While on most days you should find the staff of Ace Hardware Edisto Island S.C. helpful. On occasion, if it's a return that's your making and the items just happen to be accompanied by discounts that the corporate office deemed a wise investment to send thier most loyal and frequent customers you may encounter an employee C. Walton. As an employee of Robert R Redfearn Jr. Owner of Edisto Island Ace Hardware Inc. Please understand as I witnessed these events unfold I had accompanied a local resident and property owner a retired accountant , to this particular hardware store ( Ace Hardware of Edisto Island) I must repeat the business name for there is another hardware store right across the street. Where the staff had been WELCOMING moments before the Edisto Ace encounter.
The return of merchandise that was sold a day prior by a friendly and a customer friendly employee who said that if the was need "just return the products for a refund"
Apparently Cathy Walton didn't get the idea of friendly nor did she display any outward emotion of concern to get the transaction completed accurately or even correct because as she stated there were other customers forming a line and with two registers open she didn't care if she was giving MORE MONEY THAN we were due.
NOW Mr. Redfearn Jr. ..I'm sure he cares that the bottom line of the days sales meet the needs of his business and cares to serve the community which supports it and to provide compensation for those who help run the store.
As a former retail business owner myself, I understand that if my employees projected an attitude that's less than friendly, helpful or professional that both the business and my employees would ultimately suffer.
Nothing kills your bottom line like poor customer service .
However this goes beyond poor customer service .This employed decided that she would deem us unsuitable to frequent this establishment and therefore thought that we would be hostile to the business and its need to keep running efficiently.
But she decided call the local police stating that we were refusing to leave the store.
All that WE asked from her WAS to finish our transaction accurately and in a Professional manner!
Now I've had some bad service in stores before. I've never had the police called on me for wanting a return done correctly or accurately! The numbers on the amounts were incorrect and her explanation was that she had other customers and a lines forming and they were waiting to be serviced . That's the justification for and reasoning we were to accept ... (really) Being distracted, flustered, or otherwise incompetent is not an excuse for the treatment given to a loyal customer. the added insult of calling the police on us by refusing more money that what was rightfully due is completely unacceptable and frightfully disconcerting. We showed up with our receipt and the product in order expecting a return of money that was paid in good faith for products that were not usable for our needs. We were assured that these products would be returned without any second thought . Certainly we didn't assume that we would be threatened with incarceration.
As I thought through the event I was compelled to write this assessment. DURING the threat of incarceration I also was compelled to use the video recorder on the very same phone of which I'm writing. So to the Residence of Edisto Island South Carolina I would question my loyalty to this particular Ace Hardware store For you never know, There , you might get your items you need : or a police record. Let my words ring true or watch the video. The video ..I'll choose not to release for one week's time. This is to allow enough time to consider my closing thought.
To Robert R. Redfearn Jr. Please know my last thought
Review your employees conduct and perhaps take a moment to assuage a now reserved Ace customer with a letter addressing the treatment he , myself and possibly other may encounter at Ace Hardware on Edisto Island, S.C.