A New Brunswick shopper's complaint that she was unable to useher Canadian currency in four Bangor stores has prompted the BangorRegion Chamber of Commerce to question whether area businesses aremaking enough effort to welcome Canadian shoppers.
Earlier this month, Judy Robinson, 47, traveled to Bangor fromher home in Fredericton for a weekend of shopping. Nearing the endof her trip, she used up all of her U.S. dollars and tried topurchase items at A.C. Moore, Linens 'n Things, Bed Bath & Beyondand Quirk Chevrolet's pro shop, she said.
When her money was refused at each place, Robinson chose not topurchase the items with other means, such as her credit card, shesaid. She returned home and e-mailed the Bangor Region Chamber ofCommerce.
'When I questioned why they would not accept my money, thecashiers couldn't tell me in any of the stores. They didn't even tryto find out from the manager,' Robinson said in a telephoneinterview Friday. 'I wasn't treated badly, I just wanted to knowwhy.'
Robinson said the store clerks expressed 'an attitude andindifference.' Robinson owns a motel in Fredericton and said sheaccepts U.S. dollars.
Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce President Candy Guerette saidshe was surprised to hear Robinson's story. Guerette said she hadthought that most if not all Bangor-area stores accept Canadiancurrency.
'I find this very unsettling as this region has a strong, loyalcustomer base to our north. And right now, their dollar is strongerthan ours so they should be getting a premium,' Guerette saidWednesday. 'As a Chamber, we're wondering what we can do behind thescenes.'
Guerette said national chains generally do not allow their storesto take foreign currency.
Linens 'n Things' corporate office in Clifton, N.J., confirmedthat it is the company's nationwide policy not to accept any foreignmoney. Bed Bath & Beyond said it does not have a 'currencyconversion system' in place at any of its stores nationwide. A.C.Moore and Quirk did not return calls for comment.
No store is obligated to accept foreign currency, but JamesGerety, general manager of the Bangor Mall, believes it is goodcustomer service for storeowners to direct Canadian shoppers to thenearest place where they may exchange their cash.
'While we don't want to have to send those customers offproperty, sometimes we do,' Gerety said Thursday. At the BangorMall, each store sets its own policy on accepting foreign currency.
Brad Ryder, owner of Epic Sports in downtown Bangor, said heaccepts Canadian dollars and has a hard time imagining why any storewould not do the same.
'We try to follow our bank's discounting. In this case, it's 10percent in favor of Canadian money,' Ryder said. That means that ifa Canadian customer purchases a jacket with a $100 price tag, thatcustomer pays $90 in Canadian currency.
Ryder said he loses a 'minimal' amount of revenue when he goes todeposit Canadian money at his bank, but not enough to change hispolicy.
Bangor Savings Bank said Thursday that it does not charge a feeto customers when they deposit Canadian dollars or checks. The moneyis simply converted at the bank's current exchange rate, which onThursday was 92 Canadian cents to one U.S. dollar, according tospokeswoman Carol Colson.
Ryder does not keep track of how much of his revenue comes fromCanadian customers, but he said he rarely sees their currency in hisstore. He estimates that about 95 percent of Canadian shoppers usetheir credit cards.
Marden's in Brewer has long accepted Canadian dollars and posts asign near its registers advertising the store's daily exchange rate.On Thursday, the rate was 96 Canadian cents to one U.S. dollar.
Hotels and other lodging facilities seem to be more inclined toaccept Canadian currency. The Ramada Inn in Bangor has alwaysaccepted Canadian cash and now takes it at par, according to managerFree Martin.
The Stucco Lodge in Veazie has a sign on U.S. Route 2 advertising'Canadian dollar at par' and has kept the promise since 1994,according to owner Najam 'Andy' Hashmi.
'My repeat customers aren't going to go anywhere else,' Hashmisaid. He estimates that 70 percent of his customers are Canadian,and he said many of them bring him gifts when they come to stay withhim.
Canadian customers complain to him when area stores refuse toaccept their currency, Hashmi said.
Guerette recommends that Canadian shoppers use a credit or debitcard in stores that do not accept Canadian dollars. She said theChamber will urge all of its members to accept the currency and isthinking of reinstating the Canadian Appreciation Days that tookplace in the 1990s.
'They were very successful,' Guerette said.
On Friday afternoon, two Canadian shoppers, Bernie and NicolleChavarie of Grand Barachois, New Brunswick, were in Bangor for aweekend of shopping and stopped at the Dunkin' Donuts on Odlin Roadin Bangor. They said that for years they have assumed that theircash will not be accepted at any Maine businesses outside Calais.
'It's frustrating,' said Bernie Chavarie. 'We're supposed to begood neighbors.'
aravana@bangordailynews.net
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