Return Help

[Cole]

** I'm not sure exactly where to put this as it does deal with sucky customers, feel free to move it if it belongs elsewhere.**

I've just been told by my work that I'm being moved from the checkouts to the customer service desk as a permanent change. I'm happy about this, however I'm not sure what to expect. I'm Familiar with all the Sucky customer types at the checkouts and how to handle them but not at the desk. What kinds of Sucky Customers or scams should I try to look out. Any advice you have on how to handle some of the common "return sucky customers" would be appreciated.

**edit** I work in a retail store that's sotra like Wal-Mart, with the same general return policies as them (as they are my store's biggest competition)

[lordlundar]

Hmm, most common ones I've seen are:

Switch-artists. (swap labels or contents of the box)
Screamers (bitch and whine until they get their way)
Inferiority complex people (spend more time telling you how it should work than how it does)

[Demonoid Phenomenon]

You don't say what type of store you work at so I'll just give you some advice from my experience and if it doesn't apply, just disregard...

1) If you sell clothing, beware of people who switch tags. This means that they'll buy something from you, remove the price tag, put it on something else (something they might have bought at the Salvation Army, for example), and then try to return it. Of course, this can apply to many items, not just clothing.

2) Always check returned items that are in easily opened boxes. They'll switch that stuff out on you in a second. This is especially important if you're dealing with computer-related items. Some crooks even have their own shrink-wrapping equipment!

3) Take the advice of the X-FILES: TRUST NO ONE. That nice old lady who looks just like your grandma will rip you off in a second. I spent a good nine months behind the customer service counter and the sheer number of rip-off artists was staggering. They were all races, all ages, all colors, all creeds, all the time!

Those are the most immediate issues I can think of. Good luck. Just try and keep a good sense of humor and be prepared to get yelled at once in a while.
Good luck!

[chainedbarista]

i'd say have a general familiarity with the brands you sell, clothingwise (if it applies) since that seems to be an easier scam method. if you know that you don't sell brand x in your store, you can automatically deny the return.

screamers are a hard issue; personally, i go get the am or the manager for these. i'm not paid enough to take their abuse, and i won't as a rule.

small appliances, if the store allows it, should be checked before accepting, just to make sure, same with jewelry; if you're not sure, you could always ask a coworker about x product, to make sure it's actually from your store.

[lordlundar]

One more thing: trust your floor staff. If they tell you not to return it and a legitimate reason why, don't return it. Explain the reason to the manager as well. That way, if they allow the return, they can take the heat.

[shelly2jn]

First off, good luck in your new position, I made the same transition myself a few months ago. I have a few bits of advice

1. Watch out for the person who comes in empty handed but then arrives with a bag full of clothes, no receipt and who is happy to accept store credit...we had a lady who carried some of our bags in her purse then filled them with garments and came down for a refund...she got away with it a couple of times before we caught her on camera.

2. The tag switchers.....read all previous advice

3. The customers who buy all the reduced items, throw a hissy fit if the scanner misses one and charges full price then demands copious amounts of money for compensation despite the fact they haven't left the store and were only inconveniced in small way.. (take your £2 gift card and get the hell out)

4. "I was in here yesterday and I went through your checkouts and I was charged for two cartons of cigarettes that I didn't buy" okaaay....our cigarette kiosk is separate from the checkouts...someone would have physically had to carry the two cartons over, scan them and carry them back....all without the customer noticing....(guess what, the manager caved and I had to refund...sheesh!)

5. Not a customer....your manager....who if anything like mine will give into whatever extraordinary demand is being made, do it in front of you and still expect you to smile...yeah right.

But apart from all that...good luck

[Cole]

Thanks everyone

[Coconut]

I agree with all of these. Also, watch out for the people who'll try to scam you by confusion.

And not really a scammer, but just dumb: people who think they don't have to go through any process to return something. Example: "Yea, I bought a set of dishes that was missing a plate, so I just went back there and got me another one out of a box." (and proceeds to walk out the door w/o even bringing the defective set back)

[Sofar]

Never take back a suit that has been split all the way down the back, especially if it smells vaguely of formeldihyde and has got makeup on the lapel.

[booger]

Play dumb. It works wonders, especially when you have a known scammer in your line and you need to get a manager to get them kicked out. Stalling is easy when you're all like, "I'm so sorry, I don't know why this won't scan correctly," as you hit all the wrong buttons on purpose.

And don't be afraid to get manager, they take most of the angriest people, and if you have to return something totally stupid because the manager said so, your butt is covered.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Hope you like being screamed at by irate SCs. The service desk at my store is not called "the bitch desk" for nothing.

Also watch out for flying merchandise hurled by said SCs. Maglite flashlights and 20 oz. bottles of soda can do damage, as some of our bitch desk workers will attest to.

Hopefully, your manager is cool and won't give into SCs' demands making you look stupid. They, more than anything else, can really get to you.

[Rapscallion]

Never take back a suit that has been split all the way down the back, especially if it smells vaguely of formeldihyde and has got makeup on the lapel.

Oh, I remember that one...

Rapscallion