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I have just walked in from work to hear my wife on the phone, apparently struggling with a conversation. I know that she was going to try and sort out a new tent today, so was more than surprised when she handed me the phone and told me, quite upset, that she was talking to Casey's Outdoor Leisure, who had just told her they refused to sell us a tent 'at any price'. I took the call, and a very angry and abusive lady yelled that she 'did not like my wife's 'tone' and had no tents for sale! When asked, very calmly, to outline the problem, she refused to do so. When asked what price her company would charge for the tent in question, I was told she had no intention of telling me because she would not sell to us.

My wife is entirely shocked and deeply upset and I am bloody angry. There is no way on earth that my wife would have been rude, or abusive, as was the behaviour coming our way from this assistant.

This response is absolutely unbelievable. HOW can an internet seller respond to a buyer in such a manner as this. I thought we had had problems with Aspinalls but this absolutely takes the biscuit.

This is the email which we have just sent to Casey's. It says it all, I hope:

there is no need for rudeness HELEN manners cost nothing, didnt your mother teach you that??

Liddenham, sounds like the 'sales' person, couldnt be bothered to price match IMO,

Fair enough, but why agree (said "we can't better price ut we can match...just have to confirm and will ring you back") then get really nasty and tell us she "has no tents for sale to us"????!!!!!

My wife is very very upset. Doesn't everyone search the net for best deal on tents etc? Nothing my wife did warrants this type of aggressive behaviour. For goodness sake, we were about to part with £1200 to this company and post positive reviews! This is madness!

I assume Helen is new to the retail world or she would know the customer is always right. I suggest that her employers send her on a course in Customer Relations as her skills in that department seem to be sadly lacking.

I have worked in Retail for nearly 10 years now and before that also dealt with the public in another position for a number of years, and I have NEVER come across such a display of bad manners and unprofessional conduct such as this before. Casey`s Outdoor Leisure should apologise immediately for their employees disgraceful attitude, Helen should be disciplined in whatever form Casey`s have in place for this sort of behaviour (in my opinion a slap on the wrist is a little inadequate) and your order should be dealt with immediately and definitely price matched!

Anyone who produces that sort of response when faced with the possibility of a £1200 sale needs a very firm word from the boss, if not outright dismissal. Though perhaps Helen is one of the bosses?

It will be interesting to hear the response to your email, plus any direct response here. In the meantime, I hope your missus is feeling less upset. Remind her that there are some pretty odd people out there, but the majority are nice folk!

I presume your tent order has gone to Norwich Camping?

My wife was a health care professional, and has worked with people from all walks of life, with whom she has real empathy. I have never witnessed her being rude to anyone, and we have been together for 23 years now! She might have expressed her disappointment that Helen had kept her waiting all afternoon for nothing, but certainly would not have been rude about it.

Just for the record, another retailer,  NORWICH CAMPING telephoned after this silliness, and communication could not have been more different. RYAN spoke to my wife at length, and had no problems at all in agreeing the price which Casey's had just got in a such a state about. He was helpfulness itself, courteous and informative. Just a pity he does not have the tent for immediate despatch! We might just wait and go with him - did want a new tent for next week but not from a retailer with such appalling communication skills.

enjoy your new tent from NORWICH CAMPING,

and dont let a silly woman with no manners ruin the enjoyment of buying a nice new tent

Well,

not without a lot of grovelling from them and a HUGE discount as a gesture of goodwill !