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Aha, my first thread! Sorry for the length, this lady was a real winner :P
So it was 10am, and I had just gotten back on the floor from my 15. My partner H stepped off for her break, leaving me alone on the floor for a few minutes while our other partner, J did the deposit out back.
A young girl (about 6ish) came up to the counter, to where we have boxes of new books for donations and started going through the books! She grabbed a stack of about 5 or so, and so I leaned over the counter and said "O, sweetie those books are for donation, you can't take them.". I had no clue if this girl thought they were for sale, or being given away so I figured nip that in the bud, right? She put the books down and went to her parents in the armchairs we have out of sight of the counter.
A customer came up the counter and started to make her order when an angry woman approached the counter and cut her off. She started shouting at me "I hope you're happy that you made a little girl cry. That other girl gave us permission to read those books, and you yelled at my child for it!"
I apologized saying "I'm so sorry for the misunderstanding, I wasn't aware that she had given you permission."
This didn't calm the lady at all, and she continued on "Well now I have a crying child, you WILL go over and apologize to her!" and then stormed back to her seat.
J had come out in time to catch the end of her tirade, and raised and eyebrow at me. We finished serving the customer who had waited patiently through the woman's rant, and then I explained what happened, to the best of my hazy understanding. Together we decided that I would not go over and apologize, given the way the woman had acted.
When H came back off her lunch, we explained what happened. She immediately asked if I had apologized, and when I told her no, she said I should because "the customer is always right". I told her she was mistaken on that one and I would NOT be apologizing to them.
You would think that would be the end of it, right? Ha, no. About 10 minutes later she was back, again demanding that I apologize, and calling me a child hater who liked to make kids cry. She was now claiming I had screamed at her child as well. J sent me out back while he dealt with her. She was demanding the manager's number, my name and my employee number (which he did not give her). She kept going on about getting me fired and how I was a terrible person, then finally left to sit back down.
Hoping against all odds it was safe, I came back out. Another 5 or so minutes later she made a big show of bringing back all the books they had taken to their seats... it took her 3 trips to get them all! What 6 year old needs 20+ books to read over a 30min period??? Then she left her coffee cup on the counter, glaring at me. She started in again on how she "had a very upset little girl waiting for an apology" - as the girl skipped out of our store into the attached bookstore! I apologized again for the misunderstanding and said I would talk to the girl if she would bring her over. The mother's answer? "She won't come over, she's too AFRAID". *head desk*. That was when, once again J pulled me off the floor.
But the family was gone, that would be the end, right? Right? Please? Nope, 45 minutes later she was back in, and beelined for me again, but before she could pounce H told me to go do dishes out back. Sad that her target had been pulled from her, she proceeded to go over and complain about our store and service to the group of people who were sitting in the armchairs.
My manager was kept updated through every stage of this mini drama, so it should make for an interesting Monday....
So it was 10am, and I had just gotten back on the floor from my 15. My partner H stepped off for her break, leaving me alone on the floor for a few minutes while our other partner, J did the deposit out back.
A young girl (about 6ish) came up to the counter, to where we have boxes of new books for donations and started going through the books! She grabbed a stack of about 5 or so, and so I leaned over the counter and said "O, sweetie those books are for donation, you can't take them.". I had no clue if this girl thought they were for sale, or being given away so I figured nip that in the bud, right? She put the books down and went to her parents in the armchairs we have out of sight of the counter.
A customer came up the counter and started to make her order when an angry woman approached the counter and cut her off. She started shouting at me "I hope you're happy that you made a little girl cry. That other girl gave us permission to read those books, and you yelled at my child for it!"
I apologized saying "I'm so sorry for the misunderstanding, I wasn't aware that she had given you permission."
This didn't calm the lady at all, and she continued on "Well now I have a crying child, you WILL go over and apologize to her!" and then stormed back to her seat.
J had come out in time to catch the end of her tirade, and raised and eyebrow at me. We finished serving the customer who had waited patiently through the woman's rant, and then I explained what happened, to the best of my hazy understanding. Together we decided that I would not go over and apologize, given the way the woman had acted.
When H came back off her lunch, we explained what happened. She immediately asked if I had apologized, and when I told her no, she said I should because "the customer is always right". I told her she was mistaken on that one and I would NOT be apologizing to them.
You would think that would be the end of it, right? Ha, no. About 10 minutes later she was back, again demanding that I apologize, and calling me a child hater who liked to make kids cry. She was now claiming I had screamed at her child as well. J sent me out back while he dealt with her. She was demanding the manager's number, my name and my employee number (which he did not give her). She kept going on about getting me fired and how I was a terrible person, then finally left to sit back down.
Hoping against all odds it was safe, I came back out. Another 5 or so minutes later she made a big show of bringing back all the books they had taken to their seats... it took her 3 trips to get them all! What 6 year old needs 20+ books to read over a 30min period??? Then she left her coffee cup on the counter, glaring at me. She started in again on how she "had a very upset little girl waiting for an apology" - as the girl skipped out of our store into the attached bookstore! I apologized again for the misunderstanding and said I would talk to the girl if she would bring her over. The mother's answer? "She won't come over, she's too AFRAID". *head desk*. That was when, once again J pulled me off the floor.
But the family was gone, that would be the end, right? Right? Please? Nope, 45 minutes later she was back in, and beelined for me again, but before she could pounce H told me to go do dishes out back. Sad that her target had been pulled from her, she proceeded to go over and complain about our store and service to the group of people who were sitting in the armchairs.
My manager was kept updated through every stage of this mini drama, so it should make for an interesting Monday....
. 
Yeah I know; not feasable; I for one have dreamt many a time of having a trapdoor in the petrol station like the one Mr Burns has in his office. XD
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