Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Coupons & Discounts

I have noticed lately that customers may be getting confused with some of the discounts Kohls offers. Understandable. After all, it seems a new coupon is released every week and some are having trouble keeping up with what's valid and what's expired. So I want to clear a few things up and give you wonderful customers a couple of reminders.

A friendly tip before we get started: Kohls now asks that you have your coupon present/with you when you check out. The company used to honor % off discounts based on the customers word. However, once again, too many people took advantage of this privilege. We've noticed that too many people who came in without their coupon would claim they had 30% when they did not really get that discount. As a result, Kohls would now like proof.

If you forget your coupon, just bring back in your receipt with the coupon and Kohls will do an adjustment or we can put it on hold for you.

30%, 20% and 15% Off Discounts
A.K.A. Scratch Offs or Peel Offs. These coupons are mailed out to Kohls Card holders only. The % discount one receives is completely random and can be 15%, 20% or even 30%. If you do not get one mailed to you (which can sometimes happen), just ask a cashier during the scratch off event if you can try a scratch card. Again, you can ONLY participate and receive the scratch off % if you have and use a Kohls Card.

If you don't have a Kohls Card but would like to get this discount, you can sign up for a card at check out and scratch for your % discount.

This discount is good on anything in the store EXCEPT gift cards and the Kohls Cares for Kids plush toys and books since they are charity.

These coupons are NON-TRANSFERABLE. Please respect this rule. I have had people come in with a neighbor's 30% or a co-workers discount and we would not accept it. That discount was meant for the customer it was mailed to. If you are present when with your coupon and let your friend check out with it in your company, that's fine as long as they use a Kohls Card as well.

Email & Internet Coupons
At any check out counter in Kohls you have the option to sign up for Kohls email. This sends you sales alerts and even extra coupons, mostly a 15% off offer. Just print and bring it in or bring it up on your smart phone at check out. Once you sign up, the first email is a confirmation email (check your spam if you don't see it) to make sure it is the right address. You will receive this email between 24-48 hours after signing up. Once confirmed, you will get your first emailed coupon ($5 off next purchase) within the following 24 hours.

If you 'LIKE' the Kohls page on Facebook, you can also receive extra discounts and offers, as well as participate in gift card give-aways and contests.

BEWARE OF COUPON WEBSITES! Kohls rarely, or never, releases a coupon outside their Facebook page, email offer, or card holder domain. Most other websites have FAKE Kohls coupons and discounts. So please be careful.

Email coupons for $5 off purchase ONLY WORK ONCE. We have had people come in with multiple printouts of the same $ off coupon trying to use it more than once. However, the computers know if the coupon has already been used once it's scanned. So it won't work again.

$10 Gifts & Coupons
These ones are tricky. The $10 gifts received in the mail for a card holders Birthday have changed several time, but the current change allows you to now get your $10 gift back as a store credit if the items purchased with it are returned. Sort of like Kohls cash.

There are $10 coupons with specific offers as well. Like $10 off Men's apparel, casual and dress shoes. Or $10 off Kids clothes and shoes. Or $10 off Women's dress or casual shoes, purses and accessories. Read their inclusions carefully. These are also random mailers and don't appear often. These coupons SPLIT the $10 discount between each item that qualifies under said coupon.

Kohls Cash: Please see my three entries for this from February.

REMINDERS:
1. CHECK THE DATES ON THE COUPON! Just because you received a coupon in the mail, does not mean it is instantly valid to use that same day. They are usually sent out a week in advance. For some reason I have had a lot of customers lately coming in with their coupons several days before they start, and we can't give it to them. Once they expire, they're done.
2. KOHLS NEEDS TO SEE YOUR COUPON. Please see the above tip again at the top of the page.
3. NOT ALL COUPONS REQUIRE YOU TO USE YOUR KOHLS CHARGE CARD. Once more, read your coupons carefully. Scratch Offs and Pick-your-day coupons require use of your Kohls charge. Internet, email, Friends & Family, and shopping passes DO NOT require use of the charge card.

Hope this helps folks. Please comment if you have any questions or to ask me to cover something I may have missed/forgotten to write. Happy shopping! Until next time. :)

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Parenting: You're Doing it Wrong

Sooooo...something interesting and horrible happened last week when I went to work in the afternoon. And it pushed me to write about a few memories involving children and parents of those children. The first story is what happened last week. Everything else is from the past 5 years, or at least the most memorable ones, of parents who just shouldn't be parents.

Last week:
I was helping customers do returns as one of our security staff kept coming to the front desk and paging the owner of a van. They recited the license number. No one came up to claim the vehicle. I asked if someone hit their car or something, and security simply shook their head and said the owner of the van left a young toddler ALONE in it. He was screaming and crying. Apparently the police were outside with the child after getting him out. My thought was that if the parent or person responsible for the child hadn't come up yet, perhaps they were shopping somewhere else along the strip. Which either way is just downright wrong and neglectful. I don't care if you just need to run in for 5 minutes to grab something. You do not leave a young child alone in the car! Needless to say, I saw the police leave almost 40 minutes after I was told the news. Didn't get to see who they talked to, but that's absolutely unacceptable.

Some Time Ago:
 I remember going to the back one day to get a drink from the water fountain/bubbler (whatever you call it). Naturally, the bathrooms are located there too. In between the area that divides the men's and women's bathrooms, was a stroller with an infant girl. Not a parent or even another person in sight. Shocked, I stayed by her smiling side until...her grandmother came out of the bathroom. Didn't say a word. Just waved at me, took the stroller and walked on. What if I wasn't there?! Someone else could have easily taken that baby and walked off. This is the kind of crap that puts children at risk of being snatched!  

One of my fellow associates told me about how she witnessed a mother shopping, and kept moving to racks further and further away from her cart, not taking it with her. The cart also held her infant child. She was eventually half way across the department, leaving her child unattended. The associate finally went up to her and told her she needs to keep her child with her at all times. The woman's response: "Oh, but she's fine. I can still see from here." Not the point.....

Another associate told me about how another mother left her 2 or 3 children alone in our store while she went to other shops along the strip. She was gone for over an hour. WE ARE NOT A DAYCARE. Take your kids with you or find a babysitter.

I have more, but these are some of the most ridiculous stories I've encountered. But just in case, let me remind some of you parents out there of a few things.

1. Kohls, or any department store, is NOT a free daycare or daycare provider of any kind. Associates are not paid to watch your kids. THEY ARE YOUR RESPONSIBILITY!

2. Do NOT leave them alone or unattended in the store, or especially IN A CAR. The police could get involved.

3. If your child starts to throw a fit/screaming/unstoppable crying, please leave and take them outside if they cannot be calmed within a minute. You can always come back when they've settled. We can always put things on hold for you too.


4. Why do you bring your tired 2 year old out shopping at 10:30 pm when we close at 11 pm (during certain sales)? Take your kid home! It's late, they're tired, you can come back in the morning. Or find someone who can watch them at home for an hour. That's like the parents who brought infants into a theater for a midnight showing of a horror movie! Well, maybe not as bad, but still.



 I would like to know if you have any stories involving neglectful parents or just poor parenting while shopping anywhere. I know people don't want others telling them how to raise their kids, but some parents just really need advice. So share some parenting advice for shopping if you have any as well.
Until next time folks :)