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This is where I have been. 13 years of various retail jobs ranging from fast food to technology. I've been a grunt. I've been a manager, full and middle. Needless to say, I have a particular distaste for customers in general. It's always something. Blah Blah Blah.......Shut Up! I have a job now where I deal with them very rarely. It is very nice in that I don't have to play or be nice to the raunchy ones. 
But this story takes place 3 days before moving from the computer department of my store to glorious, but boring, Inventory Control.
Date: Saturday, December 28th 2006
As a supervisor in my particular store, I am next in line after a customer tries to return items to the front cashier. I have to verify receipt proper packing, etc etc. Anyhoo, this very foul attituded old crank of a "lady" wants to return a $500 camera because the LCD screen is broken.
Hmmmmmm.
Me: Well, before I can process this I need the box, all the cables, and manuals.
SC: I don't have them. I left them at home.
Me: Can you get them and bring them back. Our policy is we need the original packaging.
SC: Home is 2 hours away.
Side: I love that excuse. Especially on Boxing Day when we don't take returns. I always ask for a drivers license to verify addresses.
Me: Well, there's not much I can do for you unless you have a reciept and you purchased the camera in the last 30 days.
She hands me her receipt, Dated November 2nd 2006. Uh-oh......
Me: Ma'am, this receipt is not within the 30 return policy. I cannot do anything further for you, other than give you the number to call the manufacturer directly to arrange warranty work....
SC: That's not good enough! When did this 30 day return policy thing happen?!
Me: Oh, something like over 30 years ago......
SC: Well, i just got this on Christmas Day. I've only had it for 3 days.
Me: (Being Smart) Can I see your camera for a sec then?
She hands it to me. The camera's LCD has a leaf shape in it, signifying that too much pressure was put on it by a finger. Impact, as she was trying to pass it off as, would have a full on shatter look. I turn the camera on and....
Me: Ma'am, If you only had the camera for 3 days, how come there are picture dated from November on here? (I continue to flip thru pictures)
SC: It must have come like that in the box.
Me: This picture is dated 11/23/07. That looks like you.
CAUGHT!!!! HA HA HA!!!
SC freaks out and goes into the standard, rude, unhelpful, never shopping here again, wanna see your manager rant......
In my store, we are known as department managers, which is......... ME!!
Me: Hi. I'm your manager today. And if I wasn't dealing with you from the beginning and was called over here, I would still not give you what you want because we have our return policy pasted all over the store and on your receipt, and just because you have been plain rude.
SC gets really angry and wants the complaint line for our chain. I have it on my palm pilot because the people who have been caught wanna call the complaint line and make up a story. And, my GM gets an email which is forwarded to the department head........ Me.
I give her the number for the complaint line and the manufacturer and she takes them, and walks out of the store screaming the standard rant.
An hour later she comes back and tells me that the complaint line told her that we will take it back. Uh-huh. And that she phoned the manufacturer and they told her to tell us to take it back. I looked at her and said;
Me: Ma'am, both statements are lies. First, complaints does not have authority to dictate what goes on in the stores. They are there to field complaint calls and report to the general manager of the store in question. Second, the manufacturer could have not possibly told you we will take it back simply because their call center is open Monday to Friday 9-5 PST. It is Saturday. This return will not happen. Period. You have to send it in to the manufacturer. Read your instruction manual.
Standard rant about how she will get me sooooooooooooooooooooo fired never work in this town again, and blah blah blah.
And guess what? I didn't even get an email.
Interesting Aside: There was a couple standing in line with their teenage kid behind the lady the first time, with a smashed Ipod screen. What did I do? I gave them a new one.
But this story takes place 3 days before moving from the computer department of my store to glorious, but boring, Inventory Control.Date: Saturday, December 28th 2006
As a supervisor in my particular store, I am next in line after a customer tries to return items to the front cashier. I have to verify receipt proper packing, etc etc. Anyhoo, this very foul attituded old crank of a "lady" wants to return a $500 camera because the LCD screen is broken.
Hmmmmmm.
Me: Well, before I can process this I need the box, all the cables, and manuals.
SC: I don't have them. I left them at home.
Me: Can you get them and bring them back. Our policy is we need the original packaging.
SC: Home is 2 hours away.
Side: I love that excuse. Especially on Boxing Day when we don't take returns. I always ask for a drivers license to verify addresses.
Me: Well, there's not much I can do for you unless you have a reciept and you purchased the camera in the last 30 days.
She hands me her receipt, Dated November 2nd 2006. Uh-oh......
Me: Ma'am, this receipt is not within the 30 return policy. I cannot do anything further for you, other than give you the number to call the manufacturer directly to arrange warranty work....
SC: That's not good enough! When did this 30 day return policy thing happen?!
Me: Oh, something like over 30 years ago......
SC: Well, i just got this on Christmas Day. I've only had it for 3 days.
Me: (Being Smart) Can I see your camera for a sec then?
She hands it to me. The camera's LCD has a leaf shape in it, signifying that too much pressure was put on it by a finger. Impact, as she was trying to pass it off as, would have a full on shatter look. I turn the camera on and....
Me: Ma'am, If you only had the camera for 3 days, how come there are picture dated from November on here? (I continue to flip thru pictures)
SC: It must have come like that in the box.
Me: This picture is dated 11/23/07. That looks like you.
CAUGHT!!!! HA HA HA!!!
SC freaks out and goes into the standard, rude, unhelpful, never shopping here again, wanna see your manager rant......
In my store, we are known as department managers, which is......... ME!!
Me: Hi. I'm your manager today. And if I wasn't dealing with you from the beginning and was called over here, I would still not give you what you want because we have our return policy pasted all over the store and on your receipt, and just because you have been plain rude.
SC gets really angry and wants the complaint line for our chain. I have it on my palm pilot because the people who have been caught wanna call the complaint line and make up a story. And, my GM gets an email which is forwarded to the department head........ Me.
I give her the number for the complaint line and the manufacturer and she takes them, and walks out of the store screaming the standard rant.
An hour later she comes back and tells me that the complaint line told her that we will take it back. Uh-huh. And that she phoned the manufacturer and they told her to tell us to take it back. I looked at her and said;
Me: Ma'am, both statements are lies. First, complaints does not have authority to dictate what goes on in the stores. They are there to field complaint calls and report to the general manager of the store in question. Second, the manufacturer could have not possibly told you we will take it back simply because their call center is open Monday to Friday 9-5 PST. It is Saturday. This return will not happen. Period. You have to send it in to the manufacturer. Read your instruction manual.
Standard rant about how she will get me sooooooooooooooooooooo fired never work in this town again, and blah blah blah.
And guess what? I didn't even get an email.
Interesting Aside: There was a couple standing in line with their teenage kid behind the lady the first time, with a smashed Ipod screen. What did I do? I gave them a new one.
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