Why don't you trust meeee?!

[KMMCurly]

I must have an untrustworthy face or something because this guy would just not believe me.
In my store we have a coin machine, one where you pour in your loose coins (1p's and 2p's mostly) and in return you get a coupon. Now, you can either take this coupon to customer services where they will turn it into cash for you or you can directly use it against your shopping, but only if the cost of the shopping is more than the coupon.

With me so far?
Good. You have now proven yourself more intelligent than my customer.
Toasty fresh congratulations to you

Me: The wonderful, hard working till monkey (thoughts in italics)
SC: We all know who this is *boo hiss boo*
ML: Manager lady who kick ass!

Me: That's £4.XX
SC: Here *hands over coin change coupon for £13.XX*
Me: Aww monkey nuts not again *swips coupon just to make sure it won't go through, bingo I was right* I'm sorry sir I can't use this coupon. I can't use a coupon that has a higher amount than your shopping.
SC: Yes you can.
Me:What have I got to gain by lying to you?! No sir, I can't. My till won't let me. If you want you can go to customer services and have this exchanged for cash. *worried look at queue of people*
SC: But you can use that!
Me: No, sir I'm sorry but I can't.
SC: Call your manager over.
Me: Sir she's just going to say the same as me.
SC: Call your manager!
Me: Die screaming *Calls manager over and explains situation*
ML: Is this all you have to pay with?
SC: Yes!
ML: *Takes coupon and stores transaction* Right sir if you'll follow me we'll go to the customer services and you can transfer this coupon to cash and pay there.
SC: B-But I can use it here!
ML: Unfortunately you can't, if you'll follow me? *walks off forcing SC to follow her*
Me:

And all that would've been avoided if he had just trusted me to know what I'm doing. Gah!

[going gaga]

Maybe my cynicism is getting to me , but it's probably not that he didn't think you knew what you were doing .
Just that if he screamed loud enough and caused enough fuss that you would change your answer.You get those SC way too often.

Question-Is the rule posted up on the machine, in big letters?

[KMMCurly]

Question-Is the rule posted up on the machine, in big letters?

No but I wish it was! But that's the rule with all the coupons our store takes, if using it puts you over the shopping's cost we can't take it. You can use coupons that would put the cost down to 1p but you need to give us something!

[myswtghst]

I love trying to explain to someone that no matter how much I would love to make them shut the heck up by obliging, I physically CANNOT. Our computer system is much the same way - when opening a repair request, for example, I need info in a certain order. I understand that you'll get billing info for me later, but I can't open it until I have the billing info. No can do. Sorry. Stop whining, and go get the information you knew when you called in that you would need, but couldn't be bothered to gather.

[LifeCarnie]

Somewhere in the rules of customer service, falls the following.

"The customer knows your job in vivid detail. Listen to them."


It sucks when customers think they know better than you. The last time someone argued with me about something I almost offered them a job. What the hell, we were hiring, and they seemed so knowledgable they wouldn't need traiining!!.....And than I found out that it was all a lie. They were the least useful tool in the entire shed.

[going gaga]

Suggest it to your manager or supervisor, put it in big red friendly letters.

That way at least the Sc's even though they probably won't read it won't have a leg to stand on if they query you again, you can just turn round and say

"it is posted on the machine"
( they won't need to complain for your kick ass manager)

or

"we can't do it captain,we dunna have the power."
Whatever takes your fancy

Less hassle and all it will cost is some cellotape, a colour print out and possibly getting it laminated.

[KMMCurly]

"we can't do it captain,we dunna have the power."
Whatever takes your fancy

Oh god I would love to be able to say that to a customer, but, alas, I cannot. Please refer to my signature.

[going gaga]

Same here, mainly I settle for a manic grin, repeating myself and imaging little anvils or safes above their heads.

Though if you do get to know some of your regulars you may find some you can pull the humour with. Mine are generally little old ladies who come in for a chat rather than to buy. Some have taught me some really filthy jokes just to see the look of shock on my face.

[KMMCurly]

I usually slide into the coldly polite, smiling and being completely by the book and leaving them nothing to complain about but still projecting the thought 'you are something that got kicked out from under the rock because the other creepy crawlies refused to associate with something so vile.'

And because I'm being by the book they can't call me on anything!

And I love the little old ladies, one of my favorite funny story came from a converstation with one.
I was serving this little old lady who had her 3 daughters with her, I made some comment on this, can't remeber what now, and said that she had 3 sons as well.

Me: That's a big family!
OL: Well, we had nothing else to do during the war!
Me: That is the best reason for a large family I have ever heard! Bless you woman!

[going gaga]

I usually slide into the coldly polite, smiling and being completely by the book and leaving them nothing to complain about but still projecting the thought 'you are something that got kicked out from under the rock because the other creepy crawlies refused to associate with something so vile.'

I'd love to be able to pull off that aura,
I seem to project an I'm small and helpful please come to me with arsine questions field ,which I can't quite shake.
Please teach me your technique

And because I'm being by the book they can't call me on anything!

Best way to handle them

And I love the little old ladies, one of my favorite funny story came from a converstation with one.
I was serving this little old lady who had her 3 daughters with her, I made some comment on this, can't remeber what now, and said that she had 3 sons as well.

Me: That's a big family!
OL: Well, we had nothing else to do during the war!
Me: That is the best reason for a large family I have ever heard! Bless you woman!
:

Your little oldie rocks, I see mine occasionally because I use to go a social club with them. They saw it as useful to say things that every young woman should hear.
Needless to say I looked like this the entire first night

[KMMCurly]

I'd love to be able to pull off that aura,
I seem to project an I'm small and helpful please come to me with arsine questions field ,which I can't quite shake.
Please teach me your technique

The training is hard young padawan, are you sure you are ready?

Needless to say I looked like this the entire first night

Little old ladies that leave your face like that are always the best kind. You should've seen my face when I found out my grandma could throw down whiskey like it was water!

[Peppergirl]

I love trying to explain to someone that no matter how much I would love to make them shut the heck up by obliging, I physically CANNOT. Our computer system is much the same way - when opening a repair request, for example, I need info in a certain order. I understand that you'll get billing info for me later, but I can't open it until I have the billing info. No can do. Sorry. Stop whining, and go get the information you knew when you called in that you would need, but couldn't be bothered to gather.

Amen to this!

This past weekend was awful for flight cancellations and mis-connects due to weather. I loved it when a few SCs were telling me I was wrong when I was attempting to explain to them that the airline is under no obligation to protect them on another airline when the cancellation was due to weather.

One particularly funny example:

SC "Yes, they will"

Me - "No, no they wont"

SC "Yes, they will"

Me - "Sir, if you truly feel that US Air will reprotect you on the open DELTA flight for tomorrow morning, walk up to the counter and ask them."


(Yes, he was standing at the airport, arguing with me on the phone from 800 miles away)

SC - "I already did. They said no."

Me - ....

Him - "So put me on the Delta flight"

Me - "Sir, I can't. Unless you wish to pay for the cost of the Delta ticket"

Him - "No. I won't pay"

Me - "Then I'd suggest you take USAir up on their offer to reprotect you on the noon flight for tomorrow. Have a nice evening"


Seriously - WTF????


Sorry for the threadjack.

[raideo]

Well, I have used "the computer won't let me do that" to my favor in the past so if he has worked in such an industry it is possible he had false premonitions.

For instance though, every tuesday after 5 pm, our burgers are about half off, the key here being 5pm, not 4:45, not 4:59, 5 pm. That being said, we can ring it up when ever we so please (I have hit the discount button accidentally on a friday before), but our manager doesn't appriciate that, so we need an excuse, and we are allowed to use that one.