A Trifecta from Hell

[Hobbs]

We ain’t no goddam Macy-Walmart

Pleasant looking young woman comes up to my register with a return. Her BF/sancho is with her and I greet them both. Now, she has the tags for the items, but not the receipt. My mind instantly flashes [CRAP] because I’ve already semi-ran three returns that were cancelled because they didn’t have receipt…lemme ‘splain.

With our policy, without receipt, we can only give store credit. Also, if the product has been reduced, we can only give you the reduced price. Also note that reaaaallly old stuff gets reduced like a mother^@#*$%.

Me:
SC: duh
BF: mostly just there.

Me: [scans item in price-check mode] I’m sorry, without the receipt, this is ringing up at $ .99.

SC: What?! Why is it only that?

Me: apparently it’s been reduced already, ma’am. And without the receipt we can only give the reduced amount.

SC: Well, that’s just stupid!

Me: [Don’t care, but tries to calm her] Well, ma’am, lemme just ring the other one and see what price it is, ok?

SC: Okay, whatever…

Me: [ring… $.99 Crap!] Sorry ma’am, this one’s also .99.

SC: What?! That’s ridiculous [/rant]

Me: [O_o] Well, sorry, ma’am, but those’re the rules. I can’t do anything about it.

SC: But this [price tag] says X.XX, why can’t I have it for that?

Me: [Did u not here my reasoning…wait, of course you didn’t: restates previous.]

SC: [takes them back] This is stupid, we’ll just go to another store. They don’t do this at Wal-Mart, they give you back your money…[/rant]

Me: [This ain’t no goddam Wal-Mart!!] Bye!



400032140967 =/= 400012981234

Lemme explain the title. These are examples of Ross sku’s. (They might actually work…idk). Now, we get shipments in very frequently of the same products. We get the sku’s from the distribution centers and sometimes, identical products get different sku’s (because they’re on different shipments) and sometimes the price also changes.

Lemme also point out that, if the items have the same exact sku number and price I won’t even process it through the register. I take off the security tags, hangar, take the return and back the exchange. Done deal and there’s no problem ‘cause the receipt still has that same number on it.

Two young [cough] ladies are in line to do an exchange. The exchange is a pair of pants, the returned pair for 9.99 and the other for 10.99. I begin the process of checking the sku number on the receipt and am just about to log on when:

SC1: sucky girl one

SC2: sucky girl’s friend (who looked promising until she opened her mouth )

Me:

ASM: our coolio new ASM

SC2: Wait a minute, these are the same thing.

Me: Oh? Really…lemme look [looks at tags 9.99=/=10.99] Oh, sorry, they have different sku’s, so I can’t do it as a straight exchange.

SC1: Why not, they’re the same thing!

Me: [again…] This is [sku#] and this is [different sku#]. They may be the same, but our system processes it through these numbers. This number [new one] is NOT on receipt; this number [return item] is on receipt.

SC2: IS there a manager we can speak to?!

Me: Sure! [turns to ASM over my shoulder] Hey, ASM, these customers would like to speak w/ you.

ASM: [Comes and reviews evidence, looks at sku’s listens to their jabbering and listens to me.] Sorry ma’am, he’s right. We can’t do it as an even exchange.

Me: [Glee] XD So, would you like to do the exchange after all.

SC1: I guess, whatever. Just hurry the f%$& up already…!

Me: O_o [I wasn’t holding up the line with such a bitchy ‘tude, and secondly, watch how you speak to me, young lady. There better be a ‘sir’ at the end of your sentences, too] Yeah, okay…

Process it, get their $1.08 they owe and give ‘em a nice, “Have a nice day.”


It’s a damned penny, you stupid, insipid, annoying, festering sore of humanity!

This customer had actually been very nice the first two times I helped her. she bought two pictures, but as I handed her the receipt, she noticed one of the frames was a bit…scuffed. Remembering there’s one more in the back, she rushes off and retrieves it. Bringing it back to me, I see the sku’s are the same and wave her off on her merry way.

Skip ahead two or so hours and the line is long, she has both of her pictures in for a return, and a humongous picture for exchange. Now, the first two pics were about $34.99 each, and the exchanged pic was $69.99 or something. Anyway, the exchange came out to $.01. I kinda chuckled and tried to joke about it, and was about to just wave her off when she just lost it.

SC: Wait! What’d you mean I owe?!

Me: O_o [It-it’s a penny…] Well, because the exchange wasn’t even. It was almost-even, so that’s why there’s a remainder.

SC: What about my taxes?

Me: [What about them? There was a purchase, they were taxed…] Well…the system calculates that all together, and taxes aren’t calculated until the end. Since the two pics were almost the same as the one pic you’ve bought…continues explanation.

At this point, I should explain that I was just gonna type in the penny and close the register as it opened. I wasn’t worried about being a penny short…but her EW-ness brought out the asshole in me, so I wouldn’t budge til I saw that damn penny

SC finally gives me her penny and I ring her out. She leaves, muttering and huffing. As my next customer steps up, I can’t help myself.

Me: What the crap?! It was just a penny…

[Enjis]

Sometimes our systems would charge a penny for an exchange...when it was the EXACT same item, down to the SKUs!
No one could figure out WHY it did that SOMETIMES, but we'd usually just 'forgive' the penny differance, and shut the drawer. (tho it was REALLY stupid when the customer got a penny credited to their charge, as it sometimes worked that way too. They'd always laugh at the sillyness of the system!)

[Bosch]

Sometimes our systems would charge a penny for an exchange...when it was the EXACT same item, down to the SKUs!
No one could figure out WHY it did that SOMETIMES, but we'd usually just 'forgive' the penny differance, and shut the drawer. (tho it was REALLY stupid when the customer got a penny credited to their charge, as it sometimes worked that way too. They'd always laugh at the sillyness of the system!)

I have seen that happen frequently too.. But we figured out why that happens to us.. Your reasons maybe different.

You gotta follow me so hang on

My store is the X-road store
Store B is the Factory store

They are about a 10 min drive apart but in different parts of the city. Its really weird if you were to drive it you would swear different cities but they aren't..

But what we see most often is the customer buys a shirt or whatever at factory store then comes over to x-road store and does an exchange for size, color doesn't matter it will almost always leave a penny being owed.. Its the exact item, we can figure its got to be a local tax that throws off the registers, cause when they come to us they owe a penny when they go to factory store they get a penny.


Many customers will buy stuff in the wrong size to make sure they have the sale price then come over to X-road and exchange it since factory store said we have their size. I've done that myself when we have had a denim blow out and I was working that day, how I figured it out.

[Broomjockey]

Probably the difference is from rounding, and the way the register program is set up to handle it. When it applies taxes, etc, it's very rarely a round number, so it has to round it.

Now, for most places, the taxes collected are on cumulative sales, rather than each individual, meaning that if you simply went by the usual rule of "<5 round down, >5 round up" you'd be short on your taxes collected. So the register may be set to round up at say, 4, to make up for the difference. But it may be set to only do that on sales, and not refunds. Refunds may be handled differently, either truncated, or rounded at 5, whatever. Thus when done one way, if the taxes came to 1.444, it'd round to 1.45, and it'd be 1.44 the other, and you have your penny difference.

As for the "can't exchange straight across if the price has changed" bit, I think that's a poor policy, personally. I know you only follow it, but if I buy something, it's defective in some manner, and I bring it back, only to find it was a popular item and so the price went up by a couple bucks, and I now had to pay the new price, I'd be miffed. Then again, I'd probably just take a complete refund at that point, unless it was something I really wanted/needed. By the same token, I wouldn't expect money back if I came back and the price was lower. So maybe that's the difference between me and an SC.

She was still a b*&%@ for swearing at you though. Totally uncalled for.

[Red_Dazes]

Rule #1 for SC.

Fear the CS people. FEAR US. For we control the money, and WE control how long you have to wait.

I had an SC a while back, being a real Jack*** to me the whole time I rang up his purchase... it was like $48.00. I was bagging his shit and he's all "hurry the ***^* up". So before giving him his change I 'accidentally' shut my register. made him wait 20 min+ for my FES to come and open my register again. Made me warm and fuzzy.

[Bosch]

Rule #1 for SC.

Fear the CS people. FEAR US. For we control the money, and WE control how long you have to wait.

I had an SC a while back, being a real Jack*** to me the whole time I rang up his purchase... it was like $48.00. I was bagging his shit and he's all "hurry the ***^* up". So before giving him his change I 'accidentally' shut my register. made him wait 20 min+ for my FES to come and open my register again. Made me warm and fuzzy.

You an EVL kitty

[Red_Dazes]

You an EVL kitty

^_^ why yes... yes I am. Thanks for noticing

[Bosch]

^_^ why yes... yes I am. Thanks for noticing

Hey EVL can spot other EVL...

[KorporateKitty]

Rule #1 for SC.

Fear the CS people. FEAR US. For we control the money, and WE control how long you have to wait.

I had an SC a while back, being a real Jack*** to me the whole time I rang up his purchase... it was like $48.00. I was bagging his shit and he's all "hurry the ***^* up". So before giving him his change I 'accidentally' shut my register. made him wait 20 min+ for my FES to come and open my register again. Made me warm and fuzzy.

Good girl!

*hands you a cookie*

[Red_Dazes]

*hands you a cookie*

COOOOOOKKKKIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! *eats nom nom*......thanks!

[malmalthekiller]

For story number 1:

That's exactly how it's done at walmart too! No receipt, no cash! And we give it to them for the price it comes up.

[Bosch]

For story number 1:

That's exactly how it's done at walmart too! No receipt, no cash! And we give it to them for the price it comes up.

My store as well or if you are over the 90 days doesn't matter if you have the receipt you get whatever it rings up at and you only get a mail to your house merch certificate aka store credit. that way we can track if you do this frequently and then cut you off for to many returns..

If you don't like it you can keep the items and donate them to goodwill, since our hands are tied the system will NOT let us override this.