All Made Up 2 or How I Got Someone "Fired" Over the Holidays

If you will recall, shortly before the Holidays I went to Mario T's and got my makeup done. I was very happy with the results. It was all nice and polished and refreshing with a slightly smoky eye. The look was exactly what I needed. I run my own non-profit business, and I need to look polished so that I seem competent when I meet prospective donors and other professionals. Plus I need to inspire a little confidence in the teens I work with.

So, anyway, I thought it was perfect, and. . . high on make-up fumes or something I purchased a lot. (About $250 worth to be exact.)

About two hours later, I came down from the fumes and realized what I had done. I couldn't justify that expense to myself, much less to my Honey who is currently working 60 and 80 hour weeks. So I resolved that I would return the product (after I went to Target and looked for replacements.) Needless to say, I went to Target and replaced about $180 of that make-up for $29. Lesson #1 learned: you really can get the same look for less.

I called Mario T's to confirm that the writing on the bottom of their receipt was true. The young lady on the phone agreed that I could, indeed, return those items. However, if I had any custom blend items, I would only get store credit for those. Ok, I thought, and returned the $45 liquid foundation to my make-up box. If I couldn't get my money back, I might as well keep the product.

Then the Good Stuff began. . . .

When I arrived at the salon, the young ladies behind the counter were helpful enough. The first understood my woes, but her cash register was not set up to do returns, so she passed me off to the young woman to her left. This one got busy fixing me up. She asked me to wait a moment and came back with a certificate for credit.

"I wanted a refund," I said.

"That's a refund," she assured me.

"Are you sure? It looks like an in store credit," I said.

"No. It is a refund," she said.

I took about three steps out of the store, and had to turn around and go back.

"Ok," I said. "I'm kind of stupid about these things, but when I say I want a refund, that means that I expect to look at my Discover Card bill and see $89.00 go back into my account. Will I see that when I look at my bill? Or does this slip of paper mean I get to come back here and get $89 worth of something done to me."

"You get $89 worth of services," she said brightly.

"Look. If it was okay to spend $89 here at this time, I would have kept the make-up. I wanted a refund."

"Yeah. . . . Well, I don't know how to undo it now," she said, "and our manager won't be here til Tuesday. Can I have her call you?"

"I really want this taken care of today," I said.

By this time, the first girl I talked to was getting agitated and kept asking the second girl why she had done such a thing. The second girl looked at her and said that she was told that she was always supposed to give in store credits unless a manager said otherwise. (Lesson #2: Always deal with a manager at Mario T's.)

Tuesday came and went. No Phone call. I started calling at various times of day until I got through on the following Saturday. When I explained the situation to the manager, her first words were unlucky because she said, "Well . . . I'm not sure how we can fix that."

Aaagh! I lost it (just a tiny bit.) "Well, you better figure it out," I said. I then received a lecture about how rude I was and how my behavior was uncalled for. (I personally don't think one tight lipped snap deserved it under the circumstances, but . . . I will admit this was my first dealing with her.)

I explained my frustration, and how those particular words were not at all what I needed to here at that momemnt. Then I told her about the comment that it was policy to always give credit, not refunds, even though the store states that they do make refunds. Then the manager tells me she understands my frustration, and I should rest easy because "that girl has been fired."

(That really doesn't make me feel any better you know. Even though I'm hoping it was a line of crap, all I wanted was for "that girl" to get a firm talking to. I really don't want to think of any of my complaints causing someone to be unemployed at the Holidays. I really don't want to have that big of an impact on the world.)

Writing this reminds me that I have to check my Discover Card bill for the credit. I have been out of town and have not heard anything about the whole transaction since I was assured that it was taken care of. The nightmare may not yet be over. Dee de Dee de ... Dee de dee de . . .

(Here's hoping that sounded like Twilight Zone music to you.)