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I work in a retail specialty gift shop that's in the airport but also has locations outside of the airport. Don't get me wrong, I normally really enjoy working at the airport, but when it comes to SC's, there's a unique group that you get that are clueless about security.
The most common, sometimes but not always SC's as such, are people that have bought some of our food products that happen to be liquid or gel, but at one of our other store locations (in case someone reading this isn't aware of current security restrictions, basically any liquids/gels/aerosols in containers larger than 3oz in capacity are not allowed through the security checkpoint). Usually these will be jams, jellys, mustard, sauces, or wine. I'll get these people trying to go thru security, realize it's not allowed, and want to immediately return it at our airport store. In the case of food/beverages, it's company policy that we don't accept returns/exchanges/refunds on those products, mainly due to health regulations. My manager, who is very customer service oriented (but is one of the best managers I've ever worked for), has us take those returns anyway for customer service reasons (although we often just have to discard the product). But nevertheless, these restrictions have been in place for well over a year now! I can understand that some people haven't flown for a long time, but it's like it's been in the news over and over, and people should know to do their own homework by visiting the TSA's website or checking with their airline before figuring it's our responsibility for them not knowing.
Ok, that wasn't necessarily an SC, but some examples of SC's:
One time I took a call from someone that bought one of our (liquid/gel) products at another location. Came to the airport, took it in their carryon, and found out that the TSA wouldn't allow it thru the checkpoint. Instead of being one of the annoying ones that gets out of line at tries to return it, since they don't want to get out of line, they let the TSA confiscate it. Then they call our store later telling us that their product got confiscated and that it's our fault that we didn't warn them about this (even though they bought it from a different store location), and that they want a refund to their credit card (even though they don't have the product anymore). Yeah, like it's really our fault that they didn't plan ahead.
One of my co-workers also had a person that came in claiming that she bought some wine from us (showed her the product) and that she needs a receipt for it so she can take it thru security. First of all, if she really bought it, she should've gotten a receipt with the purchase. And if it was bought at a different store location, we can't reprint the receipt anyway. She somehow thought we could just pull a receipt for her out of thin air. She said that a TSA officer told her that if she had a store receipt that she could take it through (which is totally false). My co-worker tried to explain to her, but she wouldn't believe any of it. So she gives up and tries to take it thru anyway. The TSA person at the checkpoint basically says the same thing that my co-worker tried to explain. So she comes back and demands to return it. My co-worker says that it can't be done without a receipt. She curses at my co-worker and threatens that she will never return to one of our stores again.
It's also security rules that you are not allowed to leave unattended baggage while in the airport, or it can be confiscated. I get people in the store leaving their bags in a corner while they shop. I'll ask if it's their baggage and if they say yes, I'll explain the rule to them. Most of them are agreeable, but today I had an SC that then stood by her baggage and said sarcastically something like "Well I guess I'll just stand here and let you shop for me". I told her that we could be fined for not enforcing the rule (which is true, we are required to help enforce security). She then grabbed her stuff and stomped out of the store. Maybe she would've been happier if I didn't say anything to her and just called dispatch and had the baggage confiscated. I thought I was doing her a favor. People seem to think that we make up these rules.
Oh yeah, then I had someone that wasn't travelling but was picking someone up and stopped by our store and wanted to buy some jam. She was disappointed that we only carried jam that was in containers 3oz or less. I explained to her about the security restrictions, and that we've decided to stop selling the larger ones because we've lost sales due to people not being able to take them. We have another store past security and have moved all the inventory of those items to there. She got snippy at me like it was my fault and said "Well, I guess you just lost another sale" and then stomped out of the store.
Anyway, just some issues I've had to deal with.
The most common, sometimes but not always SC's as such, are people that have bought some of our food products that happen to be liquid or gel, but at one of our other store locations (in case someone reading this isn't aware of current security restrictions, basically any liquids/gels/aerosols in containers larger than 3oz in capacity are not allowed through the security checkpoint). Usually these will be jams, jellys, mustard, sauces, or wine. I'll get these people trying to go thru security, realize it's not allowed, and want to immediately return it at our airport store. In the case of food/beverages, it's company policy that we don't accept returns/exchanges/refunds on those products, mainly due to health regulations. My manager, who is very customer service oriented (but is one of the best managers I've ever worked for), has us take those returns anyway for customer service reasons (although we often just have to discard the product). But nevertheless, these restrictions have been in place for well over a year now! I can understand that some people haven't flown for a long time, but it's like it's been in the news over and over, and people should know to do their own homework by visiting the TSA's website or checking with their airline before figuring it's our responsibility for them not knowing.
Ok, that wasn't necessarily an SC, but some examples of SC's:
One time I took a call from someone that bought one of our (liquid/gel) products at another location. Came to the airport, took it in their carryon, and found out that the TSA wouldn't allow it thru the checkpoint. Instead of being one of the annoying ones that gets out of line at tries to return it, since they don't want to get out of line, they let the TSA confiscate it. Then they call our store later telling us that their product got confiscated and that it's our fault that we didn't warn them about this (even though they bought it from a different store location), and that they want a refund to their credit card (even though they don't have the product anymore). Yeah, like it's really our fault that they didn't plan ahead.
One of my co-workers also had a person that came in claiming that she bought some wine from us (showed her the product) and that she needs a receipt for it so she can take it thru security. First of all, if she really bought it, she should've gotten a receipt with the purchase. And if it was bought at a different store location, we can't reprint the receipt anyway. She somehow thought we could just pull a receipt for her out of thin air. She said that a TSA officer told her that if she had a store receipt that she could take it through (which is totally false). My co-worker tried to explain to her, but she wouldn't believe any of it. So she gives up and tries to take it thru anyway. The TSA person at the checkpoint basically says the same thing that my co-worker tried to explain. So she comes back and demands to return it. My co-worker says that it can't be done without a receipt. She curses at my co-worker and threatens that she will never return to one of our stores again.
It's also security rules that you are not allowed to leave unattended baggage while in the airport, or it can be confiscated. I get people in the store leaving their bags in a corner while they shop. I'll ask if it's their baggage and if they say yes, I'll explain the rule to them. Most of them are agreeable, but today I had an SC that then stood by her baggage and said sarcastically something like "Well I guess I'll just stand here and let you shop for me". I told her that we could be fined for not enforcing the rule (which is true, we are required to help enforce security). She then grabbed her stuff and stomped out of the store. Maybe she would've been happier if I didn't say anything to her and just called dispatch and had the baggage confiscated. I thought I was doing her a favor. People seem to think that we make up these rules.
Oh yeah, then I had someone that wasn't travelling but was picking someone up and stopped by our store and wanted to buy some jam. She was disappointed that we only carried jam that was in containers 3oz or less. I explained to her about the security restrictions, and that we've decided to stop selling the larger ones because we've lost sales due to people not being able to take them. We have another store past security and have moved all the inventory of those items to there. She got snippy at me like it was my fault and said "Well, I guess you just lost another sale" and then stomped out of the store.
Anyway, just some issues I've had to deal with.
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