The Things Customer Service is Made of....

[Red_Dazes]

This lady knows them.

So we write rain checks in our store for items that are out of stock but supposed to be on sale. Since our sales only last a week. That way, our customers can come back, pick up the item, and get the sales price (we keep a copy of the rain check so they can't alter it and put in what ever the fuck they want)

Well here's how it used to work. We would write the rain check, if it was an expensive item the customer would pay for it, if not they would go on their merry way, and the following week, when the item came in we would yank it stick our copy to it, stick it in the classroom and call the customer to let them know their (item) came in. And wait....and wait...and wait...until they came and got it.

Well we had a big problem ((haha two months in and we are already having problems)) with rain checks not being redeemed, or people coming in and changing their mind and having to go through the HELL of returning a rain checked item ((which is apparently harder than a normal return.... who knew?)) SO our class room was full of crap and corporate decided... no mas.

So this is how it now works.... we write the rain check, give a copy to the customer, keep a copy in the nifty folder. Most people only want one or two of something, we are going to be ordering it anyway. If it is a special order ((I want 500 rhinestone letter "G" in periwinkle blue)) then the manager has to approve it and sign off on it. The customers do not have to pre-pay, and we no longer call when the items come in ((except on special orders)) We tell them when the items will be on the shelves and that they can call in and check if they would like.

...Well... this lady found that "TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!" She ranted at my coworker and myself for a good 10 minutes about how it was unacceptable not to call customers, how it was horrible customer service, how she had never been so insulted. She wanted us to know she would be calling corporate TONIGHT and they would be hearing about this, and how our manager was competent(when I offered to go get my manager for her) and she would much rather go straight to the top and she had friends you know, important people friends, and we would be hearing about this again!

now granted I can kind of understand her point of view... cause I know I don't want to be driving back and forth every week to find out if what I wanted was in stock or not... but hell how hard is it to pick up a phone and call. The rain checks aren't a promise that "oh we will get this in just for you and bow at your feet" ((with the exception of special orders of course)) they are simply a document that gives you the ability to come back ((with in 60 days)) and pick up the item we were sold out of for the sale price you missed. Want to know how many rain checks I have a day...at least 5-15, that's a lot by the time our freight comes in.... personally I am relieved not to have to call 30+ people every Tuesday just to say "Hey so we got more shit... come get it"




....A bonus Smile.... I went and told my manager about said rant after the lady left, and warned her that she was calling corporate to complain. Her response.


She laughed her ASS off and said "She can call till she's blue in the face" ^_^ made me giggle.

[ExRetailDrone]

Ugh, the dreaded rain checks. I hated dealing with idiot customers regarding them when I worked at The Bullseye. Most people were good about it. But some just could not get the concept that it was not our responsibility to call them when their crap came in. They had to keep checking back. No, they didn't have to drive all the way to the store, a phone call would be fine, and then we could put the item on hold. Blah, blah, blah. Some were like talking to a brick wall. I wanted to head-butt them to see if it felt like a brick wall, too

[bainsidhe]

I'm so glad we never had to deal with rainchecks! We did, however, have similar problems with layaway. Customers would put down the minimal deposit and half of our backroom would be clogged with crap. Heaven forbid we took stuff off of layaway (thereby causing the customer to forego their small deposit) 3 months after the grace period ended, a customer would come looking for their layaway six months later and crap would hit the fan! Plus we'd also have the repeat cheapskates that would put clothes on layaway, wait until they were on clearance before taking them off of layaway, and then buying them at a steal. Oh yes, we had serial layaway abusers. It cost a lot of time, space and money to run that program. So when the program was finally cancelled and customers howled about the travesty of not having layaway, I nodded in sympathy while secretly rejoicing.

[Marmalady]

How long would something be allowed to be on 'layaway' ? Our store won't hold anything for more than 24 hours.

[Mytical]

I know at Wally World it was '60 days'. When I worked there, I never knew of one item being put back..ever. Even if it had been there a year.

[ExRetailDrone]

I have to say that I'm so glad The Bullseye didn't have layaway. I had many people whine at me when I told them we didn't offer that service. I commiserated while secretly grinning to myself, because I have heard horror stories like those of bainsidhe. Rain checks were bad enough... layaway? No thanks

[Jay 2K Winger]

It's rare that the wholesale club will do rain checks. It's always at a manager's discretion, at least, so they can do a little research, see if we have more coming in-- and estimate whether they'll be in before the "instant rebate" expires. At my store we don't have sales. Some of our items have "instant rebates" that expire on a certain date.

Sometimes we'll get customers who will want to use one of our coupons on an item, but we're out of it on the shelf, and the customer demands a rain check. Most of the time, managers will either tell them we'll honor the coupon on some similar item of the same brand (which is usually enough to satisfy people) or just tell them no. Why no? Because we had plenty of the item in stock, and it was very popular and sold well because of the coupon. It's not our fault you weren't fast enough to get it.

[Sleepwalker]

The only time I have ever used a raincheck was for a pc bundle sale. It worked amazingly well, because they forgot to charge me for the monitor and printer once it did come in. I didn't realize that until I was moving and checking my papers and old bank statements.

Ahhh, to be young and completely oblivious to what is going on in your checking account. Now I double check my receipts at the dollar store.