Orscheln Farm & Home

On 3-24-23, I went to Orscheln in Durant, Oklahoma to return a 55 lbs bag of potting soil that I had bought the day before, after I realized I did not need. I had gone there and even paid more for it, than all their competitors, because I wanted to give them business, instead of Walmart. But I was treated like dirt. The day before, when I purchased it, they scanned a bar code at the register, and told me that I would have to go outside and get it and load it myself, which I did. So when I returned it the next day, I pulled right up to the stack, to put it back, but first went into the store with my receipt. As I went in, I saw the older lady walking in from outside, who had sold it to me. I approached the only checker who was not checking, a female clerk (who I later learned is named Carly). I told her I had a return, showed her my receipt, and asked what I needed to do. She looked around clueless and behaved like she was annoyed with me. I proceeded to explain my reason from returning the UNOPENED soil. She was not interested, and not listening to me, and rolling her eyes. I asked if she, or someone was available to come outside and see that I had indeed brought back said item. I even offered to lift it (again) and stack it back on it’s original place. She asked if it was unopened, which I had already told her, was not. And then she out of nowhere, starting getting an attitude. She (Carly) started telling me that she can’t leave the front of the store. At that point the older lady who sold it to me the day before walked up. I asked if she could accompany me out. Then Carly became more hostile and told me “NO, she can’t leave either” and that if I wanted a refund, I “would have to take a shopping cart out, load it, and bring it back in”. I asked where the carts were, and she said “I don’t know, you’ll have to find one”. What was strange is, she never offered me an option how to return the item. All she could tell me is things they would NOT do, but nothing they could do to assist me in my return. I went outside, got the bag of soil, and brought it in. I came back to the register to find a different woman (who’s name I learned later is Jamie), who looked even more angry and frustrated than the last. There were no customers in the line when I walked up to the register. The woman ignored me, and was punching some buttons for a long time on the register. I quietly waited. While I as waiting, I saw the older lady (whom I was told “could not leave the store”) carrying a box outside for a customer. After being ignored (while my son & mother were waiting outside in my truck all this time), I asked the woman at the register, what the process for getting a refund on a return is. She looked at me as if she hated me for bothering her. She told me she was busy and told me that I would have “to get in line”. I told her that I am in line. She told me I would have to get at the back of the line. I looked outside of the 2 register lines, and there were extremely long lines forming at both. I asked which one. She told me either one. She told me that I would have to get at the back of the line that was at this point behind me. I told her that when I got there, there was nobody but me, and I could not understand why I had to get at the back of the line, when I was there before the line even formed. Her face literally turned red with anger. She snarled her nose up at me, and started ranting at me that customers come first. I told her that I thought I was a customer. The man behind me raised his hand, and asked her to please take care of me. He knew I was already there. Several people behind me were obviously not happy with Jamie’s attitude, because while she was being hateful to me, they kept shaking their heads, in shock and dissatisfaction. Jamie became even angrier at me when the man asked her to help me. She came over and grabbed the shopping cart violently, and literally started yelling at me. Wanting to know why I was bringing it back etc. I told her that I was not going to stand there and be yelled at, asked her to call a manager. She called for one, and started becoming sarcastic, in addition to hostile in everything she said. She demanded again why I was bringing it back. I told her I did not need it. She demanded to know why. I told her that all she needed to know was I no longer needed it, and it was unopened, and I had the receipt. That is all she realistically needed to know. At this point, I had had enough of this treatment. I found it odd, that when I had tried to tell Carly why I as returning the item, she could not care less, and was annoyed by having to listen to me. All of a sudden they needed details. Oddly enough, Carly, who was too busy to help me and said she “was about to leave”, was now back standing behind me, glaring at me, and rolling her eyes at me. At this point I’m still hoping the manager will come. The anger and hostility coming from Jamie, (and even Carly who was sticking around for some unknown reason, even though she had told me 15 minutes prior to this debacle that she was “about to leave” when refusing me service) was ridiculously high, and totally unwarranted. Jamie yelled at me “first and last name”! I told her there was no way I was going to give someone like her my first and last name, especially seeing that I had proof of purchase. She told me I had to give it to her, or there would be no refund. I told her “John Smith”. To this Jamie smirked, rolled her eyes and said loudly, “oh yeah right, John Smith”! as if I was lying. When she said that, the people in line behind me, started looking at her shaking their heads at her behavior. John Smith is not my name, but she didn’t know that, and the fact that didn’t mind calling me a liar says even more about her. Then she wanted to know my physical address. What is so bizarre and unacceptable about all of this, is this kind of information is what you get when someone brings back an opened product with no proof of purchase, and I had a receipt/proof of purchase for an unopened product/brand that they know good and well that they carry! She made another snide comment about me not giving her my real FULL name. I asked what her full name was. She turned around and yelled it at me. I didn’t listen to her last name, because I really didn’t care. I was making a point that it didn’t matter because of my proof of purchase and the fact that I don’t feel comfortable giving my personal information to psychotic people. She kept yelling “did you hear me”, “are you satisfied”? I could not believe that she would A: treat anyone the way she was treating me. And B: would treat me that way in front of all the other customers behind me. I told her that she could put a made up address in there for all I cared, because there was no way I was going to give it to her. I told her that she could put 123 elm street in, Then after all that, she demanded I give her my phone number. I told her I did not have a phone number. She kept demanding to know my phone number. I asked her what part of my telling her that I DON’T have a phone number could she not understand. I told her I have a cell number, and again, she was not getting that either. I told her to feel free to make one up. Not only is this useless information that NO OTHER RETAIL STORES MAKE YOU PROVIDE WHEN YOU BRING IN PROOF OF PURCHASE, but I may have given it, if the person asking me for it was not showing clear signs of AGGRESSIVE INSANITY. At this point Carly (who needed to leave?) gave me one last angry glaring look, and said “oh my God”, laughed sarcastically, rolled her eyes, then told Jamie she would “see her later” and FINALLY left. Jamie said Okay. Then, also finally, the manger (Danny) arrived looking around. I told him that it was I who had requested him. I told him that I wanted to make a complaint to him after I received my money back (that I had to go through hell for). He said okay. Then Jamie turned around with a piece of paper and yelled at me to “SIGN THIS”! Then she returned my money, slammed each bill and coin into my palm as she counted it, and was talking very loudly, an said with extreme rudeness and sarcasm, “thaaaaannnnnnk yoooooou soooooo much, it was such a pleasure to have you, have a niiiiiicccccce day”, as she rolled her eyes and smirked at me. Then she shook her head and walked away. (I think it’s important to note that none of the Orscheln employees were wearing name tags). Danny (manager on duty) followed me outside and I asked him if he noticed the way she treated me right in front of him?? He told me he indeed did notice, and disapproved of it. I told him in all honesty, that I have always been of the opinion, that if a business’ employee has the guts to treat customers badly in front of their boss, then the problem is with the boss, more than the employee, because they obviously have been given confirmation that it’s okay to act that way without consequences or repercussions. He told me that she had been there for a really long time. I told him perhaps too long. Danny was nice to me. He told me that he was very unhappy with the way I was treated, and “would talk with them” (Carly & Jamie). I told him, that if I were their boss, they would be fired on the spot. He did tell me that it was company policy to ask all of that personal information even with proof of purchase. I informed him that no other retail store did that. I told him that I could have gotten that same potting soil for cheaper and both Walmart, The Tractor Supply, Feed Stores, Nurseries, and several other places in town for cheaper, and with no hassles if I returned it to any of them. (There are several Mom & Pop Nurseries all over town, one even close to my home). And this major hassle, and bad treatment was the thanks I got giving Orscheln my business. Big mistake. I told him I would NEVER, ever, under any circumstances do business with them again. He apologized and we said goodbye. He and I had zero trouble communicating. And it was all because he was treating me like a human being (unlike the other employees, Carly & Jamie), and I in turn, treated him with courtesy and politeness. The fact is, that nobody who treats me with just the bare minimum courtesy and professional behavior EVER has ever had a problem with me. Orscheln retail store in Durant Oklahoma has out of control, rude, hateful, and hostile & aggressive employees, who have no business dealing with the public. EVER. Lastly, I called Orscheln Corporate Customer Service on this same day. Got answering machine telling me to leave my name & number. I did. 17 days later, I still have not gotten a returned call..
Apr 9th, 2023

May 23rd, 2022

Very friendly staff
May 19th, 2022

Great selections.
May 19th, 2022

May 18th, 2022