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This story happened a month or so ago, and you are warned that it is very long and drawn out. I was put in charge of 'Softlines' (the area of the store including clothing, shoes, infant care items, etc.) for the night. I wasn't covering the jewelry department, but my suboridnate was. I get a call from her on walkie to come over to the jewelry counter for customer assistance. I knew it would be trouble since we used the pharse 'customer assistance' on walkie as a code name for a problematic and/or irate customer demanding to see a supervisor. As I came closer to the jewelry counter, I could already see what the problem was. There was an elderly guy at the counter holding a watch up to my co-worker with a very pissed look on his face. He was demanding that we change the battery on a watch that we don't carry. We can only do it for watches we currently have under our counter and on display. Anyways, back to the story.
Me: Me
SC: SC
MOD: Manager on duty for night
Me: Good evening, how can I help you, sir.
SC: I asked to speak to her supervisor, are you he?
Me: Yes, I am. What seems to be the problem?
SC: Everything! (CoWorker'sName) refuses to service the watches I need worked on. These watches need battery replacements.
Me: (I notice the pile of at least 15 gunky, groady, crusted over, faded and stinky watches on the jewelry counter. I pick up the cleanest looking one, and look at the brand.) Sir, where did you purchase these watches?
SC: Well, uh, some were from K-Mart, one was from Fossil, and that one there on the end was from a jewelry store downtown. Some I forgot where they were from.
Me: Unfortunately sir, we can only change batteries on watches we currently carry under our display case.
SC: Well Jane Doe (co-worker who was recently fired for stealing) would always change my watch batteries when I needed them, she never gave me any of this crazy hooplah.
Me: If she did, sir, she was not following corporate policy. We can lose our jobs if we open these watches we don't carry, and the company doesn't want to be responsible if we break your watch by accident.
SC: I shouldn't have to worry about that, you are the professionals! (Uh, this is TARGET, not Kay's Jewelers!) Why don't you get Jane Doe over here so she can do the battery replacements?
Me: Jane Doe no longer works here. I understand this is frustrating, sir, but we simply cannot break policy.
SC: Well I won't get mad if you break one of the watches, they are old anyway. I just want the batteries changed.
Me: I know, sir, but we can only follow our policy. We do have a sign explaining the policy if you would like to see it ... it is from Corporate themselves. (I turn around and get the sign that was *convienently* pushed behind a display, probably by this fool.)
SC: That sign was NOT here when Jane Doe replaced my batteries. I will hear none of it. You probably just had somebody type it up.
Me: Uh, er, um, this sign has been at this counter as long as I've been here, and thats been over a year.
SC: It is new, I come in here every week and never have seen it before!
Me:
With all due respect, the sign is so torn up and bent that it would be pretty hard to make it look like this if it was 'just made.'
SC: I hope to god you aren't the manager, are you?
Me: No, I'm not.
SC: Well get me the manager, this is a travesty and I want my watches SERVICED this instant!
Me: Fine. (Pages manager on walkie.)
A minute later ...
MOD: Hi, what can I do for you?
SC: These 'people' here refuse to service my watches. I thought an establishment who would have an actual jewelry department would do what they are supposed to do.
MOD: (looks at the pile of disgusting watches.) Sir, it appears that none of these watches were purchased here.
SC: YES THEY WERE! Most of them were bought here only 10 years ago.
MOD: (trying to be as polite as she could) Well, sir, this store is only 5 years old, and I am absolutely positive that we never sold any Fossil brand watches, or the other brands you have here.
SC: I'll wait as you service them. I don't trust I_Hate_SCs or his friend here to touch them now.
MOD: (pausing a moment, with a blank face.) Sir, I am pretty sure they have already explained the policy on the sign that is right in front of you. We cannot, and will not change the batteries in your watches. We will be happy to sell you the batteries if you know which ones you need, but I'm afraid that you will have to replace them yourself.
SC: Fine then, thank you (MOD'sName). That will be all.
MOD: Have a great day, sir.
MOD leaves, but we're still at the counter with this ultra-SC.
SC: Since it is apparent that you are refusing to serve me, just let me use your tools so I can get the DAMN watches open myself.
Me: We aren't allowed to let customers use our tools under any condition. Its part of the rules I've explained to you before. Apparently, at another store, somebody got hurt with our sharp tools and now they only want employees doing it.
SC: WHAT? Oh PLEASE! Fine then .......... (he gets this big screwdriver he had in his pocket ... who carries them in their pockets? It was too big for the watch, so all we could do is stand there and watch this guy struggle & scratch the back of his watch up.) I give up fiddling with this darned thing..... You know what? I'm going to do even better this time around than complain to a manager. I'm going to be calling Target Corporate and telling them that you (he writes my name down on a piece of paper, including my co-worker's) and your little friend here AND your manager all refused to service my watches. See how you like it when you come in tomorrow and find somebody else in your positions!
Me: Sir, you are entitled to be frustrated, but honestly, I hope you do complain to corporate.
SC: (mouth hits the floor, since he thought that calling corporate would be the last thing I wanted to happen) Why would you? You two would most definitely be fired!
Me: Actually, sir, if you complain to corporate about this policy, you are complaining directly to the same people that created the rule that bans me from servicing your watches. They would most likely applaud this store for upholding the rules they took time out of their lives to create.
SC: (SLAMS hand on table, grabbing his dirty watches) Well I will just do that ... lets see what the CEO of Target has say to you tomorrow when you walk in ... I hope he personally signs your pink slip!
Me: (as he walks away, said as cheerfully as I could without breaking a muscle on my face to smile) Have a nice day, sir!
My co-worker was very scared and shaking from the ordeal ... this was her first SC encounter since she was fairly new. I told her that if she ever had problems like this to call me over, since I'm not afraid to tell it how it is. She expressed some concerns about getting fired over this, and I told her that definitely nothing will happen since we were both following policy, and that the manager was there and told the SC the same thing we did. I then said the most would happen is that Corporate would laugh in the guy's face and tell him that if he wants them changed that he should go to a REAL jeweler's store.
Me: Me
SC: SC
MOD: Manager on duty for night
Me: Good evening, how can I help you, sir.
SC: I asked to speak to her supervisor, are you he?
Me: Yes, I am. What seems to be the problem?
SC: Everything! (CoWorker'sName) refuses to service the watches I need worked on. These watches need battery replacements.
Me: (I notice the pile of at least 15 gunky, groady, crusted over, faded and stinky watches on the jewelry counter. I pick up the cleanest looking one, and look at the brand.) Sir, where did you purchase these watches?
SC: Well, uh, some were from K-Mart, one was from Fossil, and that one there on the end was from a jewelry store downtown. Some I forgot where they were from.
Me: Unfortunately sir, we can only change batteries on watches we currently carry under our display case.
SC: Well Jane Doe (co-worker who was recently fired for stealing) would always change my watch batteries when I needed them, she never gave me any of this crazy hooplah.
Me: If she did, sir, she was not following corporate policy. We can lose our jobs if we open these watches we don't carry, and the company doesn't want to be responsible if we break your watch by accident.
SC: I shouldn't have to worry about that, you are the professionals! (Uh, this is TARGET, not Kay's Jewelers!) Why don't you get Jane Doe over here so she can do the battery replacements?
Me: Jane Doe no longer works here. I understand this is frustrating, sir, but we simply cannot break policy.
SC: Well I won't get mad if you break one of the watches, they are old anyway. I just want the batteries changed.
Me: I know, sir, but we can only follow our policy. We do have a sign explaining the policy if you would like to see it ... it is from Corporate themselves. (I turn around and get the sign that was *convienently* pushed behind a display, probably by this fool.)
SC: That sign was NOT here when Jane Doe replaced my batteries. I will hear none of it. You probably just had somebody type it up.
Me: Uh, er, um, this sign has been at this counter as long as I've been here, and thats been over a year.
SC: It is new, I come in here every week and never have seen it before!
Me:
With all due respect, the sign is so torn up and bent that it would be pretty hard to make it look like this if it was 'just made.'SC: I hope to god you aren't the manager, are you?
Me: No, I'm not.
SC: Well get me the manager, this is a travesty and I want my watches SERVICED this instant!
Me: Fine. (Pages manager on walkie.)
A minute later ...
MOD: Hi, what can I do for you?
SC: These 'people' here refuse to service my watches. I thought an establishment who would have an actual jewelry department would do what they are supposed to do.
MOD: (looks at the pile of disgusting watches.) Sir, it appears that none of these watches were purchased here.
SC: YES THEY WERE! Most of them were bought here only 10 years ago.
MOD: (trying to be as polite as she could) Well, sir, this store is only 5 years old, and I am absolutely positive that we never sold any Fossil brand watches, or the other brands you have here.
SC: I'll wait as you service them. I don't trust I_Hate_SCs or his friend here to touch them now.
MOD: (pausing a moment, with a blank face.) Sir, I am pretty sure they have already explained the policy on the sign that is right in front of you. We cannot, and will not change the batteries in your watches. We will be happy to sell you the batteries if you know which ones you need, but I'm afraid that you will have to replace them yourself.
SC: Fine then, thank you (MOD'sName). That will be all.
MOD: Have a great day, sir.
MOD leaves, but we're still at the counter with this ultra-SC.
SC: Since it is apparent that you are refusing to serve me, just let me use your tools so I can get the DAMN watches open myself.
Me: We aren't allowed to let customers use our tools under any condition. Its part of the rules I've explained to you before. Apparently, at another store, somebody got hurt with our sharp tools and now they only want employees doing it.
SC: WHAT? Oh PLEASE! Fine then .......... (he gets this big screwdriver he had in his pocket ... who carries them in their pockets? It was too big for the watch, so all we could do is stand there and watch this guy struggle & scratch the back of his watch up.) I give up fiddling with this darned thing..... You know what? I'm going to do even better this time around than complain to a manager. I'm going to be calling Target Corporate and telling them that you (he writes my name down on a piece of paper, including my co-worker's) and your little friend here AND your manager all refused to service my watches. See how you like it when you come in tomorrow and find somebody else in your positions!
Me: Sir, you are entitled to be frustrated, but honestly, I hope you do complain to corporate.
SC: (mouth hits the floor, since he thought that calling corporate would be the last thing I wanted to happen) Why would you? You two would most definitely be fired!
Me: Actually, sir, if you complain to corporate about this policy, you are complaining directly to the same people that created the rule that bans me from servicing your watches. They would most likely applaud this store for upholding the rules they took time out of their lives to create.
SC: (SLAMS hand on table, grabbing his dirty watches) Well I will just do that ... lets see what the CEO of Target has say to you tomorrow when you walk in ... I hope he personally signs your pink slip!
Me: (as he walks away, said as cheerfully as I could without breaking a muscle on my face to smile) Have a nice day, sir!
My co-worker was very scared and shaking from the ordeal ... this was her first SC encounter since she was fairly new. I told her that if she ever had problems like this to call me over, since I'm not afraid to tell it how it is. She expressed some concerns about getting fired over this, and I told her that definitely nothing will happen since we were both following policy, and that the manager was there and told the SC the same thing we did. I then said the most would happen is that Corporate would laugh in the guy's face and tell him that if he wants them changed that he should go to a REAL jeweler's store.
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