Customers in entitlement shocker (LONG, rant-y)

[StarsAreFixed]

I work in an incredibly busy (read: also very understaffed) lower-end department store in Dublin city centre. People tend to treat it that way too, resulting in a huge amount of clothes marked by fake tan or with zips that have wrenched almost off.

SC: I want a discount for this, look there's fake tan here and HERE and the other 14 (US 10) is marked even worse! Disgraceful rah rah rah...

WHY do these people immediately get on the defensive. You are not more likely to get a discount if you're a total bitch, and who do they think got the fake tan there in the first place? Staff? Or did we purposefully order them? 'Yeah can we have 40 of the beaded white dress, with extra stains'. Piss off! We can't be held responsible for the fact that some of our customers are knackers and soil stock.

Me: Just one second
Manager: Yes, I see. Well since it's €35 I can give it to you for €31.50
SC: WHAT? 10%?? That won't cover the cost of the dry cleaning! €25
Manager: I am only allowed take 10% off. We can get full price if we send it back to the manufacturer. If you take it at full price, it will be marked on your receipt that it's stained and if it doesn't come out you can get a full refund. If you take the discount, you won't get an exchange or refund.
SC: No I want the discount, I want it for €25, 10% is not good enough

....and so on and so on. Two outcomes: Takes the 10% or leaves in a huff without buying it, thinking that we will cry ad lament the loss of a sale. Oh no, a sale! We're just crying out for them! The attitude is just ridiculous, often comes with a side attitude of 'How dare you have this on the floor?!?' because of course, even if we could keep track of everything that's stained or damaged, taking it off the floor would be fairly costly in the long run.

What's even better is when after a lengthy consultation with a manager (I can't override prices), the aggrieved customer will try to make me feel guilty that they're not allowed buy it for half nothing. Go away!

SC (holding 20+ €2, yes €2 scarves...a little bit more than a dollar): I want a MANAGER!
Manager: Yes?
SC: Every single one of these scarves are stained, I checked every single one! This is a disgrace, how can you sell these? etc etc...major rant....clearly doesn't want to buy the exact same pashmina anywhere else for more than €2....and on and on and on..

I mean really, that's amazing that you had the time to personally inspect our entire stock of black pashminas, do you think the girl who does the early shift and packs out pallet after pallet of shoes, bags, scarves, etc has time to inspect them? Or the girl on the later shift who tidies all of footwear, accessories, bags, scarves, sunglasses and jewellery as well as doing all the returns for them has the time either? Yet again, it's as if WE stained them or ordered them that way. The attitude of these people absolutely wrecks my head 'This item is for sale in YOUR shop and look, a thoughtless customer wrecked it unbeknownst to you and not any of your fault...I want a hefty discount rah rah rah and I'm prepared to use my best bullying demeanour and condescending attitude to make all sales assistants feel like shit to get it!' DIE DIE DIE.

[DemoDiva]

I totally agree! I never understand why customers do this. We're in Customer SERVICE, not Customer RIP YOU OFF AND KILL YOUR SISTER'S DOG. Ultimately, we're paid to help, not to jerk people around. Plus, most of the problems are, in fact, not our fault. We still do everything we can to attempt to resolve it.

I especially hate the ones who think that just because they feel it's too expensive, we're being dicks about it. I, personally, am not the company I work for. I, personally, have no say in how much the manufacturer charges. I, personally, am standing behind this register, listening to you spew garbage at me, as if I, personally, am responsible for everything bad you have ever experienced.

I'm not. I'm just paid to help you, within the constraints of the regulations the company provides. Seriously. I don't know -- I just work here.

[RetailWorkhorse]

We're in Customer SERVICE, not Customer RIP YOU OFF AND KILL YOUR SISTER'S DOG.

Permission to use this as a signature!

[DemoDiva]

Permission to use this as a signature!

Granted, but of course.

DD

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

See my sig for how I feel about EWs in general...

[malmalthekiller]

SC: WHAT? 10%?? That won't cover the cost of the dry cleaning! €25
Manager: I am only allowed take 10% off. We can get full price if we send it back to the manufacturer.

THIS. People always used to argue with me about that when I was a manager at the check lanes. THey seem to think that if something is ruined, it's loss to the store and it will end up being thrown away in our dumpsters or something. When you try to tell them that the manufacturer takes back defects; it blows their minds.

[Seshat]

Meh. Most minor defects are easy fixes anyway. If I can get a great blouse for 10% off and some hand sewing or careful washing, I'm thrilled!

I remember the first time I realised people DELIBERATELY wreck stuff in stores. I was hunting through trackpants, and found a pair of obviously long-worn, far from new ones there. Tossed them over my shoulder, did a bit more shopping, then hunted for a sales member to show her. She sent me to customer service.
At customer service, when I explained I'd found it among the new ones, the girl gave a long-suffering sigh, and told me that people come in wearng the old ones, swap them, and walk out in the new ones.

At chain store prices. For track pants.

I'm still about it. I just can't fathom the mindset. Don't they realise that our civilisation is built on trading work for goods and services, with money as an arbitrary marker that denotes the value of .... ooooh. Yeah. I guess most of them don't.

[chainedbarista]

they do, ses, they just don't care; it's all about them and screw anyone else.

i see that too, but never throw a tizzy; i just pick out something else, problem solved.

[Shalom]

So my question to the OP is: Did that SC really find that dress with the stain on it? Or did it magically acquire the stain on the way to the counter?

[Mr.Customer]

I think the store's issue is that they offer a discount on damaged goods, the smart thing to do is to thank the customer for pointing it out, take the item and put it behind the counter and either return it to the manufacturer or later on put it on a discount rack with other damaged items. Never would I recomend to apply a discount to the item then and there for them.

The reason is simple, when I shop, and when most people shop, if we pick up a dented can, or a torn/stained shirt, we put it back on the rack and look for one that isn't damaged, I might put it aside or point it out to staff, but only so it isn't picked up by another customer or else because I want to know if they can get an undamaged one for me. That is how most people work.

What you are getting is customers who search through the racks looking for damaged items, and in some cases damaging the items themselves (rip the zipper, get discount, go home and sew it back) and giving a discount to them only encourages this. And the one's who approach bitchy and snarly with the item are the worse offenders, they came into the store with the intent of finding a damaged item, or of damaging it themselves, and Stores really shouldn't fall for their act. That is what it is, an act, they know (or rather think) that if they act bitchy that they will get their way.

If the store would rather avoid restocking fees from the wholesalers, then save them up for a week, and then put them on the discount rack for 10% off. But don't give it to them then and there, take the item and offer to go get an undamaged article from the racks for them.

[DemoDiva]

I think the store's issue is that they offer a discount on damaged goods, the smart thing to do is to thank the customer for pointing it out, take the item and put it behind the counter and either return it to the manufacturer or later on put it on a discount rack with other damaged items. Never would I recomend to apply a discount to the item then and there for them.

The reason is simple, when I shop, and when most people shop, if we pick up a dented can, or a torn/stained shirt, we put it back on the rack and look for one that isn't damaged, I might put it aside or point it out to staff, but only so it isn't picked up by another customer or else because I want to know if they can get an undamaged one for me. That is how most people work.

What you are getting is customers who search through the racks looking for damaged items, and in some cases damaging the items themselves (rip the zipper, get discount, go home and sew it back) and giving a discount to them only encourages this. And the one's who approach bitchy and snarly with the item are the worse offenders, they came into the store with the intent of finding a damaged item, or of damaging it themselves, and Stores really shouldn't fall for their act. That is what it is, an act, they know (or rather think) that if they act bitchy that they will get their way.

If the store would rather avoid restocking fees from the wholesalers, then save them up for a week, and then put them on the discount rack for 10% off. But don't give it to them then and there, take the item and offer to go get an undamaged article from the racks for them.

Hear, hear.