Retail Makin Me Mad

[Spoonless]

I've worked in retail since High School, and I've been at my current job for 5 years now. I work for my mother's cousin, who owns a retail sports shop/souveneir shop/custom t-shirt shop. I'll probably be here until I finally finish my degree.

Anyway, as I'm sure most of you know, dealing with customers can be somewhat frustrating (to greatly understate it).

Now, our return policy is clearly posted at both registers as well as printed on the reciepts. Within 7 days, we do cash/credit card refunds, within 30 days we do store credit refunds.

This lady comes in to return a huge Red Sox decal that was something obscene like $21.95 that she purchased August 22. So, I tell her that I can give her store credit, and she asks why, followed by me explaining the policy. She angrily demands to see where it's posted. I show her the big multicolored signs at the register, and then take her reciept and show her it on there.

"Well, that's cheap. You just lost a customer." At this point, I feel myself start to want to laugh. I ask her how it's cheap and she says "that's my opinion, and you lost a customer." I actually start almost giggling at her now, unable to help myself. "How is it our fault that you didn't read the return policy that you consented to upon purchasing that decal?" Now I'm really about to start laughing, holding it off until she's halfway to the door before I'm openly laughing (as were the couple who were also shopping in here).

Note to those of you just starting college: don't fail out of school and spend an extra 2 years at a dead end job while you try to fix your mistakes and get back in. It sucks.

[longflyball]

You're not kidding. For the past 2 years I have sold used cars part time. I just handed in my two weeks notice. At this outfit, for a variety of reasons, the sales staff are at the mercy of the customers, instead of the other way around.

Meeting so many people has definitely given me invaluable perspective on humanity. Some of it is truly outstanding, but a lot of it is just dreck.

[blueberryale77]

You should have just said, "who cares if we lose you as a customer, we don't like Red Sox fans anyway." ;)

[square634]

I've worked in retail since High School, and I've been at my current job for 5 years now. I work for my mother's cousin, who owns a retail sports shop/souveneir shop/custom t-shirt shop. I'll probably be here until I finally finish my degree.

Anyway, as I'm sure most of you know, dealing with customers can be somewhat frustrating (to greatly understate it).

Now, our return policy is clearly posted at both registers as well as printed on the reciepts. Within 7 days, we do cash/credit card refunds, within 30 days we do store credit refunds.

This lady comes in to return a huge Red Sox decal that was something obscene like $21.95 that she purchased August 22. So, I tell her that I can give her store credit, and she asks why, followed by me explaining the policy. She angrily demands to see where it's posted. I show her the big multicolored signs at the register, and then take her reciept and show her it on there.

"Well, that's cheap. You just lost a customer." At this point, I feel myself start to want to laugh. I ask her how it's cheap and she says "that's my opinion, and you lost a customer." I actually start almost giggling at her now, unable to help myself. "How is it our fault that you didn't read the return policy that you consented to upon purchasing that decal?" Now I'm really about to start laughing, holding it off until she's halfway to the door before I'm openly laughing (as were the couple who were also shopping in here).

Note to those of you just starting college: don't fail out of school and spend an extra 2 years at a dead end job while you try to fix your mistakes and get back in. It sucks.

Here's a story you will appreciate. A good family friend named Lisa works in an antique shop in old Ellicott City. It is store policy for the salespeople to ask customers to give in their purses while they shop to try to prevent shoplifting. So Lisa asked a shopper to put her purse on the counter, at which point she glared at Lisa and demanded to write down everything that was in the purse so that she could see if anything was stolen out of the purse. After perusing the store's different booths for a half hour, the woman was holding something she wanted to buy. As per store policy once again, Lisa asked her if she would like the item to be held at the counter while she kept shopping. That is supposed to be both a convenience and another safeguard against items breaking and shoplifting. The woman is furious, she and her boyfriend use the same "You've lost a customer!" line, and they later call back the owner of the shop to sue both him and Lisa for character defamation! I kid you not, they claimed that she was intimating they were criminals by carrying out store policy. I'm pretty sure they dropped the threat because it was so patently absurd, but it still makes you wonder what is wrong with these people.

[square634]

You should have just said, "who cares if we lose you as a customer, we don't like Red Sox fans anyway." ;)

I doubt that would go over well in Rhode Island.

[Spoonless]

You should have just said, "who cares if we lose you as a customer, we don't like Red Sox fans anyway." ;)

The problem with this being that I live in Rhode Island which has a big case of wewishweweremassachusettsitis.


And the best part about us "losing a customer" is she still returned it for store credit. So, we either got her money for nothing, or she'll have to come back and get something else. I can't wait 'til she comes back and tries to but a $2 item and get cash back on that store credit.

[cindyluvsbrady]

I worked in retail for several years:eek: I feel your pain!

[DurbBird]

Then there are the folks who come in our bookstore. "May I take a couple of these books home with me, read them, and decide which one I want to buy?" "Ma'am, we're not a library."

Or LeeLee the Serial Returner, who buys expensive technical books, keeps them for several months, then returns them with the pages all crimped and biscuity and wants a refund. "LeeLee, since the day we met, we're not a library."

Or the customer who bought a science toy yesterday, ripped open the package with such force that the product described a parabola in the air and then smashed to atoms on the floor of the store, and wanted her money back because the toy broke.

Why booksellers (and other OHers in retail) drink . . . .

[HoodGuy007]

The person who gets me are customers of Indian descent. It must be a cultural thing, because every single Indian customer I help explains to me that because he has $1.25 in cash, he is willing to buy the $5,000 TV right now for that $1.25, but not a penny more.

After I calmy explain I cannot do this, because it a) makes no sense, and b) I'm not on commision, we have fixed prices, he says to bring a manager because I do not understand his offer.

If you are reading this, I do understand your offer; your offer just happens to be on the side of "completely idiotic." As soon as you walk out of the store, you go onto my "Dead To Me" List that I keep behind the counter.

So irritating.

[square634]

The person who gets me are customers of Indian descent. It must be a cultural thing, because every single Indian customer I help explains to me that because he has $1.25 in cash, he is willing to buy the $5,000 TV right now for that $1.25, but not a penny more.

After I calmy explain I cannot do this, because it a) makes no sense, and b) I'm not on commision, we have fixed prices, he says to bring a manager because I do not understand his offer.

If you are reading this, I do understand your offer; your offer just happens to be on the side of "completely idiotic." As soon as you walk out of the store, you go onto my "Dead To Me" List that I keep behind the counter.

So irritating.

Haha, I had a couple of Indian friends in high school, and they said people think Jews are cheap, but they have no idea until they meet Indian people. Russell Peters does a few awesome stand up bits on this topic. I must say, I had a Jewish upbringing and I am pretty cheap. I mean why throw away money, right?

[The Wedge]

There's frugal, then there's cheap. Then there's a complete lack of understanding of a non-barter system.

[Spoonless]

There's frugal, then there's cheap. Then there's a complete lack of understanding of a non-barter system.

That's what I really love. When we had a store in Newport, and we got more foreign tourists, I got this a ton. Item has a $4.95 price tag on it. "I'll give you $3 for that." "No, you can give me $4.95 + tax."

Or the people who have to unfold every single t-shirt looking for the right size. I don't mean unfolding a couple looking for a "medium," I mean unfolding every single medium t-shirt and comparing their sizes relative to one another before making their decision. I mean, they're tacky "Newport, R.I." shirts. Does it really matter if one is half a micrometer shorter than the other one?

One other one that recently happened. A mother carrying her baby around gave the child one of those giant pencils to carry while they were looking around the store. She brought several things to the register, and put the pencil back (they're in a holder at the register). The pencil eraser was covered in little tooth marks and drool. When I asked the woman to pay for it, she threw a fit and stormed out, paying for nothing.

[Mad Mark]

Asian males insisting on seeing every single example of a particular camera lens so they can buy the "perfect" one, and then deciding not to buy because they'd all been opened was a particular favorite of mine back in the day...

As my father used to so pungently say, most people "couldn't pour (liquid bodily waste product) out of a boot if the instructions were written on the heel"! :eek:

[cindyluvsbrady]

There's frugal, then there's cheap. Then there's a complete lack of understanding of a non-barter system.

Do we know some of the same people?:D

[Spoonless]

Asian males insisting on seeing every single example of a particular camera lens so they can buy the "perfect" one, and then deciding not to buy because they'd all been opened was a particular favorite of mine back in the day...

As my father used to so pungently say, most people "couldn't pour (liquid bodily waste product) out of a boot if the instructions were written on the heel"! :eek:

Funny you mentioned this. In Newport, it seemed that Asian tourists would be prone to opening my neatly folded shirts of the same size to compare them. As in, they would tend to unfold five Mediums and compare them to each other before making a decision. Perhaps in stores in their native countries there is a greater amount of variance between things of the same size or model.

[ScottieBaseball]

Having worked retail myself in the past, I'm kind of surprised at how you guys view your customers. I know it can be difficult, but I've always despised return policies (especially clothing) that don't allow for a full refund within 30 days. I've also despised that a retailer would say, "No, sorry...I can't refund your money. Had you returned it yesterday? Absolutely. Today? Sorry!"

I realize it might be different if you work at a non-chain store. However, I worked at Eddie Bauer and I was absolutely blown away when I had a customer walk in with a sweater he admitted was over three years old, had a hole in it, and it was probably because he didn't follow the care instructions properly. I thought he was insane when he said he was bringing it so that he could exchange it for a new one. I didn't know whether we'd have to call for the guys in white coats to haul him off to the looney bin, but I decided to check with my manager first. She said, "Yeah...it used to be our policy. We used to have a lifetime guarantee on certain sweaters. Let him pick out a new one and write it up as a damage exchange."

I did, the guy thanked me up one side and down the other. My manager pointed out what I failed to notice...that the man was wearing an Eddie Bauer shirt, EB khakis, EB shoes, and smelled like one of the EB colognes. She said, "If giving him a $60 sweater keeps him coming back, then whatever."

I've carried that mentality into all other aspects of my professional life. Sometimes you should bend the rules for your customers. A little bending can go a long way in positive advertising. You're all but assured a repeat customer as well as said customer encouraging others to solicit your establishment. I think the lady was exactly right...$21.95 wasn't worth losing a customer over.