Announcement

**marasbaras** · 03-26-2008, 07:56 AM

Another problem with this ... when an honest person goes in to return an item within ALL of the rules, the employees usually end up being douches because they presume you're a scammer.

**Boochan** · 03-26-2008, 10:25 AM

Quoth marasbaras View Post

Another problem with this ... when an honest person goes in to return an item within ALL of the rules, the employees usually end up being douches because they presume you're a scammer.

Yeah, I never presume the customer Is doing that unless its a dubious situation (People digging out of our trash for written off or broken items to attempt to "return them"), or the receipt is missing (if its a low value item we will still do it regardless most of the time). The long-term return thing is common here as well, thankfully our database generally removes transactions from over a year ago so we are literally unable to handle them anyway.

**marasbaras** · 03-26-2008, 01:04 PM

I've had 50/50 douche/nice on the electronics returns in the past couple of years. I can only imagine it's that the employees are just so burned out from all the scammers that they have forgotten (or never encounter) honest people.

We're rare, be we do exist. Really!

**weirdboy_1** · 03-26-2008, 04:32 PM

I actually had a funny situation with an electronic return at a local big-box department store. My wife and I bought a computer online, but did not think it came with speakers, so we picked up a cheap pair. We made sure not to open the box, since we knew we couldn't return it then. Well, the new computer came & it had speakers! Great, grab the receipt and back to the store. I go up to counter to return the speakers and what does the CSR do? Open up the package!
I know that he did it to verify that we didn't pull a switcheroo, but it made me laugh that after we followed the return rules, he still had to open up the box. I don't want to steal this thread, but I thought this was a good place to put the story

**BrassCowboy** · 03-26-2008, 05:37 PM

Well, Weirdboy and all, the truth is that

1. We do have to open everything. Even if it still has the tampering tape still intact.

2. We do get burned out by scammers, so legit customers DO get treated like shit. I say, if they have a problem with my attitude, they should take it up with their fellow man, who treated me like shit for not allowing his 3rd laptop return in 2 weeks, "because he didn't like Vista." (Hello? Nobody does!)

**Andara Bledin** · 03-26-2008, 06:20 PM

Quoth BrassCowboy View Post

-...that just because you were unfortunate enough to not listen to the news and bought an HD-DVD player instead of Blu-ray, that the store will return it well outside of return policy, with no receipt/no box/no barcode at full price in CASH? Even after cashing in on the mail in rebate for free movies? (seriously, we are not responsible for market trends)

We've got an HD-DVD player. Best Buy sent us a note that they were doing some rebate thing and you needed the receipt and had to do something else. So we called the number. Turns out that calling the number was [I]all/I] that was required of us.

They also have a trade-in thing going on, too, but it's pretty pathetic. $200.00 player with $200.00 in movies, and they were offering something like $50.00 for trade-in. As if.

Quoth BrassCowboy View Post

2. We do get burned out by scammers, so legit customers DO get treated like shit. I say, if they have a problem with my attitude, they should take it up with their fellow man, who treated me like shit for not allowing his 3rd laptop return in 2 weeks, "because he didn't like Vista." (Hello? Nobody does!)

Sorry, not going to buy that. I don't treat people like crap because someone else treated me like crap, and I'm not going to accept that sort of behavior from anyone else. If I treat you like crap, then fine, it's open season, have at it. But if some random dude before me treated you like crap, that's absolutely no reason why you should turn around and treat me like crap just because you're in a bad mood.

^-.-^

**Pedersen** · 03-26-2008, 06:40 PM

Quoth Andara Bledin View Post

Sorry, not going to buy that. I don't treat people like crap because someone else treated me like crap, and I'm not going to accept that sort of behavior from anyone else. If I treat you like crap, then fine, it's open season, have at it. But if some random dude before me treated you like crap, that's absolutely no reason why you should turn around and treat me like crap just because you're in a bad mood.

It's called cynicism. Also called seeing the same pattern continuously. As much as we would like to avoid it, it's physically impossible. Our brains are physically wired to for it. Too much of the same thing comes in on any given day, and sooner or later our brains see everything that starts out in the same way as yet another repeat.

We'd like to be able to treat everybody differently, to wipe the slate clean. But our brains are not wired to allow us to do it. Fix physiology, then you get to make that statement without me challenging it. Until then, well, we'll repeat this a few times, I'm sure

**AdminAssistant** · 03-26-2008, 09:13 PM

It doesn't matter how sucky a SC is, the next customer should get treated with all the kindness and respect you can muster. It sucks, it's not fun, but it's part of customer service and it's your job. You can't take out your frustration at a SC at a nice, innocent customer.

**Irving Patrick Freleigh** · 03-26-2008, 10:11 PM

-...that you are an expert? (If you are so smart, why are you shopping here and why are you asking the employees questions, that you OBVIOUSLY know the answers to?)

The answer to this one is "Because you're an asshole."

I got stuck waiting on one of those types once. Me and the girl working electronics that day. Some guy came in asking us all these questions about a home theater system and wanting us to demonstrate everything it could do.

Keep in mind that like at most stores, the employees are given little to no training on how the products they sell actually work, but the store still advertises its employees as being experts. The only person who knew anything about how this home theater system worked was the electronics specialist, and he wasn't working at the time.

So as we're trying to figure out the functions and features of the home theater system on our own, the asshole customer is standing there, arms folded across his chest, tut-tutting us about our lack of product knowledge and saying "You are the best advertisement your competitors could ever make. I know how to make this thing work but I shouldn't have to be the one doing it for you"

That hurt back then, but now it's funny, because our competitors in the electronics area are as follows:

Rex, whose products are generally crap and whose employees are about as knowledgeable about them as we are, or even less so.
Wally World, whose products are almost always crap and the person waiting on you will be the guy wearing a nametag identifying himself as "Deth Munkee" who stands around drooling and picking his nose a lot, and will respond to your questions by farting.
Various mom-and-pop electronics stores, who have very nice products, very nice service, and employees who know a lot about their products, but their prices are 2 to 3 times higher than ours, so let's be real here: You want the mom-and-pop store's product knowledge at Wally World's prices.

**Andara Bledin** · 03-27-2008, 01:39 AM

Quoth Pedersen View Post

We'd like to be able to treat everybody differently, to wipe the slate clean. But our brains are not wired to allow us to do it. Fix physiology, then you get to make that statement without me challenging it. Until then, well, we'll repeat this a few times, I'm sure

I can't speak for anyone but myself.

But I treat everyone like I want them to treat me.

I let them prove their an asshole before I treat them like one. (and even then, it usually takes a concerted effort, since treating an asshole nicely often pisses them off.

)

^-.-^

**bainsidhe** · 03-27-2008, 04:47 AM

Quoth weirdboy_1 View Post

We made sure not to open the box, since we knew we couldn't return it then. Well, the new computer came & it had speakers! Great, grab the receipt and back to the store. I go up to counter to return the speakers and what does the CSR do? Open up the package!
I know that he did it to verify that we didn't pull a switcheroo, but it made me laugh that after we followed the return rules, he still had to open up the box. I don't want to steal this thread, but I thought this was a good place to put the story

Your comments made me laugh. I had the same thing happen when I returned a DVD player unopened to Wal-Mart. The person working customer service was so apologetic when she cut open the box. She was literally cringing, waiting for me to blow up at her because she "dared" to doubt my honesty at returning an actual DVD player as opposed to say, rocks. I just laughed and told her not to worry about it. I work retail also and people can be jerks, she was just covering her own butt. I just thought it was funny (and frankly, pretty sad), that she was so concerned I'd be offended.

**LambChop** · 03-27-2008, 03:58 PM

Electronics stores and scamming customers go hand in hand and I experienced alot of them when I was at Computer America.

My favorite one was this lady about a year after I got there. We had recieved reports from several other stores in the state that a customer was buying PCs, deciding she didn't like them, and to avoid paying the restocking fee she was pulling out the processors...WHILE THE PC WAS RUNNING! Most techies will know that this will fry all but the BEST PCs. She managed to hit 4 stores before one of the techs noticed what she was doing (CA required all returned PCs to be checked before returns to see if it was broken or not. The first 3 techs were just stupid, I guess).

So finally she decided to try our store. She comes in, I greet her, and take her reciept. She's within the return policy and is completely polite but when she gives me her card, I vaguely remembered the name so I called William (My totally awesome GM). He immediately knows who this lady is and asks me to stall her while he prints out the e-mail. I give her some BS that the techs are on lunch and we need to check the PC before the return, but they'd be back in a few minutes.

Here's the fun part:

SC = Scamming Customer
W = Awesome GM
Me =

W: *enters the scene with paperwork in hand and places them on the counter* I'm sorry maam, but I'm afraid I won't be able to take this PC back.
SC: What?! Why not?!
W: Well to put it bluntly, you're a liar and a thief. You've already pulled this scam at 4 of my fellow stores.
SC: Scam!? What scam?! This PC is obviously broken, why won't you take it back?
W: Simple; YOU broke it. (At this point her face goes beet red as he continues.) *points to the stack of papers in front of her* Our technicians discovered that you had been removing processors from the PC, and under our return policy, we cannot return product that has been damaged by the customer. Furthermore, you knew about these policies and broke them so you wouldn't pay a restocking fee, which is effectively stealing from the company, which makes you both a LIAR and a THIEF. (He emphasized those words, which sent me into a fit of giggles)

W: So, quite frankly, you can get the hell out of my store, because neither I, nor any of my employees, are going to serve you. Please enjoy the broken computer you purchased and don't come back. Have a nice day!
SC: But I-
W: Have a nice DAY!
SC: This is-
W: HAAAAAVE a NIIIIIIICE daaaaaay! (More giggles)
SC: I can't believe-
W: *picks up the phone, pages security*
SC: *sees this, grabs her PC, and leaves. Quickly*

Just watching him put a scammer in her place was priceless and I seriously could not control my giggles at seeing her face. W walked away with a great big grin on his face after that.

Scammers + No BS style management = Win!

**BrassCowboy** · 03-27-2008, 05:54 PM

Wow, Lambchop, your boss is my hero. Usually when I get an obvious scammer like that, I'll call a manager and they will just blow me off completely with "just do it."

Then, a week later, at the store meeting, get berated in front of the whole store for taking it back. I swear, these managers are so two-faced....

**draftermatt** · 03-27-2008, 07:05 PM

Quoth BrassCowboy View Post

2. We do get burned out by scammers, so legit customers DO get treated like shit. I say, if they have a problem with my attitude, they should take it up with their fellow man, who treated me like shit for not allowing his 3rd laptop return in 2 weeks, "because he didn't like Vista." (Hello? Nobody does!)

When I read this I was reminded of Lee Iaccoca. Well his father anyway. He tells a story in his autobiography about how his dad was one hell of an entrepreneur, owned all kinds of restaurants and the like.

And when he went into a restaurant and got a waitress that was bad or in a bad mood he would pull them aside and ask them why they are doing that job. If they can't shake off their bad day or bad customer, whatever then why are they in a position that deals with the public.

Don't get me wrong I realize sometimes it's lack of choice, etc. But I think it's a very valid point.

Announcement

What makes you think....

What makes you think....

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment