Ye gods I hate buyback season! Worse, corporate effed up our advertising this semester, so instead of signs reading "we buy back every textbook", they read "we buy back every book"
Gods, has it sucked! These are the tales that stick out, though, and this is all just from today!
But I deserve mooooooooorrree!!!11!!
Chick comes in to sell back her books. Now, mind you, we offer a LOT more than our competitors, even if it doesn't seem like it. She sold back an accounting book that retailed for $175 new. She bought it used, so it was $142. We offered to buy it back for $93.
Jeebus, you'd think I threatened her very soul! She whined, she cried, she $200 for that book alone!!!
Erm, right, sweetheart. If that's the case, you got robbed. I don't get why people try to claim they spent far more on the book than they actually did. Usually these conversations follow this pattern:
Me: Ok, I can offer you $93 for this book.
SC: <GASP!!> But I paid over $200 for it!!
Me:
REALLY!?! Wow...I wonder where you got it because we were only selling it for $142 used!
SC: But I bought it NEEEWWWWW!!
Me: <Looks at the big honkin' tag on the spine that says "used book"> Erm...k....
Eventually they take the money. They always take the money...
You're all inbred cows, aren't you...?
Had a trio come in, 2 women, 1 man. Now, first of all, during our busy buyback season, we like to put out little buckets of those mini candy bars, and candy packs. I refilled the tubs myself this morning when I arrived at opening, they were fresh, and full to the brim.
First sign that things are going downhill is when the guy loads up 12 billion stacks of old, decrepit, disgusting looking books and proudly declares he can't wait for his hundreds of dollars. Ahyuck, hyuck... >.> Cue guffawing by the two bedraggled women with him.
Second sign is when, while CW is going through the stack and tabulating how much (or how little), the guy's going to get is when he starts pawing through the tub of non-chocolate candy. He picks out a mini pack of skittles. And then another, and then another, and then another. Then, he looks up and asks me:
"So, what's yer limit. 30? 50?"
Me: Erm...well, we'd actually prefer you NOT to deplete our candy supply for future customers...
Him: Well I'M giving it to CHILDREN. So it's OK! GO MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!!
Me:
Sir...you spoke to me first...
And right around that time, one of the females with him speaks up.
Her: Hey, kin I getta bag from y'all?
CW: Uh...why...
Her: <Shoveling HANDFULS of candy from the choclate tub into her purse> Cuz I'm running outta room in here!
CW: Ma'am, please stop taking the entire bucket of candy.
Her: BUT IT'S FREE AIN'T IT!?!?!
At this point, I slip off to inform my manager of the candy theives. I return to find out they've obtained their buyback total. (A whopping $14 for over 50 books...woo hoo), and see they're getting ready to play the dreaded Plinko game. Now, apparently, as afficionados of the show The Price is Right, despite my CW telling them the rules, they grab ALL the Plinko chips and start dropping them one by one, cheering loudly whenever they hit a $5 or $10 bonus slot. Each of the five chips hit 3 $5 slots and two $10 slots. Again, despite the explanations that it's one Plinko chip per VISIT, they then demanded their $20 bonus!
Yes, I know. Math is HARD...
CW finally got them out of the store, and the cashier came back a few minutes after cashing them out, confused because they were still demanding their $20. CW1, who did their buyback asked if they were inbred or just plain stupid.
Me: Either way, that's further proof why it's illegal to
your sister...
CW1: <falls over onto the floor laughing>
CW2: <Stands there gaping at me.>
Me: Oh, crap, I said that thought out loud, didn't I...?
No. Just NO!
Had another duo come in with books that had been sitting in their great grandpa's basement for 100 years, and started plunking them down on the counter. Same CW as before was doing their buyback, but I came over to help him count. Seriously, we're talking about 25 trips, just for ONE of the guys. I told CW that it's 25 cents per book and SC jumps in. He's nasty and mean right from the get go, so there goes all my politeness flying merrily out the window. Bye bye politeness!
SC: NU UH!! A dollar!! ONE dollar per book!! They's hardcover!
Me: Sir, that's not how our pricing for the recycle program works.
SC: UH HUH!!!
Me: No, sir. It's $1 for every hardcover TEXTBOOK. 50 cents for every paperback TEXTBOOK. and 25 cents for every book that isn't a TEXTBOOK. You have a large stack of childrens books, and various other non-TEXTBOOKS.
SC: I have some textbooks. <Shoves a stack at me.>
Me: ...sir, these are encyclopedias from 1968. They aren't textbooks, COLLEGE textbooks.
I start counting, and these books are SO disgusting. I mean, seriously, my skin is STILL crawling at the thought. And while I'm counting SC's buddy keeps bringing in stack after stack after stack. Now, some of these books are dusty, but at one point, my hand brushes against liquid. I exclaimed something along the lines of "Oh, hey, these books are wet."
SC: No, they're NOT, I wiped them off!!
Me: <Holds up fingers so he can see the moisture and the droplets still on the book> No, sir, this is liquid.
SC: <Snatches the book off the counter and wipes it on his shirt. Ewww!!> There! DRY!
I roll my eyes and continue counting because the faster we get him out of here, the faster we can work on getting through the line of legitimate students wanting to sell their textbooks. Except I stumble on another stack of books that are moist and have droplets of liquid.
Me: Oh, ew, these are wet, too!
SC: NO THEY'RE NOT!
Me: <STARE! Holds up fingers>
SC: Fine! <Snaps his fingers at me> Get me those paper towels!
Me: ExCUSE you sir! Do you know how to use the word PLEASE?
SC: <Glares at me and snaps his fingers again> Please give me those paper towels. NOW!
I smile....and walk away. I stopped counting at 165 books, and went and got my store manager, so she could deal with this wonderful human being while I ran to the bathroom and washed my hands. When we got back to the counter he was arguing with CW about the pricing again, claiming he was required to get $1 for the hardbacks. Hell, he tried to sell an old yearbook from 1987. We refused that one outright.
Finally, he gets his receipt printed, and his total comes out to about $50. He then demands an extra copy of the receipt. Thing is, he didn't see that my other CW had listened to him and his friend plan on cashing out the same receipt twice, so that idea got nixed immediately. And finally, he was DONE!! Hurray!!
....
Oh, look. His buddy has another 37 million books to sell, too, and these are in just as bad shape, and just as old.
SM steps in and tells buddy that after 2 stacks, that's it. We're not buying books from him or his friend EVER again and to get out of our store.
This causes the original SC to throw a hissy fit and SCREAM that we're not honoring our advertising to buy every book!!
SM told him, no, but we ARE honoring our right to refuse service to anyone, thank you have a great day, get the hell OUT!!
I headed off to wash my hands again, and while CW was piling up the books to box them up, he discovered the final surprise...MOLD. On the books. So, that was a "drop everything, glove up and dumpster those books NOW." moment, followed by "Don't touch your face, don't touch the counter, don't touch each other, get your ass in the bathroom and wash up. NOW" moment.
SM says she's going to write to our regional supe and ask him about the buying every book policy because it's being abused hardcore, and we're taking some serious hits. If nothing else, she wants to put signs up to the effect of the pricing list, and that we reserve the right to refuse books if they're in awful shape. We'll see how it goes.
Lupo needs a shower now...
Gods, has it sucked! These are the tales that stick out, though, and this is all just from today!
But I deserve mooooooooorrree!!!11!!
Chick comes in to sell back her books. Now, mind you, we offer a LOT more than our competitors, even if it doesn't seem like it. She sold back an accounting book that retailed for $175 new. She bought it used, so it was $142. We offered to buy it back for $93.
Jeebus, you'd think I threatened her very soul! She whined, she cried, she $200 for that book alone!!!
Erm, right, sweetheart. If that's the case, you got robbed. I don't get why people try to claim they spent far more on the book than they actually did. Usually these conversations follow this pattern:
Me: Ok, I can offer you $93 for this book.
SC: <GASP!!> But I paid over $200 for it!!
Me:

SC: But I bought it NEEEWWWWW!!
Me: <Looks at the big honkin' tag on the spine that says "used book"> Erm...k....
Eventually they take the money. They always take the money...
You're all inbred cows, aren't you...?
Had a trio come in, 2 women, 1 man. Now, first of all, during our busy buyback season, we like to put out little buckets of those mini candy bars, and candy packs. I refilled the tubs myself this morning when I arrived at opening, they were fresh, and full to the brim.
First sign that things are going downhill is when the guy loads up 12 billion stacks of old, decrepit, disgusting looking books and proudly declares he can't wait for his hundreds of dollars. Ahyuck, hyuck... >.> Cue guffawing by the two bedraggled women with him.
Second sign is when, while CW is going through the stack and tabulating how much (or how little), the guy's going to get is when he starts pawing through the tub of non-chocolate candy. He picks out a mini pack of skittles. And then another, and then another, and then another. Then, he looks up and asks me:
"So, what's yer limit. 30? 50?"
Me: Erm...well, we'd actually prefer you NOT to deplete our candy supply for future customers...
Him: Well I'M giving it to CHILDREN. So it's OK! GO MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!!
Me:

And right around that time, one of the females with him speaks up.
Her: Hey, kin I getta bag from y'all?
CW: Uh...why...
Her: <Shoveling HANDFULS of candy from the choclate tub into her purse> Cuz I'm running outta room in here!
CW: Ma'am, please stop taking the entire bucket of candy.
Her: BUT IT'S FREE AIN'T IT!?!?!
At this point, I slip off to inform my manager of the candy theives. I return to find out they've obtained their buyback total. (A whopping $14 for over 50 books...woo hoo), and see they're getting ready to play the dreaded Plinko game. Now, apparently, as afficionados of the show The Price is Right, despite my CW telling them the rules, they grab ALL the Plinko chips and start dropping them one by one, cheering loudly whenever they hit a $5 or $10 bonus slot. Each of the five chips hit 3 $5 slots and two $10 slots. Again, despite the explanations that it's one Plinko chip per VISIT, they then demanded their $20 bonus!
Yes, I know. Math is HARD...
CW finally got them out of the store, and the cashier came back a few minutes after cashing them out, confused because they were still demanding their $20. CW1, who did their buyback asked if they were inbred or just plain stupid.
Me: Either way, that's further proof why it's illegal to

CW1: <falls over onto the floor laughing>
CW2: <Stands there gaping at me.>
Me: Oh, crap, I said that thought out loud, didn't I...?

No. Just NO!
Had another duo come in with books that had been sitting in their great grandpa's basement for 100 years, and started plunking them down on the counter. Same CW as before was doing their buyback, but I came over to help him count. Seriously, we're talking about 25 trips, just for ONE of the guys. I told CW that it's 25 cents per book and SC jumps in. He's nasty and mean right from the get go, so there goes all my politeness flying merrily out the window. Bye bye politeness!

SC: NU UH!! A dollar!! ONE dollar per book!! They's hardcover!
Me: Sir, that's not how our pricing for the recycle program works.
SC: UH HUH!!!
Me: No, sir. It's $1 for every hardcover TEXTBOOK. 50 cents for every paperback TEXTBOOK. and 25 cents for every book that isn't a TEXTBOOK. You have a large stack of childrens books, and various other non-TEXTBOOKS.
SC: I have some textbooks. <Shoves a stack at me.>
Me: ...sir, these are encyclopedias from 1968. They aren't textbooks, COLLEGE textbooks.
I start counting, and these books are SO disgusting. I mean, seriously, my skin is STILL crawling at the thought. And while I'm counting SC's buddy keeps bringing in stack after stack after stack. Now, some of these books are dusty, but at one point, my hand brushes against liquid. I exclaimed something along the lines of "Oh, hey, these books are wet."
SC: No, they're NOT, I wiped them off!!
Me: <Holds up fingers so he can see the moisture and the droplets still on the book> No, sir, this is liquid.
SC: <Snatches the book off the counter and wipes it on his shirt. Ewww!!> There! DRY!
I roll my eyes and continue counting because the faster we get him out of here, the faster we can work on getting through the line of legitimate students wanting to sell their textbooks. Except I stumble on another stack of books that are moist and have droplets of liquid.
Me: Oh, ew, these are wet, too!
SC: NO THEY'RE NOT!
Me: <STARE! Holds up fingers>
SC: Fine! <Snaps his fingers at me> Get me those paper towels!
Me: ExCUSE you sir! Do you know how to use the word PLEASE?
SC: <Glares at me and snaps his fingers again> Please give me those paper towels. NOW!
I smile....and walk away. I stopped counting at 165 books, and went and got my store manager, so she could deal with this wonderful human being while I ran to the bathroom and washed my hands. When we got back to the counter he was arguing with CW about the pricing again, claiming he was required to get $1 for the hardbacks. Hell, he tried to sell an old yearbook from 1987. We refused that one outright.
Finally, he gets his receipt printed, and his total comes out to about $50. He then demands an extra copy of the receipt. Thing is, he didn't see that my other CW had listened to him and his friend plan on cashing out the same receipt twice, so that idea got nixed immediately. And finally, he was DONE!! Hurray!!
....
Oh, look. His buddy has another 37 million books to sell, too, and these are in just as bad shape, and just as old.
SM steps in and tells buddy that after 2 stacks, that's it. We're not buying books from him or his friend EVER again and to get out of our store.
This causes the original SC to throw a hissy fit and SCREAM that we're not honoring our advertising to buy every book!!
SM told him, no, but we ARE honoring our right to refuse service to anyone, thank you have a great day, get the hell OUT!!
I headed off to wash my hands again, and while CW was piling up the books to box them up, he discovered the final surprise...MOLD. On the books. So, that was a "drop everything, glove up and dumpster those books NOW." moment, followed by "Don't touch your face, don't touch the counter, don't touch each other, get your ass in the bathroom and wash up. NOW" moment.
SM says she's going to write to our regional supe and ask him about the buying every book policy because it's being abused hardcore, and we're taking some serious hits. If nothing else, she wants to put signs up to the effect of the pricing list, and that we reserve the right to refuse books if they're in awful shape. We'll see how it goes.
Lupo needs a shower now...

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