Salvation Army

i entered the store with a heavy backpack and asked if i could store it at the registers while i shopped. I got in a long check out line a few minutes before the store closed, and the cashier fetched my backpack before our transaction; i was about to forget it. excellent customer service.

Salvation Army is cheaper than Goodwill. if you go on Wednesdays, it becomes even more affordable, as this location does a half-​off-​just-​about-​everything sale on Wed each week.
plus, this is the only Salvation Army in the Portland area that stocks furniture. as with all thrifting, it’s hit or miss. the fact that this location is so *giant* means there’s an increased chance of discovering something really great.
word to the wise, tho: avoid the dressing rooms, if possible. they tend to be, eh, not so clean.

Upon entering this HUGE Salvation Army warehouse space, I was greeted by a friendly colorful sign that in giant printed letters said «½ OFF ALL COLORED TAGS» (which I later found out is the sale every Wednesday and I also found out that in tiny letters the sign ALSO read «except pink tags»). I grabbed a blue squeaky cart and made my way to the furniture section. I turned my back on my cart for literally 30 seconds while looking at an overpriced «vintage» vanity and when I turned to grab my cart, it was gone! On my way back to the front of the store to grab a new cart, I spotted my cart thief shopping in the childrens section. I felt better about my cart donation going towards a cause as good as the children. I scanned the rest of the furniture but stayed away from anything with cushions for fear of bed bugs, because this store is FILTHY. Dusty and dirty. REALLY dusty. So dusty, in fact, that my dust mite allergy flared up and i had to use my inhaler!
I scanned the shoe racks, which was probably the highlight of my trip: their used shoe section was impressive on this particular day– a lot of great used and vintage shoes with colored tags!
I waited in the checkout line about 5 people deep with a cart full of things that I probably would not have purchased if they weren’t half price color tags, but feeling like I was getting a deal inspired me to splurge! As he rang up my items, I tried to make his job easier by removing the hangers from the clothes my self. There was one dress without a tag that he decided to price as a $ 4.99 pink tag dress. this seemed fine because i thought it would actually cost $ 2.50, as a ½ price colored tag (or so I thought)! When the sales clerk told me my total was $ 100, my mouth dropped open and I asked if he took the 50% off all my colored tags– to which, he answered «yes.» In complete SHOCK, I gave him my credit card, and when I scanned the receipt and saw that most of my items hadn’t been discounted. When I told him he DID forget to discount most of my items he said that he didn’t because «they were pink tags.» «…but ‘PINK’ is a color!» I replied. Then, he explained that all colored tags EXCEPT pink were ½ price and most of my colored tags were of the pink hue. I asked if we could void some of them items and he tauntingly waved the receipt and said that the card had already gone through. I said, «So there’s nothing you can do?» «Nope, Have a nice day,» he said. I grabbed my cart angrily, and went out to the parking lot, and then decided to speak with someone of more authority. I walked straight past the check-​out counter and up to the first clerk I ran into who was wearing a lanyard with keys and asked if she was a manager. She was! I explained the situation to her: that I had not read the part of the sign that omitted pink from being a colored tag and could not afford the $ 100 total that I was charged. She told me that I could choose the items that I wished to return and she would give me my money back. I returned about half of the items, while my manager in shining armor saved the day and key-​flicked each return patiently, as my former male clerk re-​hung each item.
Aside from the one good experience of the Salv Army manager providing great customer service, I left with a bad taste in my mouth (literally and figuratively). I, myself, work in Customer Service and I did not expect to find good customer service here, but I also did not expect to find such horrendous customer service.
Lessons learned (if I ever DO return to this Salv):
1. For the love of all that is holy, DO NOT FORGET YOUR INHALER!!!
2. Read and then RE-​READ the sale sign– pay extreme attention to the small font.
3. Hold onto your cart for dear life and head STRAIGHT to the shoes! Pay for shoes and then leave.