Puzzling Customer

[Myra]

Dude came in yesterday, and his phone was toast. He wanted this new phone that just came out like a week and a half ago. New phone at the full retail price is $429.99. "Oh no, I'm not paying that. Not for a phone." But he wants THAT phone, and THAT phone only. He's dealing with my co-worker, and I'm in the corner counting faceplates to prepare for inventory.

Co-worker offers him our cost plus $36, which is the LOWEST we are allowed to go on an outright sale. Customer is NOT happy with this, so Co-worker phones Boss. Customer asks to speak with Boss. Customer says something like "I just want to be treated like a good customer here...I send you a LOT of business...just give me something, I don't care even if it's just a little discount...okay, yes I accept! Thank you!" Customer is very happy, Co-worker rings him out, he's on his way.

Co-worker comes over to me after he's gone and tells me, the deal the boss offered the customer? The very SAME that Co-worker offered. (Cost plus $36).

I guess sometimes they just like to hear it from the man in charge, who knows.

[Phone Jockey]

Why doesn't this surprise me? At all. I swear, for some reason, speaking with a supervisor suddenly makes things click occasionally. Who knows?

[theredbaron47]

I think it has to do also with the need of the customers to remind us that we are unimportant.

Man, customers suck.

[Mighty Girl]

May I assume co-worker is a woman?

Side story- when we bought our house, we wanted the whole interior painted. So we hired this semi-retired guy (mistake #1) that was referred by my parents. Every time I would call this guy, he would call my husband back. Like if you're not "equipped" with the jewels, your word can't possibly count. Now naturally, since I'm not in diapers- my husband wouldn't always know what my question to the painter way, so the merry go round would begin, H calls me, I call painter, painter calls H, etc. I finally had to tell the guy "Listen, I write the checks, so if YOU WANT TO GET PAID, I recommend you start returning MY phone calls to ME". What happened? He was now afraid of me and avoided my like the plague. (Not the result I had in mind). (Little did he know, I have a far more mild temper than the hubby).

So, sorry to go off a bit there, but I detected a bit of sexism mixed in with the self important drivel.

[blas]

Some customers won't rest until they hear from the supervisor or manager (then again, some won't rest until they can contact corporate!)

Other customers, especially older ones (sorry I pick on older people so much but it's just so hard not to, with them being so stubborn and selfish), well, how do I say this (and keep in mind I am a woman):

To them, women don't dare speak against a man. A man is never wrong. Women don't know what the hell they are talking about half of the time (maybe even more often than that). Women should be quiet and just tend the house and raise the children. Women have no business working or doing business with anybody.

Sounds terrible, doesn't it? Unfortunately, that is how a LOT of older people think, and they passed it on to their children, who are now baby boomer aged or middle aged, so there's a few of them still thinking that way. Then again, some middle aged people don't think the old fashioned way.

Then there's the extreme, where boys MY age in my generation still think that about women.

[gundam40]

Should've asked the boss to offer a deal WORSE than the "cost + 36$" deal and see if the SC was happy with it. My bet is, yes

[Dark Psion]

I would have said; "Hmm... This is the same offer I made and you said it was unacceptable. Since the customer is always right, I'm afraid I cannot sell this phone for that price.

Bu-Bye "

[Imogene]

I had an old bat come in one day, at Chesterfield, it was myself and the Third Key, and I remember it was us specifically. Anyway, old bat comes up to me.
OB: Old Bat
J: Hmmm... could it be the cute one in this story?

OB: I bought a movie here and it won't play on my DVD player.
J: Okay... what movie was it?
OB: Maginificent Seven (or some other Western, I forget precisely what)
J: Hmmm... if I remember correctly, that particular movie is Unrated, yes?
OB: I think so... But why would that matter?
J: Some DVD players have parental lockouts on them. If this option is set, unrated movies will not play.
OB: So, I can return the movie?
J: Er, no, seeing as the movie is probably fine.
OB: So, what are you going to do about this?
J: I will inform you of the parental lockout having an override code. Did you ever set the code?
OB: No...
J: Then in your user documents, there should be a probably 4 digit code that will override the lockout and your movie will play perfectly.
OB: What? The movie doesn't play.
J: Yes, I see that, but it is not the movie's fault.

OB argued with me a while longer, then grabbed third key as he wandered by, since I had customers to serve anyway. I swear, he told her exactly the same thing I did, only once, and she left happy as could be.