Made one cry

[videodrone]

So I haven't posted in a while. All of my customers have been on their best behavior, so I haven't had any stories!
At least until last night. I hope I never have to work Christmas Eve again.

Alright, so this first guy was the angriest one we had all night. He wanted to bring back a brand new item that was already opened. We have the return policy printed very clearly on the receipt and we have a sign at the front registers that state you can't return new items once they've been opened.

me: I'm sorry, sir, but we can't return new movies once they've been opened.
him: but I didn't know I already had it.
me: I'm sorry, but that's our policy.
him: That doesn't make ANY sense. Any other store would take this back, no questions asked.
me: We have different policies then they do.
him: Well then I guess I'll just have to call your offices!!!
me: I'm sure they'll be able to help you.
He then slammed the movie down on the counter and went to go find one to rent. Go figure.

Next we had our Soapbox customers.
When it comes to season greetings, I tend to just reciprocate whatever someone else gives to me. If a customer says "Merry Christmas", I say "Merry Christmas". If they want to say "Happy Holidays", I say "Happy Holidays". It doesn't bother me one way or another and I've found I don't get yelled at for it. My coworker, however, was switching back and forth between Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. I'm sure you know where this is going.

cw: Alright, these are due back Monday. Happy Holidays.
sc: This is a Christian Nation! You should say 'Merry Christmas'!
cw: uh...

We also have our new rental policy which is confusing EVERYONE and I don't know why. You can either rent movies for one day or for five. That's it. It's not a big deal.
So this couple comes up with movies and hands me a "customer satisfaction" card. This means they, at some point, called and complained about something, so we sent them free rental cards to get them to shut up. I could already see this wasn't going to be very fun.

Me: Would you like to rent your movies for one day or for five?
sc: WHAT?
Me: Uh...we're trying out a new rental policy, so now you can either rent movies for one day or for five. -points to sign behind me-
sc: ...
me: ...
sc: YOU ARE NOT A CELL PHONE PROVIDER!!!!
me: (uh...no, you got me there) o-O
sc: I'M SO SICK OF YOU CHANGING ALL THE TIME THIS IS WHY I HATE (my store). THIS IS STUPID. YOU'RE JUST MAKING POTHEADS ACCOUNTABLE. HOW DO I KNOW IF I WANT TO RENT THEM FOR ONE DAY OR FOR FIVE?!
me and his girlfriend: O_O

so then we sit there while he pants for a few minutes.

me (to girlfriend): so do you want these for one day or for five?
her: the one day is fine.

And finally, I made a grown woman cry and very nearly ruined Christmas. I wouldn't called this family sucky or anything, but it's a nice story with a happy ending so I figured I'd share.

Couple comes in looking for a Wii for their 8-year-old daughter and we had ONE LEFT. So I pulled it for them, helped them find accessories and games for their little girl (sneak in a present for dad from the wife), and check them out. A problem occurs while they try to use their credit card. It won't swipe through the card machine. It is pretty clear cut in our store policy to NOT to manually put the credit cards in in case of identity theft or scams. It is non-negotiable. The third time the machine rejects their card, it tells them to give me the card so I can type it in and I tell them the bad news.

Wife: you've got to be fucking kidding me (note: her tone wasn't angry or mean. More shock)
Me: I'm so sorry. We should try again.

So we try and try and it just isn't going through. The woman starts getting tears in her eyes and begging me to do something. Finally, I know the card isn't going through, but I didn't want to just tell them they were out of luck so I called my boss. My boss listened to me explain the situation and finally gave me the okay to go ahead and manually type the card in provided they had an account with us and showed ID (which they did)! So I finish checking the woman and her husband out while they thank me again and again and wish me a Merry Christmas.
So hopefully I made someone's Christmas and I'm praying it was not, in fact, a scam. I don't think it was though. If it was, they deserve an Oscar or something.
and that is the best and worst of my Christmas Eve shift.

[ralerin]

How does movie rental store = cell phone provider? Maybe he was a bit smashed.

[VComps]

So hopefully I made someone's Christmas and I'm praying it was not, in fact, a scam. I don't think it was though. If it was, they deserve an Oscar or something.

Even if it was, you're okay - you got ID from a known renter, and your management signed off on it. You did your due diligence and you're in the clear. Kudos, by the way, for going the extra mile for your customer!

[MadMike]

him: That doesn't make ANY sense. Any other store would take this back, no questions asked.

I'd like to know what store would do that. I thought it was policy everywhere, as well as common sense, that they can't take back opened music or movies. Too easy for people to buy them, copy them, and return them these days.

[otakuneko]

Cards get worn out (as much as I use mine, I'm surprised it still works), readers get dirty, people get them near magnets, shit happens. What a horrible SC-creating policy. At least your boss decided to be helpful!

I can't count the number of times a cashier had to imprint or type in my dad's. I've had it happen to a couple of my old ones too. Fortunately, they were near expiration and I got a new one soon enough.

[PepperElf]

him: That doesn't make ANY sense. Any other store would take this back, no questions asked.

they do? I mean they do if there's something wrong the the DVD itself...

like the time i bought dad a copy of some WW2 movie and sent it to him...and he opened it up to find it was a copy of AOL - the store took it back no questions and let me get another copy

[Crazeyal]

You did everything that was expected of you and you went above and beyond what is required. As someone who is not only a service personell, but a CONSUMER, let me say THANK YOU for not caving in to the bitterness that SC's cause.

[videodrone]

Wow. Thanks for the nice comments from everyone.
As irritated as I can get with my customers, I don't like sending them home unhappy if I can help it, especially on a holiday. One phone call is not going to kill me.

[Imprl59]

You probably know this already, but just in cas you don't.....

If you take a card like that and put it inside a plastic bag (like a grocery store type bag) then run it through the card scanner somehow magically nine out of ten cards that can't be read suddenly become readable. I don't know if it's VooDoo or Elfin Magic but it works. The last store I was in I kept a couple of Publix bags under the counter just for that purpose.

Steve B.

[Danno]

Dammit, now I know at some point I'm gonna end up telling somebody "YOU ARE NOT A CELL PHONE PROVIDER!" just for the look of sheer confusion of their face. Probably after a couple drinks on new year's.

Accusing them of making potheads accountable would probably have similar wtf value. So darn random...

[Cat]

Using a pencil eraser or rubbing the card on jeans sometimes makes it work as well

I used to love the reactions when I had to hol out the "old school" card swipe....customers were either fascinated by this antiquity, or they were afraid I was goin to charge them twice, lol

[Darkmage]

Credit Card Woes and Christmas

I had this happen with my Discover card, but I was expecting it and I have backup cards. I take a couple days off in early December to get my Christmas shopping done. This way I don't have to deal with the crowds of crazies. Anyhoo, towards the end of the first day it almost always happens that the card gets declined due to fraud prevention. What happens is that I end up spending a couple of grand over a large portio of the Chicago land area and that is atypical behavior. Sure enough I get home and there is a voice mail waiting from Discover. It really shouldn't surprise people that their cards get declined during Christmas shopping, especially towards the end of a large shopping spree. I even remember what I said "That's strange, I have been using this card all day. Oh, wait, that's probably why. Try this one."

I have them now sending me text messages and emails when this happens so I can just check the cell phone and get it fixed right there at the register.

[Chromatix]

In Europe, cards (both debit and credit) usually have smart chips in them these days, with their own set of contacts separate from the magstripe. They're eager to phase out the magstripe entirely, just as soon as they can convince all the other countries of the world to introduce chip readers.

The chip contacts are much more durable than the magstripe, and the chip is much harder to duplicate or forge.

[Eireann]

Yeah, I had someone look at my card the other day to see if it had a chip - it was the first I've heard of those things. I don't know if my card will just expire normally, or if my bank will replace it earlier to issue chip cards. I hope this will also prevent those skimming devices from being used in ATMs.

[Chromatix]

Unfortunately the magstripe is still present on chip cards - the chip is simply used in preference to the magstripe in machines that support it.

So this means that skimmers will still be used, it's just that the information will be sent to countries where chips are not yet in common use. Such as Russia.