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Alright, this has been one of my favourite SC stories from my time at Staples, and I just had to laugh about the whole thing.
Basically I'm the head of furniture at my store, and I hear a tannoy call to the front of the store. I run down and I see a guy with a faulty chair (can't say it's not a common sight) and my buddy on the checkout trying to help the guy. Here's how the conversation went down.
Me - Me!
SC - Sucky Customer
CW - Co-Worker
SM - Store Manager
[I walk to the counter to see CW with a slightly annoyed look on her face]
Me - Hi there sir, what seems to be the problem?
SC - Yeah the base on my chair has broken (again a common problem, although this chair looked about 3 years old and the warranty on the chairs is a year) and I want it sorted out.
(This wouldn't normally be a problem until...)
Me - Sure no worries, have you got your receipt on you?
SC - No I don't have it on me.
(Brill, but not all is lost...)
Me - Ok did you pay by cash or card?
SC - Cash.
(Maybe not...)
CW - As I explained sir, we need the receipt before we can process anything, and as you paid by cash we cannot look it up.
SC - Bulls**t, your going to sort out my chair right now.
[I](At this point my co-worker looks like she is about to punch this guy in the face, as he's been like this to her the whole conversation)
Me - Sir, what CW is saying is completly true, before we can process this we will need the receipt.
SC - *sigh* Fine, I'm sure I can find it.
Me - Ok brilliant, just bring the chair back next time with your receipt and we'll process the chair then.
SC - [With discusted look] Excuse me? You expect me to take this with me?
Me - Sir we simply don't have the space to look after this for you (which is true, our store is not very big).
[Manager begins walking towards us at this point as CW has flagged her over]
SC - Now you listen to me, this is how it is going to go, you are going to take my broken chair, I will go home and find the receipt even though you are in the wrong and not me, and then I will come back and get a replacement chair.
(Bear in mind I am having a good day so I don't care what this jackass has to say, but I have to admit he was starting to annoy me and I am not one to take crap from customers)
Me - Sir we have processes for this kinda thing and unfortunatly we do not have the space in our warehouse to look after this for you-
SC - (Butting in) No your not listening to me, you are going to do WHAT I TELL YOU TO!
Me - [In a cheerful tone] Sir, you are not at liberty to tell me how to do my job. I have explained how we can help and there is no other way around this.
(Cue Manager...)
SM - What seems to be the problem?
SC - Hi yeah your sales assistant refuses to take my chair back and give me a refund.
SM - Well Dave is our head of furniture and I would assume he would have a legitimate reason not to do this for you sir. Do you have your receipt?
SC - No but as I just pointed out to your sales assistant I will go home and get the receipt and come back.
SM - (assuming this guy is taking the chair with him) That will be fine.
SC - That's all I wanted to hear, I will be back later to claim my refund with my receipt [throws his business card at me and walks out the building leaving the chair blocking the till on the floor]
You can imagine what my managers reaction to this, but we thought he'd be back in 20 minutes or so, so we just stuck the chair on a U-Boat in the warehouse and waited for him to return. But he didn't return that day, or the following day. Infact after 6 days we hadn't heard anything from him so I decide to give him a call and give him an ultimatum.
[I call SC]
Me - Hi there it's Dave from Staples, have you found your receipt for the chair yet?
SC - No not yet but I will be in soon to get my refund.
Me - Now sir we have had your chair for pretty much a week now and as I stated when you left the chair with us, we do not have much room in our store to keep your chair.
SC - So? You will do your job and give me the time I need to find my receipt. I told you how it was going to go and your manager agreed with me.
(At this point most people would tell him to shove his chair where the sun don't shine but again, I'm having a good day and not taking any crap at the same time)
Me - No sir, I think you are misreading the situation. My manager agreed to help you out, but you walked out of the store and dumped your chair on the floor. Out of courtesy we have kept it for you so you could find your receipt, but you have been leading us on for a week now and if you don't either collect your chair or find your receipt within 48 hours, I will be throwing your chair in the bin, and you will not be able to claim your refund.
SC - You can't do that, you wouldn't f**king dare do that. Well I don't care as I will still get my refund regardless. I don't care what you say.
Me - Sir, you will not get a refund on an item you don't have, the item needs to be physically present for a refund or an exchange to take place. Quite franky I have had enough of your vulgur attitude and if you do not collect this chair or claim a refund within 48 hours, I will throw this chair away.
SC - Your in no place to be making threats mate. I want to speak to your manager.
(At this point I'm just thinking to myself 'screw this guy, no manners or morals so he's getting whats coming to him')
Me - Sir, I am in the perfect position to be making threats, especially considering I have your chair. I am the current duty manager at the moment (not strictly true) and these are the terms of this agreement. Have a great day, and I hope you find your receipt!
*click*
I was feeling very smug about myself at this point in time, and then when 48 hours past and nobody shows up about the chair, I have great joy in throwing it in our big metal dumpster to never be seen again. I give the guy a call and tell him that I've thrown his chair away, and not to bother coming back as I've reported him to our head office and he's banned from the store for life. Again not strictly true although my manager had reported him to head office, but he hasn't called or come into the store since so all in all it worked out brilliantly!
And that is probably the best SC story I have had to date!
Basically I'm the head of furniture at my store, and I hear a tannoy call to the front of the store. I run down and I see a guy with a faulty chair (can't say it's not a common sight) and my buddy on the checkout trying to help the guy. Here's how the conversation went down.
Me - Me!
SC - Sucky Customer
CW - Co-Worker
SM - Store Manager
[I walk to the counter to see CW with a slightly annoyed look on her face]
Me - Hi there sir, what seems to be the problem?
SC - Yeah the base on my chair has broken (again a common problem, although this chair looked about 3 years old and the warranty on the chairs is a year) and I want it sorted out.
(This wouldn't normally be a problem until...)
Me - Sure no worries, have you got your receipt on you?
SC - No I don't have it on me.
(Brill, but not all is lost...)
Me - Ok did you pay by cash or card?
SC - Cash.
(Maybe not...)
CW - As I explained sir, we need the receipt before we can process anything, and as you paid by cash we cannot look it up.
SC - Bulls**t, your going to sort out my chair right now.
[I](At this point my co-worker looks like she is about to punch this guy in the face, as he's been like this to her the whole conversation)
Me - Sir, what CW is saying is completly true, before we can process this we will need the receipt.
SC - *sigh* Fine, I'm sure I can find it.
Me - Ok brilliant, just bring the chair back next time with your receipt and we'll process the chair then.
SC - [With discusted look] Excuse me? You expect me to take this with me?
Me - Sir we simply don't have the space to look after this for you (which is true, our store is not very big).
[Manager begins walking towards us at this point as CW has flagged her over]
SC - Now you listen to me, this is how it is going to go, you are going to take my broken chair, I will go home and find the receipt even though you are in the wrong and not me, and then I will come back and get a replacement chair.
(Bear in mind I am having a good day so I don't care what this jackass has to say, but I have to admit he was starting to annoy me and I am not one to take crap from customers)
Me - Sir we have processes for this kinda thing and unfortunatly we do not have the space in our warehouse to look after this for you-
SC - (Butting in) No your not listening to me, you are going to do WHAT I TELL YOU TO!
Me - [In a cheerful tone] Sir, you are not at liberty to tell me how to do my job. I have explained how we can help and there is no other way around this.
(Cue Manager...)
SM - What seems to be the problem?
SC - Hi yeah your sales assistant refuses to take my chair back and give me a refund.
SM - Well Dave is our head of furniture and I would assume he would have a legitimate reason not to do this for you sir. Do you have your receipt?
SC - No but as I just pointed out to your sales assistant I will go home and get the receipt and come back.
SM - (assuming this guy is taking the chair with him) That will be fine.
SC - That's all I wanted to hear, I will be back later to claim my refund with my receipt [throws his business card at me and walks out the building leaving the chair blocking the till on the floor]
You can imagine what my managers reaction to this, but we thought he'd be back in 20 minutes or so, so we just stuck the chair on a U-Boat in the warehouse and waited for him to return. But he didn't return that day, or the following day. Infact after 6 days we hadn't heard anything from him so I decide to give him a call and give him an ultimatum.
[I call SC]
Me - Hi there it's Dave from Staples, have you found your receipt for the chair yet?
SC - No not yet but I will be in soon to get my refund.
Me - Now sir we have had your chair for pretty much a week now and as I stated when you left the chair with us, we do not have much room in our store to keep your chair.
SC - So? You will do your job and give me the time I need to find my receipt. I told you how it was going to go and your manager agreed with me.
(At this point most people would tell him to shove his chair where the sun don't shine but again, I'm having a good day and not taking any crap at the same time)
Me - No sir, I think you are misreading the situation. My manager agreed to help you out, but you walked out of the store and dumped your chair on the floor. Out of courtesy we have kept it for you so you could find your receipt, but you have been leading us on for a week now and if you don't either collect your chair or find your receipt within 48 hours, I will be throwing your chair in the bin, and you will not be able to claim your refund.
SC - You can't do that, you wouldn't f**king dare do that. Well I don't care as I will still get my refund regardless. I don't care what you say.
Me - Sir, you will not get a refund on an item you don't have, the item needs to be physically present for a refund or an exchange to take place. Quite franky I have had enough of your vulgur attitude and if you do not collect this chair or claim a refund within 48 hours, I will throw this chair away.
SC - Your in no place to be making threats mate. I want to speak to your manager.
(At this point I'm just thinking to myself 'screw this guy, no manners or morals so he's getting whats coming to him')
Me - Sir, I am in the perfect position to be making threats, especially considering I have your chair. I am the current duty manager at the moment (not strictly true) and these are the terms of this agreement. Have a great day, and I hope you find your receipt!
*click*I was feeling very smug about myself at this point in time, and then when 48 hours past and nobody shows up about the chair, I have great joy in throwing it in our big metal dumpster to never be seen again. I give the guy a call and tell him that I've thrown his chair away, and not to bother coming back as I've reported him to our head office and he's banned from the store for life. Again not strictly true although my manager had reported him to head office, but he hasn't called or come into the store since so all in all it worked out brilliantly!
And that is probably the best SC story I have had to date!
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