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  • Coworker is an SC magnet

    So I keep trying to get this guy, who I shall refer to as K, to sign up on here, because he seems to get all the worst customers. But since he hasn't I'm posting some of this for him. I was witness to the following three incidents in the past week.

    Caught Us Red-Handed
    Any time someone manages to quote our scan-right policy to me, they're abusing it. Nobody who knows the actual wording of that policy can manage to twist the wording this way. Anyway, here's the setup. We sell eight different varieties of tomatoes (not counting the ones that come packaged). Green, Roma, and Heirloom tomatoes all have a pretty distinct appearance, and it's rare for anyone to mix those up. However, the ones rung up under 3151 (Kroger slicer), 4664 (on-the-vine), 4798 (brand-name hydroponic), 4799 (Kroger hydroponic), and 4800 (brand-name slicer) all look pretty much identical, with the exception of 4664 (OTV) which, obviously, come still on the vine.

    You cannot comprehend how much it saddens me that I just listed all of those from memory.

    Anyway, customer comes up with two vineless tomatoes in a bag. As the only ones we have in stock right now are On-The-Vine and 4799s, K rings them up at the latter. The customer stops him.

    SC: Hey, those are the wrong price.
    Me: (Bagging for K, checks the sticker on one) Yeah, these are OTV, they're just missing the vines.
    K: Oh, sorry sir, I'll fix that for you.
    SC: Now I know your policy, and if you ring something up the wrong price I get a second one for free.
    Me: That is technically the policy, but-
    SC: Now do you want to go get me my two free tomatoes or should I get them myself?
    K: But I fixed the price already.
    SC: Well yeah, you fixed it after I pointed it out. They always fix it after you point it out.

    So then he called a supervisor over, the whole exchange was basically repeated except he started saying we weren't letting him talk and kept interrupting him. Finally, the supervisor just gave him the two tomatoes to get him to quit blocking the lane.

    If I'd thought about it at the time (and could get a word in), I'd have told him that the price guarantee applied to an item being rung up at the wrong price, not to an entirely different item being rung up at the proper price. Nevermind he caused the confusion himself by pulling them off the vines anyway.

    Poorly trained!
    This one I didn't participate in, just got to watch part of. Apparently, someone in the deli cut this guy's loaf of sourdough wrong, and wound up putting it in two separate bags for him. I'm not sure how this came about, but whatever. Anyway, K is once again on register, and, seeing two loaves of bread in separate bags, rings up two loaves of bread.

    Cue SC shouting at him for double-charging.

    K: Sorry, I saw two loaves and thought-
    SC: You should know! If you don't know how your own store works, you are poorly trained!
    K: I'm sorry sir, I don't know-
    SC: It does not matter! The man back there cannot cut bread, he is poorly trained! You cannot ring up items, you are poorly trained! Where is a manager! I want to speak to a manager about this!

    So he winds up getting a supervisor who's known for honestly just not caring all that much about what customers say. He rants at her for a while about how we should be better trained, then is set off again when K asks him if a package of blueberries was his, since we were bagging and K is very forgetful. Not being sure where an item came from also means we are poorly trained.

    Anger Management
    This one happened just last night, and while I admit I could have done more to help, I was tired and just didn't think of it, plus the attitude was so far out of line it's not even funny. So K was again on register and I was officially SCO but bagging for him at the same time. It was about five minutes to the end of both our shifts, so we were going to get one last person. Except, light out or not, people will keep getting in line so long as you keep standing there.

    So after the one easy order, we had a larger one, with for complicated WIC vouchers. I decided to stick it out with K since I had an override and he didn't. It wound up keeping us 20 minutes late, but I don't even really consider that one sucky. She just didn't speak English well (turns out she was from Argentina) and neither she nor her (English-speaking) husband really understood how the vouchers worked, as it was their first time using them. The SC showed up about halfway through the order, with a fully loaded cart.

    K: Sir, would you mind moving to the self checkout?
    SC: You know what? I'm pretty damn tired, so I think I would mind, very much.

    I can't really convey the tone of voice he used with writing, so instead, think back to Samuel L Jackson's "say what again" scene from Pulp Fiction. Right about the point where he's daring Brett to say "what" one more time. That's about the level of sheer rage in this man's voice.

    So I try an make a joking comment, lighten the mood and maybe score some sympathy.

    Me: It's fine, we'll take you. Just asking because our shifts ended about ten minutes ago.
    SC: (Absolute I-ought-to rip-your-head-off furious glare at me) Well you know what, I can leave this cart RIGHT HERE and walk out RIGHT NOW, or you can TAKE ME. NOW WHICH ONE IS IT GONNA BE, SON?!

    And yes, he's getting louder and louder the whole time.

    Me: (A pause to make sure he isn't about to murder us both) I never said we wouldn't take you.
    J: (Night crew cashier, finally comes over to a lane) I can get you on seven, sir.
    SC: Thank you. (Goes down to that lane, slams his cart full, force into the counter) Wouldn't want those two to miss their GOD DAMN BREAKS!
    J: They're actually supposed to be going home.
    SC: I don't give a damn! If they're here they ought to take customers!

    He then goes to get a buggy to put his groceries into as he bags them. Except the nearest buggy has a stack of hand-baskets in it, waiting to go outside. So he just picks up the stack and slams it down on the floor so hard he shatters the bottom ones. Bits of plastic wound up all the way down to the other end of the checkouts. Then he slams that cart into place just as hard as the first one and proceeds to bag his order by slamming everything he picked up, sat down, or moved before finally stomping out.

    And the best part? J informed us that he's a regular, and that these tantrums are a normal occurrence. Then she chewed me out for refusing to take a customer when I was on the clock (nevermind I was 10-15 minutes past my shift by then), and told me to expect to hear from the store manager because that SC would call in and make complaints if everyone wasn't perfect to him.

    Of course, if I do get spoken to, I'm just going to tell him that even if I was on a lane I wouldn't have taken that man after that display because I would have been honestly afraid for my safety.
    » Horse Words «·» Roleplaying Stuff «

  • #2
    Dickwads like that should never be treated with respect since they obviously do not know how to give it. Of course, losing a sale is so much worse than, y'know, employee safety
    "So, let's build a snowman! We can make him our best friend. We can name him Bob or we can name him Beowulf! We can make him tall, or we can make him not so tall!"

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    • #3
      So he's abusive to employees and destroys store property, but he's too valuable a customer to lose? I think that maybe the higher-ups don't understand what kind of tantrum he's been pulling. the next time he starts, get someone to record it on a cellphone. Send a copy to the boss or to corporate with a comment that allowing this kind of guy to shop at their store is more likely going to *cost* them customers when he terrifies the people in line behind him.
      Sorry, my cow died so I don't need your bull

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      • #4
        Quoth EvilEmpryss View Post
        So he's abusive to employees and destroys store property, but he's too valuable a customer to lose? I think that maybe the higher-ups don't understand what kind of tantrum he's been pulling. the next time he starts, get someone to record it on a cellphone. Send a copy to the boss or to corporate with a comment that allowing this kind of guy to shop at their store is more likely going to *cost* them customers when he terrifies the people in line behind him.
        QFT. No store needs abusive vandals as customers. The amount of money he spends < the amount of store equipment he breaks + the amount of customers he scares away.

        Sorry you had to put up with that asshole.
        I don't have an attitude problem. You have a perception problem.
        My LiveJournal
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        • #5
          If enough nice, regular (witnesses)customers could be convinced to chime in that they won't shop at a store that allows people like him, maybe something could be taken care of. But perhaps I am being too idealistic. :-p
          Dull women have immaculate homes.

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          • #6
            My jaw was literally hanging open after reading that. There is a lot of suck out there, but THAT one made me SO angry.

            HE'S tired? Maybe it's because he had to work all day long. God forbid anyone else get to go home after a hard day's work! Damn!

            Plus he destroyed the store's property! He should be arrested, not allowed to make complaints against the cashiers.

            I'm shaking in anger on your behalf.

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            • #7
              Maybe it's time to train cashiers in karate.
              Customers should always be served . . . to the nearest great white.

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              • #8
                Quoth jjllbb View Post
                My jaw was literally hanging open after reading that. There is a lot of suck out there, but THAT one made me SO angry. HE'S tired? Maybe it's because he had to work all day long. God forbid anyone else get to go home after a hard day's work! Damn! Plus he destroyed the store's property! He should be arrested, not allowed to make complaints against the cashiers. I'm shaking in anger on your behalf.
                This, a thousand times. God forbid the cashiers should miss their breaks??? Why doesn't he at argue with the state labor board on that one?
                "Is it hot in here to you? It's very warm, isn't it?"--Nero, probably

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                • #9
                  Quoth KabeRinnaul View Post
                  Then she chewed me out for refusing to take a customer when I was on the clock (nevermind I was 10-15 minutes past my shift by then)
                  Which means you weren't even legally obligated to stay or even consider that guy. She should be the one chewed out for not staffing the store to provide replacements in time for you to leave at the end of your scheduled shift. So many things wrong with this entire scenario.

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                  • #10
                    yes, record his next few tantrums and report this crap to the labor board AND the higher ups.

                    this man needs more than anger management, he needs lessons in how to act like a rational human being.
                    look! it's ghengis khan!
                    Sorry, but while I can do many things, extracting heads from anuses isn't one of them. (so sayeth the irv)

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                    • #11
                      This is the sort of shit that makes me feel small for getting pissed at MY managers.

                      The abuse that some workers have to take is unbelieveable, and it's sanctioned and encouraged my managers and corporate drones.

                      Makes me absolutely sick.

                      To the OP: You and K have my deepest sympathies.
                      "So, if you wanna put places like that outta business, just stop being so rock-chewingly stupid." ~ Raudf, 9/19/13

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                      • #12
                        Quoth jjllbb View Post
                        Which means you weren't even legally obligated to stay or even consider that guy. She should be the one chewed out for not staffing the store to provide replacements in time for you to leave at the end of your scheduled shift. So many things wrong with this entire scenario.
                        Just to clarify, J isn't management, she was the replacement. She just likes to take her time getting around to it. The only thing she has over me or K is seniority.
                        » Horse Words «·» Roleplaying Stuff «

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                        • #13
                          Quoth EvilEmpryss View Post
                          So he's abusive to employees and destroys store property, but he's too valuable a customer to lose? I think that maybe the higher-ups don't understand what kind of tantrum he's been pulling. the next time he starts, get someone to record it on a cellphone.
                          Or better yet, have them check the security footage which most any modern grocery store *should* have...

                          And, seconded on refusal on the basis of safety. He ignored your sign being off, as well.

                          If you do get called on the carpet, I suppose you could always mention that you were trying to save the store money by having TWO people clock out as soon after their shifts were over as possible...
                          "For a musician, the SNES sound engine is like using Crayola Crayons. Nobuo Uematsu used Crayola Crayons to paint the Sistine Chapel." - Jeremy Jahns (re: "Dancing Mad")
                          "The difference between an amateur and a master is that the master has failed way more times." - JoCat
                          "Thinking is difficult, therefore let the herd pronounce judgment!" ~ Carl Jung
                          "There's burning bridges, and then there's the lake just to fill it with gasoline." - Wiccy, reddit
                          "Retail is a cruel master, and could very well be the most educational time of many people's lives, in its own twisted way." - me
                          "Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down...tell you she's hurtin' 'fore she keens...makes her a home." - Capt. Malcolm Reynolds, "Serenity" (2005)
                          Acts of Gord – Read it, Learn it, Love it!
                          "Our psychic powers only work if the customer has a mind to read." - me

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                          • #14
                            Quoth Kristev View Post
                            Maybe it's time to train cashiers in karate.
                            Why? He was only resorting to verbal abuse, not physical.

                            Rapscallion

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                            • #15
                              Time to make tranquilizer dart guns standard equipment at the checkout.
                              When you start at zero, everything's progress.

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