I told a customer to leave the store tonight

[Summerfly413]

I may have overreacted but I was feeling threatened and wanted the guy gone. He had another guy with him, but he didn't do or say much.

To begin, I was in the aisles outside my department straightening the rugs. I hear a noise of someone sniffing or something, and I go back to my department and see two guys looking at some of the disney themed kiddie cameras and mp3 players we carry. He asked me about a little chip that plays music, and then put it back and they looked around a bit.

I was walking around the department and heard the guy say something about us not selling computers(we don't. don't know why). He was looking for a router so I pointed to the end of the aisle we were standing at and told him routers were down there along with some other computer accessories.

I go down the aisle next to that one where the DVDs are, just to straighten and stuff. Then I hear the ripping of the thin plastic that covers some of the boxes of the routers. Great.

I go to the end of my aisle, go around the corner and stand at the end of the aisle the guy and his buddy were in. He had his back to me. I couldn't even see the box, but I saw the plastic on the shelf.

I said "You can't open that. You're not supposed to take the plastic off of it."

He still had his back to me, and from what I could tell he wasn't stopping from trying to open the package. I walk down the aisle and repeat myself saying he can't open it.

He replied in a very loud and defensive tone "Well office depot lets me do it! How am I supposed to know if it's gonna fit my shit?!"

I'm starting to get angry at this point and I can feel adrenaline starting to go through me and I start shaking a bit.

I say "I don't know. But you can't open that." I'm trying to keep calm, but it's not working very well. I start shaking more, and when I said that my voice shook a bit.

He steps toward me and is uncomfortably close. He sets the soda can he was holding and the router box on the shelf and pulls out his wallet, and pulls out a wad of cash(at this point I suspect he's a drug dealer. He seemed very sketchy). I see a hundred, and there's others in there. I don't really care. He says "I have all this money! I can afford to buy this!"

I replied "Alright, so are you going to buy it?"

He gets louder, saying he can afford it. He might've said something to the effect that he thought that I thought he was going to steal. I really don't remember at that point. My whole body was shaking and my vision was shaking. I reached onto the shelf, grabbed the plastic, grabbed the router box and said "Alright, you can leave now ok?!"
He angerly says something I don't understand, and I say "You need to leave right now!"
I walk to the end of the aisle and to the phone by the register. The two guys leave the aisle and walk by me as I call the manager(security wasn't there).
As they walk out of the department the guy is yelling that I lost a sale, holding up his wallet. I thought to myself 'Good, I don't want your money anyway.'

I was shaking for like 10 minutes afterwords. He seemed like the kind of guy who would carry around a pocket knife or would wait outside until I left(still had about an hour and a half until the store closed at that point though). I'm just glad he left without anything happening.

[jjllbb]

It doesn't sound like he intended to pay at all. Regardless of whether or not he was going to steal it, he was destroying the product and no one else would have bought it.

You did the right thing. You don't need people opening everything in the store. They're not customers, they're vandals.

[XCashier]

If your gut is telling you something, listen to it. Your gut was giving you a warning about those guys, and you were wise to listen to it. Guys like that could've brought on an ugly situation very quickly.

What did the manager say about the situation?

[Summerfly413]

My manager came over a minute after they left. She asked what happened and if I was ok, and to call her if they came back. Which is all fine, and not much else she could've done since they had left anyway.

[d962831]

I wish I could do that. I work in a store that sells in bulk and people are always opening something, taking one little thing out and then put the box back on the shelf. Do they not understand that by opening the product and not buying it could get them arrested? It's theft because we can't sell something that's been opened, especially when it's food, which is what they usually open.

I miss common sense....people used to have it, but not anymore. Kriffing morons. It's the same thing as, you break it you buy it. You break the seal, and it's no longer sellable, so you should be forced to buy it.

[Plaidman]

I've seen and realized over the years, that its the thieves who cry loudest that they have money and are going to buy it.

Despite the fact they are stuffing shit down their pants. In their sleeves. In their mouth. Under their hats.

Yet ask them to pay for it, they get huffy. Stating they don't want to buy at a store that accuses them of shoplifting. Even though the only thing you said was, they need to buy that before stuffing it down their pants.

[Merriweather]

I miss common sense....people used to have it, but not anymore. Kriffing morons. It's the same thing as, you break it you buy it.

I believe it was someone on this forum (can't remember who) that had a tagline to the effect that "common sense has become so rare it has now been officially declared a super power".

I love that one, and agree with it completely. They need a new name for it, cause "common" , it sure isn't anymore.

[dbuzman]

I believe it was someone on this forum (can't remember who) that had a tagline to the effect that "common sense has become so rare it has now been officially declared a super power".

I love that one, and agree with it completely. They need a new name for it, cause "common" , it sure isn't anymore.

Maybe uncommon sense? Since it's so uncommon.

Or maybe, sense formerly known as common.

[LillFilly]

I agree; 9 times out of 10 our shoplifters beg beg BEG to pay for the item(s) afterwards.

Sooo, why were you stealing anyway?

Good job stopping those guys in such a way that they couldn't accuse you of anything You were just looking out for the store!

[bunnyboy]

I believe it was someone on this forum (can't remember who) that had a tagline to the effect that "common sense has become so rare it has now been officially declared a super power".

And one of the few useful powers the Superheroes that have have. (Deadpool, Squirrel Girl)

hmmm they all seem to have the what 4th wall superpower too.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Had to be posted. XD

And you were completely right to get those guys to leave. Even if they did have money, they were still creeps who were damaging store property.

[depechemodefan]

I wish I could do that. I work in a store that sells in bulk and people are always opening something, taking one little thing out and then put the box back on the shelf. Do they not understand that by opening the product and not buying it could get them arrested? It's theft because we can't sell something that's been opened, especially when it's food, which is what they usually open.

Would n't it be great, the one time they buy something, the cashier opens up the package/box, pulls out one item, and says, "that's for all the times you opened a box and took something out of it."

[Merriweather]

Or maybe, sense formerly known as common.

I like that, "the Sense formerly known as common" - shall we make a little symbol for it, too?

Had to be posted. XD

.

LOVE the poster, that is SO brilliant

[Kristev]

Yes, wonderful, right away.

[Mnemjian]

Good for you kicking that guy out. He probably wasn't going to buy anything anyway. And I sincerely doubt "Office Depot lets you do it." Even if another store lets you damage their property, that's their poor business practice and not yours!