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Preface: I work for one of the UKs largest charities within the shops section, within our Furniture and Electrical branches. Yesterday I unfortunately had to go in now I thought I was going in to do my usual operate the telephone and till. I was not I went in and the manager went I have a meeting with head office and I can't get anyone else to come in today so you are acting duty manager. Now this left me in a state of WTF!! I have very little experience doing the tasks actually involved and I was left to run a store on my own for 3 hours. So as you could imagine all hell breaks loose.
Incident 1: I had just opened the doors and was checking the deliveries for today as I am guranteed calls asking why its not there at 10 when deliveries start at 9:30. So my back is turned to the counter for the briefest of moments for this (no more than 1 minute). I then hear this deep breathing and I look up. At the deks is a gentleman with a large piece of furniture and a reciept instatnly I know he wants a refund. Now a couple of issues arise here: a key one is my till number is not approved to issue refunds and secondly the customer was returning because the item does not fit correctly into his home. Something we wont issue a refund for as its not our fault! However explaining this at 9:30 to a gentlemen who seems partially hungover is not an easy task. The dialogue was as follows:
Me: Hi Sir. How can i help you?
SC: I want a refund now! This item does not fit into my home!
Me: Sir I am only a duty manager hence am not allowed ot issue a refund It is a company policy.
SC: What? Why? Change the policy now! Override the system! use the managers log on!
Me: Sir it is impossible for me to do that. it would also be a severre breach of contract to do so. it is not worth being fired for.
SC: Jumps over counter and begins prodding the till (which is touch screen and locks out for an hour after 2 failed log in attempts without a reset number i don't have) So I am now panicking.
Me: Sir please do not touch the till and get back from behind the desk! He grabs my hand and squezzes it and just looks at me and then walks back in front of desk. I then tell him that I may not be able to issue a refund but I can call the police and have you charged.
SC: Go on then.
Me: Ok. I pick up phone and call the local police station (who are next door).
Next minute a police officer arrives and the customer runs. I tell the officer not to bother chasing him as he had left his receipt and items. The police then took them away and said if he comes back tell him we have them. We can deal with it then i think. Needless to say he didn't come back.
Incident 2. Customer on phone asks at 10 in morning why her delivery has not been delivered yet. I check her in book and say they are on their way however you live some distance away so expect them nearer lunchtime. This did not go down well. SC told me it only took me and hour and a half to get to your store and it will take them the same as they will stop and do other deliveries on the way. I can not be blamed if you live that far out. She begins a tirade about how she used to live closer but now doesn't. How this affects the current delivery is beyond me. And she then says just refund me the delivery. I say again i can't for numerous reasons here delivery is taking place on the day (if you read you terms and conditions as long as it occurs on the day you specify no refund is to be issued.) And the whole I can't hand cash refunds out over a phone. the physical barrier and distance does not get through to someone. She tells me its very simple press buttons and just force it through phone. Now here i lost it I realised as duty manager I can be a bit cheeky so i told her: Miss as i do no possess a degree in transportation through phone I can not give this refund. However if I could I most certainly would be placing my fist into your eye just now. Good bye.
I have more stories. these however seem suffecient and boring enough.
Incident 1: I had just opened the doors and was checking the deliveries for today as I am guranteed calls asking why its not there at 10 when deliveries start at 9:30. So my back is turned to the counter for the briefest of moments for this (no more than 1 minute). I then hear this deep breathing and I look up. At the deks is a gentleman with a large piece of furniture and a reciept instatnly I know he wants a refund. Now a couple of issues arise here: a key one is my till number is not approved to issue refunds and secondly the customer was returning because the item does not fit correctly into his home. Something we wont issue a refund for as its not our fault! However explaining this at 9:30 to a gentlemen who seems partially hungover is not an easy task. The dialogue was as follows:
Me: Hi Sir. How can i help you?
SC: I want a refund now! This item does not fit into my home!
Me: Sir I am only a duty manager hence am not allowed ot issue a refund It is a company policy.
SC: What? Why? Change the policy now! Override the system! use the managers log on!
Me: Sir it is impossible for me to do that. it would also be a severre breach of contract to do so. it is not worth being fired for.
SC: Jumps over counter and begins prodding the till (which is touch screen and locks out for an hour after 2 failed log in attempts without a reset number i don't have) So I am now panicking.
Me: Sir please do not touch the till and get back from behind the desk! He grabs my hand and squezzes it and just looks at me and then walks back in front of desk. I then tell him that I may not be able to issue a refund but I can call the police and have you charged.
SC: Go on then.
Me: Ok. I pick up phone and call the local police station (who are next door).
Next minute a police officer arrives and the customer runs. I tell the officer not to bother chasing him as he had left his receipt and items. The police then took them away and said if he comes back tell him we have them. We can deal with it then i think. Needless to say he didn't come back.
Incident 2. Customer on phone asks at 10 in morning why her delivery has not been delivered yet. I check her in book and say they are on their way however you live some distance away so expect them nearer lunchtime. This did not go down well. SC told me it only took me and hour and a half to get to your store and it will take them the same as they will stop and do other deliveries on the way. I can not be blamed if you live that far out. She begins a tirade about how she used to live closer but now doesn't. How this affects the current delivery is beyond me. And she then says just refund me the delivery. I say again i can't for numerous reasons here delivery is taking place on the day (if you read you terms and conditions as long as it occurs on the day you specify no refund is to be issued.) And the whole I can't hand cash refunds out over a phone. the physical barrier and distance does not get through to someone. She tells me its very simple press buttons and just force it through phone. Now here i lost it I realised as duty manager I can be a bit cheeky so i told her: Miss as i do no possess a degree in transportation through phone I can not give this refund. However if I could I most certainly would be placing my fist into your eye just now. Good bye.
I have more stories. these however seem suffecient and boring enough.
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