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This happened a week ago, and wouldn't you know it, right before closing on a Friday night (we stay open until 10:00 pm).
This SC lady came in earlier in the day, trying to match an interior paint color to some curtains or pillows or something. I don't know, don't care. She spent a good 30 minutes looking at the color samples; she finally found a few she liked and took them home, promising she'd be back later. Joy.
Now, at Lowe's, we carry two manufacturers for paint: Valspar (American Tradition) and Olympic. AT is good stuff, Olympic (IMHO) blows. AT is the more expensive of the two, because it's a better paint. This is a bit important later.
She waltzes back in at 9:45 pm, and since I am the only person in paint department, I get the joy of dealing with her. She told me what she was painting, why she was painting, how she was painting... I honestly didn't want to hear it, I just wanted to get out of there. But she did say that she has repainted her whole house in Olympic paint, because she "buys the best." Ok, so color me impressed. Not.
She hands me the card for the paint she wants made up. She needs 10 gallons worth (2 five gallon buckets) of exterior paint and one gallon for the inside. I write down everything she told me and read it back to her to verify:
ME: "You want 10 gallons of American Tradition exterior in satin and one gallon in Olympic semi-gloss, in these colors"
SC: "Yes, that is correct."
She says she'll be back, and I get the stupid heavy buckets and make them up.
10 min later she is back, and the paint she wants is finished. I thank her and say goodnight. She looks at me, looks at the two five-gallon buckets, then back to me.
SC: "Umm.. excuse me. These are wrong."
Me: "Really? How so?"
SC: "I wanted Olympic paint. I told you when I was in here earlier, I only use Olympic, I only buy the best."
Me: "Yes, I remember, but you handed me a color card for American Tradition."
SC: "So?"
Me: "So AT colors can only be made up for AT, Olympic colors for Olympic"
SC" "So?"
ME:
"So this color you handed me, which is an exclusive AT color, can only be mixed into an AT paint product." (I didn't yell, I stressed)
SC: "So mix it into Olympic"
Me: "I'm sorry, but I can't do that. AT owns these colors. They are trademarked. I can't mix them into a competitor's paint."
SC: "Yes you can. I always get my paint made into Olympic, no matter who makes it."
Meanwhile, the clock is ticking, it's 5 minutes after 10, and I'm still telling her why I can't put a trademarked color into a competitor's paint. I have barely started to clean up my department, I'll catch hell for it in the morning, and I am tired. Now, at Lowe's, we are empowered to do what it takes to make the customer happy, and if she wasn't such a self-important beyotch, I would have cheated and turned it into a "custom" color. But there was no way I was going to bow down to her highness.
Finally she asks for a manager, and I more than happy to get her one. I call the MOD and explain what's going on, but no so much cuz she is standing right next to me. I ask MOD Jon (name changed) to come over, and he says he'll be right there. I hang up and tell the SC he will be over soon. She goes to look at paint brushes, and I see Jon stepping out of the office. I walk over and go into greater detail about the situation. He agrees that I am right, and walks over to the customer with me.
MOD: "Hi, I'm Jon. How can I help you?"
SC: "Finally! Look, I have spent over $5000 in paint at this store in the past month and..." Complete BS!!!
After hearing that, I walked away, disgusted. I knew what was going to happen. So while they were talking, I went over to the Olympic paint, grabbed two 5-gallon buckets and waited for the green light to go ahead. Jon came to me, told me to go ahead and drop the colors into Olympic. I did, not caring that the color she chose is formulated to AT, not Olympic, and not caring how the color might turn out in a different paint (Which, BTW, did call for a different base!). I finish, put them in her cart, and wish her a good night. She leaves, heading for the checkout. I look at the clock, and have about 5 minutes until we leave. Ah well. I clean up the paint desk, look up, and there she is at customer service, getting a gift card for her inconvenience!!! WTF!
Jon normally doesn't cave to customers. He's one of the coolest managers we have. But I think he just wanted to get rid of her as much as I did.
Do you realize how much paint you have to buy to get up to $5000? Roughly 239 gallons at $21/gallon. Don't you think I would notice all the empty shelves where the paint you bought would be? And who, besides Bill Gates, has a house that big? That's a 96,000 sq. ft. house. I hope her paint looks puke green on her walls.
I just work here. Not for me to be concerned.
This SC lady came in earlier in the day, trying to match an interior paint color to some curtains or pillows or something. I don't know, don't care. She spent a good 30 minutes looking at the color samples; she finally found a few she liked and took them home, promising she'd be back later. Joy.
Now, at Lowe's, we carry two manufacturers for paint: Valspar (American Tradition) and Olympic. AT is good stuff, Olympic (IMHO) blows. AT is the more expensive of the two, because it's a better paint. This is a bit important later.
She waltzes back in at 9:45 pm, and since I am the only person in paint department, I get the joy of dealing with her. She told me what she was painting, why she was painting, how she was painting... I honestly didn't want to hear it, I just wanted to get out of there. But she did say that she has repainted her whole house in Olympic paint, because she "buys the best." Ok, so color me impressed. Not.
She hands me the card for the paint she wants made up. She needs 10 gallons worth (2 five gallon buckets) of exterior paint and one gallon for the inside. I write down everything she told me and read it back to her to verify:
ME: "You want 10 gallons of American Tradition exterior in satin and one gallon in Olympic semi-gloss, in these colors"
SC: "Yes, that is correct."
She says she'll be back, and I get the stupid heavy buckets and make them up.
10 min later she is back, and the paint she wants is finished. I thank her and say goodnight. She looks at me, looks at the two five-gallon buckets, then back to me.
SC: "Umm.. excuse me. These are wrong."
Me: "Really? How so?"
SC: "I wanted Olympic paint. I told you when I was in here earlier, I only use Olympic, I only buy the best."
Me: "Yes, I remember, but you handed me a color card for American Tradition."
SC: "So?"
Me: "So AT colors can only be made up for AT, Olympic colors for Olympic"
SC" "So?"
ME:
"So this color you handed me, which is an exclusive AT color, can only be mixed into an AT paint product." (I didn't yell, I stressed)SC: "So mix it into Olympic"
Me: "I'm sorry, but I can't do that. AT owns these colors. They are trademarked. I can't mix them into a competitor's paint."
SC: "Yes you can. I always get my paint made into Olympic, no matter who makes it."
Meanwhile, the clock is ticking, it's 5 minutes after 10, and I'm still telling her why I can't put a trademarked color into a competitor's paint. I have barely started to clean up my department, I'll catch hell for it in the morning, and I am tired. Now, at Lowe's, we are empowered to do what it takes to make the customer happy, and if she wasn't such a self-important beyotch, I would have cheated and turned it into a "custom" color. But there was no way I was going to bow down to her highness.
Finally she asks for a manager, and I more than happy to get her one. I call the MOD and explain what's going on, but no so much cuz she is standing right next to me. I ask MOD Jon (name changed) to come over, and he says he'll be right there. I hang up and tell the SC he will be over soon. She goes to look at paint brushes, and I see Jon stepping out of the office. I walk over and go into greater detail about the situation. He agrees that I am right, and walks over to the customer with me.
MOD: "Hi, I'm Jon. How can I help you?"
SC: "Finally! Look, I have spent over $5000 in paint at this store in the past month and..." Complete BS!!!
After hearing that, I walked away, disgusted. I knew what was going to happen. So while they were talking, I went over to the Olympic paint, grabbed two 5-gallon buckets and waited for the green light to go ahead. Jon came to me, told me to go ahead and drop the colors into Olympic. I did, not caring that the color she chose is formulated to AT, not Olympic, and not caring how the color might turn out in a different paint (Which, BTW, did call for a different base!). I finish, put them in her cart, and wish her a good night. She leaves, heading for the checkout. I look at the clock, and have about 5 minutes until we leave. Ah well. I clean up the paint desk, look up, and there she is at customer service, getting a gift card for her inconvenience!!! WTF!
Jon normally doesn't cave to customers. He's one of the coolest managers we have. But I think he just wanted to get rid of her as much as I did.
Do you realize how much paint you have to buy to get up to $5000? Roughly 239 gallons at $21/gallon. Don't you think I would notice all the empty shelves where the paint you bought would be? And who, besides Bill Gates, has a house that big? That's a 96,000 sq. ft. house. I hope her paint looks puke green on her walls.
I just work here. Not for me to be concerned.
SC's have feelings?
. I don't care how cool he's been in the past. 
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