Couponing for the Extremely Normal: When a Deal Doesn't Work

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Welcome to Couponing for the Extremely Normal! 

Even though you carefully plan your deals, they may not always work out.  Never fear … here a few tips for ensuring you receive the savings you planned for.

1.  Know what you should be saving before you get to the register.

2.  Watch the register as the cashier rings up items and coupons.  The store computer is not always right.  There are times when sale items don’t ring up properly.  Have the sale flyer with you so you can show the cashier what the price should be.  If need be, ask the manager to take a look at the issue.

3.  Check your receipt before you leave the store.  If anything is wrong, go to the customer service desk and politely try to straighten the issue out.

4.  If the store manager cannot resolve the issue, go home and call the customer service number for the store.  The phone number is usually printed on your receipt.

This week I went to Food Lion with a plan to buy items which were part of a Box Tops for Education (BTFE) promotion.  The deal worked … sort of.  It ran like this:  buy five participating products, receive $2 off your order instantly, and receive a catalina coupon for 20 Box Tops for Education which can be donated to your local school.

I bought ten participating items, received $2 off my order and the catalina coupon printer jammed.  The cashier could do nothing to issue me a catalina for the 20 Box Tops for Education.  However, the store manager at the customer service desk was able to issue a catalina for 20 BTFE.  However, I expected to receive $4 off my order since I bought 10 participating items.  The store manager said I should have done two transactions with five participating items in each transaction.  However, he was willing to refund the $2 for the second set of items.

When I got home, I called Food Lion Customer Service and they kindly offered to send me a catalina for the 20 Box Tops for Education I didn’t receive at the store.   Lesson learned … fix what you can at the store and then call customer service when you get home.  The most important thing to remember is “be nice.”

What has been your experience with customer service when a deal goes awry?

Let us know how your extremely normal coupon journey is coming along.  We love to hear from our readers!

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