The fact is, I did once post a message on this blog (3/16/2011), but erased it within 12 hours. Something didn't feel right--it lacked a certain je ne sais quoi. Since then, I've been content to let Cathryn represent our family to the blogging public (our friends and family). However, since her last post mentioned her hope that I would write something about our experience yesterday at Kohls, I decided I would give it a shot.
A few weeks ago Cathryn collected $60 worth of Kohl's coupons out of the trash cans at our apartment complex. Chances are, you've seen this type of coupon before. The coupon gets you $10 off your entire purchase. Naturally, you want to get as close to $10 as possible so you don't have to pay anything. The coupon had a life of a couple weeks and yesterday was its last day.
Cathryn used one of the coupons earlier in the week so we had five left yesterday when I volunteered to go to the store to pick up a few sundries. It took me a while to find some items worth buying (only three) and a few more minutes to make sure that each purchase would be as close to 10 bones as possible.
Before the cashier checked me out I said, "Ok this is what I want to do. I want to spend as little money here as possible. I am going to segregate these items into three purchases so they are as close to 10 doll hairs as possible. Then I am going to use one of these coupons for each purchase." This is not an original idea. I'm sure people try to do this all the time. This was confirmed to me when the cashier immediately said I couldn't make my desired transactions. I responded with the wholly unoriginal "Ok, so I am going to use one coupon, leave, come back and use the next." The poor cashier said I couldn't do that either and said she could get the manager if I wanted to ask her my questions. I didn't and made 1/3 of my desired purchases.
When I walked out, I could hear the phrase my mother is famous for: "People just do what they do." Thus, I decided that I should just do what I do--I dropped off my purchase in the car and returned for my second purchase.
For my second purchase, I chose a different cashier to bargain with. While waiting in line, I noticed the manager eyeballing me which she had been doing since I came back into the store. When the cashier asked me if I had any coupons, I gave him the 10-spot and the hovering manager immediately stopped the transaction. They consulted for a few seconds and she said: "Sir, this is the last one today, ok?" She quickly explained my conduct to the cashier like it was some kind of dirty malefaction.
When I got home, Cathryn and I went to a different Kohls closer to us to use the remaining three coupons. We split up so that no one would give us any trouble (I also changed my clothes, wore a hat, and insisted that we both used cash for our transactions--for obvious reasons). But here is the real kicker: the lady who checked Cathryn out allowed her to use two coupons together which obviated her need to buy a small superfluous item. And the lady who checked me out? She was upset that I gave her a $20 bill to buy $1.18 worth of items. Her words were: "Are you serious? Ohhh, big spender."
I don't think I learned a lesson from this experience. But for people who think that our actions were disingenuous, let me explain something to you: Obviously Kohls does not want one person to use more than one coupon. The coupon makes this clear. But deciding to use multiple coupons is not a moral dilemma--it is purely a question of bargaining. Kohls, as offeror, does not have to honor the terms of the coupon. The coupon merely states Kohls' opening offer. Besides, Kohls got more money from us than it would have otherwise.
Here is an old picture. Not sure how old, but it does not matter--Willa's beauty is timeless.
Why do stores get in such a tiff about something like a coupon they handed out? At Smith's I basically say, "it's your store" and do whatever the customer wants. So far no one has found out. P. S. At first it scared me that Willa was sitting on Ryan's shoulder like that, but her face is so cute it doesn't matter.
ReplyDeleteI just laughed out loud when I realized it was a JD and an MA who were using all their wits and intelligence to work over a poor Kohls clerk and manager. Couponing is a whole new education that isn't offered at a university but I understand it can save as much money as a degree can earn. So keep up the good work. I think there should be a new adjective for a hair style: Willa hair. She is so cute!
ReplyDeleteA funny post made funnier by the companion photo.
ReplyDeleteLauren - I think I am hiding behind them, holding Willa up.
ReplyDeleteRyan, at first I kept wondering why you let Cathryn convince you to participate in her couponing scheme, but the more I read I realized that maybe it was you convincing Cathryn to participate...
ReplyDeletecongrats on an awesome post, ryan! soo funny. i'm a big fan of couponing, and now i have some new ideas. thank you LOL
ReplyDeletei've been trying to get tiny to contribute to our blog, and he feels the same way you do. after reading this i'm gonna give it another try!