You try to rob me, and the managers take your side?!

[Plaidman]

A few weeks ago, this one guy came in wanting to bring in some bottles. In my head I grumbled, but I said "Sure, bring them in".

So....Many...Freaking....bottles. Most of which we don't take. He kept coming in with more and more out of his car that I managed to sneak a look at and it was OVERFLOWING WITH BOTTLES AND CANS.

Then the questions started.
SC: Has it been busy today?? (Common question mind you)
Me: Meh.
SC: When does the manager come in?
Me: Morning shift.
SC: When is that though.
Me; ..... In the morning is my guess. Sir, no more bottles.
SC: Oh, ok... *takes bottles and leaves, comes back with even MORE bottles*
SC: Plaid still using the same bank?
ME: ..... No More bottles. Here's the cash for the others, now please leave.
SC: You can't kick me out! I'm a customer!
Me; (Snapping a litlte* No, you have to you know, buy something before your called a customer.

SC: What's your name?
ME: Plaidman
SC: And your last? YOur home number too! Youi have to get it to me if I ask!
Me: Plaidman... (While on the phone with secrety)

Man bitches even more when I refuse to tell him where the manager lives/number. Those were even more question revolving that he as- nay, shouted at me. When does Plaid leave for bank, whats the limit etc.

He finally ditches out. Had about four customers offered to stay incase he came back, but left after they gave their side of the story to the police. Police asked if he was just being a jerk and wouldn't leave, and that's ok to call us for that. If he comes back, call me right away. *gives me card* I will! Thanks for coming.

No big deal to a slightly strange guy that asked questions I didnt feel were rigjht to be asked from. So I get to work next day, swing girl laughs and says I have something from District Manager. OOOooo shiny note. I started to read it and I'm already red in the face.

Customer Complaint to Employeee: Plaidman.
Employee refised to take bottles from customer. Claimed he wasn't a customer. Had police arrested him, and it embrassing. Those were the basics. But I was pissed off. I did the right thing. All the clues were pointed that he was going to rub us. Thankfully I got those customers on my side, who can point out all the lies.


I haven't been written up for it yet, so I don't think anything well. Still, prooves that some jackasss are idiots.

[Rapscallion]

SC: And your last? YOur home number too! Youi have to get it to me if I ask!

Now that's a pick-up line with cajones.

Rapscallion

[batmoody]

Is there a law there about how many containers you can redeem? We have a law, I dunno what it is (oops ) but we don't have to take more that x amount per customer per day.

[Crosshair]

Bring in bottles? We just throw them in the recycle bin or throw them awat (Odly enough, throwing them is the more enviornmentaly friendly solution) As for cans, they pay $.45 a pound for scrap aluminum cans.

[CanadaGirl]

Bring in bottles? We just throw them in the recycle bin or throw them awat (Odly enough, throwing them is the more enviornmentaly friendly solution) As for cans, they pay $.45 a pound for scrap aluminum cans.

Here we take our bottles to bottle depots, and depending on the can or bottle, we can get either 5 cents to 20 cents per container. They then ship all the bottles to plants to be cleaned and reused(glass ones, anyway). I think the cans and plastic bottles get melted down and made into new cans and bottles or something, not sure about that.

[Kogarashi]

That's why I like Wal-Mart's bottle redemption system. Shove them in the machine; the machine reads the barcode and determines if Wal-Mart sells them or not, then spits out a coupon you can redeem in the store. Price Chopper does the same thing, last I checked. Don't know about other grocery stores.

And yeah, the question about when the store sends money to the bank sounds very much like preparing for a robbery. Can you get security footage of the exchange to prove the "customer" is lying about parts of his complaint?

[Sonoma]

Is there a law there about how many containers you can redeem? We have a law, I dunno what it is (oops ) but we don't have to take more that x amount per customer per day.

If I recall correctly, the limit is 144 cans per customer, per day. Been a while since I've taken my cans back. Maybe I'll do that this weekend.

If you're slightly over, most stores don't enforce that rule, but they do have the right to limit the returns. I think I've only had one store cut me off, but they were busy at the time, so I put the extra cans back in the truck, and just drove to another grocery store.

[Rahmota]

Hmm none of the stores around here in SW Ohio take returnables so I take them over to the scrap yard. They pay.02 per pound for plastic, .03 for glass and .50 for aluminum.

As for the questions and all that is most assuredly casing the place for a robbery. Going in and out with so many bottles to see how the lay of the store went, how quickly he could get in and out and asking about the money is always a warnign sign I've noticed.

[onkko]

First sorry for my poor english.

In Finland we have automated machines to take bottles and pays, of course we pay deposit when we purchase bottle.

next is part of http://myy.helia.fi/~kanto/incoming_shopping.htm

"When you buy soft drinks such as Fanta, Coca-Cola etc and Ciders in strong plastic bottles as well as beer, ciders etc in glass bottles and all drinks in cans from Finnish stores, you also pay a deposit. The deposit can be from 10 cents to 40 cents depending on the bottle and 15 cents for a can. There is also a deposit on bottles from Alko. DO NOT THROW THE BOTTLE OR CAN AWAY. Keep your bottles and cans, take them back to any supermarket. You will find a machine under a sign that says "pullon- ja tölkinpalautus" or just "pullonpalautus". Put the bottles in the machine and you will either be given the deposit back in cash or in the form of a receipt which you can use in the store when paying at the checkout. Remember to press the Green button on the machine. If you press the yellow button, your deposit money will be given to charity.

Lidl is not a member of the system, you need to take Lidl bottles and cans back to Lidl stores only. Wine and Spirit bottles need to be taken back to Alko stores or a supermarket with an Alko in it. "

[Jester]

Is there a law there about how many containers you can redeem?

Whether or not there is a law, there are these magical words:

"We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason."

If one of the services you provide is cash for recyclables, that is a service you can refuse to provide. Especially if the person seeking said service is asking questions that are inappropriate and compromise the security of the business and its employees or management.

If the management at the place in question merely reacted to a complaint that was not exactly complete in its details--and if it was filed by the guy in question, I don't think I am going out on a limb here when I guess it wasn't--that is one thing. But if after they have all the facts of the situation, they still side with this so-called customer, I think it would behoove you to either seek legal action against the company, or better yet, get another job and watch them manage themselves right into the ground with their complete and total idiocy.

[Seanette]

First sorry for my poor english.

I'm sure we've all seen or heard much worse from native English speakers. You did fine.

Good to meet you.

[onkko]

I'm sure we've all seen or heard much worse from native English speakers. You did fine.

Good to meet you.

Thanks for your encouraging words, i just have to build up some self confidence to actually post here. I have lot of stories from my career in customer electronic repairs.
Thank good i dont work in that field anymore.
I think i just amuse myself for while just reading your stories, i have to admit that seems that you really have different way to do things
In Finland we dont have "underaged workers" in cash, we dont have backers, we dont have someone to roll our "whatever that thing is what you use in shop to transfer things" for us, we pay 20c-1e to get it and get money back when we return it on place. we have quite secured jobs so one complain cannot get us fired (if we arent on test period and thats 4month max).
Seems completely different world to me

[Plaidman]

144 is the limit, and belive me, unless I know that they bought it from us, I'll enforce it. Only one person really brings in more then that, (Rarely) He is also the only homeless guy that hasn't stolen from us. (I know it sounds bad, but the bulk of the homeless people steal from us).

Management hasn't done anything else then give me the complaint. I was just worried for the worst. Seems like that the other customers called in and gave their side of the story. (At least two did that I know off). I just wanted to vent, and make sure I wasn't going crazy, but Those questions aren't to be asked.

[SuperDan]

Management hasn't done anything else then give me the complaint. I was just worried for the worst. Seems like that the other customers called in and gave their side of the story. (At least two did that I know off).

Your company may just have a policy of passing on feedback to the corporate line naming a specific worker to that worker. I wouldn't worry too much about getting the feedback card. If you see an actual write-up or other form of corrective action, that would completely change the matter, but if they didn't do it the same day or next day from when you received the feedback card they probably won't.

If you're really worried, ask the manager or security to save for you any camera footage of the incident, and note the names of any customers that were willing to serve as witnesses, as well as any security personnel you talked to regarding the incident. That would give you sufficient ground to fight the write-up. But like I said, from what you've posted it doesn't look like it's going that way.

[Crosshair]

"Recycling may be the most wasteful activity in modern America: a waste of time and money, a waste of human and natural resources...........By turning garbage into a political issue, environmentalists have created jobs for themselves as lawyers, lobbyists, researchers, educators and moral guardians. Environmentalists may genuinely believe they're helping the Earth, but they have been hurting the common good while profiting personally." - John Tierney, "Recyling is Garbage."

Wish all the useless recycling stuff would just go away.