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Shortly before I left Lowe's, I had one of my regular customers come into my returns area. Handing me this little green box he says tiredly. "I bought six of these things, and damned if someone didn't steal something out of every single one of them." Well, I'd heard similar before (and had such a problem) so I looked inside the box. Thankfully, the man was used to the policies, so he didn't mind. Poking through the thing, I notice that there's some things in plastic, and this funky little sidewalk light.
Looking at the customer, I asked curiously. "What's missing?" To which he replied. "Someone stole the damn light bulb. EVERY single one of these is missing it." Like I said, I'd had something similar happen before, and decided that well, it was close to closing, so I wasn't going to argue. Besides, these things were cheap. VERY cheap. You know the kind. Designed to use a AA battery and a flashlight bulb. Yeah, that cheap. I returned all six, and gave him the cash back.
Smiling, he thanked me and said "I'm going to check the next ones. Do I bring it here?" to which I said no, and pointed to customer service. He left, and I took to reading the box. Trying to decide just how I was going to explain this one to LP, and who I needed to bug in electrical.
Well, The customer returns with his lights and starts to open them. I hear a groan from him over at CS, just as I notice something on the box. "Oh for christ's sake. There are no bulbs in these either." he says loud enough to me.
"Yeah. I know." I said, which caused him to blink. "How?" He asked.
"Well sir..." I started. "It says here on the box. Lightbulb not included."
The man blinked some, and said with disbelief. "Where?"
"Right under the note about the battery not being included." I said.
Now I expected him to get really upset. Scream and everything. What he did next made my day.
Laughing at the top of his lungs he said loud enough to carry. "Well DAMN! You'd think I'd know how to read. Damned if it doesn't say that! Ok. Idiot customer here." He paid and left.
The whole story later ended up being recounted in the local newspaper, word for word. This man, you see, is the editor of our paper. It made for a great story then, and still does. Every now and then, I see him and he smiles, and we share a laugh.
Looking at the customer, I asked curiously. "What's missing?" To which he replied. "Someone stole the damn light bulb. EVERY single one of these is missing it." Like I said, I'd had something similar happen before, and decided that well, it was close to closing, so I wasn't going to argue. Besides, these things were cheap. VERY cheap. You know the kind. Designed to use a AA battery and a flashlight bulb. Yeah, that cheap. I returned all six, and gave him the cash back.
Smiling, he thanked me and said "I'm going to check the next ones. Do I bring it here?" to which I said no, and pointed to customer service. He left, and I took to reading the box. Trying to decide just how I was going to explain this one to LP, and who I needed to bug in electrical.
Well, The customer returns with his lights and starts to open them. I hear a groan from him over at CS, just as I notice something on the box. "Oh for christ's sake. There are no bulbs in these either." he says loud enough to me.
"Yeah. I know." I said, which caused him to blink. "How?" He asked.
"Well sir..." I started. "It says here on the box. Lightbulb not included."
The man blinked some, and said with disbelief. "Where?"
"Right under the note about the battery not being included." I said.
Now I expected him to get really upset. Scream and everything. What he did next made my day.
Laughing at the top of his lungs he said loud enough to carry. "Well DAMN! You'd think I'd know how to read. Damned if it doesn't say that! Ok. Idiot customer here." He paid and left.
The whole story later ended up being recounted in the local newspaper, word for word. This man, you see, is the editor of our paper. It made for a great story then, and still does. Every now and then, I see him and he smiles, and we share a laugh.
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