On Menards expands into development

Posted on November 21 at 6:52 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

I'm a 65 year old bus driver. 2 months ago my home suffered a flood disaster. Most days since, I've been in Menard's buying everything under the sun. The toll must be in the thousands by now. I've enjoyed many of the sweet staff I see daily. Lastnight, Friday the 13th of November 2009, we were there once more. After a purchase of $310.00, I was not allowed out of the store before my MEA bag I use as a purse was searched. I was not nice about it, pointing out that I've been in there every day for 2 months and have never been treated in that humiliating and insulting way before. They weren't nice either, saying they (a particularly predatory little girl and a manager) work there every day and have never seen me in there before. They said they have a new policy to search every bag going in and then again on the way out. They haven't lost their best customer, I'm sure, but I was doing my part......operative word being WAS. I may take advantage of their very nice restroom in the future, but I won't spend money there again. The manager will be shown my pile of receipts Monday morning.
11~16~2009 Well, I took in the receipts. I was targeted the moment I entered. There was elbow nudging and mumbling along with sneering expressions. The manager was the same who waylaid me Friday night. He said I didn't have to bring them in and was reluctant to look at them. Finally he took a quick glance. He wasn't interested in anything I said, just talked over me repeating that he was just doing his job and anyone entering with an oversize bag will be searched. I said I know people with purses bigger than mine. He said, then they will have to leave them up front. He didn't care at all that he lost a pretty good customer. He actually said that's fine, when I said I couldn't shop under those circumstances. Seems like his job should have something to do with hanging onto loyal patrons. Until now it was my favorite store.
I contacted guest services. They seemed concerned at first and promised to look into the matter, but it's been over a week now, and it feels to me it has been accepted as is and dropped. No one should be made to feel too uncomfortable to enter a store unless they have done something wrong. It's really too bad. I've talked to a lot of people. No one I know would submit to that treatment.