Customer Service???

This week I have had two experiences in retail stores that leave me scratching my head.  I am puzzled as to why, in the current economy, that sales staff would treat customers in anything but a stellar way.

Example 1:

I am at the cash of Long Tall Sally, having tolerated the obsequious sales clerk dogging my heels at every move, and finally selecting an awesome red dress that I am purchasing for a sum that can only be described as exorbitant; but I digress.  I am at the cash waiting behind another shopper who asks for her government discount.  What, what? I think.  I've never heard of this.  So I ask "what government discount?"  Oh, the girl replies, we give 10% off to government employees.  You just have to show your ID.

At this point, I am both happy and pissed off - happy to save some money, pissed because no one mentioned this discount a month ago when I spent $600 on new winter boots, fancy shoes, and another pair of highly priced shoes.  So I said: "I wish someone had mentioned it last month when I spent a small fortune on shoes and boots."

The reply:  "Oh we don't like to mention it unless we actually see someone's ID because we lose money when we give a discount."

WTF?

Example 2:

I was looking for a VCR to be able to play old VHS tapes of family movies so that I could transfer them to digital versions and preserve them until the next technology revolution.  Tough to find VCRs these days!  After researching on line, I found that Canada Computers carries them at a reasonable price... and as luck would have it, they've just opened a new store close to my place.  Bonus.  I pop in there on the way home from work, and after wandering dazedly among the techno-mass, I ask a clerk for help.  His immediate reply:  "We don't carry those".  "Funny, I reply, "your company website begs to differ."  Well, he says, let me go take a look.

We trudge through the laden shelves to the back of the store, where he consults a computer and says:  "The Orleans Store has two, Merivale has one."  "Could you ask them to send you one here for me?" I ask.  "It'll take about 2 weeks", he replies.  "That's fine"  "Well, he says, "it really is a lot of hassle to get things from other stores, and frankly not worth the bother.  Merivale is like 15 minutes from here so you can drive there".

WTF?

I don't WANT to drive to Merivale.  And now I don't want to shop in your store ever again.  Get it?  I will NEVER shop in a Canada Computers store again.  And I will tell this tale over and over again to anyone I can because it is a perfect example of how poor customer service is these days.

I went to the nearby Best Buy.  Paid $40 more than what Canada Computers was supposedly selling these machines at, but I didn't have to waste an hour battling traffic to get to another Canada Computers store where I am sure I would have been treated equally well.  NOT.

What is wrong with people?