 years.) I suggested that he give me the check back. He informed me that the check had been deposited. I suggested that he call the bank and have them verify my account. He refused on the grounds that Company Policy had to be followed. I asked several more times to talk to someone that could help me and all I was told was that this was Company Policy. I asked that he call his corporate office and talk to someone that could help me (because the manager was not there). He repeated his stand on Company policy but he did call and was answered with an automated service that said to leave his name and number and someone would call him back. I asked if there was anyone that could make a decision on my problem and he gave me the customer help line. I had been at the store for well over half an hour and I asked again where the store manager was and if he wasn't back at the store could he be called or paged. The answer was that he could not be contacted.
I called the help line and asked to speak to a supervisor. The supervisor told me that she had no authority. I asked for her supervisor or someone in the corporate office that could help. She connected me with Ms Parsons.
Ms Parsons told me that she was the last stop for the customer but that she couldn't help me and that you were the next in line.
Well guess what! You couldn't be contacted either. She said that she would write-up a formal complaint and send it to you.
For approximately an hour I tried to get someone to help me. I needed someone to talk to me about my problem and I discovered there is no customer help available. I discovered that you have no communications established in this company even between your own departments. I also discovered that You don't give your managers any flexability to make decisions on their own that may be appropriate for the situations that arise.
I wonder if you are real or perhaps just a corporate excuse for customer no service.
I left completely frustrated and insulted.
My receipt was for $24.51. I feel sure that this amount won't bankrupt Lowe's and it won't hurt me either. I will tell you one thing. Thru the years I have spent thousands of dollars at Lowe's. I will not spend another penny there. I will also tell everyone that ever appears to want my opinion that Lowe's is not the place to go.
A retail business should be customer oriented and it should allow it's managers to make decisions that are appropriate to the situation. To insist that nothing can be done to help a customer with their problem because it is Company Policy is absurd. Policy are guidelines not laws that can't be negotiated on an individual basis. Your managers need to be aware of this and allowed to manage appropriately.
I hope that you are a real person and that you read this. I have doubts because of my experience today.
Ralph
Buford, Georgia
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