Canadian Transformers News and Discussion Forum

[The Nemesis]

Fuck toys r us.


I explained this in the BC sightings thread, but I still need to vent more without hijacking that thread any more than I already have...


Yesterday afternoon I phoned my local TRU in Langley, BC to check about Thrust/Runabout being available because the online setup is a shit-show. I was told by the person I talked to in no uncertain terms that they did not have any in stock and did not know when they would be getting more.


Later that afternoon a boardie was in the store and found that they had, guess what, Thrust AND Runabout on the shelves. No purchase limits, no restrictions. free-for-all mode. But by the time he posted his sighting in the thread it was too late to go to or call the store. Which is fine and all. Not everyone can post their stuff immediately. Most of the time I don't.


So I phone the store again this morning, right at opening, 10am PT.


15 minutes of busy signals later I get through to someone to find out that they were all sold out. I would later find out from other boardies that they sold out in that first 15 minutes of store-opening because people lined up for 10am to get in and rush the TF section. Great. because unlike other stores in the area, this one has not clued in to keep the limited run stuff behind the counter and hand out 1 per fucking person like a sensible business would.



So after talking to 3 different people who were no help except to "I don't know what I can do to help you" and me getting progressively more frustrated with them because I kept getting transferred around and having to re-explain the whole situation, I get "do you want to talk to a manager?"


me: "Yes, please. That would be great."


...


...


...


They gave me to the manager OF THE GODDAMN BABIES SECTION OF THE STORE.


Obviously she was no help because she's a department manager and has no idea about the other departments. and she had no power to do anything that would actually resolve the situation. I was nice to her because really she got thrown under the bus here, so finally she said to call back this afternoon to speak to the store's lead manager who would be in between 2 and 2:30 after working the morning in the nearby(ish) Coquitlam location. She would be the one who could actually help me and sort out what was going on.


I phone at 3 to give an extra half hour just in case. 30 minutes of nothing but busy signals later I finally get through on what was going to be my last attempt and.... *drumroll*


said head manager isn't even there yet! When I asked the person who answered the phone to be able to speak to this specific manager, she said "She's not in yet let me transfer you to someone else." and did so without giving me a chance to respond that I don't want to be transferred to someone else because I was specifically told to speak to that particular manager. Then when the next one answers and I have to explain the whole mess for like the 7th time today and that I want that one particular goddamn manager, I get "well... she's not in right now. But you can try again later!"


Defeated and frustrated by this whole day I gave a resigned "I'm not even going to bother at this point." and then silence. Thinking that was it I went to hang up only to hear a voice on the phone say "well... you can always try again..." before I hit end call.


Honestly, I think I am at my wits' end with collecting right now. I know it's COVID. I know stock is short. I know stores are having difficulty. But for fuck's sake, TRU has basically managed to fail at every single goddamn aspect of their customer service and product delivery setup.


Want to order online? Good luck finding a window


Get an order through online? 50/50 or better that it gets cancelled with on explanation.


Want to check store stock through the website? Strong odds that it's never accurate!


Want to phone a store about stock? You'll probably get an employee who doesn't do anything other than check the (inaccurate) website info and then blows you off


Want to get answers about the ongoing utter failure to address a customer concern? have fun getting run around for hours while you talk to people who can't actually solve your problem until you get so wound up that you get annoyed with them and suddenly have to be "the bad guy" in the whole process.


It's maddening. I do understand that we live in crazy times and everything is upside down. But if it was just a matter of limited stock and nothing else I wouldn't be so frustrated. It's that it's limited stock and that the problem is exacerbated by indifferent/incompetent management and process design. They seriously have to be trying to cock up this badly and not take my money.


It's so disheartening. It makes me look at my shelf and ask myself why I'm even bothering. Because it's just so stressful trying to find stuff now that I don't even get excited over finding something new. I get relieved that finding something means I no longer have to spend fruitless hours searching for it.