I want to speak to the manager!

[ripper76]

Being a manager in retail you get alot of people demanding to speak with you that really don't need to.

However, they think that they are so important that whatever problem they have, only the manager can fix it.

Example 1
SC: Are you the manager?
Me: Yes.
SC: I'm having a problem hooking up my DVD player to my new TV.
Me: Hold on while I get your salesperson. He'll walk you through it.

Example 2
SC: Are you the manager?
Me: Yes.
SC: My television isn't working!
Me: Have you talked to the service department?
SC: No.
Me: Let me transfer you...

Example 3
SC: Are you the manager?
Me: Yes.
SC: I want to see if my order is in.
Me: Did you ask customer service about it when they answered the phone?
SC: No.
Me: Let me transfer you...

Example 4
SC: Are you the manager?
Me: Yes.
SC: I have a question about finance charges on my bill.
Me: Did you talk to the finance company and ask them?
SC: No.
Me: Here's their number...

Now don't get me wrong, I have no problem helping customers that have legitimate problems that haven't been solved by my employees, but it's the jerks that have simple questions or problems who just right off the bat demand to speak to the manager, who get under my skin.

And last but not least, the best, or worst example of a customer who demanded to speak to the manager:

SC: Are you the manager?
Me: Yes.
SC: Where is your restroom?
Me: Um...down that hall and to the left....


Argh!!!!!

[mattm04]

It is even better if they demand to speak with a manager and wait for a few minutes for the MOD to arrive, only to ask the simplest question that I knew the answer to.

[BookstoreEscapee]

It is even better if they demand to speak with a manager and wait for a few minutes for the MOD to arrive, only to ask the simplest question that I knew the answer to.

Oh, I hated that with a passion! Just ask me your question...if I can't help you then I will happily call a manager for you, but when I call they generally like to know what the customer wants, anyway. I had a customer who refused to even give me a general idea of what they wanted, and I called the manager, she asked what the customer needed, and I said, loud enough for the customer to hear, "I don't know, he won't tell me." Turned out to be something I could have helped him with myself.

Oh, and I was a head cashier...that means I did returns. Don't ask for a manager, and when I ask why, say "I need to return this." Yes, there are specific people who are allowed to do returns, but you have no way of knowing if I am one of them (bonus points if the manager is/looks younger than me, because frankly, I think that's one of the reasons they would ask in the first place, because I am a young-looking female - I'm older than I look, plus I have worked with managers and supervisors who were years younger than me). Asking for a manager for a simple transaction just makes you wait longer! (Which, come to think of it, serves you right...)

[HawaiianShirts]

Whenever customers ask me for a manager without giving me any preface, I say: "Sure, I can get a manager for you. May I ask what this is regarding so I can get you the right manager? I have five of them after all."

Usually, one in ten will not tell me and simply state their demands again and another one in ten will have a legitimate need for a manager. The others I can take care of myself, and some of them are simply dazzled by my amazing competence in regards to locating a product on the shelf behind me.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

http://www.customerssuck.com/board/index.php?

I suspect it all comes down to perception.

I'm on the opposite end of the scale, so to speak. I'm NOT management, yet I have customers who almost on a daily basis will ask me if I am one.

Maybe I look old enough to be one, I'm not sure. Our store manager is in his mid 20's, while our AM is in his mid 40's. We've even had some customers thinking that our AM was the SM (and that's probably because Opie was a SM at one time, but got busted down a couple of years ago.)

I suspect the same customers who ask me if I'm a manager would probably ask the SM for the manager without even bothering to read his nametag, which says Store Manager.

I guess customers expect older people to be in management while younger (or younger looking) employees are supposed to be the peons.

But then I'm trying to give up trying to figure out customers . . . less stress that way.

[ripper76]

I was an assistant manager in a store one time, and the customer wasn't happy with the way I handled his issue. He demanded to speak to my boss. I pointed to my store manager who was standing next to me and said "Here he is."

The customer didn't believe me, for some reason he thought I was the store manager. He then accused me of lying about it and demanded the corporate number. We gladly gave it to him.

[Knightmare]

I did this last week:

Walking in a BB, looking at stereo equipment. I see an employee. I go up to him, notice his name tag.

Me: "Are you a manager?"
BB: "Yes."
Me: "Cool! Don't let the jerks get to ya. Have a great day!"
BB:

It was stupid. I was in a goofy mood. Sue me.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Whenever customers ask me for a manager without giving me any preface, I say: "Sure, I can get a manager for you. May I ask what this is regarding so I can get you the right manager? I have five of them after all."

That was an issue, too. Sometimes people were looking for information on book fairs or looking for donations and whatnot, and they needed to see the Community Relations Manager. If you just say "I need a manager" and don't tell me why, you will waste your time and ours while I call the MOD, who then comes up only to find out you need the CRM.

[matty]

What's really fun is when customers have stupid demands and you tell them, sorry, it can't be done. So they ask to speak with a manager, who tells them... wait for it... exactly the same thing!

[smileyeagle1021]

no, i love the people who get all anal about needing to speak to someone actually at the hotel, then they'll ask for things that anyone in central can answer... the more difficult ones require our internet passwords to look stuff up... you'd be surprised how often it is the person wants to speak to someone at the hotel because after they reserve they need directions... which is something anyone here can easily look up on google maps or mapquest.

[Slow-Jo]

i love it when they demand to speak to me. then when they complain that my employee said such and such, and then i tell them the employees right, they demand to speak to a manger again.

[marasbaras]

Demanding to see the manager because you want to know where the bathroom is? Oh, that's just pathetic.

This reminds me of the last time I asked to see the manager. I was shopping at a (huge box hardware store) and needed 1000 feet of 2" conduit. Some nice sales kid was helping me and while he wasn't really an expert in anything at all ... he was trying and ran all around the store looking for things for me. I was following him as best as I could (being more than twice his age and 50% greater in weight) ... he really didn't know where things were. It started getting comical after the annoying part wore off.

Anyway, this isn't about him. We get to the last item on my long list and it's the conduit. I ask if they have 100 pieces of 10 foot long 2" conduit in stock. He has to go ask (of course, I didn't expect him to have all the up-to-date stock numbers memorized).

So, he comes back after a couple minutes and says that the store's main accountant lady was going to come down and let me know since it was a bit unusual to want that many.

A few minutes pass, we shoot the breeze. Nice kid. The numbers lady shows up. She informs me that they do have 100 pieces in stock, but that would clean them out.

So, I say "great, I'll take them". You know, doing that customer paying money for products you're selling thing. I'm thinking, wrongly, that this was going to be the end of it.

She comes back with "but that would clean us out. What about the other customers? Maybe you could take maybe 33 each week for three weeks?"

Now, the sales kid gets this deer-caught-in-headlights look on his face. Totally puzzled, not sure what to say.

I say (and please excuse me if this is a bit of a paraphrasation as I am old and decrepid and my mind is gone from years of Coke, Twinkies, and late nights) ... "So, you have them in stock but you want me to buy them in three chunks over three weeks so that other customers may purchase them, too? Besides, it'll mean I'll have to order more early."

She seemed pleased that I'd understood.

So, I say what any good customer would say: "Could we talk this over with your manager?"

She doesn't notice that she's standing on the train tracks and agrees to go get him. At this point you can tell the the sales kid new gets it and is holding back laughter as well as his late teen mind could. He and I exchange knowing looks.

Now, the manager shows up and I relate the situation to him. I try to smooth over the part where the numbers lady said the monumentally stupid thing, but made sure that the point was there.

The numbers lady confirms my story was correct ... and I ask the manager "So, are you here to sell product? And, would you like me to purchase this product from you?" I did so in such a civil and polite tone.

I could tell that the manager understood that I was saying "what the hell is the matter with your moronic employee here who doesn't want to sell me a LOT of conduit?" The sales kid quickly turned, put his hand to his mouth and did his very best to hide that he was barely holding on.

The manager didn't look entirely happy. But, said "Aboslutely we want to sell you this. And, should you need more later, call us and we'll order it."

Ah, a manager that gets it. That customers go into stores to buy things and give them money which they can take part of home to feed their families.

After that, it was the only big box hardware store we used if given a chance. Never saw the numbers lady again, oh darn. Saw the sales kid a few times ... but then school went back into session.

Manager would wave at me from time to time. I think he liked that we spend multiple thousands of dollars a month there.

I was never mad ... just so shocked that someone in retail would want to NOT sell something that was offered for sale. Just bizarre.

[MisseLaneius]

Possibly one of my favourite lines ever.

Particularly when the manager at my call centre was externally hired, and I was her right hand man, telling her all the product and policy information that she needed while she discussed it.

The customer could hear me in the background and asked about it...

Without batting an eyelid, the manager said, "of course that's the same person. She knows how to do her job better than I do"

[Geek King]

marasbaras, that's an inventory manager thing. Sometimes the people in charge of making sure a store has inventory lose sight of the fact that sometimes you get a big run on something. When your job is to make sure the shelves are stocked, you sometimes forget that the overall job of the store is to sell that stuff. I'm sure the manager reminded her that new stock could be ordered.

[TryNotToBeThatOne]

And gee, if someone comes in 5 minutes or 5 whatever time increments later, needing the same thing, most will understand a simple: 'I'm sorry, but we are momentarily out of stock. However, it is on order & we expect it to arrive at X date.' Of course, nothing, especially not logic or reason, will protect you from the SCs.