The Friendly Neighborhood Store

I had some problems a few months ago at our local neighborhood department store (I won't say the name..hehehehe). I went to the store and bought a pair of boots one day and proceeded to the self-check out to buy them. I paid for the boots and was heading out the door, when their alarm system sounded. What an embarrassment. I needed to see stares from several people, and then go back and show employees that I really paid for the boots. They explained to me that certain items prone to high theft are tagged, and so I needed to see a cashier before exiting the store to deactivate the tag. So, how do I really know if my item is tagged, and what is the point of a self-checkout, if I still need to see a cashier.

A few months ago, I again went to buy another pair of boots. This time, rather than take a chance, I went through a cashier so that they could deactivate the alarm tag. Guess what? As I left, the alarm did go off again! I again went through the process and the embarrassment. Funny the cashier makes an error, and I get embarrassed.

I this time let the store manager know. He said he would take appropriate steps to prevent this from happening in the future. Yay!

Sunday, I ran in the the store to pick up a birthday gift. While I was there I also picked up a fairly inexpensive electronic gadget. Well, again the alarm went off as I was walking out! I promised myself that if this happened to me again I would just keep walking and waste their time instead of mine. I did. A gentleman was behind me on the way out, and I believe that because of how I left, he mistaking thought that he set off the alarm, and stopped in his tracks there. Perhaps the sales helped thought he was the person setting off the alarm due to his reaction, as I did not seem to be followed. I was envisioning myself being tackled by several employees and still continuing to walk, dragging them all with me. LOL

I walked casually out and even stopped to chat to my cousin, who was just outside the door. I'm glad that I did not get any hassle from the employees on my exit, and although I took all the time to type out this story here, I wonder if I really should like the manager of the store know what happened. It's kind of ridiculous to have to keep wasting my time due to their procedural problems. I wonder how many people are going through the same thing and not saying anything.

I guess I'm just going to put this aside and not even worry about it any further. They weren't deliberately trying to annoy any one, it just seems ironic in a sense. The store that tried to show so much how it helps the community seems to be actually be disturbing part of the community - me.