The Devil's Wife Came into my Soap Store...

[mallsheep]

Hey guys! Long time reader, first time poster

I work for a vegetarian, cruelty free soap company that's kind of hippy-dippy and usually attracts amazing customers and awesome co-workers. However, for some reason, when we do get bad customers, they are the WORST. I don't know why, but here's a story I've been wanting to get off my chest...

EDIT- I'm adding this in before my story in order to explain my situation a little more/in response to some of the comments I've been receiving:

Let me explain a little more about this- my soap shop is great and my company is amazing, and I really, really love my job. It's my current store manager that is the problem. Without going into too much detail publicly, she was recently put on a performance plan because our store's numbers have plummeted since she took charge a few months back. I'm sure that there's a part of her that wanted to defend me that day, but she's instilled a sense of "KEEP THE PEACE AT ALL COSTS" in our store because she's afraid that if one more complaint comes up against her she'll be fired.

To put it succinctly: my company is realizing she's bad for business and they're trying to weed her out, and if I went above her head and told the GM about what happened to me, I'm sure appropriate actions would be taken. I haven't yet because it only just happened, and a part of me always worries I'm overreacting about these things

Anyway, I think because of my initial frustration while typing this post up I accidentally described my store's problems as my company's problems. My company is great, and I'm sure what happened to me wouldn't have been allowed to happen in other stores.

I hope that helps clear things up a little!

The Most Stressful Five Minutes of My Life

A few days ago, I was managing the floor at my soap store when a woman pushing a little boy in a stroller stomped through our front door at lightening speed. The little boy looked to be about 2 or 3 and was throwing a TANTRUM. I greeted the woman with my typical, "Hello! How are you today?" but she stormed past me without a word. I saw her beelining toward the register and followed after her. I approached her while she was still on the move and asked, "can I help you with something?" She completely ignored me and actually SHOVED me to the side with her elbow, then hit into me with her stroller so hard that I had to grab the till counter to keep from falling over-

And I guess this would be a good time to mention something- my store has an insane customer service policy in which is the customer is ALWAYS, without exception, correct. They can demean us, yell at us, even shove us, apparently, and we are discouraged from retaliating in any way. It's insane, but what are we going to do? We're only retail slaves, after all. Ugh.

Anyway, I meekly made my way behind the register so I could ask her face to face what she wanted (keep in mind, she still hadn't uttered a WORD to me.)

So I'm standing behind the till waiting to see what's going to happen, when suddenly she squats down and begins frantically rifling through her purse (it was sitting in a compartment near the bottom of the stroller). She finds what she is looking for and wordlessly slams two of our store's soap products down on the counter and looks up at me in expectant aggravation. At this point the woman has not communicated anything to me AT ALL and I have no idea what she wants. I hesitantly pick up one of the soap products, smile and say, "Did you want to purchase this? I didn't even see you pick it up!"

Weeeell, you would have thought that I tried to spit on her kid or something, because she BLOWS UP at me-

SC: NO! I want to RETURN these things! Don't you listen?! How many times do I need to say it!?

Me: Okay, I'm very sorry, I must have not heard you (yeah, right). What didn't you like about-

SC: WHAT?!

Me: What didn't like these items?

In response to this question she literally goes, "UGHHH!" out loud and throws her hand into my face, as if to say, "stop talking!"

Horrified and, frankly, a little afraid at this point, I begin silently doing the return.

After the return is in the system, I place the return/exchange form down on the counter for the woman to fill out. Because we are a soap store and our products are cosmetic, we require each person returning something to fill out a sheet explaining why they didn't like it and a list of personal information, in case there's a recall and we need to contact customers. I am REQUIRED to do this with EVERY return- it's my JOB. Though I knew this woman wouldn't allow this to go smoothy...

Her son is still throwing an absolute tantrum and screaming like crazy, so I have to practically yell over his cries-

Me: Ma'm, I'm sorry, but you'll need to fill this form out.

SC: *staring off into space with an annoyed expression, completely ignoring me*

Me: Excuse me-

SC: *starts yelling at her crying son* What? What's wrong? I want to get out of here too! *gives me a dirty look*

Then, I'm not kidding, she picks up one of our expensive, luxury soaps that's on display by the register and hands it to her son to play with.

SC: Here, play with this. Seems like we'll be here FOREVER. *another dirty look*

I had no idea what to do, but I knew my manager would rather we mark out a soap than for me to reprimand a customer, so I tried to let it go.

Me: *very sweetly* Ma'm, you'll need to fill out this form because you're returning something-

SC: WHAT?! WHY?!

Me: It's store policy, I'm sorry-

SC: I'm NOT filling this out! Just finish my return! I've been waiting FOREVER!!!

Me: I'm very sorry, but I'll at least need to you write your name-

She grabs the pen out of my hand and scribbles her name down.

SC: There! Happy now?!

Me: Thank you...

I take back the form (the rest of which I will now need to bullshit in order for it to be full), and scan the woman's card to put the money back on it for one of the items. I am about to do the return on the other item when I notice that she's only presented me with the receipt for one item, and I am only allowed to do a store exchange, not a return, without a receipt.

Me: *kind of terrified* Ma'm-

SC: What?!

Me: I've done the return on this item *shows her* but this second item isn't on this receipt. If you'd like, you can exchange this for something new-

SC: Are you serious? GIVE ME my RETURN!

Me: Ma'm, I can't without a receipt-

SC: I was just here yesterday! Do you understand me? I just purchased these items yesterday! And I bought them TOGETHER! So what do you mean they're not on the same receipt!

Me: *showing her the receipt* Look, right here, only this item-

SC: I don't want to see that! What's wrong with you? Are you saying I'm lying!?

Me: *more sternly* No, I am not saying that, but you cannot return this item.

I hand her back the un-returnable item and she literally throws it into her purse behind the baby's seat in the stroller, which makes him start screaming again. She glances down at him and snatches the soap she had given him to play with out of his hands and slams it down on the counter in front of me.

SC: There. You're welcome. Thanks a lot for your help (this was said extremely nastily and sarcastically)

She then spins her stroller around and stomps out of my store in a fury. I was so upset and shaken by the whole ordeal I had to excuse myself from the floor and go into the break room to cry and then compose myself.

I spoke with my manager and coworkers about my exchange with this woman, and apparently she comes into my store all the time (how I had never run into her before, I'll never know) and she is ALWAYS trouble. My coworker told me that the last time she was in the store she demanded to try each of our lotions on her hands and after she'd apply each one she'd yell, "It's burning! It's BURNING!" and scream until someone washed it off for her.

So.....yeah. I have no idea what to make of this, but it really shook me up

[AnaKhouri]

Holy crap, what an insane bitch. No wonder her kid screams if that's how she acts all the time.

I know your company has a ridiculous policy, but if she's a 'regular' you'd think they could ban her at the store level at least. What a hateful person. I always think to myself that at least these awful who are constantly horrible will stress themselves to death at an early age.

[Brojekk]

Your store sounds like a great place to work..however...if the higher-ups allow you to be abused like that, I'd seriously reconsider working there.

[Kit-Ginevra]

*cwtches* Some people have no idea of the basic idea of how to behave in a shop.It's a shame your store has to pander to their will.If they can't manage a certain level of civilized behaviour,you should be able to remove them otherwise they'll think they can get away with it.

[MoonCat]

Yeeaaah, she's crazy. Should definitely be banned.

[Sapphire Silk]

Man. What a raving bitch.

Who shit in her Wheaties so badly that fancy soap can't even get rid of the stink?

[siskaren]

I can't believe someone had sex with her.

[Salted Grump]

Turkey Baster.

On topic, OP, you might want to check your local labour laws; I am fairly certain that, even if store policy says 'take abuse like you earned every second of it', actual laws such as 'getting hit by someone can be considered assault' trumps that.

[Monterey Jack]

And I guess this would be a good time to mention something- my company has an insane customer service policy in which is the customer is ALWAYS, without exception, correct. They can demean us, scream at us, even shove us, apparently, and we're not allowed to retaliate in any way. It's insane, but what are we going to do? We're only retail slaves, after all. Ugh.

Okay, any company that has a policy where their employees can literally be PHYSICALLY ASSAULTED by a customer and can't do jack about it can't be legal. Seriously, if some woman bumped me with a baby carriage intentionally so hard that I nearly fell over (with not even a token, unenthusiastic fake apology), I don't care what the store policy is, I'd give her a piece of my mind. Are you telling me that, if someone were to walk in off the street, punch you directly in the face, and then leave, you literally couldn't do anything about it?!

[Peppergirl]

Well, shit! I love hippy soap shops and was all excited and was going to ask you to PM me your location (and possible online address) until I saw the fuckstick management's policies.

So, nevermind. I'd never knowingly give my business to a company with policies that allow abuse of employees.

I'm sorry this happened to you. Karma's a bitch - she'll get hers someday.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Have to say I'm with Peppergirl. I enjoy your company's products, but I'll have to rethink doing business with them if they allow their customers to heap abuse on their workers.

[Kit-Ginevra]

Perhaps if enough people tell them 'I would have been a customer but for your screwy customer service policies,they'll rethink them'. Even if it's just to get more feet in through the door and more money in the till

[Seshat]

I was going to say the same thing, Kit.

PM the OP anyway; find out who they are, and send letters and/or emails.

[XRogue]

Third that, I will be happy to email/comment/whatever too, I LOVE hippy dippy soap.
Best thing in the universe for my eczema, along with Cetaphil. And let's face it, more companies need to face up to the fact that catering to Jonanne the Barbarian is not good policy, it runs off the good customers to say nothing of good employees. YARGGH.

[mallsheep]

So, nevermind. I'd never knowingly give my business to a company with policies that allow abuse of employees.

Have to say I'm with Peppergirl. I enjoy your company's products, but I'll have to rethink doing business with them if they allow their customers to heap abuse on their workers.

Your store sounds like a great place to work..however...if the higher-ups allow you to be abused like that, I'd seriously reconsider working there.

Are you telling me that, if someone were to walk in off the street, punch you directly in the face, and then leave, you literally couldn't do anything about it?!

I did a terrible job explaining this in my initial post (that's what you get when you quickly type up something when you're frustrated, arg), but it's my store's unofficially "policy" that we don't retaliate against customers, not my company's. That was totally my error in typing.

I want to clarify - my soap shop is great and my company is amazing, and I really, really love my job.

It's my current store manager that is the problem. Without going into too much detail publicly, she was recently put on a performance plan because our store's numbers have plummeted since she took charge a few months back. I'm sure that there's a part of her that wanted to defend me that day, but she's instilled a sense of "KEEP THE PEACE AT ALL COSTS" attitude in our store because she's afraid that if one more complaint comes up against her she'll be fired.

To put it succinctly: my company is realizing she's bad for business and they're trying to weed her out, and if I went above her head and told the GM about what happened to me, I'm sure appropriate actions would be taken. I haven't yet because it only just happened, and a part of me always thinks I'm overreacting about these things.

Anyway, I feel compelled to defend my hippy soap shop because I really do love it, haha And thank you for the kind words <3

It's kind of a weird, tense atmosphere in my store right now with my manager hanging in limbo. I'm glad I posted here- it's giving me perspective on my situation!