Oh where do I start? (longish)

[Mara-chan]

It's been a couple of fracked-up days lately, so I've got a bunch! I'll just put em all in one from 'worst' to 'best'... or is that the other way around?


Let's Make A Deal International Edition

We've been told to not mark down our clearance/displays as much as we used to. We had a laser printer on clearance. It was $260. It was on clearance for $130. Basically half off already.

This guy with a strong accent I couldn't place wanted to buy it. We told him it was the last one.
<SC> So, how much you give off?
<me> 5%.
<SC> That's rediculous! I give you $100 right now, cash money.
<me> I'm sorry, we're only allowed 5%.
<sc> That's only $7. I give you $110.
<me> Nope, sorry.

I walked away. I was in NO mood for haggling.


Don't they have rebates in England? Or phones?

British couple came in and wanted to get 2 items. One had a rebate. "Can you do it for us?" they asked. I told them no. "You mean we have to send it in ourselves?" I guess they don't have rebates in England.

Then they hand me their second item. A mouse.

<brit>I saw someplace that had this for less, can you mark it down for me?
<me> Um... who had it for less?
<brit> I don't remember.
<me> ...
<me> ...
<me> ... I can't call around to every store to check their prices. You have NO idea who had it on sale?
<brit> No. I guess we will have to return for it later.
<me> I GUESS SO.

Here, let me just bend over and pull a price out of my ass for you. Or am I just supposed to know the price of every item in every store that matches with what we have in stock? How about YOU do some legwork and call around if you want the cheaper price.


U.P.S. = Usually PeopleSuck?

Now this one I sympathized with the customer a little bit. THey sent their son, basically a food drop, a bunch of canned goods by UPS through our store. It never got there. UPS was giving them the runaround. THe old guy was a dick from the start. His wife tried to keep him calm. He just kept demanding this and demanding that. Long story short *I* called UPS. 5 minutes later I had their refund coming in the mail.

But that wasn't good enough. THey wanted their money back for the cost of the box and us boxing it for them. I tried to explain that I was dealing with UPS. They covered the shipping costs and lost item, packing costs weren't covered. Old man bitched and said "I'm not giving up this fight." and other stuff that made me think he was a Normandy Beach survivor or something. Our GM just said give it to them. So fine, I gave them the refund. They'd be getting the $33 back from UPS for the item, $15 for the shipping charge and I gave them back the $11 for the boxing.

That wasn't good enough. Where's the $33 and $15 they demanded. I had to explain SEVERAL times they were getting that from UPS. They seemed happy, the nice wife said "Oh thank you, I could kiss you" for solving it.

2 minutes later the lady comes back and says "I'm taking my kiss back. What about the $15. Oh geez, I had to explain it again! She finally got it and blew me a kiss. *shudder*

I hate UPS.


Staples at Staples

You know how many times I've heard "So this is Staples, where's your staples? Har har!"?

At least once too many.


Give me PROOF or give me death (yours)!

A 500 year old lady comes in DEMANDING we give her back the 'sale price' her friend got on a gluestick. Apparently she and a friend were shopping together, they picked up a bunch of stuff on the clearance area and he friend got a gluestick for $.50 but she was charged $4.

She didn't have anything showing how much her friend paid and WHAT ITEM it was. The one she bought wasn't a clearance item. I tried to explain that I needed proof that it was the same item:
<old Bitch> I TOLD YOU IT WAS THE SAME THING!
<me> Yes, but I need to check to make sure.
<OB> WHY DO YOU KEEP TREATING ME LIKE A CHILD?!? GIVE ME MY $3!
<me> I will ma'am, do you have the receipt for the other item?
<OB> OF COURSE NOT!!! MY FRIEND HAS IT!!! SHE'S IN NEW JERSEY NOW!!! WHY WON'T YOU GIVE ME MY MONEY!!!
<me> I need...
<OB> IT WAS ON SALE!
<me> Ok, but I have to...
<OB> JUST GIVE ME MY MONEY!!!
<me> Yeah, but I...
<OB> WHY DON'T YOU GET IT?!?
<me> *hands back reciept* Ok, ma'am. You won't listen to me, so we're done. If you can bring me the receipt so I can check the item, I'll take care of you, otherwise goodbye. *walks away*
<OB> MY FRIEND BUYS A LOT OF OFFICE SUPPLIES! I'M GONNA TELL HER NEVER TO SHOP WITH YOU AGAIN!
<me> *calm* Alrighty! Just bring me in that reciept and I'll take care of it.
<OB> YOU'RE NO HELP! THIS IS REDICULOUS! SHE BUYS LOTS OF STUFF! SHE'LL NEVER SHOP HERE AGAIN!
<me> Buh-bye.
<OB> I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU DON'T GIVE ME MY MONEY *blahblahblah fade out as I walk away to find someone with a volume control and a sense of decency*


I have one more story... but that one deserves its own post.

[bainsidhe]

Oh hey, I bought a pizza yesterday. Paid ten bucks, but it should've been three. Um, I already ate it, have no receipt, paid cash (so no proof by credit card) and I can't tell you which pizza it was. Give me money NOW!!! /sarcasm off.

[Golden Phoenix]

Don't they have rebates in England? Or phones?

Rebates, nope, at least not that i've ever seen. Price reductions are done in-store only.

Yes we have phones and the mouse thing was less sucky than downright stupid.

On behalf of my fellow countrymen, we're not all that daft and sorry :P

[Mr Hero]

Ma'am, yelling at me demanding to give you money could be considered robbery. Should I call the cops?

[Mara-chan]

We do get a lot of tourists in our area. I don't know why, we're not THAT close to the Daytona/Disney/Tampa coridor, but for some reason we do have a lot of people from England and Germany stay in our area.

I have actually had a few german customers get pissed at me that no one spoke german in our store!

But a lot of our 'visitors' aren't just down for the weekend. THey have houses here and stay for months. "Snow birds". So they would have an address they can have rebates mailed to.

[Dytchdoctir]

I have actually had a few german customers get pissed at me that no one spoke german in our store!

I once thought the "ugly American" stereotype applied to United Statesians only.

Later I began to think that we were exporting the worst aspects of our culture to the world.

Now I know the truth: suck is universal.

[Rapscallion]

When we were living down in England, the company I worked for had manufacturer's mail-in rebates, so they're not completely unheard of. They were heavily publicized at the 'selected stores' you could get them through, but now that I think of it, those are the only mail-in rebates I've come across here... so they don't seem to be as common here as they are North America.

Downright rare, all done and said. I only saw one about two years back for the first time over here. Not sure what it was for, and fairly sure I haven't seen one since.

Rapscallion

[Fiyero]

Downright rare, all done and said. I only saw one about two years back for the first time over here. Not sure what it was for, and fairly sure I haven't seen one since.

Rapscallion

I used one on my Nespresso machine purchase, they do them all the time but the only other ones I have seen have been officey things like printers.