Store policy stops Michaels from taking quarters as payment
Filed under: Shopping
Michaels, a craft store with over 900 locations in the U.S. and Canada, has taken a rather unique view on change -- or at least one store has. Recently the Michaels in Hemet, California wouldn't let a youngster, who was shopping for her mother's birthday present, pay for a $4 purchase in quarters. When she began counting out the 16 coins for the cashier she was informed that it was store policy not to accept change. This forced Hayden to borrow from her younger sister in order to ensure a happy birthday for her mom.I've put in an email to Michaels to find out if this ridiculous policy is in fact store policy, or simply an employee exercising poor customer service, but I haven't heard back from them yet. Even if such a policy exists, refusing to take 16 quarters for a purchase is simply lazy. I can see the same cashier refusing to take 16 singles next week because counting them would be too much of an inconvenience. Turning down this small of a quantity of change would obviously violate the spirit of any such policy if one exists.
If like me you wondered how a store can refuse a government issued coin, which is "legal tender for all debts public and private" it's because while these coins can be used to satisfy any debt, private businesses do not have to accept them. The Coinage act of 1965 set this policy into place meaning that coins and bills are a legal means of paying a creditor but allowing private businesses to set rules on forms of payment on their own.
I can understand how at some point a store might say that they won't take accept pennies for items over $20 since it can hold up all of the other customers. Aside from any store policy it's downright rude to pay for high ticket items only in change. I'm sure if you had asked me whether stores should ban all coin purchases 8 years ago while I was busy counting out $50 worth in my Kmart vest I would have agreed with you but stores shouldn't be banning reasonable amounts of change.
I think business need to remember, money is money, no matter how small and customer service is the most important of all. Taking change is simply good business and when many retailers are suffering poor same store sales; refusing to take cash of any kind is a surefire way to fail!
Reader Comments (Page 4 of 19)
9-30-2008 @ 7:41AM
jacko said...
MICHAELS NEEDS TO FIRE THAT DUMB LAZY HEMET BITCH FOR BEING SO LAZY AND STUPID,, I KNOW ITS TOUGH TO FIND A DECENT MINIMUM WAGE HOURLY EMPLOYEE IN HEMET, I ALSO RUN A SMALL BUSINESS IN HEMET BUT THERE ARE A FEW OUT HERE WHO WANT TO WORK THANK GOD
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9-30-2008 @ 7:36AM
Lisa said...
This is shocking to anyone? Have you experienced Michael's' "customer service" lately? It's non-existent. None of the store clerk's actually know anything about any sort of craft, and if you ask any of them about a particular product, the answer is usually, "Ummm, I think it's over there in the floral department." "But why would it be there, it's a scrapbooking item?" "OHHHHHHH, is that what it's for?! Wow!" Michael's doesn't care about it's customer base; they know crafters keep coming back no matter how badly they're treated. God bless Hobby Lobby!
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9-30-2008 @ 7:39AM
angelia said...
walmart did the same to my lil boy it was 5.00 in quarters the only reason she took it was because i was making a big stink about it
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9-30-2008 @ 7:40AM
Nancy said...
People, people people....look at your coins....go ahead....I'll wait.......
Okay...look at your paper money......
Now please tell me, where on the COIN does it say "legal tender for all debts, public and private"?
It only says that on the PAPER money.
Class over....you are dismissed
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9-30-2008 @ 8:20AM
Bob said...
Nancy: You ARE so right. That is why it irks me even more when I see gas stations stating "No bills larger than $20 posted" There I DO believe would be a challenge. Have a good one
9-30-2008 @ 7:39AM
rexanne daniels said...
I live in Hemet...trust me, this is NOT unusual. I stopped shopping at Michaels because the lack of help long ago. The shops here have really rude and uncaring personnel and it's sad. I know drive 23 miles to Temecula to do any craft shopping. Shopping at Home Depot is a crap shoot also. You ask someone for help, they excuse themselves to find an answer and forget to return.
Always an adventure!
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9-30-2008 @ 7:43AM
angelia said...
before the cashier would'nt take my sons change for a purchase i had gone to customer service to try and change the coins to dollars and they also told me no maybe they should think of putting a free change machine there instead of hurting a childs feelings
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9-30-2008 @ 7:43AM
Sandie Harrison said...
I hate shopping at Michael's. The cashiers are rude and I asked for a product in the art dept a few weeks ago and I couldn't read the small labels on the products on the bottom shelve (I am 73) and I gave the clerk the paper with the name of the product from my teacher and she gave me the wrong product saying it was the product but with a different manufacturer. It wasn't correct. Someone in my art class told me about a paint store that had art supplies. I gave the gal at the store the name of the product and she gave it to me and 10% off for going to an art class. Will shop with them again as they enlarge their art supplies. Hate Michael's.
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9-30-2008 @ 7:46AM
Brenda Dishon said...
I live in West Chester, Ohio and the Michaels near me is well known for their rude employees and lack of customer service. I've even heard employees from other stores talking about it.
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9-30-2008 @ 7:46AM
otrpu said...
Ain't been that long since man was accepting shiny rocks. . .that store clerk is a fool. And if it's store policy. . .they better kiss their ass goodby.
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9-30-2008 @ 7:54AM
retiringdela said...
Michael's must be doing a bang up business if they don't have to offer good customer service, and especially to a young girl who will, one day, be an adult shopping at A.C. Moore. Besides giving poor customer service, Michael's needs to clean up their aisle displays, offer more variety, get better lighting in their stores, and remind their employees, bottom to top, that a smile and good manners will bring in more customers than rudeness and dismissiveness. I hope this young girl will grow up to be in a position to buy Michael's, (if it still exists by then), and make it a much better place to shop. Until then, I shop at A.C. Moore!
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9-30-2008 @ 7:54AM
Trish said...
How absurd...Stay away from Michaels. That will fix them for being so stupid.
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9-30-2008 @ 7:55AM
Kevin said...
All monies are legal tender for all debt. Perhaps the customer needs to contact the U.S.Treasury in order to give all companies like Michael's a reality check.
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9-30-2008 @ 7:55AM
Nancy said...
These are the kinds of stories from which "urban legends" are born....How did the writer know the child's name was "Hayden"?
Hmmmmm?
Is the author of this news flash perhaps employed by a store that is in competition with Michael's, thus having ulterior motives?
Hmmmmm?
The writer has evidently forgotten all that he learned in basic English Composition class.....a story MUST tell Who, What, Where, When and Why.....as you can see, several elements are missing.
Besides...why did young Haden need to BUY something for her mother?????? Whatever happend to gluing macaroni to a piece of construction paper and stamping it with hand prints?
25 years from now I bet you would find the macaroni art in the bottom of mom's cedar chest, lovingly wrapped in paper......where do you think you will find the $4.00 trinket?
Hmmmmmm?
Once again....class dismissed......
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9-30-2008 @ 7:56AM
Elizabeth said...
I can not think Michael's would ever not take any kind of money.
They try to under cut small businesses to get their business.
Haven't you seen Michael's in action! If it was the cashier that
decided to be lazy, FIRE THE CASHIER>
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9-30-2008 @ 7:59AM
Hank said...
I know a Subway in Milton, WI that refused to give dollar bills as change. The manager would fire a cashier that did. This was before the dollar coins were accepted in vending machines. I never went back
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9-30-2008 @ 8:00AM
Dai said...
Nancy,
It makes no difference whether the paper money says Legal tender etc and the coinage does not.
Just google the question...... the Feds and www.snopes both agree. ALL US currency apart from some anomalous coinage and notes are legal tender in ANY quantity. Michaels is allowed to refuse the coins BUT has to state this in their trading rules.
In UK, legal tender is detailed in law but two parties who agree on payment, can use any method and any amount of coins they so choose.
I have no idea what the law is in Cyprus (where I live) because dealers accept cash and don't quibble about drivel like this.
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9-30-2008 @ 8:04AM
Rob said...
Maybe the cashier was unable to count the quarters. If that is the case, that is sadder than what she did to the little girl. Nice message you send Michaels and NO WONDER you have experienced financial issues.
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9-30-2008 @ 8:06AM
joyce said...
Nancy: As for your comment that coins do not read "legal tender" you must have been the stupid cashier who refused the young child's money. Either that or you are not AMERICAN!!
As for the policy: Unbelievable! I was a cashier many years ago in a poor community grocery store. The biggest forms of payments were paper food stamps, food vouchers, and change. These people didn't have paper money.
I use my change anytime I think of it. It is alot of added weight in my purse. If the amount is 79.99 and I think about it, I will give the cashier the .99. Let a cashier tell me I can't spend my change. After speeking with management I will leave my purchase and walk out. If it were the other way around and the purchase was 79.01 would the cashier give me .99 back or would she give me a dollar bill?? It works both ways.
Poor customer service is the biggest reason for failure in my book. It is also the main reason I will not shop some places.
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9-30-2008 @ 8:05AM
C said...
Simple - Don't shop at Michaels
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