I'm displeased to report that I had a rather unpleasant situation with the Opry Mills Mall Bass Pro yesterday that still has my blood boiling. Basically, they are not honoring their circular Memorial Day Sales advertisement by giving military personnel the discount as claimed on the front of their ad. I find it to be an advertising ploy that is, at the very least, distasteful and exploiting. Here is the copy of their ad, as well as a copy of my email sent to the corporate office earlier today. This letter has already obtained the attention of several individuals within the corporate office, and I would encourage anyone who disagrees with this practice to contact and complain to both the Nashville location (615-514-5200) and corporate office at www.basspro.com.

I don't expect everyone to understand why I'm so pissed about this, but I took great offense to the situation once I realized the store's business practice was simply exploiting military support in order to gain public sales through a false patriotic promotion.

Dear Bass Pro Shops Corporate Office,

I am a Military Police Officer with a guard unit in Nashville, Tennessee. Yesterday I was very unsatisfied with the treatment and policy of your local store located at Opry Mills Mall. The matter is in regard to a circular that was mailed out (and displayed on your website) advertising an additional discount on purchases made by military personnel.

I have been a long time customer of Bass Pro Shops, however I can assure you that I will not be doing business with you again until my conditional satisfaction is obtained. I will be informing all my military brethrens, friends, professional colleagues, as well as using the internet to pass my negative experience along to customers who value the treatment of their Nation’s service men and women. I take great offense to a business that gains any benefit for allowing the general public to believe they are in support of our troops, when in fact it is only taking advantage of an advertising ploy. Quiet simply, I feel appalled to think that a credible business would even attempt to profit off the lives of every man and woman in our military forces, which also gives you the freedoms that are so often, and once again, taken for granted.

SITUATION: Earlier this week, I received your circular which had written, as I quote exactly as it is printed in capitalization, “ADDITIONAL 10% MILITARY DISCOUNT DURING OUR MEMORIAL DAY SALE!”.

Yesterday, I pre-paid for an advertised item that I was to pick up at a later date. The cashier entered the price without applying a military discount after I displayed my military ID. I did not have the circular in my possession to refer to, and the cashier said, “it’s not a rule that we give the military discount, sometimes we do“. I went ahead and paid for the item expecting that I would come back with the circular and speak with customer service to refund the additional military discount. After returning to the store, I spoke with customer service. At first, the customer service representative was unsure why I did not receive the military discount, therefore she needed to speak to the manager. Once the manager arrived to the service desk, I began to plead my case expecting a simple resolution. He stated, “we don’t combine military discounts with sales”. I asked him why this advertisement states “additional military discount” printed on a “sales” circular. The manager then went on to say, “we don’t really give military discounts anymore”. I then requested my purchase be refunded and explained that this situation would soon become much more costly to his business.

Unlike this store‘s practices and policies, I intend to follow through with my statement to the full exhaustion of my personal and financial resources in pursuit of restitution for myself and my military brethrens. Personally, I will not do business with the Opry Mills Bass Pro again with its present policy, but many other people will and on behalf of our serving men and women, I am determined to find resolve to this matter. Therefore, to avoid my pursuit for further third-party intervention, my terms for resolution to be rendered, with my complete satisfaction, are as listed;
1) A formal written apology to me from all persons involved and responsible in this transaction.
2) A public apology, by this store and the corporate office, that is directed to all military personnel and their families.
3) Your stores are to become consistent with this advertised military discount, therefore making the 10% discount mandatory on all purchases made by all military personnel (active and retired) and for good measure, you are to include their immediate families.

If these requests fail to satisfy, I will pursue every venue possible to achieve them along with obtaining my personal damages through civil recourse. In addition, I will then contact the Better Business Bureau, Federal Trade Commission, local and national media forums, as well as submitting a presentment to the Grand Jury, District Attorneys office, and United States Postal Inspection Service to investigate criminal practices in regard to false advertisement and mail fraud.

I am extremely determined in achieving prompt resolution of this matter, as I am sure it will be in your best interest as well.

At Your Service,
Lieutenant V. Carlton Moore
Supervisor, Military Police Officer
TNSG 2nd Reg. HHQ - Provost Marshals Office

Edward D. Gleason
330 Franklin Road
Ste 135A-145
Brentwood, TN 37027

Bass Pro Shops Inc.
323 Opry Mills Drive
Nashville, TN 32714

Attention: Customer Service

05/25/2006

Dear Sirs:

A close friend of mine, who is also a trusted co-worker, related a problem he had while shopping at your store located in the Opry Mills Mall, 323 Opry Mills Drive, Nashville, Tennessee.

I have chosen not to attempt to paraphrase his information; instead, I have quoted his letter so that you can review a first hand account of the situation.


Dear Bass Pro Shops Corporate Office,

I am a Military Police Officer with a guard unit in Nashville, Tennessee. Yesterday I was very unsatisfied with the treatment and policy of your local store located at Opry Mills Mall. The matter is in regard to a circular that was mailed out (and displayed on your website) advertising an additional discount on purchases made by military personnel.

I have been a long time customer of Bass Pro Shops, however I can assure you that I will not be doing business with you again until my conditional satisfaction is obtained. I will be informing all my military brethrens, friends, professional colleagues, as well as using the internet to pass my negative experience along to customers who value the treatment of their Nation’s service men and women. I take great offense to a business that gains any benefit for allowing the general public to believe they are in support of our troops, when in fact it is only taking advantage of an advertising ploy. Quiet simply, I feel appalled to think that a credible business would even attempt to profit off the lives of every man and woman in our military forces, which also gives you the freedoms that are so often, and once again, taken for granted.

SITUATION: Earlier this week, I received your circular which had written, as I quote exactly as it is printed in capitalization, “ADDITIONAL 10% MILITARY DISCOUNT DURING OUR MEMORIAL DAY SALE!”.


Yesterday, I pre-paid for an advertised item that I was to pick up at a later date. The cashier entered the price without applying a military discount after I displayed my military ID. I did not have the circular in my possession to refer to, and the cashier said, “it’s not a rule that we give the military discount, sometimes we do“. I went ahead and paid for the item expecting that I would come back with the circular and speak with customer service to refund the additional military discount. After returning to the store, I spoke with customer service. At first, the customer service representative was unsure why I did not receive the military discount, therefore she needed to speak to the manager. Once the manager arrived to the service desk, I began to plead my case expecting a simple resolution. He stated, “we don’t combine military discounts with sales”. I asked him why this advertisement states “additional military discount” printed on a “sales” circular. The manager then went on to say, “we don’t really give military discounts anymore”. I then requested my purchase be refunded and explained that this situation would soon become much more costly to his business.

Unlike this store‘s practices and policies, I intend to follow through with my statement to the full exhaustion of my personal and financial resources in pursuit of restitution for myself and my military brethrens. Personally, I will not do business with the Opry Mills Bass Pro again with its present policy, but many other people will and on behalf of our serving men and women, I am determined to find resolve to this matter. Therefore, to avoid my pursuit for further third-party intervention, my terms for resolution to be rendered, with my complete satisfaction, are as listed;

1) A formal written apology to me from all persons involved and responsible in this transaction.
2) A public apology, by this store and the corporate office, that is directed to all military personnel and their families.

3) Your stores are to become consistent with this advertised military discount, therefore making the 10% discount mandatory on all purchases made by all military personnel (active and retired) and for good measure, you are to include their immediate families.

If these requests fail to satisfy, I will pursue every venue possible to achieve them along with obtaining my personal damages through civil recourse. In addition, I will then contact the Better Business Bureau, Federal Trade Commission, local and national media forums, as well as submitting a presentment to the Grand Jury, District Attorneys office, and United States Postal Inspection Service to investigate criminal practices in regard to false advertisement and mail fraud.

I am extremely determined in achieving prompt resolution of this matter, as I am sure it will be in your best interest as well.

At Your Service,
Lieutenant V. Carlton Moore
Supervisor, Military Police Officer
TNSG 2nd Reg. HHQ - Provost Marshals Office


My concern is that I am also in a guard unit, and in fact serve with Lt. Moore. In addition, I was planning on purchasing a canoe for my wife and myself to use for recreation. With the upcoming sale, combined with a 10% discount, it would be a fantastic opportunity to purchase the Old Town Discovery 169 Canoe. The regular price is listed as $599.99 and the sale price was listed as $559.88, a savings of $40.11. With the combined discount of 10%, the sale price would be reduced by an additional $51.99 for a total of $507.89, in addition, a free Old Town Seat Backer, with a listed value of $80.00 was to be included free. By my math, a total retail value of $679.99 for an out of pocket cost of $507.89, resulting in a total savings of $172.10.

Please understand that I related all of the above information to drive home my central point of this correspondence. That point is, that all of the trouble, the pain that Lt. Moore felt, and still feels, the pain and anger that I feel now, that other customers have undoubtedly endured, the shame brought to your organization, have an estimated value of $172.10. This of course is an assumption based on just my planed purchase, not Lt. Moore’s nor anyone else’s. Additionally, it does not take into account the cost of the time needed to prepare the correspondence by Lt. Moore, myself, and others and the cost of the time used by your organization to respond to this issue. But a reasonable hard estimate is $172.10 in my opinion.

This $172.10 “savings” to your organization has actually cost you $507.89 in a sale, not to mention the additional items that would have been included with my main purchase, paddles, life vests, rope, etc.

My concerns grew as I read over the letter that Lt. Moore had written to your customer service department. I decided to contact the store manager and review the situation for myself so that I could make an educated decision as to my intended purchase.

On Thursday 25 May, 2006 at 9:08 am, I called the store to speak with the manager. I reached a female who identified herself as Betty. I asked Betty the name of the store manager. She provided me with the name of Greg Cole. I asked to speak with Mr. Cole and at 9:10 am, Betty transferred me to another female who identified herself as Wendy.

I again asked to speak with Mr. Cole. Wendy stated that he was in a meeting and offered to take a message. I asked Wendy when Mr. Cole would be available. She responded that it would be about 15 minutes. I told Wendy that I would hold. Wendy questioned me as to if I wanted to hold for fifteen minutes, she actually sounded shocked that I was willing to hold this long. I assured her that I was willing to wait the fifteen minutes for Mr. Cole to take my call.

At 9:12 Wendy returned to the phone and asked me my name, I provided her with my first and last name. She went on to ask what my call was in reference to, I told her that I wanted to speak with the store manager, Mr. Cole. Wendy again stated that it would fifteen minutes. I again told Wendy that I would hold for Mr. Cole to take my call. Wendy again, still with disbelief, asked if I was going to hold for fifteen minutes. I again assured her that I was willing to do so in order to be assured of speaking with Mr. Cole.

At 9:25 am, Wendy again returned to the phone and transferred my call to Mr. Cole. I asked Mr. Cole about the stated “10% Military Discount” in the advertisement. Mr. Cole, while quite nice, provided me with conflicting information regarding the discount. He stated that yes the discount is offered, but that it was only for the Memorial Day Sale and that the flyers for that sale should not even be in homes yet. This surprised me, as it is now the Thursday before Memorial Day and is the customary day that advertisements and coupons are delivered via newspapers, as well as the fact that the advertisement is clearly published on the Bass Pro Shops Website.

Mr. Cole then stated that the discount only applied to certain items and not others. I read him the exact wording used in the advertisement, “ADDITIONAL 10% MILITARY DISCOUNT DURING OUR MEMORIAL DAY SALE!”. Mr. Cole was apparently not aware that the advertisement made this statement, in fact, he asked me to provide him with the location of the wording in the advertisement. I stated that it was at the bottom of the banner located on the front page of the advertisement.

I explained to Mr. Cole that I was aware of a situation where the discount was denied to a friend of mine and explained the circumstances that Lt. Moore had outlined above. Mr. Cole assured me that all my friend had to do was go to the customer service desk and it would be taken care of. I explained that my friend had in fact gone to the customer service desk and was still denied the discount. Mr. Cole stated that he would call the customer service desk and “take care of that problem”. I asked Mr. Cole who my friend should speak with at the customer service desk and his response was “anyone”. I again explained to him that the last attempt to speak with “anyone” resulted in this situation and that additionally speaking with a manager at the customer service desk also prevented a timely resolution to this problem. I again asked who should be contacted at the customer service desk to get this issue resolved. I was again told that he could speak with “anyone”. Dissatisfied with this answer, I asked for the name of the customer service manager, he provided me with the name Lori Hays. I suggested that this would have been a good name to have provided with my first request of who to speak with.

Mr. Cole questioned why I was calling on behalf of another customer; I explained that I was in no way calling on another customer’s behalf, that I was in fact a customer, and that I was concerned about this situation for myself.

At this point I felt that I had reached a point where all the information I could obtain from Mr. Cole had been reasonably provided and we concluded the call at 9:29 am.

I have considered the demands made by Lt. Moore and concur with them. Therefore, please take not that I, both as a consumer and as a customer of Bass Pro Shops make the same demands upon you:

A formal written apology to Lt. Moore from all persons involved and responsible in this transaction.

A public apology, by this store and the corporate office that is directed to all military personnel and their families.

Your stores are to become consistent with this advertised military discount, therefore making the 10% discount mandatory on all purchases made by all military personnel (active and retired) and for good measure, you are to include their immediate families.

In my personal opinion, these demands are clear, consistent, and easily obtainable provided that you are sincere and actively promote honesty and integrity within your organization.

At the moment, I am both encouraged as well as discouraged regarding this matter.

On the surface it appears that your organization is taking direct advantage of the sacrifices made by our armed forces as well as the sympathy shown by the general public to those sacrifices on a day that we honor those fallen heroes.

In speaking with Mr. Cole, I can see some light at the end of the tunnel and can only hope that this was a case of an errant decision by a lower level employee and hope that by embracing the demands listed above, that the same type of errant behavior can be avoided by providing a clear process and standard that will allow all employees to follow the process and present your organization in a more favorable light.

Again, I urge you to consider embracing the demands above. Based, in no small part, on your response to both myself as well as Lt. Moore, I will make my decision as to whether or not to remain a loyal customer.

I expect for you to respond to my correspondence in written form and please provide me with feedback as to what action you will take and please provide me with copies of any policy changes or policy guidelines that regard this issue.

Thank you for your time and please contact me if you have any questions or need additional information.

Sincerely,


Edward D. Gleason

cc Lt. Moore
WKRN News 2, Nashville TN
WSMV News Channel 4, Nashville TN

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