DavidLeR

New member
Once in a while we get some young clerks or cashiers posting here.

They often seem genuinely surprised that many people deeply despise a company that they apparently think is simply awesome.

The problem could be one of perspective. Possibly they are genuinely unaware of the wider context of the Canadian retail landscape in general, and of the history on this forum in particular.

This site is read by consumers all across the country. While these young people have undoubtedly gained valuable experience at one or more Canadian Tire stores, the practices and procedures they’ve observed are unlikely to be the same for many readers of this site. It is valuable for this site to provide customers with warnings of the practices they may face at various locations. As we can all read here, some of these practices are reprehensible.

It is also important for to consider the policies and level of service offered by other retailers operating in the same market. While these young people are clearly proud of their store, much discussion on this site has addressed the many differences between CT and its competitors. The policies and customer service provided by other retailers have been shown to be superior to those of Canadian Tire. We hear regularly from consumers who expected Crappy to offer the same polices as other major retailers, and are distraught to learn that Crappy falls so far short of that standard.

Another dimension, of which they may be unaware, is the historical place that Canadian Tire has occupied in the hearts of Canadians. Formerly, The Tire was respected for its lenient return policies, wide selection of hardware merchandise, and enthusiastic customer service. Sadly, this former greatness has lapsed, and been replaced with feeble (but presumably more profit-oriented) alternatives. Changes to return policies are a particular sore point, which has been exacerbated by an appalling lack of transparency regarding the newly-imposed restrictions, in particular the reviled “Repair Only” policy that Crappy has adopted for many products. Many a Canadian reports having their nostalgic views shattered when something goes awry, and they discover that Crappy ain’t what it used to be.

Looking beyond an individual retailer’s policies, many consumers are very interested in the laws regarding consumer goods, advertising practices, personal privacy, and related issues. While it is important for us to understand how stores operate, it is also important that consumer be informed of the laws governing the stores’ interactions with us, and related voluntary codes, such as Ontario’s Scanning Code of Practice. This is complicated by the fact that laws and rules vary among provinces/territories. As they may have read, there are many discrepancies between what is required by the law and codes, and what Crappy Tire provides via its policies.

They may also be unaware that other young CTers have come before them, painting a similar, naively rosy view of The Red Triangle. At first, we were patient with them, carefully pointing out their misguided views. Eventually, though, the burden of correcting their numerous errors got to be too much, and the responses they received became increasingly pointed and abrupt. They are just one more in a long line of Young Defenders. As the process has been condensed, harsher treatment has been doled out sooner.

Another piece of history is the despicable track records of their Canadian Tire colleagues on this site. People such as the notorious CT-Me/Law-Guy have repeated lied to Canadian consumers on this site, and told shocking lies about the consumers who frequent this forum. One character, known as Angry CT Guy, descended into repetitive and mindless trolling – but blessedly, he seems to have found another venue in which to unleash his venom. In the reflected light of their colleagues’ checkered past, they are likely being viewed as ‘cut from the same cloth’.

And I haven’t even touched on the deplorable automotive service, and the atrocious reputation the service department have earned among the Canadian public.

I suppose from their vantage point, the impatience and harshness displayed by some consumers on this site may seem unreasonable. The hostility they see expressed towards Crappy Tire may seem unjustified, especially if they are enamored with the store. But in the wider context of the market place, and on this site specifically, the impatience and harshness are understandable (albeit unpleasant for the recipient).

Finally, despite the name “Canadian Tire Sucks .net”, it may have eluded them that this is actually a forum for sharing anti-Crappy-Tire sentiments and consumer warnings. It should be no surprise that posts that blithely tout the purported virtues of Crappy Tire, and the people who post them, do not receive a warm reception here.

That being said, perhaps some day, after they’ve seen a little more of the world, they will look back on the experiences of their youth and say, “Gee, maybe Canadian Tire DOES suck!”
 

CTH8R

New member
You're too generous.

At the very least they are negligent.

More likely they are deliberately misleading consumers.
 
Top