"I've been shopping here for longer than you've been alive!"

[ExArtShopSlave]

......

Then how come you didn't know this rule?!?

At the art store I used to work at, we had a section for framing, different colours and sizes of drawing board, mat board and foamboard. We also had this gigantic wall slicer which gave cusomters the freedom to have the employees cut their board to their size of choice.

We also had this rule where the first cut was free. All additional cuts were 1.00 a cut. We even had a sign that explained this. A MASSIVE hand drawn (art store, everything done by the employees) sign that outlined this.

One night, about 30 mins to closing, I might add, this woman comes in and wants to buy something like 15-20 pieces of 60 by 40 inch foambord and have each piece cut to a certain size. No biggie, so I rise to the challenge, as that was actually one of my favourite tasks there.

Me=
SC=Who else!

'SC has chosen her foamboard and asks me to cut each one to size choice'

Me= Ok, so thats (insert sizes) for each board?
SC=Yes. While you do that, I will just shop around.
Me='Gestures to sign' You know that only the first cut is free and ALL other cuts are an additional 1.00 each?
SC= 'Waves hand and walks off' Yes.
Me=Alrighty then. 'Proceeds to cut boards.'

Then at the cash register.....

Me='Rings up purchases and does transaction-ey like things'
SC= 'Looks at bill' What are all these additional 1.00 charges for?
Me=Oh those charges are for the additional cuts.
SC=No, they're supposed to be free. The first cut is free.
Me=Yes, the first cut is free, then its 1.00 for each additional cut.
SC=But you only made one cut into each board.
Me=Yes. I did do that. And like I said, the first cut was free. All others cost 1.00, no matter how many boards you purchase.

Rinse, wash, repeat (SEVERAL times, I might add)

SC=Well, I want a refund.

'Standing right in front of another ginormous sign that says, ALL CUT BOARDS ARE FINAL SALE!

Me=Sorry, but since they're cut, they're final sale. 'Points to sign.'
SC=I"VE BEEN SHOPPING HERE LONGER THAN YOU'VE BEEN ALIVE. I KNOW THE RULES! YOU'RE WRONG! GIMME THE MANAGER!"

'Funny how you've been 'Shopping here for years.' I've worked here for almost two years, yet have never seen you....Wierd!'

Sooooo, the manager comes out and basically the same thing happens all over again. Unfortunately, after something like 20 minutes, the manager gave up and did a return, which left us with a shit-ton of foamboard and probably out like $115.00. On the plus side, we had some nice new and crisp foamboard to make our store signs!

Sidenote: I found out the next day that that customer had actually been banned from our store for doing the same crap. Too bad nobody gave me a description of her.

ExArtShopSlave

[Mytical]

My inner psychic knew that one was coming. I will have to feed it some pie later. Even though I knew what you meant, as would any sane person..I could just hear the excuse before I read it. *shakes head sadly*

[EricKei]

Any chance they'll allow you guys to charge in advance for any set of cuts over, say $20, in the future?

[parresa]

I HATE it when managers do that giving in crap when it's obvious the customer is trying to scam.

[protege]

Sooooo, the manager comes out and basically the same thing happens all over again. Unfortunately, after something like 20 minutes, the manager gave up and did a return, which left us with a shit-ton of foamboard and probably out like $115.00. On the plus side, we had some nice new and crisp foamboard to make our store signs!

Damn. If I could have picked up the scrap...I could have some new backdrops for my model railroad layout. Quite a few people use Masonite, but I'd rather go with foam...it's easier to cut, and lightweight

Seriously though, I'm not one to abuse the employees. I figure, they're doing me a favor by offering to cut the lumber for me. In fact, if I measure things right...I've found that getting them to cut the pieces to size, will not only get things to fit into the car, but it'll save me a fair amount of work...not to mention time that I could use to build models or run trains. A good trade-off, in other words

[PepperElf]

Sidenote: I found out the next day that that customer had actually been banned from our store for doing the same crap. Too bad nobody gave me a description of her.

And now I know how you can use the board she wasted...

[chainedbarista]

hm, maybe it's time to make everyone wanting cutting sign a statement saying they understood the rules? similar to the "no one reads the fine print" argument, but it will hold up and you have their sig to back it.

[Caractacus_Potts]

Any chance they'll allow you guys to charge in advance for any set of cuts over, say $20, in the future?

hm, maybe it's time to make everyone wanting cutting sign a statement saying they understood the rules? similar to the "no one reads the fine print" argument, but it will hold up and you have their sig to back it.

If a manager is just going to do the refund on items that are non-refundable anyway instead of telling the person to GTFO then I don't think advanced payment or signed documents are really going to do much good.

[Captain Trips]

This didn't sound like a refund to me, just a failure to sell. The customer refused to pay for the cuts, so didn't get the cut foamboard. Customer leaves with nothing, store isn't out cash - just foamboard that has been taken out of stock and converted to store supplies.

Of course, that doesn't make it right. Just that it isn't a "refund" as the customer hadn't paid yet.

[Ironclad Alibi]

I think a situation like this requires a "pay before cut" policy.

[ExArtShopSlave]

I think a situation like this requires a "pay before cut" policy.

Actually, they were discussing putting that into the effect as the official rule. I haven't worked there for a couple years now, so I don't know for sure if it went into effect or not.

ExArtShopSlave

[Jester]

......I"VE BEEN SHOPPING HERE LONGER THAN YOU'VE BEEN ALIVE.

I've told this story before, but it bears repeating.

I was training at a bar, and a table asked me if we could do separate checks. I asked my trainer, and he said bar policy was no separate checks. I told the table this, but they were not happy about it, so I sent my trainer over to deal with them.

SC: "We've been coming here 30 years and never had a problem getting separate checks!"
TRAINER: "That's pretty impressive, seeing as we've only been open 19."
SC:
TRAINER:
ME:

They were not given separate checks.

Unfortunately, after something like 20 minutes, the manager gave up and did a return...

BBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!

I think a situation like this requires a "pay before cut" policy.

I disagree, as 99% of customers probably are not blind ignorant illiterate entitlement whore douchebags like the SC in the story. And it's virtually impossible to win against people like that. Even if she had pre-paid, she would have found a way to demand a refund on the cut fees.

[MoonCat]

I wonder if she goes through the express line with 100 items at the grocery store and tells the cashier, "each item is a separate purchase, so I'm still under the 7 items or less limit."

[Cerys]

I'VE BEEN SHOPPING HERE LONGER THAN YOU'VE BEEN ALIVE.

'Gosh, that's astounding! Did you get lost?'