SC Finds a loophole

[Dave1982]

So this guy came into my store yesterday looking for an internal price guarantee; he'd purchasea a digital camera/photo printo combo just after Black Friday that was now $30 cheaper.

Now, normally any sort of price guarantee will only be done within 14 days of the purchase, the same as the normal return period for electronic goods (we'd do it as a return/resell). Now for the holiday season, we've extended the return period so that anything purchased from Black Friday to Christmas Eve can be returned up until Jan 6, or 14 days from the date of purchase, whichever is longer. That's all well and good, since it'll keep people form being stuck with unwanted gifts. The catch is that this is for RETURNS ONLY, NOT Price Guarantees!

So when this guy asked for the price guarantee, I immediately went to Alice (one of the ASMs) who was at the other end of the service desk working on something. She of course says no, since a price match falls under the normal 14 day policy, and it's been just over three weeks since this guy bought the thing. So I relayed the message to this guy.

Rather than get upset, he adopts a shit-eating grin.

SC: Well, then I'll just return it.........then buy another one.

Me: Umm............

At this point I'm trying to think of something appropriate to say. I've already been told NO by the ASM, and in order to refund something this expensive I'm going to need her authorization code, so she'll throw a fit at me if I try doing something she just told me not to do. On the other hand, this guy had clearly read the sign about holiday retruns (an SC first!) and was exploiting this loophole in the policy.

SC: Is there a problem?

Me: Well, that would effectively be the same thing, and I was just told we can't do that.

SC: Fine, then I'll return it, then just buy another one. Is this still in stock? I'll just get a another of the same, so it won't be the exact item I returned.

Me: Alice!

Alice: Yes?

SC (to Alice): I'll return it, then just buy another one.

I could just see the look of anguish on her face as she realized the loophole this guy wanted to exploit. After all, once we gave him his refund, we could hardly stop him from going right back to the shelf and getting a new one and buying that. We'd have to throw him out to stop him, or not refund his money, and neither would be justifiable.

Alice *painfully*: Just take care of him, Dave1982.

The SCs shit-eating grin widened ever more at hearing that.

So a big-ol " YOU" to corporate for writing the policy with a loophole in it

[Gurndigarn]

SC (to Alice): I'll return it, then just buy another one.

So a big-ol " YOU" to corporate for writing the policy with a loophole in it

See, you work in teams. One of you processes the return. Make sure you dot every T and cross every I. Then correct your mistakes.

The other person quietly hides all the cameras he's looking for. "Nope all out. That one? Sorry, it's a return. We can't sell it because it would mess up our paperwork something bad. Try back in a week."

[Knightmare]

Sorry, but I don't find that SCish. Maybe his attitude, but not his actions. I've done it myself, and have had no problems with it when done to me (when I worked at RadioShack). In fact, I've even told customers how to get around that stupid little company policy.
Money's tight. I need to save as much money as I can. If I buy something, and a month later it's on sale, and I still have the reciept, and it's in new condition, etc etc etc, I'll try to return it, or just have a price guarantee done. Most places don't have a problem with that. But I DO NOT get all SC about it. I go in with the merchandise, explain calmly and nicely the situation, and 9 times out of 10, I get the adjustment. That 10th time? I either say "Ok, thank you anyway."
After 30 days, I don't worry about it. It's mine, I own it.

IMHO, if the company extended the return period, it's stupid not to extend the price guarantee. But then, we all know corporations don't think.

[Kiwi]

Ive done it to....I dont find it SCish (agreeing with the post above) his attitude might have been, but his actions not so much.

[4Gifts4Lisa]

I don't find it SC at all. The store really screwed up on that one. Kudos to them for extending the return policy, but why not then go the extra step to make the customer happy? I really would have done the same thing as the customer. $30 is a big difference.

Also, if I were the cashier, I would have smiled and processed the return/buyback, and in my head congratulated the customer for figuring the go-around. Heck, I probably would have tried to tell the customer the go-around without saying it in so many words.

[powerboy]

Yeah, seriously, I have the same thing also. I don't find that to be SCish, but hey, maybe it was his attitude, or maybe he had the shit eating grin, for the purpose of saving $30. I don't know.

[MystyGlyttyr]

I think the difference between what most of us do, and what this joker did, is that we don't brag in the store workers face about how we're (very very technically) sneaking past policy. If you're going to break the law in a way that won't get you arrested, you don't tell the police first. That'll just have them breathing down your neck waiting for you to screw up again.

[Dave1982]

I think the difference between what most of us do, and what this joker did, is that we don't brag in the store workers face about how we're (very very technically) sneaking past policy. If you're going to break the law in a way that won't get you arrested, you don't tell the police first. That'll just have them breathing down your neck waiting for you to screw up again.

Yes. That was the point i was trying to convey. This guy was totally smug about it and was all but laughing at us for it. As has been noted elsewhere on this site, sometimes the customer's attitude makes or breaks the deal. If they are polite about something, then sure, we can make an exception if it's reasonable. Be a smug jerk, then no, except for this stupid loophole.

[Ackee]

hmmm

I think he did well, its not illegal and hopefully its not going to come out of the employees pockets...

[Pinkie]

When I worked at Pier 1 we had customers that would come in the day after Christmas with ornaments or other decorations that you know they used, but had thier reciept, wanting to return them. Then daughter or friend is behind them in line and says, "Oh, I want those. I'll buy them at today's sale price (usually 50% off or more)" We adopted a policy of all holiday decor returns got taken to the back for 48 hours (to check for open rainchecks on said items), then they were returned to the shelf. Now, on holiday decor, we never did sale price adjustments, because when you buy them at regular price or even 20% off, you're getting a better selection, then the person buying them at 50% off (popular items would be sold out). When informed of our 48 hr hold policy, they usually would say "Never mind, I changed my mind." Damn Scammers!! Now if by chance, we still had said item on the shelf, the manager would usually give them the difference since they would just go get it off the shelf anyways. This did cut down on a lot of the scamming at our store.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Also, if I were the cashier, I would have smiled and processed the return/buyback, and in my head congratulated the customer for figuring the go-around. Heck, I probably would have tried to tell the customer the go-around without saying it in so many words.

If I were the cashier, I would have smiled and processed the return/buyback, and also in my head requested that the customer support his local Search and Rescue Unit, and get lost.

And if my brain-to-mouth censor was on the fritz, oh well.....

Yeah, he figured out the loophole. No need to be an ass about it though.

[Cosmic Cat]

When I worked at Pier 1 we had customers that would come in the day after Christmas with ornaments or other decorations that you know they used, but had thier reciept, wanting to return them. Then daughter or friend is behind them in line and says, "Oh, I want those. I'll buy them at today's sale price (usually 50% off or more)" We adopted a policy of all holiday decor returns got taken to the back for 48 hours (to check for open rainchecks on said items), then they were returned to the shelf. Now, on holiday decor, we never did sale price adjustments, because when you buy them at regular price or even 20% off, you're getting a better selection, then the person buying them at 50% off (popular items would be sold out). When informed of our 48 hr hold policy, they usually would say "Never mind, I changed my mind." Damn Scammers!! Now if by chance, we still had said item on the shelf, the manager would usually give them the difference since they would just go get it off the shelf anyways. This did cut down on a lot of the scamming at our store.

The smart store corporates have a "no return on seasonal items" return policy just because of that. Unfortunately, most corporates are dumb.

[kerrisan]

I wonder why people call it a "sh*t-eating grin." If I were eating sh*t I certainly wouldn't be grinning.

At any rate, I feel ya. It's like being starving hungry and having no money to buy the bag of chips that you can plainly see through the glass in the vending machine; you just have to watch it happen.

I felt the same way when I realized that I had been duped a couple of times by a guy who had been using his brother's ID to purchase alcohol. When I finally took down the DL # one time, the guy never showed back up.

But if I could just get one minute alone with that guy . . .

[South Texan]

Also, if I were the cashier, I would have smiled and processed the return/buyback, and in my head congratulated the customer for figuring the go-around. Heck, I probably would have tried to tell the customer the go-around without saying it in so many words.

My thoughts exactly. Unless you are on commission, what do you care whether corporate screwed itself on its return/price guarantee policies? The customer saw the blindingly obvious flaw in the policy and used it.

Frankly, I had figured out what the customer was going to do about the time I read about the extended returns only policy.

[XCashier]

I wonder why people call it a "sh*t-eating grin." If I were eating sh*t I certainly wouldn't be grinning.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/defin...it+eating+grin

A shit eating grin is a very wide and, to the outside observer, stupid looking grin, usually showing smugness, self-satisfaction, or inner humor.