Sam's Club Madison, Wisconsin

Below is a copy of a complaint I filed with Sam's Club on March 3, 2007

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We purchased two tires on 12/18/2006 - the customer service during that

purchase was less than friendly (she was short with us and just seemed like

she didn't like customers or her job). I chalked it up to your employee just

having a bad day. No big deal, we all have them. Today, 3/3/2007, my wife

and I returned to this club (Club #8255 on Watts Rd, Madison, WI) to

purchase another 2 tires. The same lady was working the counter in the tire

department. We told her we were in a couple months ago and purchased some

tires and needed a couple more. She replied, "Where is your receipt?" I

knew right then that she was in a bad mood again with her tone and shortness

of reply. I didn't see how that receipt mattered since this was a new

purchase and had nothing to do with the other purchase. I obliged her

anyway; not wanting to cause a fuss, then ran out to my car and brought back

the paperwork from the transaction a couple months ago. She looked at it and

said, "Where's the receipt?" I said I thought what I gave her was the

receipt, but she wanted the actual credit card receipt even though what I

gave her had all the information on it (the work order number and are

name/address). At this point I'm still wondering why any of this matters

since this is a new purchase and has *nothing* to do with the purchase from

months ago. So we trudge through the rest of the transaction uncomfortably

because of how rude she is being to us and pay for these 2 new tires. My

wife goes back to the tire department about an hour later to pick up our

keys since the tire install was complete. Upon rounding the corner and

entering the tire department she overhears one employee tell the female

employee that waited on us the following: "Customers just don't pay

attention." Two possibilities here - #1 they are talking about us because

they both immediately quit talking and look at her kind of caught off guard

or #2, they are talking about other customers. Either #1 or #2 are highly

inappropriate behavior wouldn't you concede? The female employee then asks

my wife, "Did you even read the paperwork that we gave you? It says you have

to keep the receipt." She just would not let that go. The employee then

proceeds to lecture my wife about the importance of this receipt and reading

the paperwork thoroughly. My wife was understandably upset and left at this

point and told me about the encounter. I will never do business with the

tire department again. I do not care about warranty work. I'll pay to get

someone to rotate my tires even though they'd do it for free.

A couple things... I've bought tires from Wal-Mart before and when I brought

the car in for rotations they never asked to see my credit card receipt,

just the paperwork I was given during the initial purchase (like the work

order I provided your employee on this date). The printouts from Sam's and

Wal-Mart look identical so I imagine you are using the same computer system.

Regardless of this fact, and for the sake of argument, let's assume your

employee is correct. How does that warrant treating your customers like two

year olds? Why did she keep harping on us about the receipt when we weren't

even dealing with the transaction from December? This was a new purchase. I

am giving you $116.75 to perform a service and I would expect to be treated

with respect. If possible, we would like to cancel our membership if there

is anyway to get the prorated portion of the remainder of the current

membership year back. Is this possible? Also, I believe we are owed an

apology from this employee and the tire department. I would really like to

think that you hold your employees to a higher, more dignified standard than

what has been demonstrated by the person that "served" us. It's strange; we

went to a gas station after this experience and spent $1.88. They treated us

with respect and even said, "Have a nice day". Yet, I spend $116.75 with

Sam's Club and get treated like dirt. By the way, you can tell your employee

we do have the credit card receipt from the December purchase (we can bring

it in and show her if she'd like) - I'm looking at it right now, we just

didn't bring it in today since the purchase today had nothing to do with any

previous purchase.

Anxiously awaiting your reply,

Bryan and Gina B.

Comment On This

HI,

I too bought tires at this Sam's Club...first of all they coul dnt get the tire locks off so I had to take it to a dealer then return with loosend lug nuts.

Now I am wanting to return to do the free tire rotation, but I no longer have a Sams card because I no longer work for the comapny that supplied it to me...Therefore I was told I would have to buy a new membership each year..therefore the warranty and free rotation is worthless to me!!