Welcome, All You Frustrated Shoppers

Greetings for the new year and wishes for satisfying shopping experiences.  As a professional shopper I have encountered all manner of frustrating, infuriating customer service and major retail corporate policy.  I want to share my experiences with you all and help you find a way to tell the offending companies that you are not happy.  Sometimes I can even tell you how I found my way around the problem.

In many cases, the trouble is isolated to one or two bad employees.  Then there the idiotic corporate drones with no imagination who don't care about your particular problem.  Or it's just one location of a chain store with a lackadaisical manager and slovenly employees.

Here are some offenses (in no particular order) that get me nuts:

• Gum chewing (cracking) by cashiers, especially if you have a lot of items
• Sending you off (anywhere) when you ask for a particular item, just to get you out of their hair. 
• One open cash register out of 10 closed lanes with a line to the back of the store
• Not being acknowledged when I approach a customer service desk.  It wouldn't hurt to nod in my direction, even if you are on the phone with your best friend.
• Only one of the double doors open so that invariably I try to go through the wrong one and get stopped short.  If you have two doors, keep them both open.

There will be solutions and tips to make your shopping forays more pleasant, economical and time efficient.

I know I'm not alone.  If you have an experience that may amaze, amuse or awe the rest of us, I'd love to know about it.

Let the ranting begin!!!