Where Oh Where Has Customer Service Gone?

I am a self-proclaimed vigilante for many things, such as Pro-Choice (but personally pro-life), recycling, and the right to excellent shoes at rock-bottom prices (thank you DSW), but my most recent "Cause" is Customer Service (or the lack thereof). In this day and age, the mighty dollar trumps good service (don't agree? Two words: The Walmart) and I try very hard to give my business to those establishments that treat me nice. Which is why I am still utterly shocked by the following that occured yesterday.

I ran into my local grocery store (am I even allowed to say the chain name? Well it's not like anyone's reading this, so I don't have a lot of fear of retaliation. Okay, it was Albertson's) to grab a few things. I am always, always a bargain shopper and I spend a lot of time in the aisles with a calculator figuring out the per-ounce cost. So I was delighted to see that my normal bread purchase had dropped in price from $2.19 to $1.99. Not on sale, but a permanent change. It really is the little things for me. So I bought a loaf.

After paying, I looked over my receipt and saw that I was charged $2.19, so over to the customer service counter I head. And experienced the following exchange:

Cashier: May I help you?
Me: Yes (putting bread on counter and handing her the receipt) This bread is $1.99 and I was charged $2.19.
Cashier: (looks at receipt) Sorry. Is it okay if I just give you the difference? (assuming a yes answer, she already has her drawer open and is pulling out a couple of dimes)
Me: Well...isn't your policy to refund the total price if it rings up incorrectly?
Cashier: Yes.
......a few beats of silence as we stare at each other......
Me: Well - then no, that is not okay. I'd like the full refund.
Cashier: Oh.....okay. (and she busies herself with the transaction)
Me: (after thinking for a minute) Why would you offer me just the difference if the policy is a full refund?
Cashier: (Shrugs)
Me: Really? That's all you've got? Why would you do that?
Cashier: Well, they tell us to try to get people to just take the difference to save money.
Me: But that's not policy, right?
Cashier: No.
Me: Wow, I wouldn't think that's a way to save money. I'd think that's a way to lose customers.
Cashier: (smiling brightly as she hands me my $2.19) Oh well.

I really have a problem with this! Now, she was pleasant enough, sure, but still - the message was clear: Bad Customer Service. How many people have taken the difference never knowing the policy? Why is this an okay way to do business? Why not just do away with the policy altogether and not force cashiers to try and slide one over on the customer?

I called my husband on my way home and vented for about 3x the amount of time than the actual encounter. When I was done with my fist in the air rant, he waited a second and then said, "So, then, how much did you spend at the store?" *sigh* A vigilante's work is lonely at times.

PS: My company that is getting off the ground - we are committed to 100% Customer Service. We have high aspirations in this area. Full refunds for dissatisfaction, period. I will never subject my employees or my customers to the ridiculous game of "Who knows the policy?" It's unethical, it's un-sportsman-like, and it's just plain wrong. I don't ever want to stumble across a blog post of someone complaining about our service. Complaints that we suck will be okay, but not that we suck and we're schmucks.

And PSS: I do think Albertson's just lost a customer. It's the principle of it now.