Reduced service levels are equivalent to higher customer costs

I often shop at Gelmar and mostly have had a pleasant experience. But today was very different. I requested an item advertised on their site at a bulk discount. They only had packs of 10 on the shelf. I wanted 100. I asked for the advertised discounted price. This should really be a simple matter. But not at this store. I was told that I should take 10 packs at the advertised (not discounted) price. I asked to see a manager. I was told that there was no manager in the store!! At least nobody could make a decision. After some discussions, I was told that the regional manager (Mr Govender) was the only person who could make this decision, but he was unavailable. After some time, he was contacted and issued the instructions for the discounted price. Then, I was told that the systems were offline and I could not pay (except in cash). I made my purchases elsewhere. It strikes me that if a store offers competitive pricing but can only do this by providing a reduced level of service, then it is not really a cost-saving.