Problem with Major Pet Supplies Store

Problem with Major Pet Supplies Store

I wanted to let everyone know about a problem with a major pet supplies store. I am not going to print itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s name Hereâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s a big hint, they are the ones that always advertise that they provide in store “Pet Charities Adoption Centers†and have “Pet Partners†with the local shelter and rescue groups.

I personally have shopped at their stores for my pet supplies since they have opened in my area. I also am a volunteer with one of the rescue groups who have adoption days at one of their stores. Our rescue group also purchases all of our animalâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s supplies at this store. Our volunteers also buy their supplies for their own pets at this store. For the last couple of months I have had problems with their “rules†and service of their store associates and store manager.

The first problem was with a store cashier. I had 6 cases of premium canned pet food and 4 bags of premium dry food I was purchasing. I was attempting to use some up- to -date pet food manufacturerâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s coupons. The cashier very rudely informed me that I would only be allowed to use 1 coupon for all my purchases. I did not argue with the person that time.

The very next shopping visit two weeks later I had 3 of their “in store†coupons. The coupon that states “Save a $1.00 on your next shopping visitâ€. I had a full shopping cart of cases of canned food, dry food, litter and a couple of pet toys. Again the cashier insisted I could only use 1 coupon. This time I asked to talk to the store manager. I explained that I had always used multiple coupons before on my purchases and asked when they had changed their policy. After arguing with the manager I told her that if I could not use ALL of my coupons I did not want to purchase anything. She relented and let me use my coupons.

The next problem was when I was doing my volunteer work with my rescue group in the adoption center in the store. I was taking pictures of the new pets available for adoption. I usually just take a picture of their faces. I use these photos to post the pictures on Petfinder and our rescue groupâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s web site. It is much easier to take the pets photoâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s while we have them all together. The only other alternative is to go to each foster home to take the pictures. While taking the pictures the store manager walks up and in front of a group of people tells me that we are not allowed to take ANY pictures in their store. She cited that their corporate policy states that picture taking was not allowed for fear of copyright infringement? I asked “What infringement?†“I am taking pictures of the petâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s faces only†She very loudly told me if we wanted to take pictures we would have to do it outside. (At the time it was 97 degrees with 80 percent humidity outside) The store manager was extremely rude and loud.

I will never purchase anything at any of their stores again. They are not " pet"or "people" friendly. I will go to their competition and buy my pet supplies and food. Sorry this is so long I just wanted to share my experience with this store with everyone. They are not what they advertise!

One of those stores is in my area also, and I've always been satisified with the service I've gotten. It sounds like the one you've been doing business with is poorly managed. In my opinion, you should send a written complaint to the corporate office similiar to what you have posted here.

Wow...sounds like that store has terrible management! I've always had good luck with them here. I second Lorie's idea of complaining to the corporate office. Encourage anyone else you know that's had trouble with them to contact the corporate office, too. It's possible that the higher-up management may not be aware of your store's terrible customer service, and would appreciate the information to keep them from losing customers.

Its hard to avoid shopping at them if you want to save money. I often like to visit the smaller local pet stores. However, in my area all the prices are higher in the smaller pet stores.

It sounds like you may have just run into a real bad store manager.

Wow what an experience! You should check out their website. Sometimes those chain places have online customer service or an 800 number for customer service comments/complaints. I would definately give them my .02c+ if I were you!

hey i agree you need to write corporate headquaters about this, because i have been in 2 differnt stores and have never ran into any problems, this sounds like the people, write and tell them the location and the whole story you told here and i bet you get a response back. they dont like that kinda pr. its bad for business. sorry about your experince, i would of been upset myself. they are jsut rude people and should not be in the puplic work.

I think the problem is with the major not with the store in general. I would contact teh company. I don't know which store you are talking about but i won't by from stores that sell puppies and cats in cages. So I go for the bigger pet stores that at least have pet adoption instead of selling puppies.

I do have the phone number for the stores corporate headquarters. I am calling them first thing Monday morning when they open. I could almost understand if we had been causing a disturbance while taking pictures of our pets, but we were in front of the glass enclosed area of the adoption center. We were out of the way of incoming people. Plus I still do not understand "copyright Infringement" they were our animals, and I take only head shots of them!

That's really sad of the management and their employees. Apparently they only have greed on their brains and not helping the animals. Hope you give em' hell when you call! Even though you plan on calling, I'd still write a letter or send an email. At least that way, you might have some kind of a paper trail.

Good luck and hope you get far in your complaints. Sounds like that store needs a complete overhaul on their staff!

message board? Let people make up their own mind. Just because you perceived that people slighted you at this store doesn't mean other people feel that way about their own experiences at the same store. Yes, some tired clerks can be less then tactful when explaining store policy, but management TELLS the clerks to do this. I don't feel the need to spread bad things about every store that wouldn't back down on company policy and had rude clerks. I just quietly move on to a new store. Why are you sharing? Just curious.

I do not know the store you are referring to, but it doesnt mean that all their stores are the same. You can always make a complaint to their headquarters, but like catlover67 said, why go around telling other messageboards this? Telling everyone isnt going to solve the problem, only you can do something about it.

As to the picture taking....I used to work for a major discount retailer (not a pet store). It was against our corporate policy for anyone to take pictures or copy down item price information in our stores as well.

I think I know the store you ae talking about. They have had a lot of employee theft with using the employee discount on non employees and such. The photo thing came about when someone filmed the grooming department and then filed animal cruelty charges. Instead of using this as a wake up call to better protect their clients animals, they outlawed photography in their stores.
This is the same store that refused to work with me when my back went out. They still haven't paid a penny to the doctors ect.

I posted this on 2 sites. This site which a mostly cats site and my favorite site. I posted on another site that is a pets site. The other people in my rescue group buy mostly dog products. That is why I posted on 2 sites. I don't know about anyone else but I have always believed that when I worked for a company that my behavior reflects on the company. Those employees working for that store reflect on their company. If it was just 1 or 2 problems with the management that would be different. I just posted the last 3 problems. We have been having other problems with them. Like last month they called our rescue President at 7:00 at night to demand that we come to their store and pick up a dog that someone had returned. It was not our dog, which she told him. The man who called demanded we "pick it up or else" he was not in the least polite and very sarcastic with her. Our rescue President is 80+ years old and the man really shook her up. We did send someone down to the store (which is over 25 miles away) to find out that some other group had come in to pick it up. We have had dozens of problems with this store and it's sister store in the next closest location.

As a consumer I wanted to share our experience with my fellow pet owners. I was hoping as pet owners people would be interested. I am ALWAYS polite to any and all store employee's. I was raised to say Please, and Thank You and to treat people with respect. I do not think that anyone should be so rude to anyone in their store whether they are customers or not. But, that's just mu opinion.

You would get more results by writing to the corporation and sending a detailed letter that is polite and non-hysterical than you will posting this on the Internet and perhaps fueling a bashing party towards a certain store. Each store is independently owned and operated, but they have to report to the Corporate headquarters. Sending a letter with your complaints listed logically will result in more satisfaction than blowing off steam here or somewhere else on the Internet.