Sunday, February 14, 2010

Stupid Target


Now, I KNOW there are FANS of this store we call Target...BIG FANS. Fans who would NEVER step into Wal-Mart even if their life depended on it, but today, I'm NOT that person. In fact, take me back to Wal-Mart...ANYWHERE but Target.

Let me explain...

Over the years, I've had a LOVE/HATE relationship with Target. There are things I LOVE...and mostly there are things I hate. So much, that I have to BLOG about it to get it out of my mind.

Now, I'm not going to blog about EVERYTHING that I hate about Target...just SOME things and my experience today.

Let's go back two years ago, and start there, shall we? It was SPRING, I was newly engaged and we were ON OUR WAY to register at Target for our bridal list. Gun in hand, my beloved and I spent some hours in there just having SO MUCH FUN scanning things we wanted for our house. Beautiful moments...

After our wedding, we realized that SOME of the stuff we registered for were no LONGER there. Things that WERE NOT seasonal. Everyday things...that you would THINK would be a given. Nope. Not there. Gone.

My sister had the same trouble...she had several DOUBLES of things and because people BOUGHT them for her MONTHS BEFORE her wedding date (she was engaged over a year) Target wouldn't let her return them. So, yes, she does have doubles of things still...or maybe she gave them away. Whatever the case, we both were VERY sad with how Target handled the so called "returns."

Fast forward two years, I had JUST told my friend I was starting to like Target again. 3 weeks ago, gun in hand, my husband and I went to join the Baby Club and get all sorts of fun things for our baby. We were finding cute things...but the shelves were SO BARE! Like they needed to be restocked. When it came time to scan for the crib we wanted, we FOUND the display crib...but COULD NOT find the barcode to scan FOR THE CRIB. THREE (COUNT THEM) workers later...all tried something, but COULD NOT get it to scan themselves!!!! Finally, one turns to me and says, "Do you have the internet? If you want this crib you are going to have to go online and add it yourself." And with that, walked AWAY! REALLY!? MORE WORK for a pregnant lady. Why, thank you, employee of the month!

Honestly, I told people to not even get me things off my list of baby needs because I was soooo annoyed and knew that they wouldn't have half the list still available.

Moving to today...
It's Valentine's Day. I'm 5 days from being 9 months pregnant. I get tired easy. Wil and I decided to go out to eat for lunch, (I'd NEVER make it to dinner...zzz.) THEN, our "fun" outing would be to go get a car seat/stroller and other things we need for the baby and just have fun shopping!
ENTER TARGET. Keep in mind, 3 weeks ago, we picked OUT a car seat/stroller combo we liked...and were PLANNING on getting it today. Enter baby section. There is the combo. So cute, I vision me pushing little E in it this summer. My other babies in the future will use the same one. Wil turns to me and asks, "This is the one you want right?" In my heart of hearts, this is it. Perfect for our baby! We start looking for box...huh. None. We find EVERY OTHER stroller...pink ones, (we are having a boy) Expensive ones...(really, how MUCH can a car seat cost!?) Small ones, (people, we need a carseat!) And NOT-ONE that I want. So, we've got GIRLS-TOO EXPENSIVE-NO CAR SEAT strollers. REALLY, that's ALL I get to pick from? SO I told Wil, we need to FIND a worker and see if they have ANY others...or what's going on. We start looking...no red shirts. Huh. Well, do people work here? Guess not. All of them on dates with their Valentine. I head towards the front to see if SOMEONE can help this ALMOST 9 month pregnant lady. ANYONE?
Spying a tall, dark headed worked I walk up to him and say, "Can someone help us in the baby section?" B-L-A-N-K-S-T-A-R-E. I'm not kidding. This was his exact words..."Uhhhhh." Thank you sir. Use English next time. So I restate the question. "We need help with a stroller, is there anyone who could help?" Again, (I promise you, I'm NOT making this up.) "Uhhhhhhhhh." He looks around as if he'd JUST been dropped out of the sky with a Target shirt on...not knowing his calling. Then, with the 1st English words he uses, says, "Well, people are all around. And I don't know where anyone is. I think that it (I guess meaning baby section) has a BLACK BUTTON you can press to call for help. Use that." AND HE WALKS AWAY!!!!!!!!!!
Really? Mr. Checker!?! You were JUST standing there getting paid. NOT doing ANYTHING, and you can't page someone...or call for help, or KNOW your manager's name to help this VERY pregnant woman who is breathing through braxton hicks with every STEP I take...! I walk away...looking for the magical "black button."

Going BACK into this baby section that I'm starting to HATE, I look for some magical BLACK BUTTON. Guess what!? They don't have a black button...they have a RED PHONE that you pick up and have to listen to something...(Wil listened...I was so annoyed by this time, that I just stood there hating Target more and more) Nothing. Not an overhead, "Help is needed in the baby section." Nothing. By NOW, EVERY story I've ever heard of HOW TERRIBLE TARGET IS...I'm thinking.

FINALLY, some lady walks around the corner and says, "Do you pick up the phone?" I really wanted to let her have it...tell her how the "black button" was missing and replaced by this RED PHONE and let her know that she shouldn't vote for Mr. Checker for February's EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH. But, I kept my mouth shut. No one likes a crabby pregnant lady, so I let my dear husband deal with her. After all, I'm 2 for 2 on Employees who WALK AWAY--so I pretended to look at baby clothes. Forget gender...I'm too mad--to annoyed--to realize that pink=girl and blue=boy.

Wil finally turns and says, "Rachel, they are out of this stroller." And, for the 3rd time, the lady WALKS AWAY. Like they have some hidden room they all go to and laugh at people who can't find things.

By this time, I'm VERY ANNOYED. ON SO MANY LEVELS. Something so SIMPLE as getting a car seat is NOW WORK. MORE work because they don't have ANY selection. They had 3 combo's. Remember? Mine/pink girl/and overpriced.

That was it. I was done. Usually, I give people the benefit of the doubt. Even in stores...I feel bad for them. Not today. I told Wil we were leaving and I LEFT the cart--with things in it--in the baby section and WALKED out.

We went to Shopkoo and in 5 mins picked out the stroller/car seat. Simple. AND to the point.

So...my friends, I'm sorry if Target is your dream store. If they carry EVERYTHING your heart desires. The store DRIVES me nuts and plan to stay away from them for SOME TIME.

5 comments:

jessica m said...

Oh My Word! What an ORDEAL! Glad you found a car seat!

Audra said...

oh.my.gooooodness!!! I totally understand the LOVE/HATE relationship! That is such a horrid story! Um, so... 2 weeks before our wedding we get a call from Heath's mom- "is there something you guys want to tell me?" us: "um... no??"

"Audra, are you pregnant?"
Me: "BAHAHAHH WhAT! not possible!"

Long story, the cousins had called her & there was a BUNCH of BABY stuff on our wedding registry! So I have made a few enemys (Heath's fan club) so it was either them or a mistake- but regardless TARGET WAS TO BLAME! & I can never find anybody registry stuff there!

Therefore- Target AMAZINGLY cute things- you go in and buy yourself RIGHT THEN. No registries!

I am sorry! But it is exciting that your BABY BOY will be here so soon! & I am in love with the name Easton!

Unknown said...

I feel your pain! Practically same story when we tried to get a glider and ottoman from Target when I was 8 months pregnant! They NEVER had it in stock and I couldn't buy it online, yet online it always said it was there and there was a display but of course they wouldn't let us have that. No one would help and the only advice I got was to just keep checking back. We also ended up at Shopko...I didn't get the glider I wanted but we ended up with something a little different but it worked! Also, the baby shelves are always so bare...what a pain! Target needs to get their act together!

I left you an award on my blog, Come check it out! http://secondtimearound09.blogspot.com/2010/02/awards.html

Far Above Rubies said...

I love the part about Gun in Hand -- LOL.

I'm passing by to thank you for commenting on my blog. It was so nice to receive it.

Congratulations on your pregnancy - The baby is almost ready to arrive. Amen!!!

God bless you,

Kelsey said...

I just have to comment because I am also a target hater. I went from Target being my "Go-To" store for EVERYTHING for so many years to finally making the decision to boycott. And let's be honest here. They made the decision pretty easy. It started after my wedding registry 3 years ago and now with our baby registry. Their return policy sucks more than words can explain. And their employees and customer service skills made it impossible for me to give them another chance. I love that you blogged about it. And just a tip- diapers.com is amazing. Has everything you will need as a new mom and free overnight shipping. (and $10 off your first order!) Boycotting Target has been difficult because I live in a town with limited options and I haven't been able to find a place I like shopping...I've tried Walmart but haven't warmed up to it yet. So online shopping it is! For now anyway. I wish you the best with your new adventures as a mom! Thanks for your blog : )