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Hello all! I've been lurking around again, reading. Truth be told, I don’t have much to post, generally, because for the most part our customers are wonderful people. But every now and then, of course there’s always that exception to the rule. Thought I'd share this one.
Today I went in to work and first thing off the bat one of the girls hit me up about a schedule change. She’d just found out the night before her grand daughter would be in town and wanted to do a trade for days off. No problem, we stood there at the counter, talked to one of the other girls about changing hours, and all was well. Started to the back to get clocked in, change my shoes, grab the smock, and heard a woman (I refuse to use the term “lady”) say something about a return. N. was at the register, and as a key carrier she can do returns so I went on w/ what I was doing. When I got back up front the lady had filled out the return slip and was waiting. N. had turned back to the other register to ring thru some other customers and the only other clerk on duty, K, was at the computer running a hunting license. So I stepped up to handle the return. I’m only going to go over the highlights here, because most of it was rambling and vulgar.
DD- allergy ridden Ducky, who’s nose is trying to turn inside out and crawl down her throat.
SC- yeah, you know the drill
DD- I’m sorry you had trouble w/ it, mam. ( the product is honestly a piece of junk, we’ve refused to accept any more in our store) Could I get your receipt please?”
SC- “Receipt?” (practically screaming, though not QUITE there just yet) What the f*** do you need a receipt for, YOUR price tag is right there. What the hell good does a receipt do? I could make one myself at home, this is so f***ing stupid, blah blah blah.”
She complained some more about the product being defective, getting more loud and more vulgar as she went along. Now let me admit that, personally, f*** is one of my favorite words. I find it quite useful and am rather fond of it. But when it’s the only thing a person uses, it says to me there’s a definite lack of creativity and intelligence. I do also understand that there is a correct time and place for such language, and this was NOT it. However, there were no children around, the only other customer in the store at the moment was a regular who I knew wouldn’t be taking offense just because of a word (he was actually about to laugh out loud at her), and we’re all big girls so I just let her continue to make a fool of herself. When she finally slowed down…
DD- “Mam, I’m very sorry, but I’m afraid corporate requires us to turn in the receipt with the refund paperwork. There’s simply nothing I can do without it.” (side note- there is, actually, it involves more paperwork and checking a picture ID, but as a key carrier I can do it, at my discretion)
SC- “Corporate, what the hell is corporate? I’ve never even seen another one of these stupid f***ing stores.” (side note #2- our company has been in business over 100 years)
DD- “I’m very sorry about that, mam, but they’ve been around quite a while. I wish I could help you, and I’d be glad to do an exchange for something else in the store, but I don’t have the authority to do a refund w/out the receipt. The manager will be in on Monday, if you’d like to wait and speak to him about it.”
She rants and raves some more, accuses us of stealing her money because we cashed her check and other such nonsense, along w/ plenty of “f’s” thrown in for boring measure. Finally I’d had enough and I dropped the sweet smiling act, moving on to a more firm tone of voice.
DD- “Mam, as I said, I’m very sorry but w/out your receipt my hands are tied. Store policy, as stated on these large signs by the register, in that we MUST HAVE a receipt to do a cash return. W/out a receipt, there’s nothing more I can do for you. You can come back Monday and speak to the manager.”
See, I’m kind of in limbo at work. Supposedly I’m being “trained” for the management position when the boss retires in Feb. I say supposedly because no one from corp. has actually talked to me about this, I have no firm offer nor any clue what salary/benefits/etc go w/ the job. I don’t mind doing a lot of his job, I think of it as showing them that I’m capable. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to put up w/ abuse for my piss poor hourly wage.
SC- “No, I’m going to go home and find that F***ing receipt and when I come back you WILL give me back f***ing CASH MONEY for this crap!”
DD- “Yes, mam, then I can and will most certainly be glad to do so.”
She storms out, and another customer who had come up to the other register laughed about her, calling her a couple of choice names that had been floating around in my own head. We all had a good laugh; nice customer wished us all a better day filled with better customers than that one. I was hoping that was the end of the matter. But of course it wasn’t.
About 45 mins later she’s back. I’m up in the office doing some work but when I see her I head to the front. I wasn’t leaving the other girls to deal w/ her abuse.
SC- “Here’s the f***ing receipt. And there’s something else, YOU overcharged me as well, I didn’t even look that day but this isn’t right.” She’s all smug about it. Of course, as always, I wasn’t the one who had originally rung her out, I wasn’t even working that day, but what’s new. I learned long ago not to take that particular dig personal. “I bought these three things and six skeins of yarn, NOTHING I bought cost 19.74, I bet you don’t even HAVE anything in here that’s 19.74, what did you do, pull the number out of your ass?”
Without a word I take the receipt from her, already knowing exactly what I’m going to see.
DD- “Mam, the 19.74 IS your yarn. See here, it’s on two lines.” (I admit I was rather condescending at this point) “Some people do seem to have a bit of trouble understanding, let me show you. We have 6 here (the left column of the tape, where the dept number generally shows if it’s a single item rung up) times (points to the big X beside the 6) 3.29 (in the right column of the ticket, single price of item), which is the price of the yarn for each skein. The 19.74 here on the next line is the total of 6 times three dollars and 29 cents.”
Not another word was said during the transaction except for me counting out the money to her. When she was gone, N. asked why I didn’t just kick her out the first time. I told her I figured that A) since I’d already claimed not to have the authority to do a return w/out the receipt and B) officially I’m still an hourly wage flunkie just like anyone else, I didn’t think that would have been a good move. She agreed, we laughed some more about how if the lady had just been polite and agreeable to begin with she could have had her money the first time around and everyone would have been happy.
The woman had a legitimate complaint about the product; all but 2 of the 6 we got in have now come back and we will not be getting any more. Bossman has already said if they ship them to us we’re to leave them in the back, don’t let them ever see the floor. I’m betting money the other two are wrapped up for Christmas somewhere, waiting to be returned after the holiday. I would have exchanged it for anything, not made it only that same department as we’re supposed to do, if she had just been polite about it. But no, she had to be a bitch, and that, of course, got her nowhere. Except home to dig for the receipt.
Today I went in to work and first thing off the bat one of the girls hit me up about a schedule change. She’d just found out the night before her grand daughter would be in town and wanted to do a trade for days off. No problem, we stood there at the counter, talked to one of the other girls about changing hours, and all was well. Started to the back to get clocked in, change my shoes, grab the smock, and heard a woman (I refuse to use the term “lady”) say something about a return. N. was at the register, and as a key carrier she can do returns so I went on w/ what I was doing. When I got back up front the lady had filled out the return slip and was waiting. N. had turned back to the other register to ring thru some other customers and the only other clerk on duty, K, was at the computer running a hunting license. So I stepped up to handle the return. I’m only going to go over the highlights here, because most of it was rambling and vulgar.
DD- allergy ridden Ducky, who’s nose is trying to turn inside out and crawl down her throat.
SC- yeah, you know the drill
DD- I’m sorry you had trouble w/ it, mam. ( the product is honestly a piece of junk, we’ve refused to accept any more in our store) Could I get your receipt please?”
SC- “Receipt?” (practically screaming, though not QUITE there just yet) What the f*** do you need a receipt for, YOUR price tag is right there. What the hell good does a receipt do? I could make one myself at home, this is so f***ing stupid, blah blah blah.”
She complained some more about the product being defective, getting more loud and more vulgar as she went along. Now let me admit that, personally, f*** is one of my favorite words. I find it quite useful and am rather fond of it. But when it’s the only thing a person uses, it says to me there’s a definite lack of creativity and intelligence. I do also understand that there is a correct time and place for such language, and this was NOT it. However, there were no children around, the only other customer in the store at the moment was a regular who I knew wouldn’t be taking offense just because of a word (he was actually about to laugh out loud at her), and we’re all big girls so I just let her continue to make a fool of herself. When she finally slowed down…
DD- “Mam, I’m very sorry, but I’m afraid corporate requires us to turn in the receipt with the refund paperwork. There’s simply nothing I can do without it.” (side note- there is, actually, it involves more paperwork and checking a picture ID, but as a key carrier I can do it, at my discretion)
SC- “Corporate, what the hell is corporate? I’ve never even seen another one of these stupid f***ing stores.” (side note #2- our company has been in business over 100 years)
DD- “I’m very sorry about that, mam, but they’ve been around quite a while. I wish I could help you, and I’d be glad to do an exchange for something else in the store, but I don’t have the authority to do a refund w/out the receipt. The manager will be in on Monday, if you’d like to wait and speak to him about it.”
She rants and raves some more, accuses us of stealing her money because we cashed her check and other such nonsense, along w/ plenty of “f’s” thrown in for boring measure. Finally I’d had enough and I dropped the sweet smiling act, moving on to a more firm tone of voice.
DD- “Mam, as I said, I’m very sorry but w/out your receipt my hands are tied. Store policy, as stated on these large signs by the register, in that we MUST HAVE a receipt to do a cash return. W/out a receipt, there’s nothing more I can do for you. You can come back Monday and speak to the manager.”
See, I’m kind of in limbo at work. Supposedly I’m being “trained” for the management position when the boss retires in Feb. I say supposedly because no one from corp. has actually talked to me about this, I have no firm offer nor any clue what salary/benefits/etc go w/ the job. I don’t mind doing a lot of his job, I think of it as showing them that I’m capable. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to put up w/ abuse for my piss poor hourly wage.
SC- “No, I’m going to go home and find that F***ing receipt and when I come back you WILL give me back f***ing CASH MONEY for this crap!”
DD- “Yes, mam, then I can and will most certainly be glad to do so.”
She storms out, and another customer who had come up to the other register laughed about her, calling her a couple of choice names that had been floating around in my own head. We all had a good laugh; nice customer wished us all a better day filled with better customers than that one. I was hoping that was the end of the matter. But of course it wasn’t.
About 45 mins later she’s back. I’m up in the office doing some work but when I see her I head to the front. I wasn’t leaving the other girls to deal w/ her abuse.
SC- “Here’s the f***ing receipt. And there’s something else, YOU overcharged me as well, I didn’t even look that day but this isn’t right.” She’s all smug about it. Of course, as always, I wasn’t the one who had originally rung her out, I wasn’t even working that day, but what’s new. I learned long ago not to take that particular dig personal. “I bought these three things and six skeins of yarn, NOTHING I bought cost 19.74, I bet you don’t even HAVE anything in here that’s 19.74, what did you do, pull the number out of your ass?”
Without a word I take the receipt from her, already knowing exactly what I’m going to see.
DD- “Mam, the 19.74 IS your yarn. See here, it’s on two lines.” (I admit I was rather condescending at this point) “Some people do seem to have a bit of trouble understanding, let me show you. We have 6 here (the left column of the tape, where the dept number generally shows if it’s a single item rung up) times (points to the big X beside the 6) 3.29 (in the right column of the ticket, single price of item), which is the price of the yarn for each skein. The 19.74 here on the next line is the total of 6 times three dollars and 29 cents.”
Not another word was said during the transaction except for me counting out the money to her. When she was gone, N. asked why I didn’t just kick her out the first time. I told her I figured that A) since I’d already claimed not to have the authority to do a return w/out the receipt and B) officially I’m still an hourly wage flunkie just like anyone else, I didn’t think that would have been a good move. She agreed, we laughed some more about how if the lady had just been polite and agreeable to begin with she could have had her money the first time around and everyone would have been happy.
The woman had a legitimate complaint about the product; all but 2 of the 6 we got in have now come back and we will not be getting any more. Bossman has already said if they ship them to us we’re to leave them in the back, don’t let them ever see the floor. I’m betting money the other two are wrapped up for Christmas somewhere, waiting to be returned after the holiday. I would have exchanged it for anything, not made it only that same department as we’re supposed to do, if she had just been polite about it. But no, she had to be a bitch, and that, of course, got her nowhere. Except home to dig for the receipt.
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