I have to vent for a second before I get into this review. Last week when I purchased this product at a local grocery store, I ended up inadvertently stealing it. You see, I had it in the part of the shopping cart where most women put their purses. When I went to unload my groceries at the checkout line, my big ol' purse had fallen on top of the bottle and I honestly didn't remember it was there.
So when I went out to unload my groceries into my car, I saw it there. Some people, at that moment, may have said, "Sweet! Free body wash!" but I am a huge believer in karma and I'm always racked with guilt if I'm not honest. So I trotted myself back into the grocery store, body wash in hand, sorbet melting in my car trunk, to pay for this item. I went up to the cashier I had originally purchased my groceries from, and politely pulled her to the side and said, "Oops, I accidentally had this in my cart and didn't pay for it. Would it be OK if I quickly paid for it after you're done ringing up the person in line right now?"
And here was her response:
"Are you SERIOUS?"
Followed by a big 'ol eye-roll. I was so shocked by this that I replied, "Um, yeah, I'm SERIOUS." And she rudely told me to "just go get back into the line--the end of the line--if you want to pay."
To add insult to injury, the other people in the line looked at me like I was an idiot for wanting to pay for an item that had successfully been removed from the store for free.
I'm not sure what's happening to this world, but since when was it OK to make honest people feel like idiots? I had to wait in that line (twice!), while my sorbet turned to soup in the car, just to try and do the right thing.
End rant. Begin review:
Softsoap Body Butter Strawberry Smoother
Body Smoothing Wash
Body Smoothing Wash
(retail: around $5, 15 oz)
The newest body wash from Softsoap, this one is all kinds of AWESOME if you're a strawberry fan. To me, the scent is not straight-up strawberry, but it's got a touch of peach in it (peach juice is actually an ingredient) and, best of all, it's got a hint of "Strawberry Shortcake doll" to it. If you've ever owned or held a Strawberry Shortcake doll, you know that these dolls are scented with a distinctive scent that's part strawberry, part plastic. That may sound disgusting to some, but it's a comforting scent-memory for me, so I'm glad I can detect a bit of it in this body wash.
The formula itself is a dream to work with if you use a bath pouf. It lathers up incredibly easy and it feels so silky on the skin. There are apricot seeds in this formula for exfoliating, but I don't feel them all too much on my skin because I use a bath pouf as opposed to rubbing the body wash directly onto my skin.
Final Verdict: If you're a strawberry--or Strawberry Shortcake--fan, I think you might love this body wash. The formula is silky and provides an excellent lather, and it doesn't leave my skin dry or tight. I do detect a very soft fragrance on my skin after I use this, but it's not strong enough to last throughout the day--it only lasts maybe 30 minutes for me. But honestly, I wish I could have this scent in a body mist. It's that good.
Have you spotted this new offering from Softsoap in your area yet? Are you a strawberry fan?
I would have gone to the customer service desk explained what happened, asked if i could pay for it there and also mentioned the cashier's attitude.
ReplyDeleteAtiyah: I thought about doing that, but it was later at night and the customer service desk was already closed. I literally had no other option. :(
ReplyDeleteSorry you had to go through that. :(
ReplyDeleteI guess some people just don't care. :/
I have smelled this at walmart I thought about getting it, but changed my mind I got some thing else.
I once had a block of cheese fall in my messenger bag and I didn't find it until I got home. I was using the cheese for a recipe so I took the wrapper in with me when I went shopping again and had her scan it and I paid for it with that order. The cashier said, "Wow, that's really cool." So not everyone has a crap attitude about people doing the right thing. But I agree with the other commenter, I would have said to her, you know what? Never mind, then taken it to customer service.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, those attitudes are all too common. You could always send an email to the corp office to let them know what happened.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'd be a little miffed if that happened to me. Oh, I got the St. Ives Green Tea Scrub you reviewed. After I just said I wasn't going to mess with commercial exfloliators anymore! Hehe. Well, I'm liking it so far anyway. Are you still using salt to exfloliate at all?
ReplyDeleteI am a little shocked at people's reactions in the store, but you absolutely did the right thing & good on yah for doing that! You would have never been able to enjoy that had you not gone back :)
ReplyDeleteThat has hapepned to me before and they are happy that I would come back and pat for it. Maybe she was having a bad day.
ReplyDeleteI don't even know you but my level of respect for you just jumped ten fold (and it was pretty high already). We need more of this in the world. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteBrynne
Definitely not a new attitude! Still annoying though. When I was a wee youngster (honestly, probably 20 years ago now) my sister and I grabbed chocolates off the counter of a gas station thinking they were either free or mom saw us do it and would have the clerk ring them up. Sure enough we got back to the car and mom saw us open them and was like "where did you get those from?? did you steal those??" and marched right back in that gas station to pay for two $.40 candies. The clerk was like "It's ok ma'am." and she said it was most definitely not ok. Her children wouldn't be raised thinking it was ok to steal. He rang her up, but definitely made it known it wasn't a big deal. She almost had a fit. I remember her badmouthing him as we got back to the car. :p
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry the cashier at the grocery store was bitchier about it. That seems to be the big difference between "then" and "now", the attitudes of customer service (granted I can understand as for the most part they're treated like crap).
First off, I want to say thank you for doing that. That is a very honest and respectable thing to do.
ReplyDeleteThat cashiers attitude was totally uncalled for. I work in retail and if someone had done that to me, I would show my admiration and respect for coming back to pay for it.
You definitely should of said something to her manager or someone higher up.
Having read your review, I've remember (almost can actually smell) this strawberries & cream shampoo that Suave used to make that I lovedddddd :P
Wow, that's terrible that she insulted you for trying to do the right thing. I need this body wash, seriously. I used to have the coconut body butter one and I loved the formula!
ReplyDeleteThat happened to me once but it was caught as I was leaving and she wanted me to stand in line again too. I REFUSED! I asked to speak to a manager and the manager took me to an empty cashier immediately so I could pay without waiting again.
ReplyDeleteOhh...long time since I stopped on this blog!
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I can say about this shower gel is "YUM"! I'd certainly eat it.
Usually there is a shift leader at a podium or stand behind the registers. Let them know, and tell them the cashier name. (It should be on the receipt.) Sometimes the store managers email is there as well. Definitely tell someone higher up! I work as a cashier in a grocery store, and lemme tell you, my manager would *not* be happy with that cashier at all!
ReplyDeleteI have done this several times. For some reason, it always seems to be at Target! I've come back in to pay for a case of Coke that I forgot was on the bottom of the cart, or a pack of ponytail elastics that was wedged in the fold-out seat mechanism - several other things, I'm sure. I always go right back in and pay then if I can, but there was the time I had a screaming, hungry infant and just couldn't bear going back in to the store RIGHT THEN. I was VERY happy to go back out - by myself - once my husband was home from work!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Target, have you seen the new SH Insta-Dri polishes - or are they even new? For the most part they look like different shades of last year's spring colors, but I'm no expert. I checked them out but picked up SH HD Resolution instead (LOVE IT). But this one bar glitter color really stuck in my mind, both because I wondered if it would look as weird as I thought it would and because I couldn't find a swatch online anywhere. So I had to go back and get it. It's called "Snappy Sprinkles" and it's a pink and green bar glitter in what looks like a milky pink base, but it dries clear and shiny. Just wondering if anyone out there has seen these!
While I'm at it, have you noticed how it's nearly impossible to find Insta-Dri colors on the SH web page? I'm hoping they're updating it or something. Right now I can only find them if I use the color selector and happen to click on one of them.
Your story remind me of my two friends who got free polishes by mistake: the first one, was about to buy it, we were at the store looking to all the new makeup, after that we went to out houses and she found a polish in her bag, she doesn't know how. The other had it on her hand all the time, she even paid holding it and when she got into the car, saw the polish in her hand... and she asked me :did I paid this? I told he"I don't think so, check the ticket" She didn't paid the polish.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I finally found a photo of that Insta-Dri at a blog called "la vie en clothes." Let me know if you want a link. I'm just curious if my Target has these out before most others do, or if (more likely) I'm actually the last to know.
ReplyDeleteAs a soon-to-be cashier myself (I'm actually trained and everything--I just can't move officially until lawn and garden opens again) and current Walmart greeter, I know the way you were treated would not be tolerated at my store. On several occasions, I've noticed, or had a customer notice, things they hadn't paid for. I always, always assume it was a mistake on someone's fault and very kindly offer to watch their cart while they go to the nearest register to the door. (And if it's a situation where /they/ point it out, I thank them sincerely for their honesty.) Depending on how busy we are, I'll ask the cashier to ring up the item--it's a speedy checkout, so no one gets too annoyed. Or, if I know the service desk isn't busy, I'll direct them there.
ReplyDeleteJust the other day I checked the receipt of customers who had four large pet-related items in their cart which the cashier had somehow missed. They went to the service desk and all was well.
As one with some experience as a cashier, and knowledge of how our store works, I'd /never/ put up with that treatment. Next time you're there, take your receipts (they should have the time on them) and show a manager (or at least the supervisor over the cashiers--they're CSMs at Walmart). Honesty should be rewarded, not punished.
Also, this is mildly related: does anyone else think it's stupid Target only price-matches /after/ you pay their price? I tried to get an item price-matched there yesterday, and the cashier told me I had to go to the service desk and would be reimbursed AFTER paying. Is that common at other stores, too? At Walmart, we can change it at the register.
sounds like an amazing smell i might just have to pick me some up
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty ludicrous all right. I'd have done the same thing - usually people are nice about it, once in a while someone rolls their eyes at me. Really crazy how they treated you, though!
ReplyDeleteThat bodywash sounds like a winner - I'll have to check it out!
Ooooo I would have said, "No, I guess I'm not serious and I don't really need this product." and I would have left it right there at her register, and bought it somewhere else later. Never put up with melted sorbet, G, never! lol
ReplyDeleteHa! Not only would I have tried to pay for the item mistakenly shoplifted, when the cashier rolled her eyes at me, I would have got the store manager involved, paid for my body wash, got the cashier soundly thrashed and demanded and received a new carton of frozen goodness to replace the one that died in my car while I had to deal with this whole mess.
ReplyDeleteBut then, I am just a bitch like that. :)
I do like strawberry, this body wash might be worth checking out. I don't know from Strawberry Shortcake dolls. I am too old and my only child is of the male gender and wasn't into dolls. :D
Thank you all SO much for your comments! You have completely restored my faith in this world. :D
ReplyDeleteAs I read through and see all the different responses to this situation, it's making me so mad that I didn't do something else while I was in the store. I think I was just so shocked by her reaction that I didn't know WHAT to do (plus, I really wanted that body wash since I hadn't see it anywhere else). In retrospect, I should have hunted down that manager ASAP and complained. I'm going to see if I still have the receipt and go back and talk to someone.
Thanks so much for the AWESOME suggestions, and I hope that those of you who want the body wash end up loving it as much as I do. It was ALMOST worth the effort to get it. lol!
"I think I was just so shocked by her reaction that I didn't know WHAT to do"
ReplyDeleteYou're right and hindsight is 20/20. It's easy for us to say, Well I would have done such and such, but yeah, too often you're just thrown by someone's unexpected reaction that you don't really know what to think or do!
lmao, my word verification is "irate".
What?! You go out of your way to be honest, and that's what you get? Makes you wonder what kind of person the cashier is on her own time!
ReplyDeleteG: could you put like button on your comments??? haha... because if you could I would "like" every one in this post referring to your cashier issue. p.s. I do need a body wash and will pick this one up for sure! Aside from Lemon, Stawberry is right up there. Plus I do remember the scent of Strawberry Shortcake... Also love Strawberry Lip Smaker...my very first foray into makeup. My mom didnt know what she started! :)
ReplyDeleteIt's totally understandable that you would have been dumbfounded by the situation. I probably would have set the body wash down, left, and cried on the way home.
ReplyDeleteBut, yeah. Take both receipts, so the manager you talk to can see the discrepancy in the times (as evidence that you were forced to wait). I know cashiers have rough days, and she may have been new and unaware as to what she should have done, but even if both were true for her, her attitude was inappropriate. The cashiers at that store should be given clear instructions on how to respond in the situation, because that...was not it.
I hope the store resolves this in a suitable fashion and it doesn't happen to anyone else.
Wow, thats unbelievable. Try to do the right thing in this crazy world and look at the response. SMH
ReplyDeleteBut, thanks to you, I now know about a sweet new body wash. I love their vanilla butter one soooo much, I know this smells delish. Hope I spot it soon. Thanks!
oh no! I'm sorry that happened to you in the store. I'm surprised by everyones reactions too. :( I'm a big believer in karma and you did the right thing!
ReplyDeleteOn another note, the strawberry smoother looks absolutely DEELISH! Bonus points that it actually looks like a real-life smoothie with the seeds.
I'm wondering if the "Are you kidding me/eyeroll" reaction was over you wanting her to ring you up right there instead of getting back in line (while your groceries melted in the car), and not because you actually wanted to pay for the thing.
ReplyDeleteIf it's the former, that's rude and unprofessional. If it's the latter, it's unforgivable both from a customer service standpoint and because of a lack of concern about the good of her own company. (Actually, I think both scenarios fit that bill.) Either way, she needs some serious retraining, supervision, and an attitude adjustment. There are a lot of good people out of work these days... She could easily find herself out of a job, with someone more professional in her place.
You know, I always feel terrible when I find that I got something without paying for it. And the idea of someone mistaking me for a shoplifter is HORRIFYING to me. I get nervous in a store if I have to dig in my purse for my glasses. I try to be very overt with my actions, so I won't look sneaky! But people are harried and absent-minded, and we forget things or do things without realizing sometimes.
That's why the cashier is trained to check for items that didn't make it onto the conveyor belt. She does share that responsibility with the customer, which is why I think you should NOT have had to get back in a long line.
If I had gotten the item in question home and made things right on a return trip, I would get in line. (There have been several times that I've said to the cashier, "Please ring this up but don't bag it, because...) But this was a correction of the transaction you JUST made, and she should have handled it quickly, discreetly, and in a friendly manner.
See I have bad memories of Softsoap. I took a bottle with me on a trip to NY in July and can I tell you I felt like there was no lather and sometimes I did not feel clean. To be honest I don't know if this was a water (hard or soft) issue or if it was because the humidity level in NY at that time is horrendous, but I haven't bought softsoap ever since then.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you had such an unpleasant experience buying the body wash! I'm happy to see that you're such an honest person, though. There are too few people like you in the world. It's sad how rude most people seem to be these days. :(
ReplyDeleteI smelled this in the store, but it didn't impress me. I think I might have been swooning too much over the chocolate to pay proper attention. :)
I have this item! I love the creamy yet exfoliating formula, but the smell kinda bothers me. I was hoping it would smell more like strawberry!
ReplyDeleteand I'm sorry to hear about that rude cashier! I'm a cashier myself, and I'd be happy if a customer came back to pay for something they accidentally took.