A second "bad experience" at PRISMA

PRISMA is one of the Big Three retail outlets in Finland.

A few weeks ago, while I was checking out at PRISMA in Limingantulli, Oulu, I used the BONUS Card which is in Annikki's name, as mine is old and does not swipe clean. The details on both cards are the same, except that one is in Annikki's name and the other is in mine.

The rather officious young lad at the check out counter was adamant that I could not use Annikki's card. Rather than have an unnecessary argument, I went home, picked up my card and then came and checked out my shopping.

This was a total lack of understanding of customer service. This is not a case of trying to take something from someone!

Why would I give my earned points to someone else?

I made a complaint, but it did no good as the boy was still doing the same thing a few days later.

Last week, Hilja's (Annikki's mother) old refrigerator gave up the ghost. Luckily, she was in the Old People's Home so we had some time to sort things out and find a suitable replacement. We found what the call an Jenkki (Yankee?) refrigerator at PRISMA for a reasonable price of €299.

As this is Hilja's fridge, Anniikki contacted the person who manages Hilja's finances, the Public Guardian working for the City of Oulu. On Monday, at about 15:30, she got the OK to go and buy the one we had seen. The Public Guardian informed the Office of PRISMA that we would be coming to get the fridge and that the bill could be sent to her.

By 16:00 hours we reached PRISMA. We went directly to the Home Equipment Department counter where there were a couple of young shop assistants manning it.

Annikki explained the situation. They seemed totally disinterested with what we, the customer, wanted to be done. The attitude was as if we had come there to commit fraud and steal a fridge. The language used by them was most unladylike or ungentlemanly. They refused to call the controlling office concerned, refused to look in their files if there was an agreement between the City Department concerned with this transaction, they refused to give me a telephone directory and the situation was only getting worse by the minute.

I have encountered bad service many times, but this was the rudest that Annikki and I had ever encountered.

I went quickly to the main counter to get a copy of the Oulu City Telephone Directory. There was a queue there for service. By the time I dialed the number, the officers had already left the office, maybe a couple of minutes earlier.

I went back and told Annikki that it was not worth wasting time there as the behaviour of these two counter people was absolutely obnoxious.

Annikki was prepared to take the custom to another shop, But, I said I would handle it MY WAY.

This morning I went directly to the City Public Guardian who looks after Hilja's money matters. I got a letter authorising me to buy the refrigerator and to forward the bill to be sent to her. Then I went to the same PRISMA and asked to see the supervisor.

As I am clearer in explaining problems in English, I asked to see a supervisor who understood English. One appeared and I explained the situation. It was apparent my English was not getting through, so I reverted to Finnish and I then got a reaction.

We decided to go and complete the deal while I told him in greater detail that it was not the fact that we did not get the refrigerator yesterday that mattered, but it was the sttitude and language used by the shop assistants that had made us angry.

When we went to counter, he wanted to get hold of the Agreement between the City of Oulu and PRISMA about forwarding bills. He could not find it. He called to his assistant - and the same (lady?) shop assistant appeared.

Within a few seconds she produced the paper she had said she had no knowledge of the previous day.

I waited patiently till the paper work was finished, not saying a word. It was obvious that she was avoiding looking at me.

Finally, once all the papers and bills were ready, she needed my signature.

I put my driving license in front of her and asked her to look at it and verify whether the person authorised to buy the refrigerator was in fact me. She was forced to pick up my driving license and then look at me. I....

I spoke strongly and let her have a piece of my mind. I told her that in my 23 years in Finland and as a customer of PRISMA, I had never experienced such bad behaviour as we had experienced at her and her colleagues hands the previous day.

One customer, whom she had been dealing with just then, cut in on hearing me to tell me that this lady was dong a fine job today.

I lashed back that yesterday was another day and told her what Annikki and I had really felt when we had been publicly humiliated by this lady shop assistant and her colleague for just wanting to buy a refrigerator.

At the moment, the shop assistant broke down and started to cry.

I did not, even at that moment, show any sympathy. I told her to cry all she wanted, as that was what she had made an innocent customer do the previous day!

I am not a vindictive person. But when there is arrogant and rude behaviour without cause, the only way to show the person concerned what they do to others can happen to them.

I will do it to ensure no one else is humiliated in future like we were.