Tis the season to be jolly...

[Lace Neil Singer]

Got any good Christmas tales of horror from retail? I have a couple; start with the best one.

This was at the garden centre, which was a Christmas horror story in itself; loads of singing Christmas trees, musical lights, dancing Santas and a mechanical Santa which told the same 5 stories on a continuous loop. I shudder to think of it, even now.

This was Christmas Eve, at a time when we were shortstaffed due to a flu outbreak, everyone was stressed and I was standing on the door, having closed the pet centre early so I could give all the left over animals extra food and water to last them til the boss came in Christmas Day afternoon. It was 5 minutes past closing (5:30) and I had been standing by the door since 5 minutes to closing, as was normal. Even more so today as we all were sick and tired of customers and wanting to get home to our families.

This guy came up to the door, pulled it open (it was an automatic door that we'd switched off, cuz get this, we were closed!) and tried to walk past me. I stopped him.

Me: The heroine who saved Christmas
SC: Stupid man

SC: Can I come in? I really need to buy something.
Me: No, sorry, we closed 5 minutes ago.
SC: But I really need to come in!
Me: We've been open all day.
SC: But it's Christmas Eve!
Me: Exactly why we all want to go home on time.
SC: But I really need to get this! I'll only be a minute.
Me: I'm not letting you in. We've been open all day, so if it was urgent you'd have come earlier.
SC: (glaring) Don't be like that. I really have to get this.
Me: Sorry, but we're closed.
SC: (storming off in a huff) I hope you're happy, you just ruined my Christmas!

Now, all the other staff were hanging around the till where the cashiers were cashing up; everyone was in fits of laughter at this exchange. So, the guy did some good... he gave us all a good laugh and put us all in a better frame of mind while we speculated what had been so urgent. I reckoned he'd forgotten to buy his wife's present... and now he was going to get the telling off of a lifetime the next day.

[Gurndigarn]

There was one on one of the old boards I absolutely loved. If I remember the details correctly, a lady was stopped on Christmas Eve for trying to buy a cartload of stuff with a stolen credit card. As she was leaving, she yelled back "I hope you realize you've ruined someone's Christmas!"

[ArenaBoy]

I had to work a basketball game on Christmas Day, the game started at noon and I had to come in at 7 AM. The only upside was my mom was working too and my family got to come (Me too). This was just last year my county started having a "dry" Christmas, meaning that not even the arena could sell alcohol. There were a lot of pissed people that day, the worse came when I had to shut down VIP because we were full. I catch a guy trying to move the barrels, this exchange happened.

Me: Well, me.
Chump: The world's biggest jerk.

Me: Sir, VIP is closed.
Chump: Well, I have a pass and I have the right to get in.
Me: The lot is full, you won't be able to find a spot.
Chump: Buddy, it's Christmas and I don't need this crap.
Me: (You don't know the half of it, you think I want to be here? I was only thinking this!) I apoligize but I can point you down there where there are spots available.
Chump: Thanks for ruining my son's Christmas ASSHOLE!!!
Me: You're very welcome sir.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I hope you're happy, you just ruined my Christmas!

"I hope you realize you've ruined someone's Christmas!"

Thanks for ruining my son's Christmas ASSHOLE!!!

Do SCs follow a script or what? XD

[ArenaBoy]

Do SCs follow a script or what? XD

No, they have a meeting where they sit for three hours and discuss ways to piss us off. Once they reach upon a phrase they like, they take a vote and then start using the tactic. There has only been one meeting and that meeting took place at the beginning of time.

[Broomjockey]

No, they have a meeting where they sit for three hours and discuss ways to piss us off. Once they reach upon a phrase they like, they take a vote and then start using the tactic. There has only been one meeting and that meeting took place at the beginning of time.

I either think it took more than 3 hours, or a lot less. I'm not sure which though, because less would mean they are more clever, or more would mean they were dedicated. I'm leaning towards the more because they way they are perfectly happy to throw away an hour complaining about a 5 min wait. . ..

[Mike Taylor]

Let's not forget the rants about why Hot Toy X isn't on the store shelves on Christmas Eve at FIVE MINUTES TO CLOSE and how we should have ordered more of it. :| Nevermind the fact that said customer could have easily purchased the toy TWO MONTHS AGO when it was available in huge quantities in bulk stacks on the sales floor.

"But I wanted to wait until it was on sale!"

I ALWAYS tell my customers, if you see an item that you know your child wants for Christmas (or Hanukkah, or their birthday that happens to be around that time), buy it as soon as you get the chance. Don't wait for a sale because: A) It may not happen. B) It may be gone by the time you get to the store and not available again until after Christmas.

Of course, it's always an evil PLOT between the retailers and the toymakers when said toy does go out of stock before Christmas. Yeah, like I want to piss off customers.

[ken]

Do SCs follow a script or what? XD

They probably have a secret web forum of their own where they plan
their attacks on our sanity.

[South Texan]

I ALWAYS tell my customers, if you see an item that you know your child wants for Christmas (or Hanukkah, or their birthday that happens to be around that time), buy it as soon as you get the chance. Don't wait for a sale because: A) It may not happen. B) It may be gone by the time you get to the store and not available again until after Christmas.

I have a neighbor who buys the toy immediately upon seeing it, but always stays on the prowl for its sale. The toy stays in its bag with its receipt in his garage. If the toy DOES go on sale, he will buy it on sale and then return the original one. To me, that is more effort than I am willing to expend, but he somehow enjoys the hunt.

Then again, he is the type that finishes his shopping by December 1 and then goes to the mall on December 24 just so he can sit on a bench and watch all the hysteria of last minute shoppers.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

We have a somewhat mentally-ill woman who will come into the store five minutes before close on Christmas Eve and attempt to do all her shopping for her kid right then.

Of course, he wants all the hot toys which are long gone, and when we tell her they're gone, she gets all upset and starts pulling her hair out and whining that her kid is going to be SO unhappy. Well gee, maybe if you had hauled your butt to the store a little earlier, you would have gotten that hot toy.

As an aside, speaking of hot toys, I hear the new Plastation is going to come out for Christmas. I bet it will be a madhouse when it first goes up for sale. It was crazy last year with the xbox 360.

As another aside, this woman I just talked about works at a sausage factory in town, and as I mentioned, she has a habit of pulling out her hair. Because of that, I do not consume any products from this sausage factory.

[ArenaBoy]

I hear the new Plastation is going to come out for Christmas. I bet it will be a madhouse when it first goes up for sale. It was crazy last year with the xbox 360.

Very few people might be willing to shell out the cash for it, costs $599 or $499 for the cheaper model.

[wagegoth]

As an aside, speaking of hot toys, I hear the new Plastation is going to come out for Christmas. I bet it will be a madhouse when it first goes up for sale. It was crazy last year with the xbox 360.

The scut is that the Playstation is going to be $600. As a result, word is that the Nintendo Wii will be hot and Xbox 360 will do well this Christmas.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

The scut is that the Playstation is going to be $600. As a result, word is that the Nintendo Wii will be hot and Xbox 360 will do well this Christmas.

Oh, does wii come out this year too? Then it really will be nuts. Yeah, it might be 600 bucks for the Playstation 3, but there are people who will pay that.

Throw in the wii and the xbox 360, and I thank God I'm not working in electronics.

[Jester]

Then again, he is the type that finishes his shopping by December 1 and then goes to the mall on December 24 just so he can sit on a bench and watch all the hysteria of last minute shoppers.

Heheheh....back when I lived in the Phoenix area, in a place that actually had MALLS (this town doesn't), I would, when I could, go to one of the busier malls Christmas Eve, wait ten minutes on line in the food court for a soda, kick back on one of the benches, and watch the fun. Or wander aimlessly through the stores watching the carnage. One of the best spectator sports I have every witnessed, to be honest, especially when you are JUST a spectator, not a participant. I recommend it highly.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I'd agree with that. One Christmas Eve that surprisingly I wasn't put down to work, I went shopping in town. Not to get presents, as I'd already done that, but to watch the frantic morons. In the supermarket, I witnessed a man and a woman fighting over a bottle of wine. Priceless.