A few weeks ago I went into the Canadian Tire store in Langford to buy some paint and while it was mixing I went to use their washroom. I was in a hurry - I had a date to get to and I had a dress to change into along with my handbag with make up and phone in it…
In the washroom, the floor was wet and strewn with toilet paper. I looked around for somewhere to hang my dress and handbag while I used the toilet and to my frustration there was no hook and no counter… the best I could do was balance the stuff on the end of a sink sticking out from the wall to keep it off the floor… I'm using the toilet, when to my horror I see that the faucet is running (automatic sensor had silently turned the tap on) and soaking my dress… I grab my dress and under it my handbag which in a matter of moments had filled with water.. and my wallet, makeup bag and worst of all my iPhone (6months old) are swimming in water… In dismay I am trying to empty the contents, but there is nowhere to put anything other than the sink… the floor gets soaked.. my dress is soaked, my iPhone is wrecked and I am distraught.
The phone, aside from all the personal content of contacts, photos etc, also had the address of where I was going to meet my date and his phone number… my evening was a total disaster… I couldn't change into the sopping dress… I was really really late because I was driving around looking for the place and I arrived distraught… that was the most expensive pot of paint I ever bought.
The next day (Monday) I thought I should tell them in Canadian Tire about the incident which, if they had only had a hook in he washroom would never have happened. I asked to speak to the manager of the store and was told he was off for the next two days.. so I spoke to some other floor manager. He said, oh, thats terrible, I'll get a hook put in there right away… and that I should come back on Wednesday to speak to the store manager.
On Wednesday I returned to the store… noted that no hook had yet been installed… and the Manager was not available. I eventually managed to speak with him on the phone later that day. He wasn't very sympathetic… he said, well, you have to accept some responsibility for the accident, you can't blame Canadian tire for putting your stuff in the sink.. but let me speak to the Owner and I'll get back to you on Friday… maybe we can help you with something towards the phone…
On Friday I didn't hear from him. I left a message towards the end of the day requesting that he call me. On Saturday and Sunday I also left messages, but heard nothing back. I assumed that Monday and Tuesday were his days off and on Wednesday went into the store to see if I could speak to him. I was told that Wednesday and Thursday were his days off… but maybe someone "upstairs" could talk to me instead. Eventually a lady came along and said the Manager had actually handed my case over to her to deal with and apparently she had left me a message the day before… (I checked and yes, she had, but it was so unclear, I had no idea who she was). She said that we needed to contact the head office in Toronto to see how to deal with this - that she would call them and I should also call them.. and she gave me the number. I took her into the washroom and enacted what and how events unfolded .. noting that there was STILL no hook in the washroom.. and pointing this out to her… and she said, yes, they needed to get a hook installed for sure….
The following day (Thursday), I called the head office in Toronto and detailed the incident and how distressing it was and how expensive it was for me as a single (sole) parent of 3 children and having returned to college, to cover the cost of a new iPhone, and how I would really really appreciate if Canadian Tire could help me with the cost of this… and that that was the least they could do, since really, my bag was wrecked, my wallet was still drying out, my receipts all washed out and my makeup in poor shape after the incident… The woman I spoke with said, of course, she understood my distress, and would get back to me by Friday after discussing with ..(whoever)…
On Friday someone from Head Office called and said they had reviewed the incident and felt no obligation whatsoever for the incident and that is the end of the discussion.
I was curious to see 3 or 4 weeks later if they had got around to the hook yet.. and once again there was still no hook. I thought I would write to the Owner and tell him that I was disappointed that Canadian Tire hadn't stepped up to help with the cost of the phone, but I was insulted that they had not put a hook in the bathroom after the incident.. that it really showed a disregard for the distress the incident had caused me and a disrespect for me showing that I didn't matter…. I went online to retrieve his contact information and there, on their website cover page it says FIRST THING…
Canadian Tire
WE CARE
We Care about your experience in our store. Please contact us if you have any concerns…
https://www.canadiantire.ca/storelocator/store_profile.jsp;jsessionid=QB6C6FnnGjnV7vd2QqVLHC1Mn5TqW98XJnCBP7d1H7gh2562sJyC! -944717489? FOLDERfolder_id=1408474396672077&bmUID=1350679234946&store_num=366&from=sl
There was no email address for him and I wanted this to be in writing. I called the store, but they would not provide me with a direct email for him… I had to go through the woman if the office I had dealt with before. I emailed him requesting that he contact me regarding a matter of concern that I would like to bring to his attention. I got a reply from him shortly after which said his staff had already filled him in with the incident and they felt there was no need for further consideration. I wrote back again, saying that I was writing about the HOOK and how it had not been installed yet.. and how insulting this was to me, and in the light of their claim on the website to care, could he please give me the courtesy of a reply and tell me how come no hook had been installed yet and how exactly they have shown me they 'care'. Naturally I have not had a reply. (I can forward you this correspondence).
I cannot tell you how rude I think this is, and that they really cannot claim to care after the shoddy treatment I have received… rude, insulting, inconsiderate and unsympathetic. I have been a customer at Candadian Tire for 15 years or more and have spend 10s of thousands of dollars in their stores… I had a farm business and house renovation business in Ontartio for many years with my husband (before his passing)… and we literally spent many many thousands of dollars in their store. I did tell this to the Langford store and the head office, that I have been a very good and long time customer… I really cannot believe that this is how they treat me.
I would really love to hear back from you with your opinion about this and to let me know if there is any course of action I can take… I really don't feel inclined to let them get away with this easily and consider them to be lying when they say they care.. false claims!
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