Hello couponers! My name is Matt, and I am a retail manager. I have been a manager at 2 of the nation’s largest retailers for about 10 years combined, and I am a couponer. Due to non-disclosure agreements I cannot state what company I work for or provide internal company information, but over the years I have seen a lot of misunderstandings and miscommunications between retailers and couponers. I believe that by addressing these issues I can eliminate a lot of hassle in your shopping experience.

First off, let me say that I am not here to tell you that the industry is right and that you are wrong as you may have seen in retail forums, quite the opposite actually. Often a bad retail experience, especially at the checkout, is the result of improperly trained and/or inexperienced cashiers and managers. Retail, like many industries, has some bad apples, which brings me to one of the most common misconceptions, don’t be afraid or embarrassed to ask for a manager. Whatever the problem is, it can likely be cleared up very quickly by a knowledgeable manager. Many people don’t know that store associates you see responding to cashiers with change, basic overrides, etc. are NOT managers. They are known within the industry as keyholders, red vests, customer service managers, or whatever other name and their actual duty is preventing cashier fraud/theft. They are not the final word on company policies. If you believe they are wrong ask to speak with a salaried member of management, specifically say “salaried”. Salaried managers are promoted at corporate level, are usually the store manager or co-manager, and are vastly more knowledgeable in company policies. If the issue is not resolved at salaried manager level the next step is contacting corporate.

Now, before I lead you to believe that every time you go to the store you’ll be walking into a battlefield, let me say that there is hope! Believe it or not in this age of big-box retailers there are many associates that DO care and put emphasis on customer service. If you figure out who these associates are, and stick with them whenever possible, your shopping experience will go a lot smoother. If you find a cashier that is helpful, knowledgeable, polite, and in general cares about your shopping experience don’t be afraid to seek them out at the checkout. (Don’t, however, ask for them by name prior to checkout if you don’t see them. Asking for specific associates is a “red flag” to store Loss Prevention for possible fraudulent activity and could cause an unnecessary hassle.) A good cashier is also worth speaking to a manager about. Like bad cashiers, we need to know when we have an outstanding cashier. We need to know about bad cashiers for obvious reasons, but when customers repeatedly commend a cashier, that cashier generally be given better schedules, making them more available to you.

To make a long story short, never hesitate to speak with store management. Despite our best efforts we cannot be everywhere, and those “bad apples” that ruin a shopping trip tend to behave entirely different when management is present. YOU, the shopper, pay my paycheck and feed my family. If I don’t know there’s a problem I can’t fix it. If I do I can, and will.

I will be updating this post weekly with many new topics, and will do my best to answer any questions in as timely manner as possible. Please note, if I receive a large number of questions regarding the same topic I will answer via blog post rather than contacting each customer individually. I have much more to share with you in the coming weeks, this has merely been an introduction. Please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, or suggestions you may have for future posts. It has been a pleasure addressing you all, and I look forward to assisting you in any way that I can.

Happy Couponing!
Matt.

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