Scams

[TelephoneAngel]

Do you ever have the impression that something happens concerning one customer, they get what they want, then they must tell all the other sucky customers because suddenly everyone has the same story?

I remember when I worked back in a sweetshop which sold icecream, a woman complained about a container of icecream she had bought (something wrong with it) she had not bought the container in to show what was wrong with it as it was so hot it would have melted and made a mess. I don't remember now if she got her money back or free icecream to replace the first one.

But I do remember that for some time after that, there were more customers than would be a coincidence coming and saying exactly the same thing (same words exactly) "there was something wrong with theicecream I bought, I haven't bought it back with me to show you whats wrong with it because it's too hot, and it would melt and make a mess"

Exactly the same words as if they learnt it parrott fashion!



Oh, and how we finally found it was not a problem batch of icecream, but customer scams?

We started keeping a log of how many containers of icecream we sold (not many, it wasn't a big shop) One day we sold four. The same evening we had SIX customers come in and say "they had bought a container of ciecrem from us that day"

[Justsomegirl]

Here is a good one I heard. One of the girls where I work sold and item at her sale. SK paid with check. The company name was on the item. SK called us, don't ask me how this happend we are quit big. And got the girl that sold her the item on the phone now at work. SK said she bought this item from us and wanted to return it for some reason..... Our girl says NO you can't as I know you bought it yesterday at my yard sale!!

[Peppergirl]

Do you ever have the impression that something happens concerning one customer, they get what they want, then they must tell all the other sucky customers because suddenly everyone has the same story?

Yes. Seriously, I think there's an SC club.

It was formed because of spineless, jellyfish managers who give in to insane demands.

[ravevolution]

I disdain for SC's that when they put up such a fuss even when it feels they are trying to scam us. We take care of the issue, and the SC becomes one of these lifelong people that everytime they come in they feel they should be treated like royalty.

[Spork4pedro]

I remember when I worked back in a sweetshop which sold icecream

Wow...I must be really tired...When I read this all I could think was "Wow..she must really work in a nice SWEATSHOP if they give her ice cream!" no more mojitos for me!

but back on topic: I definitely think there is some conspiracy amongst SCs! At my shop at couple years back we had a set of girls that tried to scam us for free drinks by coming in and claiming that their drink was too runny/tasted bad etc but went asked what drink they had (we have a guarantee to remake drinks) they would say the same wrong name of a drink each time (it would be close to a specific drink that you could figure out which drink they were thinking of but still waay off) they got away with it at first but when we noticed that they had been hitting up different managers we caught on and banned the girls. Then their MOTHERS came in! then their AUNTS and COUSINS (yes these were all different women who were actually related to each other we later found out) it went on for over a year! I never realised that people loved our product that much!

[Magpie]

I never realised that people loved our product that much!

Don't you know? Everything tastes better when it's free. (a la Mike Slackenary)

[joe hx]

I've overheard people say things such as "if you go to taco bell, and say they forgot stuff, they'll just give it to you!" Plus, scammers like to brag. If someone walks into, say, Home Depot, grabs a Dyson off the shelf, and then walks up front and "returns" it, you better believe they're going to tell everybody.

[Exaspera]

IIRC, this happened sort of nation-wide years ago with either dead mice or bug parts in cans of Coke. One woman was caught on camera in a check-out line putting "something" in her can of Coke and then reporting the problem to the cashier.

[earl colby pottinger]

Mother

My mother is not a scammer, but she sure is a SC. And whenever she thinks she got a deal by haggling down the price (the methods she uses is what makes her a SC) or thinks she got the upper hand in a deal, I assure you when she gets home she calls *ALL* her friends to tell them what a bargain she got, where and how.

[SourRobot]

I've overheard people say things such as "if you go to taco bell, and say they forgot stuff, they'll just give it to you!" Plus, scammers like to brag. If someone walks into, say, Home Depot, grabs a Dyson off the shelf, and then walks up front and "returns" it, you better believe they're going to tell everybody.

Absolutely. People do it on the internet all the time. I've also had people do it in front of me while they were waiting in line. They'd say something related to my store like, "Just do this, they'll take it/override it for you," at which I'll cut them off and tell them that no, I won't.

For example, every now and then a customer will want to use their all-day coupon and I have to mark the date on the back. They complain about me marking the back and a customer behind them will say something like, "Just use it next week anyway, it's good until (some date in the future) so they have to take it." Then I say, "No, it's good for today only, which is why I marked the back. If you try using that again on some other day we won't take it."