What is the point of a policy is you don't enforce it?

[Dave1982]

This could fall under "Sucky Customers" or "Cursing Out Co-Workers" as it involves both.

My very first customer of the day today was a woman looking to return a $50 piece of software (some sort of clip-art, print shop thing). She claimed it did not have everything listed on the box, specifically, the "sound and music clips."

Software Return Policy: Unopened software can be returned at any time for a full refund. We will gladly exchange opened software for the same title.

This of course means that you can NOT get a refund or a store credit for opened software. The reasons why should be obvious. If it's opened, we can only give you another of the same.

Problem #1: The software was clearly opened (tape was cut).

Problem #2: NO WHERE on the box did it say ANYTHING about sounds or music.

So after noticing problem #1, I heaved an inner sigh and braced myself for a storm. Luckily, one of the electronics guys (we'll call him Jeff) was nearby and heard the whole thing and jumped in to explain that we can not accept opened software returns (thus taking the heat himself. Thank you!)

SC: That's ridiculous! How are we supposed to know if it will work for us without opening it?

Jeff: Well, once it's opened and used, the registration codes become worthless, so we can't resell it (GOOD answer. Not the real one, but a good way to put it withotu accusing the customer of stealing).

SC: But it didn't have everything it says it has! (um, no).

Jeff: Well, I can't guarantee anything, but I'll check with the manager *runs off to fetch GM, who we'll call Steve*

Steve: Software return?

Jeff: Yes, but it's opened.

Steve: That's ok, just take it back (WTF!)

SC (to Steve): It didn't have everything listed on the box

Steve: OK

Now, while this all was happening, I was reading the box. As I said, it said nothing about sounds or music.

Me: Where does it say that, ma'am? I don't see that on here.

SC: It said it on the display

Another lie. The only software displays we have are shippers. There was no shipper for this item, so the only "display" would have been the shelf tag, which lists only the name, price, and SKU. No desciption.

Steve: Just do the return.

WTF! What is the point of having a return policy (or any policy) if you are just going to allow an exception every time someone complains? I mean really. You may as well not have the policy. And as if that wasn't bad enough, Steve then proceeded to give Jeff a lecture about good custerm service, and that we aren't going to piss anyone off over $50 or $60. Jeff shrugged this off. I mean, where do we draw the line? $100? $1000? Policies exist for a reason, and software is the one thing we should NEVER compromise on. I don't care how cheap it is.

Idiots.............

[dizzy_starshine]

All my managers in all my retail jobs have done this. The worst was at a deli where we were told to NEVER put both garlic butter and tomato sauce on a pizza base then seal it. The sauce ran off the butter and caused a fire hazard on the sealant machine. Customer asks for it, customer gets a sealant machine on fire and a manager saying customer is always right.

At my current pharmacy we have blood pressure monitors where people aren't holding the button down long enough to turn it on. Manager says refund them EVEN when a staff member turns it on infront of them and shows the customer how to do it.

[powerboy]

That is what I hate about managers, they only care about the money that they will get. With me, if they say that their DVD doesn't work, then I have a TV, to try it on. And if it doesn't work for us, then they will get their money back. I don't know why, other stores can't do that, also.

[friendofjimmyk]

GRRR!!! That makes me so angry when crap like that happens.

Where I work, in this lovely call center environment - there are 300 + employees and 15 supervisors and 4 operations managers and one director. Every sup operates differently. When I was a call taker, I would adamantly stand by policy only to have a supervisor make a "one-time exception" to the policy for our lovely member!

[Demonoid Phenomenon]

Do as we say, not as we do...yeah, right.

This was always a sore point in my retail days.
I understand exceptions can be made (and sometimes I can see the point), but to disregard a policy just because someone gets all uppity and acts like they're better than everyone else...?
No.
I know that some companies would rather give in and retain that customer, but, in my personal opinion, a customer worth keeping recognizes policy and doesn't act like a three-year-old to get around it.

[MadMike]

And as if that wasn't bad enough, Steve then proceeded to give Jeff a lecture about good custerm service, and that we aren't going to piss anyone off over $50 or $60.

And I'm willing to bet that if he had just accepted the return, he would gotten reamed for that as well.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

[Becks]

in my personal opinion, a customer worth keeping recognizes policy and doesn't act like a three-year-old to get around it.

I share your opinion. I should makes signs to hang around work that says that.

[batmoody]

If it is policy, and a manager tells me to do it anyway, I refuse. I tell the customer that the manager will take care of it for them, and hand it over to the overly enthused manager. We have had employees get fired for some pretty petty "policy" issues. Plus I am one of the old timer first tiered union wage workers,which means I make more than most of the others who do my exact same job ever will, (they've already tried to buy us out once....), so I firmly beleive in covering my own ass. I have pissed managers off by doing this before, but funny I haven't been reprimanded or written up. For following store policy? The one you made me sign that I would follow? Yeah ok, good luck with that!

[MissVendetta]

I used to work in a book shop that was part of a department store. The store was a separate unit but located close to the department store and the spineless guy that was the manager of the department store was the boss of the bookshop's own, not-so-spineless manager.
So once in a while we had a SC who wouldn't agree to book shop's (and the department store's, come to think of it)policies, they would contact mr. No-spine and he would be like "give this lovely lady her money back, oh, and a voucher for our coffee shop". Every freaking time mr. Spineless would agree to anything. After convincing SC for 45 minutes that no, we won't do a refund because:
a) you have no receipt
b) you admit yourself that you bought this book over a year ago and
c) you don't actually remember buying the book from us
d) the book is marked so we can't resell it
e) what kind of reason to return a book is that you found it in your bookshelf while cleaning up the house, decided you didn't need it anymore and thought you could make a little money out of it?? Have you heard about antiquarian bookshops that buy and sell?Do you know the difference between them and regulas book shops like us?
I say we cannot do a refund, assistant manager says nope, no refund and the manager of the book shop says no refund and there's no way we'll ever take that back. End of story? No, SC goes to Big-boss-no-guts and you'll guess ´what happens next.
Managers like that cause SC's to be even more sucktacular, because they know that someone will give in. It's like rewarding bad bahaviour and that's just wrong.

[greensinestro]

This is a story that makes others mad, I'm sure. All this customer has to do now is tell their friends and family what happened, and then everyone can be under a safe umbrella when it comes to returning software and other items with this policy. Sounds to me like no matter what the facts were in this case, such as this customer did not read the box correctly and was obviously a liar, they got whatever they wanted and walked out knowing they'd pulled one over on you. It's really embarrassing in that case because you know this type of customer is gloating and smiling, knowing you're the one who was made to look bad.

I agree. When does the line get drawn in cases like this? Probably never.

[greensinestro]

GRRR!!! That makes me so angry when crap like that happens.

Where I work, in this lovely call center environment - there are 300 + employees and 15 supervisors and 4 operations managers and one director. Every sup operates differently. When I was a call taker, I would adamantly stand by policy only to have a supervisor make a "one-time exception" to the policy for our lovely member!

"One time exceptions" mean diddly squat. When I was an operator for Bellsouth, we had managers who did this. One day, this guy called in from a payphone, stated he had no more money and needed his call connected, billing it to his home number. The very next day, he called in again, and the same manager gave him another "one time exception" after I explained to her this was the same guy from the day before. The really funny part of this story is this guy's billing number, the one he said was his home number, was completely different from the day before! He wasn't a snowbird or some rich guy with more than one home, he was a thief billing calls to numbers that did not belong to him. Yet, this manager still allowed it.

When will the line be drawn?

[captainvegetable02]

Stories like this make me glad the the store I now work in has a pretty loose return policy (we sell cosmetics & hair care products). Even if stuff is opened and used, it can be returned or exchanged if the customer wasn't satisfied with the product. Within reason, of course....we won't take back a completely empty shampoo bottle that a customer decided they didn't like after using it all up. But if they tried some hair gel that just didn't do what it says, or an eyeshadow color that looks awful, they can bring it back as long as we can tell they only tried it a couple of times. We even give refunds on used items if the customer has their original receipt. No receipt, exchange only. And not only that, ONLY managers can do returns, so all I have to do is page a manager when a customer wants to do a return, and I never have to hear about it again.

[greensinestro]

How about sales on alcohol? Many liquor stores won't accept returns on wine, beer, or hard liquor because of this stuff. Once my dad saw a guy at Publix who came in with an empty, not full, bottle of wine with a cockroach in the bottom of the bottle. Everyone in line knew this guy put that roach in there, yet he was allowed a free new bottle of wine, after he drunk the entire thing! What's next? Wendy's refunding customers for eating an entire hamburger, swallowing it, digesting it, pooping it out the old wazoo, then saying they hated the taste?

[MadMike]

What's next? Wendy's refunding customers for eating an entire hamburger, swallowing it, digesting it, pooping it out the old wazoo, then saying they hated the taste?

Interestingly enough, one of the fast food chains -- and I think it was Wendy's, but I might be mistaken -- introduced a new sandwich, and had a commercial for it that offered a "one bite guarantee", that stated that if you took one bite and didn't like it, they'd give you your money back. There was even a disclaimer at the bottom of the screen that stated that the guarantee would not apply if more than one bite was taken.

I can only imagine how many headaches that one caused.

[dendawg]

I can only imagine how many headaches that one caused.

No doubt...I'm sure there were some people that tried to stuff 3/4 of the thing in their mouths and count that as one bite.