We are the SC's.

[Jester]

Okay, admit it. All of us at one time or another have done something SC-like. We may not have known it at the time, or before we discovered this hallowed site, but we have done it.

For instance, myself, I am the Got It In The Back? guy. I admit it. Of course, I must explain that I have never worked retail, so have no idea how it works (as y'all may have gathered by now, I am a food service drone), so I often asked that question. Of course, I always did it politely, and in a way that usually made the retail associate smile. (Sincerely, I hope.) Usually, something along the lines of "Pardon me, but a quick question: if it isn't up front, does that mean it just isn't?" For all I know, they may have a shipment in the back, they may be overstocked with the item, blah blah blah. That being said, when they tell me that, in fact, what I see is what I get, I thank them and go about the rest of my shopping. However, there are times when they do, in fact, have more of X in back, and go get it for me....again, usually happily, as I am a polite, courteous guy. (I save the Smartass Jester routine for my customers!)

I am also the Guy Who Asks a Million Questions. This is usually about tech things. But again, I am always polite, and usually start my litany with, "Hi there. I'm an idiot. Can you help me?" And no, that is not an exaggeration...those are actually the words I use. Because frankly, when it comes to these things, I KNOW I'm an idiot. Although I certainly don't confine my Admission of Idiocy to merely technological matters. I find that being friendly, polite, funny, and using the above lines tends to put my brethren in the retail world more at ease and (presumably) more willing to help me with what I need to find that day.

So fess us....what SC things have you done? Do you do? I know I am not the only one!

[Anakah]

Well I was at Sam's Club with my fiance Andrew and we had about $200 worth of stuff and of course we had no cash on us. Well, turns out their system for credit cards went down... Right at the precise moment we got into line.

At first I was an SC until I realized I was being an SC! I got all pissy and was like: OMG what are we gonna do!? This is BS! Then I calmed down when I saw some poor associate get yelled at by some guy with a huge tv. I know it wasn't their fault and after that I was sweet as pie because of the crap that I knew they were going to have to deal with.

I sent Andrew to the ATM across the street. We were okay but it must have been one hell of a day for those cashiers. And probably a huge loss in their sales. But I understand, crap happens.

[Demonoid Phenomenon]

Just from my personal experience...

I hate to say this, but just because it isn't on the floor doesn't mean that there aren't any in the back.
There. It's out.
HOWEVER...!!!!!!!
If there are some in the back and none on the floor, it more than likely means that no one has had a chance to stock it yet.
Perhaps we just got some in and we don't know where it is located in the midst of several hundred boxes.
There are many reasons for something not being on the sales floor, but rest assured, there's no conspiracy behind any of it.

More often than not, though, there's just none left.

[Antisocial_Worker]

I lost my temper and took it out on our tech support. For that, I'm sorry.

Our hotel chain must be required by law to provide us with the most poorly-designed, most dysfunctional, and most prone to breaking down computer system on the market. You don't know what fun is until you've had to process every reservation on a weekend in high tourist season by hand, on paper. That, and new reservations are pouring in all the time, but you don't know that because the only way you would know is if central deigns to send a fax, which they never do.

They're notorious for refusing to deign, in fact.

This being the case, once when the modem had had another mental breakdown after about the third or fourth mystery guest whose reservation never made it from central to us, I called them up and made enough of ass of myself that they hung up. I still feel crummy about that, although to my credit, the person on the other end did not know what she was doing, and neither did the person she passed me off to, neither did the person he passed me off to, and neither did the supervisor, who kept saying I should call the credit card company.

What would that do? We're talking reservations here. They're in your computer. I need them in mine, and I want to know how many more mystery guests I can expect tonight because the computer system you guys sent us doesn't work, won't work, and hasn't worked since you sent it to us. The computer repair guy could comfortably retire from one month of working with us alone. We've put all his kids through Yale.

[Sedorna]

Well, many many many years ago I bought a nice new computer game for around thirty or forty bucks. And I paid for it all in change. In *loose* change.

[CherryB]

I was in Michael's some years back and picked up some craft items for the upcoming holidays. Got to the registers and there were only 2 registers open and at least 12 people waiting to check out. I waited patiently until I was next in line-a lady ahead of me had a return-no wait-it gets better-the cashier was new and didn't know how to process a return and had to wait until a manager came over.

My patience ran out about that time and I just dropped my items on the counter and left.

I felt bad about it later but I was just on my last nerve that day.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I was once in the bank to talk about the small matter of the £30 they took out of my account for no good reason, and after I'd been completely ignored for nearly 30 minutes * I stood up and marched over to the desk and pretty much tore the girl behind it a new one demanding to be seen straight away. I was seen by a manager type guy, and the problem put right. I guess that could be seen as SC behaviour, but I was very annoyed at being ignored for no good reason. Even if those other people did have appointments, the least the girl could have done is told me so.



*They told me to wait and said they'd see me in a moment; I saw at least 5 people, including a woman who was there to open a new account, get seen before me in those 30 minutes. True, some may have had appointments, but my query would have taken them just a couple of minutes to sort out, whereas the woman opening the account took about 10 minutes.

[ThinMick]

I answered my cel phone the other night while standing at the checkout in WalMart. In my defense, it was my mother calling -- if I don't answer my phone when she calls, she immediately gets in her car, drives to my house, and lets herself in. I got off the phone quickly, but I still feel bad about doing it.

[Mark Healey]

I was leaving Costco with a cart full of stuff I just bought. For those who aren't familiar with the chain it is one of those warehouse stores. Anyway they do the check your receipt against your stuff thing at the door. In California they aren't allowed to force you to submit to the search but I don't fuss about it because I submitted in the past before I knew the law. But once the line was really long. That pissed me off.

I just stormed past the line and headed for the door. The door person grabbed my cart handle and said that she needed to check my receipt. I yelled something pretty much to the effect of "It's bad enough that you treat every paying customer like a thief, but there is no way in hell that I'm going to stand in line for it!. Let go of my shit right now!!" She was so stunned she let go and I walked away.

Costco is grandfathered out of my refusal to submit to these searches. In any other store that tries it I tell them that they have the choice of accusing me of stealing and calling the cops and being sued for libel or slander (whatever applies) or letting me go immediately. They've always let me go.

[BrassCowboy]

I was once in the bank to talk about the small matter of the £30 they took out of my account for no good reason, and after I'd been completely ignored for nearly 30 minutes * I stood up and marched over to the desk and pretty much tore the girl behind it a new one demanding to be seen straight away. I was seen by a manager type guy, and the problem put right. I guess that could be seen as SC behaviour, but I was very annoyed at being ignored for no good reason. Even if those other people did have appointments, the least the girl could have done is told me so.

I had something similar happen to me. I have a very small bank, and when I had a question about my statement (aka: being charged ten bucks for no reason), they asked me to sit down. I waited for about 30 minutes, in which time nobody came out to talk to me. Finally, another customer came up and wanted to open a new account. The same clerk that seated me in the "discussion area" told her to sit down and wait...but I was already there. Then and only then did the clerk call for someone to come out.

By the time they did, they came out and said, "So, I hear you want to open a new account."

I just smiled and said, "No. I actually want to close my account." I explained what had happened, and how I was treated and she offered to not only waive the stupid fee but also give me a free $10 to keep the account open. No more problems from that bank when it came to the statements. The clerks on the other hand are another problem in and of themselves.....

[PorkChop]

I don't remember being a horrible SC. I have been visibly upset about some things, but, I have never been rude or yelled at anyone. I know it is not their fault, most of the time. Afterall, having a bad attitude about life in general takes up a lot of energy.

[ThePhoneGoddess]

I used to frequent a small liquor store just down the street from my apartment when I was in college. The guys that worked there knew me so well I was usually able to buy stuff without being asked for ID.

Well one time I had my wallet stolen, and couldn't get a new ID right away as I didn't have enough money, I had to wait until I got paid. So I went down that weekend and tried to buy a six pack for an underage friend, and the owner was behind the counter, which he usually wasn't. He wanted my ID. I'd had a really bad day, I had several friends waiting for me to come back with the beer, and he gave me attitude about not having ID, so I gave it back to him. I was pissed, and said the dreaded SC words...'But I come in here all the time and I never get asked for ID!!!'

He was like 'so what'.

The guys that worked there were all scared of him so no one told him that they knew me really well and had checked my ID multiple times before. I argued and finally stormed out telling him I was never coming back. He said 'fine with me'.

[DesignFox]

I'll admit that I have gotten angry about the ID thing on one occasion.
Normally, I go out and I do not get carded. My local Applebee's are the ID nazi's. Now, I had frequented this Applebee's numerous times. Every time they asked for ID, I handed them two things. My current license (which has no picture, because up until this year you could get a license in the mail with no photo- you MUST be 21 to do this) and my old license, because it has my picture on it. I NEVER had a problem ordering drinks.

One night, the server is all uppity and refuses to serve me, despite having a legal license, that YOU CANNOT get unless you are 21, and my previous license with a photo. He asked for more ID, so I hand him my county ID, which has all the same information my license does, plus a photo...granted the county ID (for reasons I cannot fathom) states on the back that you can't use it to buy alcohol...(although it is fine for you to get on a plane or use it for proof of ID for a passport...so WTF?).

ANYWAY. despite having been served before, and having THREE separate state issued documents proving that I was 21 (actually 24), he wouldn't serve me. I can go to a liquor store and use my non photo license, I can drive with it, I can get on a plane with it... but I can't buy a damn drink. I don't get that... and I think in my case, I should have been given the benefit of the doubt.

Anyway, I didn't curse the guy out about it (but I was admittedly, a little sucky). My BF and I just went to Friday's and I got my margueritas there

[AFpheonix]

Sucky things that I have done....
1) I used started checks one year at christmas, and I didn't have an alternate form of payment....the cashier was gracious and took it anyways....
2) I've ordered hot tea on more than one occasion....
3)I've been mildly poopy to a few insurance help desk people, but in my defense, they couldn't freaking ADD, and it was pissing me off.

[saint]

I don't remember anything really. Once, when I was about 5 years old, I threw up in front of a register. Does that count?