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Hi everyone. I haven't been on in a while since I was on maternity leave, but I am back, and with a new job. I work for the president of an outdoor supply company. We sell clothes for hiking/climbing/rafting etc. (expensive stuff) and lots of different equipment (from camping to climbing a glacier). Everything in our store is pretty pricey, but most people know this when they come in (I personally won't pay $70 for a T-shirt, but to each his own). Now, I work up in the office, but occasionally have to go out to the floor to update schedules, hand out pay stubs or a variety of other things. This gem happened today while I was down there.
We post an ad in the local newspaper's "Holiday Gift Guide". It comes out every week and we have different items featured in each one. I actually picked out the items that were to go in, and I made sure to put in items that we had a lot of. One of the items featured in the first Gift Guide (out over 2 weeks ago) was a Hat/Mitt combo set with a Maple Leaf on it. It came in Red/Gray Leaf or Gray/Red Leaf and it was $50.00. The Red/Gray Leaf one was the one pictured in the guide. We had 26 of those ones in stock, and 32 of the others at the time the Gift Guide came out.
10 minutes ago, this lady comes in with the gift guide in her hand. She came up to the counter (I was behind it with 2 CW's) and pointed to the picture.
SC: I need 2 of these!
They happen to be right beside the counter, so CW grabs 1 of each.
CW: We only have one of the Red ones left, but we also have it availble in Gray.
SC: I need 2, and I want them in Red (selective SC hearing)
CW: I'm sorry ma'am, but we seem to have sold most of the Red ones. There is only 1 pair left, but we have 5 of the grays. (items in this gift guide always sell fast)
SC: Why would you put something in the gift guide that you don't carry?!?! This is fraud (***WTF?)
CW: We had many of these sets, ma'am, but people have been buying them as Christmas presents.
SC: But if you only had a few, why would you advertise them?
CW looked to me for help (even though she's been there longer, I am considered senior staff), then goes to help the line behind this woman
Me: Ma'am, when that item went into the guide, we had almost 60 in stock. They ended up being more popular than we antisapated and we only have these 6 left.
SC: My daughters had their hearts set on these! I find it (wait for it...) ridiculous that you don't carry what you advertise.
Me: Ma'am, these items were advertised over 2 weeks ago, and we do still carry them.
SC: But I need 2 identical red ones, and you DON'T carry those!!!!
Me: (looks in the computer. Sees we are due to get another shipment of them in by the end of the week) Ma'am, if you really want the red ones you can try on the weekend. We have already ordered more and they are scheduled to be delivered by Friday.
SC: No! This is a huge inconvenience for me! I drove 40 minutes to get here (possibily true, people come from all over the province) and I will NOT come back. You will either ship red ones to me and pay for the shipping for me, or you will give me the gray ones at a discount! I am a good customer, damn it, and I think that is the least you can do.
I try to look her up in our computer (we have a system that tells us who has brought what and when) and see that she has never brought anything from us, althougth she has special ordered in 2 pieces that she never came to pick up (cost to us since we payed to have them shipped to our store, then back to the company when she didn't pick them up).
Me: Ma'am, the most I can do is a 5% discount as this is a brand new item.
SC: I want at least 25% off! Anything less is an insult.
Because I'm new (less than 2 months) and don't deal with customers, I called for someone who has been there longer and filled him in. I shall call him J
J: Ma'am, there is no way we can give you 25% off of these. They are a highly popular, brand new item.
SC: You WILL give them to me! Let me speak to whoever is above you or you will lose a customer!
The Big Boss Man is out of town with meetings all week, so J is the highest. He's also been there 7 years, and knows that BBM would not put up with this.
J: Ma'am, you are not a customer. You have never brought anything here, and you now want these at cost. It is not going to happen. You can either pay full price or you can leave.
I've heard the BBM use the same line. He is awesome and doesn't want to deal with any sucky people. J walked away as the lady did this
She left without another word. I love my new job. I'm sure I'll have more stories soon.
We post an ad in the local newspaper's "Holiday Gift Guide". It comes out every week and we have different items featured in each one. I actually picked out the items that were to go in, and I made sure to put in items that we had a lot of. One of the items featured in the first Gift Guide (out over 2 weeks ago) was a Hat/Mitt combo set with a Maple Leaf on it. It came in Red/Gray Leaf or Gray/Red Leaf and it was $50.00. The Red/Gray Leaf one was the one pictured in the guide. We had 26 of those ones in stock, and 32 of the others at the time the Gift Guide came out.
10 minutes ago, this lady comes in with the gift guide in her hand. She came up to the counter (I was behind it with 2 CW's) and pointed to the picture.
SC: I need 2 of these!
They happen to be right beside the counter, so CW grabs 1 of each.
CW: We only have one of the Red ones left, but we also have it availble in Gray.
SC: I need 2, and I want them in Red (selective SC hearing)
CW: I'm sorry ma'am, but we seem to have sold most of the Red ones. There is only 1 pair left, but we have 5 of the grays. (items in this gift guide always sell fast)
SC: Why would you put something in the gift guide that you don't carry?!?! This is fraud (***WTF?)
CW: We had many of these sets, ma'am, but people have been buying them as Christmas presents.
SC: But if you only had a few, why would you advertise them?
CW looked to me for help (even though she's been there longer, I am considered senior staff), then goes to help the line behind this woman
Me: Ma'am, when that item went into the guide, we had almost 60 in stock. They ended up being more popular than we antisapated and we only have these 6 left.
SC: My daughters had their hearts set on these! I find it (wait for it...) ridiculous that you don't carry what you advertise.
Me: Ma'am, these items were advertised over 2 weeks ago, and we do still carry them.
SC: But I need 2 identical red ones, and you DON'T carry those!!!!
Me: (looks in the computer. Sees we are due to get another shipment of them in by the end of the week) Ma'am, if you really want the red ones you can try on the weekend. We have already ordered more and they are scheduled to be delivered by Friday.
SC: No! This is a huge inconvenience for me! I drove 40 minutes to get here (possibily true, people come from all over the province) and I will NOT come back. You will either ship red ones to me and pay for the shipping for me, or you will give me the gray ones at a discount! I am a good customer, damn it, and I think that is the least you can do.
I try to look her up in our computer (we have a system that tells us who has brought what and when) and see that she has never brought anything from us, althougth she has special ordered in 2 pieces that she never came to pick up (cost to us since we payed to have them shipped to our store, then back to the company when she didn't pick them up).
Me: Ma'am, the most I can do is a 5% discount as this is a brand new item.
SC: I want at least 25% off! Anything less is an insult.
Because I'm new (less than 2 months) and don't deal with customers, I called for someone who has been there longer and filled him in. I shall call him J
J: Ma'am, there is no way we can give you 25% off of these. They are a highly popular, brand new item.
SC: You WILL give them to me! Let me speak to whoever is above you or you will lose a customer!
The Big Boss Man is out of town with meetings all week, so J is the highest. He's also been there 7 years, and knows that BBM would not put up with this.
J: Ma'am, you are not a customer. You have never brought anything here, and you now want these at cost. It is not going to happen. You can either pay full price or you can leave.
I've heard the BBM use the same line. He is awesome and doesn't want to deal with any sucky people. J walked away as the lady did this
She left without another word. I love my new job. I'm sure I'll have more stories soon.
for your boss and your company, though. I love that your boss (and J) is focused on things like making a profit, supporting their workers, and not going out of business. And good for you for standing up to the lady too. 
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