Target?s awarding-winning customer dis-service[SIZE=-1]We couldn?t help raising our collective eyebrows last month when the Council of Better Business Bureau?s president and CEO praised Target Corp.?s ?commitment to customer service and satisfaction.? The comment was included in a news release that mentioned Target as one of the winners of the BBB?s International Torch Awards, which recognize ?businesses and executives exhibiting integrity in the marketplace and exemplary dedication to fostering trust between businesses and consumers.?
When we think about great customer service, Target is one of the last retailers to come to our mind because of the chain?s return policy and its records for customer service. We wrote about Target?s policies in this blog last year, and we still get comments from readers sharing their negative experiences.*
Basically, if you want to return an item and you don?t have a receipt, or Target can?t find one in its records because you paid by cash, you?re pretty much out of luck. That?s the case even if you want only to exchange that large sweater you got as a gift for a medium. Target does have an unposted exception that lets shoppers return items twice in 12 months without a receipt, but only if the transaction is no more than $35. The store?s customer service representative will tell you about this policy when you try to make such a return.*
But that?s not all. Target?s return policy also says that: ?Holiday and seasonal merchandise on clearance at the time of return will be refunded at the current clearance price.? Indeed, while we were purchasing a ?seasonal? item on clearance recently, a Target cashier warned us that if we tried to return it and the price dropped further, we?d get a refund for the lower amount, even if we had a receipt. But when we questioned a Target spokesman, he said: ?We have not been enforcing that [policy] from a corporate standpoint for some time.? Yet the policy was spelled out online and behind the customer service desk at one Target store we visited.
The problem with Target?s policies is reflected in BBB?s own complaint statistics. Over the last 36 months, the bureau handled 1,436 complaints*against the Minnesota-based retailer, more than seven times higher than the 203 it processed for Target?s bigger competitor, Arkansas-based Walmart, whose return policies are much friendlier.*
Of the total Target complaints, 725 involved refunds and exchanges, compared to just 49 at Walmart. And Target?s highly praised customer service earned it 184 complaints compared with Walmart?s 36. BBB officials say the number of complaints isn?t high for either retailer, both of which earn its top A+ rating.*
The BBB said the primary reason for giving Target the award were the retailer?s educational, environmental, and philanthropic programs. While we certainly applaud Target?s generosity, we?d clap even louder if it were more generous to its customers and more clear about which policies it enforces and which we can ignore.?Anthony Giorgianni
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