Harsh Words.

So today I wrote a harsh letter to the corporate office of Family Dollar. I'll let y'all read it:

Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to inform you that I will no longer be patronizing your store and to let you know why. On April 4th at approximately five oclock in the afternoon I entered your store in North Adams. I walked about 10 feet into the store when one of your employees barked out at me "You have to leave your bag at the front," or something to that effect. She did not ask nicely; in fact she said it quite harshly. I understand that your store might have serious shoplifting problems, and normally I would not have a problem with leaving my backpack behind the front counter. So I went over to the area near the registers, and there was no clear area for bags to be left. So the clerk then said "You can leave it over there," indicating an insecure area near the register closest to the wall. She was just plain rude about it, however. Still, I intended to continue shopping. As a full-time student, I need to watch every penny and Family Dollar usually has some good deals, particularly on notebooks and miscellaneous school supplies. As I was making my way into the store, I noticed that about half of the 8 or so customers in line all had bags or purses on them. So it appears to me that I was singled out as a potential shoplifter upon entering your store. I dont like to take things of this nature personally, but being yelled at and being picked out as a possible thief really offended me. As your store is a deep-discount retailer, I do not expect a particularly high level of customer service from you. I don't need to be greeted or asked if I need help or anything, and I actually don't even really expect it from your type of store. However, the treatment I received in your store is really beyond the pale. I went next door to CVS, and I found what I was looking for (a highlighter and some folders). I may have paid slightly more, but it is worth 50 cents or a dollar more to me to be treated with a modicum of respect. I suspect your store will not be able to compete if your level of customer service remains unchanged. There is a CVS, a Brooks, and the Big Y in the immediate area, along with a Wal-Mart within easy driving distance, all of which provide a much friendlier atmosphere for shopping.

That was fun. I think I will write more harsh letters in the future.