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Wherein I injury myself in the line of duty for an SC!! (Yeah, still kinda long...)
Not much customer interaction for me this week. I’ve been slated to pull textbook returns to vendors all week, so it’s consisted of me pulling entirely too many books for my own comfort, scaling shelves, crawling across 6-7 foot tall pallets of boxes of books, and packing books in boxes, all to the rich aroma of orange oil, as I use Goo Gone ™ to clean our stickers off of the books before we ship them out. Inventory is coming up soon, so we want as little stock in textbooks as possible. All in all, a rather tame week, in comparision…
Fear not, though! I did have SOME gems this week to impart, so away we go!!
“He Looka Like A Man!”
Seriously, folks. School has been in session for over a month now. It’s the time of year where first exams are happening, and I know you’re realizing that yes, you DO actually need your books so you can read them in the hopes of actually passing said exams. So, by this point, I would assume you know your class schedule by now, and can help me, yes?
Damn…I let myself hope…
SC: Hi, I need a psychology book.
Me: All right, and which class is it for.
SC: Um…
Me: Ok…who’s your professor?
SC: Oh…um, he’s a guy…
Me: …
SC: And…he’s…male…
Me: …
SC: Oh, you’re so annoying and you’re not helping me! <flounces off>
Me:
I bah-lee-vah!! (Taken from Fro in one of my Sightings threads…)
Had a girl come in to sell back a book. Now, she had her receipt, which she didn’t need for a buyback, but felt the need to use it as a prop for drama points, I guess.
SC: Hi, I need to sell this back
Me: Ok, I just need to see your driver’s license or your school ID.
SC: <Waves the receipt like a flag> Even though I just bought it YESTERDAY, they said up at the cashiers that they can’t refund me.
Me: No, unfortunately not, I’m sorry. Book sales have been final for a while now.
SC: Whatever. <Finally hands over her ID, and I process the buyback>
Me: All right, looks like I can offer you $35 for it.
SC: What?! But I JUST spent $80 on it the other day! <Waves receipt at me again>
Me: I’m sorry, ma’am, but we’ve met our need for the semester, and we don’t know that they’re using it next semester. If you’d like to hold onto it, you can try back during finals, we usually give more money back around that time because we’re buying books for the next semester, and we know what’s being used.
SC: This is unbeLIEVEable!! <snatches back her book and ID> You’ve just lost a customer!! <Storms out>
Me: <Grabs a book off the counter, looks at CW and starts jumping up and down frantically> I bah-lee-vah, I bah-lee-vah!!!
CW:
Get a clue, people!
Yes, we are a bookstore. Yes, we sell textbooks. However, we do NOT keep an unlimited supply of books that you need for your class on the shelf, and fervently hope that one day, ONE DAY, you will grace us with your presence and buy the precious precious, by now dusty, treasure!
Seriously. We run out of stock! It happens. No, we’re not going to be getting any more shipments in. No, I’m not lying. No, I’m REALLY not lying. No, my manager isn’t going to tell you anything different. Yes, I really mean it. No, we don’t have any more used books. The used books we DID have sold out in the beginning of the semester. You know, when school started. Even a little before that. We’ve had the fall selection out since JULY, and adding to it as we went. Classes have been in session since August 25th. It is now OCTOBER! It’s not never-ending stock, dammit! It’s not! It’s not! IT’S NOT!!!!!!
(Three guesses on what most of my customer conversations consisted of this week…)
Respect the bubble!!!
Ok, I, like everyone else, I presume, have a personal bubble. My personal space, if you will. Enter my space, and I get a little idgy on you. I immediately add a wee bit of distance, so I can maintain my comfort zone. Why, then, did this guy INSIST on standing a mere 4 inches away from me the entire time he was asking me a question!?!?! He’d sidle closer, I’d sidle back. He’d schooch closer, I’d shimmy back. And then, THEN he has the nerve to be INSULTED when I finally move to the computers so I can put the counter between us!
SC: Hey, you got a problem with me?
Me: <I LIE!!> Not at all, sir! I’m just looking up the information you requested on the computer!
SC: Cuz you kept running away from me.
Me: Well, sir, I was a little uncomfortable with how close you were, it isn’t you, personally, I’m like that when anyone invades my bubble! <Said jokingly. Most customers laugh at my wit…)
SC: A bubble?
Me: Yeah, a bubble? You know, personal space? Comfort zone?
SC: You can’t have that!
Me:
SC: You aren’t allowed to have personal space, you just work in a store!
Me: …
MOD K: <Who was standing at the counter, and who knows me by this point, shoves a stack of papers in my hands> Here, Lupo, have another vendor return! It’s a 7 page pick list, have fun! <And hurries me AWAY from the SC>
K came and found me later, told me he refused service to the guy eventually because he got belligerent, still ranting that apparently I’m a racist, or prejudiced, etc, because I didn’t want to actually HELP him find what he was looking for.
Bastard invaded my bubble. And HE thinks I’M the one who has problems. Oh, what a world.
I really can’t believe you just asked that…
SC wanted a book we didn’t have. I told him it was an old edition, and that I could do some research for him to find the new one. Everything is going swimmingly, I find the info, explain to him costs, etc. Now, he wants to see a picture of the book, which our POS doesn’t have. So, I hop on Amazon, and search the ISBN, and bring up the picture, explaining to him what I’m doing. I click on larger image, and show him, so he can make sure it’s the same book his prof help up in class, and it is. So, I write down the edition number for him, and assume all is well…until…
SC: So, hey, think you can order it for me?
Me: Well, sir, like I said, we only have the old edition info in the system, and even were we able to get our hands on the new edition, it’d take about a week to get here from our warehouse, so—
SC: Nonono!! I mean, can you order it from Amazon?
Me: Um… <Ok, not an unreasonable request…I suppose…> No, sir, I’d have to try and get it from our corporate warehouse, first, they’d ship it to the store free, so—
SC: Nonono!!!! I mean can YOU order it from Amazon for me? I’m a little short on cash, but I can write you a check when the book gets shipped to me! Then you just call me, and I pay you!
Me: <He wants me to personally order the book from Amazon, ship it straight to him, then trust he’ll come in and pay me?! Ahahahahahahahahah!! Ahahha—ah, craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap, he’s SERIOUS!>
Me: Um…I can’t do that, sir, I’m sorry.
SC: <rantsnarlwhinebitchmoanfoamatmouth!!!!>
Me: I just can’t. I’m sorry.
SC: I demand your manager!
Me: Sure! <Pages MOD K to the textbook counter, and explains the situation to him>
SC: <Starts to whine again but K cuts him off>
K: Yeah, I don’t want to hear it. You. Get out of my store. Good bye!
Me:
Oh, the pain!!
Ok, first of all, I know I’ve mentioned I’m a big, curvy girl. As such, I’m not exactly what you’d call flexible. I know this. I live this. I accept this. I’ve managed fairly well this week, with the physical labor, but towards the end of my shift, I’m starting to hurt after all the books I’ve pulled and packed, and palletted, and whatnot. So, when a customer asks for a book that I think my be in the overstock section on the bottom shelf, I don’t immediately plop down on the floor like I’d normally do, and crawl around looking for it. Instead, I spread my feet apart widely, so I have a broader base of balance, and sort of lean down, since the shelf isn’t so far down that I need to actually bend or squat to get to it.
I should take this moment to note our District Manager was in the store and decided the floors were looking a little scruffy. So, last night, he hired a company to come in and clean and wax the floors. I did not know this.
So, as I’m leaning, my feet somehow manage to continue spreading, until I manage to go from fairly stable to not in 0.3 seconds. And Lupo’s doing the splits, something she’s NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DO BEFORE!!
I sort of sat there, whimpering, and managed to drag my legs out of hyperextension hell rather quickly, while grabbing the book from the shelf, which I was now eye level with. While I sit, recovering, the customer thanks me, and starts thumbing through the book, until she gets to the price tag on the back cover.
SC: $32!!!!! Oh, HELL no!! I have a friend who’ll sell it to me for $30! I’d rather pay that than be ripped off by you!! <Drops the book and leaves>
Me: <Still on the floor, waiting until she’s out of earshot> I HATE Law students! I hope you enjoy paying $3.55 a gallon for gas to drive and meet your stupid friend, pay the $30, then pay another $3.55 a gallon for gas to drive home, all the while gloating about how you showed the poor little textbook girl who probably sprained her crotch to help you, until you realize that the cost of time, gas, and traffic ended up with you paying closer to $50 than the $32 you would’ve paid at the store!!! Bitch!!!
The last incident happened tonight, a little less than 3 hours ago. And then I rode METRO home and felt EVERY SINGLE bump along the way…owwies…
Fear not, though! I did have SOME gems this week to impart, so away we go!!
“He Looka Like A Man!”
Seriously, folks. School has been in session for over a month now. It’s the time of year where first exams are happening, and I know you’re realizing that yes, you DO actually need your books so you can read them in the hopes of actually passing said exams. So, by this point, I would assume you know your class schedule by now, and can help me, yes?
Damn…I let myself hope…
SC: Hi, I need a psychology book.
Me: All right, and which class is it for.
SC: Um…
Me: Ok…who’s your professor?
SC: Oh…um, he’s a guy…
Me: …
SC: And…he’s…male…
Me: …
SC: Oh, you’re so annoying and you’re not helping me! <flounces off>
Me:
I bah-lee-vah!! (Taken from Fro in one of my Sightings threads…)
Had a girl come in to sell back a book. Now, she had her receipt, which she didn’t need for a buyback, but felt the need to use it as a prop for drama points, I guess.
SC: Hi, I need to sell this back
Me: Ok, I just need to see your driver’s license or your school ID.
SC: <Waves the receipt like a flag> Even though I just bought it YESTERDAY, they said up at the cashiers that they can’t refund me.
Me: No, unfortunately not, I’m sorry. Book sales have been final for a while now.
SC: Whatever. <Finally hands over her ID, and I process the buyback>
Me: All right, looks like I can offer you $35 for it.
SC: What?! But I JUST spent $80 on it the other day! <Waves receipt at me again>
Me: I’m sorry, ma’am, but we’ve met our need for the semester, and we don’t know that they’re using it next semester. If you’d like to hold onto it, you can try back during finals, we usually give more money back around that time because we’re buying books for the next semester, and we know what’s being used.
SC: This is unbeLIEVEable!! <snatches back her book and ID> You’ve just lost a customer!! <Storms out>
Me: <Grabs a book off the counter, looks at CW and starts jumping up and down frantically> I bah-lee-vah, I bah-lee-vah!!!
CW:
Get a clue, people!
Yes, we are a bookstore. Yes, we sell textbooks. However, we do NOT keep an unlimited supply of books that you need for your class on the shelf, and fervently hope that one day, ONE DAY, you will grace us with your presence and buy the precious precious, by now dusty, treasure!
Seriously. We run out of stock! It happens. No, we’re not going to be getting any more shipments in. No, I’m not lying. No, I’m REALLY not lying. No, my manager isn’t going to tell you anything different. Yes, I really mean it. No, we don’t have any more used books. The used books we DID have sold out in the beginning of the semester. You know, when school started. Even a little before that. We’ve had the fall selection out since JULY, and adding to it as we went. Classes have been in session since August 25th. It is now OCTOBER! It’s not never-ending stock, dammit! It’s not! It’s not! IT’S NOT!!!!!!
(Three guesses on what most of my customer conversations consisted of this week…)
Respect the bubble!!!
Ok, I, like everyone else, I presume, have a personal bubble. My personal space, if you will. Enter my space, and I get a little idgy on you. I immediately add a wee bit of distance, so I can maintain my comfort zone. Why, then, did this guy INSIST on standing a mere 4 inches away from me the entire time he was asking me a question!?!?! He’d sidle closer, I’d sidle back. He’d schooch closer, I’d shimmy back. And then, THEN he has the nerve to be INSULTED when I finally move to the computers so I can put the counter between us!
SC: Hey, you got a problem with me?
Me: <I LIE!!> Not at all, sir! I’m just looking up the information you requested on the computer!
SC: Cuz you kept running away from me.
Me: Well, sir, I was a little uncomfortable with how close you were, it isn’t you, personally, I’m like that when anyone invades my bubble! <Said jokingly. Most customers laugh at my wit…)
SC: A bubble?
Me: Yeah, a bubble? You know, personal space? Comfort zone?
SC: You can’t have that!
Me:
SC: You aren’t allowed to have personal space, you just work in a store!
Me: …
MOD K: <Who was standing at the counter, and who knows me by this point, shoves a stack of papers in my hands> Here, Lupo, have another vendor return! It’s a 7 page pick list, have fun! <And hurries me AWAY from the SC>
K came and found me later, told me he refused service to the guy eventually because he got belligerent, still ranting that apparently I’m a racist, or prejudiced, etc, because I didn’t want to actually HELP him find what he was looking for.
Bastard invaded my bubble. And HE thinks I’M the one who has problems. Oh, what a world.
I really can’t believe you just asked that…
SC wanted a book we didn’t have. I told him it was an old edition, and that I could do some research for him to find the new one. Everything is going swimmingly, I find the info, explain to him costs, etc. Now, he wants to see a picture of the book, which our POS doesn’t have. So, I hop on Amazon, and search the ISBN, and bring up the picture, explaining to him what I’m doing. I click on larger image, and show him, so he can make sure it’s the same book his prof help up in class, and it is. So, I write down the edition number for him, and assume all is well…until…
SC: So, hey, think you can order it for me?
Me: Well, sir, like I said, we only have the old edition info in the system, and even were we able to get our hands on the new edition, it’d take about a week to get here from our warehouse, so—
SC: Nonono!! I mean, can you order it from Amazon?
Me: Um… <Ok, not an unreasonable request…I suppose…> No, sir, I’d have to try and get it from our corporate warehouse, first, they’d ship it to the store free, so—
SC: Nonono!!!! I mean can YOU order it from Amazon for me? I’m a little short on cash, but I can write you a check when the book gets shipped to me! Then you just call me, and I pay you!
Me: <He wants me to personally order the book from Amazon, ship it straight to him, then trust he’ll come in and pay me?! Ahahahahahahahahah!! Ahahha—ah, craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap, he’s SERIOUS!>
Me: Um…I can’t do that, sir, I’m sorry.
SC: <rantsnarlwhinebitchmoanfoamatmouth!!!!>
Me: I just can’t. I’m sorry.
SC: I demand your manager!
Me: Sure! <Pages MOD K to the textbook counter, and explains the situation to him>
SC: <Starts to whine again but K cuts him off>
K: Yeah, I don’t want to hear it. You. Get out of my store. Good bye!
Me:
Oh, the pain!!
Ok, first of all, I know I’ve mentioned I’m a big, curvy girl. As such, I’m not exactly what you’d call flexible. I know this. I live this. I accept this. I’ve managed fairly well this week, with the physical labor, but towards the end of my shift, I’m starting to hurt after all the books I’ve pulled and packed, and palletted, and whatnot. So, when a customer asks for a book that I think my be in the overstock section on the bottom shelf, I don’t immediately plop down on the floor like I’d normally do, and crawl around looking for it. Instead, I spread my feet apart widely, so I have a broader base of balance, and sort of lean down, since the shelf isn’t so far down that I need to actually bend or squat to get to it.
I should take this moment to note our District Manager was in the store and decided the floors were looking a little scruffy. So, last night, he hired a company to come in and clean and wax the floors. I did not know this.
So, as I’m leaning, my feet somehow manage to continue spreading, until I manage to go from fairly stable to not in 0.3 seconds. And Lupo’s doing the splits, something she’s NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DO BEFORE!!
I sort of sat there, whimpering, and managed to drag my legs out of hyperextension hell rather quickly, while grabbing the book from the shelf, which I was now eye level with. While I sit, recovering, the customer thanks me, and starts thumbing through the book, until she gets to the price tag on the back cover.
SC: $32!!!!! Oh, HELL no!! I have a friend who’ll sell it to me for $30! I’d rather pay that than be ripped off by you!! <Drops the book and leaves>
Me: <Still on the floor, waiting until she’s out of earshot> I HATE Law students! I hope you enjoy paying $3.55 a gallon for gas to drive and meet your stupid friend, pay the $30, then pay another $3.55 a gallon for gas to drive home, all the while gloating about how you showed the poor little textbook girl who probably sprained her crotch to help you, until you realize that the cost of time, gas, and traffic ended up with you paying closer to $50 than the $32 you would’ve paid at the store!!! Bitch!!!
The last incident happened tonight, a little less than 3 hours ago. And then I rode METRO home and felt EVERY SINGLE bump along the way…owwies…
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