retail workers: tell us your stupid customers

[bireuben]

I have a classic from back in the olden days. Dad, a tv-repairman in the 50's, received customer calls on our home phone. One day I answered the phone and an elderly woman said she needed my Dad to come see about her television because she thought it was "out of film". Ah--those were the days! I see by this thread that the beat just goes on.

[Mikami]

I was told I didn't have a sense of humor today.

I didn't understand that this guy was supposedly joking, it didn't sound like it to me.

I was ringing someone up and their debit card didn't work, twice. I told her I don't know what could be the problem, it's just not working. Our machines don't tell us what is wrong it will just say 'alter tender required'.

So she asked if she could try credit and I said yes. It went through and her husband said 'It was the machine!'. I didn't smile or anything and his wife said 'I guess he doesn't have a sense of humor'. He says 'obviously' and walked out.

How was I supposed to know they were joking?

[jdcnow]

^^ OMG, I've had people like that. They think they're being cute (or at least *trying* to be). And failing at it miserably.

[floorrunner]

I used to do airline reservations and the dumbest phone call that I answered went like this. A woman calls and tells me that her flight leaves in 15 minutes and she was running a little bit late. Would I mind running outside to ask the pilot to wait for her.

[jdcnow]

^^ Niiiiiicccee! If her flight was leaving in 15 minutes, and she hadn't even made to the airport, did she not realize that they want you there *hours* in advance of your flight's scheduled departure time. Heck, I've never flown anywhere in my life, and I know this. Apparently, this woman didn't?

[Huntneo(PT)]

A woman calls and tells me that her flight leaves in 15 minutes and she was running a little bit late. Would I mind running outside to ask the pilot to wait for her.

I can't blame her for trying...

[G-Lexington]

First, not a dumb customer story, but a funny story nonetheless. I was working the counter late night at an indie CD store. A guy came in and said "Excuse me - where would you keep Strapping Young Lad?" I said, "Ideally, chained up in the basement." He left before I could say I was kidding.

On to the dumb ones. Once while I was working the front counter, a woman came in and began complaining that we charged her late fees for her videos, even though she put them in the drop box long before midnight. This had happened several times, she was sick of it happening, and what was I going to do about it. I waited until she wore herself out somewhat, and then finally spoke. "I think you're looking for Blockbuster Video. That's next door. This is the music store."

For about a year, I worked in a small town at a small radio station. I was working the night of July 4th, and the town's fireworks display was one of the big events of the year. However, the weather was cold and rainy all day. So I started getting phone call after phone call. "Are they still having fireworks?" "Did they cancel the fireworks?" "Have you heard if the fireworks are still on?" I fielded at least 200 calls, all asking the same thing. I started announcing the current status of the fireworks display after EVERY song, but to no avail - everybody still called and asked about the fireworks. I was starting to get lulled into this robotic haze. And then I got that one phone call...

"Hi - SmallTownRadio."
"Hi. If they cancel the fireworks, will they still be on TV?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."

This is when I learned that sometimes stupidity can be so beautiful in its unaltered state that it's best to simply leave it like that.

Lex

[turnandburn]

I worked in customer care for a phone company for 3 years, I could go on for hours about stupid people. The one that stands out the most was when I was working black Friday at the mall in retail.

"Do you accept canadian?"
"No" (me)
"Why not?"
"Because this is America" (me again)

[turnandburn]

I worked in customer care for a phone company for 3 years, I could go on for hours about stupid people. The one that stands out the most was when I was working black Friday at the mall in retail.

"Do you accept canadian?"
"No" (me)
"Why not?"
"Because this is America" (me again)

[Chip12414]

A friend of mine worked at a fancy men's store in Manhattan. His co-worker was a real pro who had worked in the shirt and tie department for many years and was pretty good at helping customers make their choice.

One day a lady customer came in, wanting to buy a shirt and tie for her husband. She had the salesman hold out a tie and match it with a shirt, again and again. Seemed as though nothing was right..the colors did not match, or did match and shouldn't, etc. etc.

After 20 minutes of this, the sales guy selected a more colorful tie than he had been recommending. Upon seeing that tie, the lady asked, "Doesn't that seem a little ....gay"?

The salesman replied without hesitation: "Well, it depends on how swish your husband is..."

[Mikami]

This is when I learned that sometimes stupidity can be so beautiful in its unaltered state that it's best to simply leave it like that.

Lex

I really like that.

[willilikeit]

First, not a dumb customer story, but a funny story nonetheless. I was working the counter late night at an indie CD store. A guy came in and said "Excuse me - where would you keep Strapping Young Lad?" I said, "Ideally, chained up in the basement." He left before I could say I was kidding.



Lex

Maybe he was afraid he'd be in chains next.

[jdcnow]

Winners from last night:

This one is not stupid, in the sense of being annoying, but just naive >> Yet again with the folks who only are familiar with their kind of music. So I had "Children (Dream Mix)" by Robert Miles playing on my little MP3 player.

So this guy comes in, and the song is up to the repetative echos at what is about 0:36 seconds in this video clip. Of course, the way that the song goes is that it keeps repeating these echos until the 0:57 second mark in the video, when the guitar harmony part kicks in. Well, while I was ringing his purchase up, this guy interrupts me, "Excuse me, sir. Your phone is ringing." I look over to see where he's pointing (of course to my MP3 player sitting on the window sill). This was before the guitar accompaniment had kicked in. I just smile and politely tell him, "No, sir, that's my music playing." He replies with a curious 'Really?' expression on his face.

Then, this one girl really is annoying. She's one of my (thankfully) infrequent regulars. She came in, I'm doing my lottery scratch-off inventory at the other register. She's at my register banging her keys on the counter and tapping her foot, because I apparently didn't get there fast enough (all I had to do was write "64" on the last spot on the clipboard. You can tell just by talking to her what kind of person she is: loud, rude, obnoxious, self-important, and not very prone to higher-end thinking. I say the last part, because she comes in wearing her nursing scrub shirt (yes she works at a local nursing home, God help us all ) and these skin-tight blue jeans that are flared at the ankle...(Well they're supposed to be flared *at the ankle*, but they cover her feet about like Cousin It from The Addams Family was all covered in hair.) But I do spot some platform shoes on. (Seriously???) She buys her Newport cigarettes without much fuss and then leaves. It's freezing cold, this girl doesn't have jacket the first to cover herself. And no sooner does she walk out the door does she nearly trip and fall on the cold hard concrete sidewalk trying to half-run to her car (during a quick gust of north wind). If she would have fallen, I was somewhere between feeling bad for her, and ready to laugh my butt off.

[BearBoi]

I worked in customer care for a phone company for 3 years, I could go on for hours about stupid people. The one that stands out the most was when I was working black Friday at the mall in retail.

"Do you accept canadian?"
"No" (me)
"Why not?"
"Because this is America" (me again)

The confusion may have been caused by the fact that most stores in Canada accept American money at the daily exchange rate.

[Yooper]

*me standing amongst no less than eight racks of belts, holding a handful of them while putting out new stock*

Woman asks 'Where are your Belts?'

[texpatriot]

(Customer standing within visual distance of every type of bag and sliced cheese that anyone could want)

Customer: Where's your cheese?

Me: (pointing) Right over there.

Customer: NO! (in a hateful tone) Where's the VELVEETA!

Me: Aisle 5 over in Grocery.

[texpatriot]

February this year.

Freezing my ass off!

I'm standing over by produce.

A customer comes up:

Customer: Can I ask you a question?

Me: Sure!

Customer: Why can't I find any fresh peaches?

Me: Because the Mexicans and Chileans haven't figured out how to grow and ship them here yet!

Customer: Oh yeah, I didn't think about that.

[jdcnow]

I see by this thread that the beat just goes on.

Indeed it does...

*me standing amongst no less than eight racks of belts, holding a handful of them while putting out new stock*

Woman asks 'Where are your Belts?'

(Customer standing within visual distance of every type of bag and sliced cheese that anyone could want)

Customer: Where's your cheese?

Me: (pointing) Right over there.

Customer: NO! (in a hateful tone) Where's the VELVEETA!

Me: Aisle 5 over in Grocery.

And the beat goes on...

[Yooper]

*me standing amongst no less than eight racks of belts, holding a handful of them while putting out new stock*

Woman asks 'Where are your Belts?'

And the beat goes on...

I mean, honestly. How does one respond to stuff like this, all the while being professional and having the Happy Christmas smile on your face? It is like the 'Do these pants make my ass look fat?' question that HAS no right answer.

'Urm, let me see. How about right here?'

or, 'I don't think we have any belts.'

or, 'Madam, belts are up on the second level.'

Only one more week.

[chrisrobin]

There was the time I was in a record (recorded music?) store. I wasn't even working there when another customer came up to me and asked, "is Telemann any good?"

I answered, "I don't know. I've never met him."
My reply went right over the customer's head.

[jdcnow]

I mean, honestly. How does one respond to stuff like this, all the while being professional and having the Happy Christmas smile on your face? It is like the 'Do these pants make my ass look fat?' question that HAS no right answer.

'Urm, let me see. How about right here?'

or, 'I don't think we have any belts.'

or, 'Madam, belts are up on the second level.'

*Only one more week.*

Amen! ACK!

We maybe in for a fight this week at my store. Because we are a convenience store/gas station, we have to necessarily be open. We need to be there for everybody else, so that everybody else can get where they're going. That's just the sacrifice you make when you work at a convenience store. I know this and have absolutely no problem with this. It's what I signed on for, and I'm completely OK with that. Well when you have people who want to be off on Christmas, in a 24-hour convenience store that literally never closes - not even for Christmas, somebody's not gonna be happy. Sure enough...
Oh, boy...

One of my co-workers is throwing the biggest hissy-fit you ever saw. Here's how the schedule plays out. Friday night (Christmas Eve) I will work 6pm until 11pm. I normally work the overnight 11pm-to-7am shift, but for Christmas Eve and Christmas Night, I'll be working evenings those two nights, so that the junior overnight guy can take my shift on Friday Night overnight, and Saturday Night overnight. Saturday Morning, one of the two assistant managers comes in at 5:00am and works until Noon. The girl throwing the fit about having to work is scheduled to come in from Noon until 3pm. That's it. 3 friggin' hours. Poor thing. I come in at 3pm to relieve her, Saturday afternoon, and work until 11pm that night. Let's see if she comes in, or *coughcough* calls in sick.

[Mikami]

I have to work Christmas Eve Night and only 5 hours for Christmas day. My only problem with that is that I'm working Christmas with someone I don't like. 3 hours is like nothing, though. Someone needs to grow up.

[jdcnow]

@Mikami >> 3 hours is like nothing, though. Someone needs to grow up.

Agreed. The naughty boy in me wants to show up 5 minutes late, just to piss her off that much more.

[Yooper]

My Christmas week schedule isn't bad, but seriously, not my job. The Emporium opens at 7AM all week long, and because Management apparently cannot figure out which keys to use to open the building, I have to be there at 6 all week to turn off alarms and open the building and shovel coal into the steam engine that powers the escalator.

And I really don't mind, because I'm off by 3 PM. Mostly. Except Tuesday I have to to my REAL job and I'll be done Wednesday.

The worst of the whole thing is I have to be there at 4AM the 26th...because I'm 'cross trained' and can change the sale and move crap around.

Again, I really don't mind, this is what I signed up for...but if you're gonna have me do this, give me the salary I deserve. I know I'm making at least $3 less an hour than the dude I replaced and I'm doing the job of at least 2 people.

[jdunbar9]

I could fill up pages and pages with the stories of the idiots I help. But I have two that come to mind.

The first happened when I sold a cordless phone with caller ID to a customer. Later, about a week after they came back to the store demanded that I stop calling them. After about 5 minutes of me explaining that I did not have their number and I could not have possibly called them, they shove the cordless phone into my hand and point at the caller ID which has a sticker that says "1-800-*OUR COMPANY NAME*" and continue to insist that I call them all the time. I simply pulled off the sticker and walked away. They have since to come back to the store.

The second happens all the time the phone rings. I answer it. I say: "Thank you for calling *OUR COMPANY NAME* on *THE STREET WE ARE LOCATED ON*, this is *MY NAME* how can I help you." (I swear I get this atleast once a day.) They respond "Is this *OUR COMPANY NAME* on *THE STREET WE ARE LOCATED ON*" Never fails lol. they sometime even ask what my name is. Its like they don't even pay attention.

[RonR18]

I worked at a gas station when I was younger, and one night while I was there alone, a large, macho, irritable, super aggressive, muscular, arrogant ahole walked in and asked in a loud voice if I had a "propalactic" machine (spelled the way he pronounced it) in the bathroom.

He spoke down to me in a very disrespectful tone of voice, like I was a piece of dog shit on the bottom of his shoe merely because I worked at a gas station. I wanted to say, "What the fuck did you just say you ignorant piece of shit from hell who is too stupid to enunciate his words properly?" But instead, I politely said, "A what?"

To which he responded in a much louder, much more irritable tone of voice, almost yelling, "A PROPALACTIC MACHINE!!!!!!"

I wanted to say, "Look you dumb arrogant asshole from hell, I heard that the first time you said it and didn't have a fucking clue what you meant, so what the fuck makes you think I'd understand it the second time? You couldn't be that fucking stupid, could you?" But instead, I politely said, "A what??" with a confused look on my face this time. As I was smart enough to know that you should humor mental patients instead of reacting to them in a confrontational manner.

This response totally enraged him for some reason, and with his blood pressure about to make his face explode from all the steroids in his system, he yelled, "A RUBBER MACHINE!!!!!! HAVE YOU GOT A RUBBER MACHINE IN YOUR BATHROOM!!!!!"

I wanted to say, "Why the fuck didn't you just stick your dumb fucking head in the bathroom door and look for yourself you dumb insane bastard from hell, instead of standing there making a complete asshole out of yourself? And what the fuck would a rubber machine be doing in the bathroom? Are you too ignorant to know that losers like your son would go in there and pry it open every day to steal the money?

And for that matter, what fucking public restroom has a rubber machine in it these days? Did you just escape from a mental hospital after being locked up for 20 years? Is THAT what your problem is? And why the fuck do you want to be ripped off by buying rubbers one at time from an expensive machine -- you don't want cashiers to know you have a tiny dick when you buy small sized rubbers at stores?"

But instead, I politely said, "No." He then gave me an extremely dirty look like he'd been reading my mind and stormed out. And no, I'm not exaggerating one bit, he was the biggest asshole I've ever come across.

[walkingonsnow]

Oh, Gods.

I have so many of these stories I could add a couple pages to Not Always Right.

I was working in a bakery, and this really big guy comes up to the display. I greet him, ask him if I can help him, and he grunts and points at the donuts he wants. He doesn't ask me what type they are, or tell me which ones he wants; he just points like a 3-year-old. I grab all the cookies and donuts he wants (he got like 3 dozen cookies and 2 dozen donuts ), and then he goes to pay...

Fucker's using American dollars. He asks me what the exchange rate is, I go ask my coworker, she says $1 USD = $1 CAD, so I tell him that...

Dude goes fucking DEFCON I on me. Starts yelling and screaming about how "THIS IS NO WAY TO RUN A BUSINESS" and what a joke country Canada is. I listen to his rant patiently; hold out my hand to accept his American dollars; give him his change; and then I look him straight in the eyes and say, "Thanks, and I really hope you have a better day." He just sputtered angrily for about 10 seconds, then walked out of the door.

wow, what an asshole. I'm amazed you put him with him. I have a very short bitch switch for people like this.

[jdcnow]

I got one for you all. My assistant manager boss and I were talking about stupid customers at the end of my shift before I left, this morning. Here's one of her stories...

She was out with a female friend of hers, and they were both in Walmart shopping one day. The friend has on a plain blue shirt. The both of them were just chatting and pushing shopping carts. This woman literally stops them both and asks the friend, "Do you work here?" The woman assumed that since the friend had on a plain blue shirt, that the friend worked there. Here's the kicker >> The woman who asked them this had on a plain blue shirt, herself!!!

The friend answered no, then asked, "Why would you assume that I work here?"
The woman replied, "Because, you have on blue, like the employees do."
The friend shot back >> "Well you have on blue, too. Do you work here?"
The woman looks down at her own shirt to realize that she does indeed have on blue. Her face turns blood red, as she whispers an "I'm so sorry..." then turns around and walks off embarrassed. (Serves her darn right...)

It was comedian Ron White who said it best >> "You can't fix stupid."

[Mikami]

I was waiting for it because I haven't felt like Christmas officially arrived in my store. But Tonight it has.

So this guy comes in and he goes to the vitamin aisle, comes back with 2 bottles of vitamins. They come out to like $86 and some cents. He says 'I don't have 80 dollars, I'm going to grab different ones'. So I had to get my Manager because I can't void out transactions over $20. He comes up with 2 different bottles, they come out to like 77 dollars and some cents, he purchases them and proceeds out the door.

10 minutes later he comes back in and wants to return the items he just purchased, but without the receipt that I did give him. I get the Manager because I need one when it comes to this sort of thing. She tells him that she can only do store credit without a receipt*. He flips out, he said he was just in the store and he can't find the receipt, then claims I didn't give it to him. He starts yelling and hollering, my Manager just repeats herself and he gets more angry. Keeps blaming me while getting louder, this goes on for about another 10 minutes when she starts asking him to leave or she'll call the Police.

So a line is starting behind this guy, so she tells me to switch registers so I can ring them up. This guys is still flipping. I ring the first guy up and I noticed she is finally doing the return for cash. Turns out he just pulled out the receipt from his back pocket, as he left the store he called my Manager a cunt.

*Now, I will explain why we wouldn't do cash without a receipt even though he was in the store a few minutes prior. As told he had the receipt the whole time, there are times where people dig in the trash can outside, bring in the receipt, try to sneak a product off the shelf, bring it to the front and get the money for it. I've had people try it a few times.

What we figure is this guy was doing the same thing, but he was going to go to another store and do it. So when at a store and it comes to returns, when they badger you for a receipt, this is one of the reasons to keep it.

[fetaby]

^ Was standing behind a lady in the craft store. She was wanting to return a paintbrush set she purchased over a month ago, and did not have a receipt.

This craft store runs sales on their products every week. One week art supplies, the next week framing supplies, etc.

The cashier explains that without a receipt and no way to verify the actual price paid, only the sales price could be refunded in cash. Of course the customer didn't agree with this policy...

But it's easy enough to see, that while most customers are honest, what's to stop a dishonest person from picking up any random item through the store and claiming they had purchased it?

[jdcnow]

But it's easy enough to see, that while most customers are honest, what's to stop a dishonest person from picking up any random item through the store and claiming they had purchased it?

Believe me, you'd be surprised at how often this actually happens...



The Dollar Tree where I was assistant manager at my last job was next door to a Walmart Supercenter. We had this one woman who tried to pull a fast one. She buys excess New Years party goods, and wants to exchange them for something else. It just so happened that on that day, I was in Walmart at the Subway inside getting myself a bite to eat before I had to come in to work. It just so happened that I passed by their New Years merchandise. So I recognized the item when she handed it to me, wanting an exchange. I read out loud to the woman what it said on the bottom of the package, next to the barcode...

Marketed by Walmart Stores, Inc.
Bentonville, Arkansas

This lady was trying to return Walmart merchandise to a Dollar Tree store!

[Mikami]

This is my last 3-12 shift. Here's to hoping nothing crazy happens and I can make it through the day. They actually tried to get me to come in at 7am tomorrow too, no way.

[Huntneo(PT)]

This lady was trying to return Walmart merchandise to a Dollar Tree store!

I don't even know what to say about that...

[Yooper]

Believe me, you'd be surprised at how often this actually happens...

It happens at 'Better' retailers, too...

In reality, a certain retailer that shall remain nameless (but the name begins with 'N' and ends in 'strom') is legendary...and the story IS somewhat true...they actually took back a set of tires (and they don't even sell tires). The truth is a bit more sobering, they had acquired another retailer that actually sold tires and the customer MIGHT have bought them after the merger.

Retailers today sometimes WILL take merchandise from another store, though. I'm in charge of processing the damages and there are two or three items in the batch every week that are listed a 'Not *Our* Merchandise'. Lists of customers who do this ARE kept, though, and if someone makes this practice a habit are invited to shop elsewhere...

[jdcnow]

This lady was trying to return Walmart merchandise to a Dollar Tree store!

I don't even know what to say about that...

Lol, and she had no receipt, either. Imagine that.

It happens at 'Better' retailers, too...

In reality, a certain retailer that shall remain nameless (but the name begins with 'N' and ends in 'strom') is legendary...and the story IS somewhat true...they actually took back a set of tires (and they don't even sell tires). The truth is a bit more sobering, they had acquired another retailer that actually sold tires and the customer MIGHT have bought them after the merger.

*They* - a high-end posh clothing store took back tires, and this was actually OKed by the store brass? Wow. Because my first instinct was, "OK, who got written up over that?!"

[Ninja108]

I remember the time I had a customer who ruined the can machine because she didn't understand that putting glass in the plastic soda machine would ruin it. STUPID all the way around.

[jdcnow]

I see by this thread that the beat just goes on.

[boxerdudeuk]

i just read a few of these horror stories, but i'd like to recant a quick experience that was the complete opposite of this.

i purchased a 27" iMac at Best Buy in Feb '10. it's about 2 months away from warranty expiry. i don't have appleCare on it as that isn't available at second party retailers - only the apple store or online post purchase.

anyway, the screen starts to jaundice and has a fault. it's a semi known issue. i call apple's 1-800# but don't have appleCare, so my person-to-person support ended 90 days after purchase.

i explain my situation, the guy there says "that's absolutely no problem". he asks which apple store i'm closest to, makes me an appointment to go in to the genius bar, and sends an email over to the apple store so they know what's coming in.

when i get there, i'm greeted by name, and they boot up the machine. as soon as they see the screen, they scan the serial number, and even though i didn't buy it at apple, they apparently know the production date and sale date of the machine.

i tell them that i use it as part of work, so to cause me a minimum of hassle, instead of replacing the screen in the machine, they go to the back, grab a brand new one, hand it to me, and ask if i can back up from time machine (which i can). i come home, plug in the time machine and i have a brand new computer.

they never asked for a receipt, and a couple days later someone from appleCare called and asked me if the situation was resolved to my satisfaction and was there anything else they could do to help me?

talk about astonishing service. i'll never buy a non-apple piece of computer or entertainment equipment again.

[jdcnow]

Ah, boxerdude, good to see you!

Glad you got your computer fixed.

[Mikami]

talk about astonishing service. i'll never buy a non-apple piece of computer or entertainment equipment again.

Plenty of places have good service. It really depends if where you go has good Management/Employees.

I'm surprised that my store is up and running considering I cannot understand how the Store Manager is able to keep it going. Oh wait yes I do! He gets everyone else to do everything. :|

The genius doesn't know anything about our Photo Machines. At all. So what does he do when there is a problem with one of the kiosks? Oh he tries to fix it. And now I have no idea what's going on with the Machine and I'm seeing it do things I've never seen it do before.

We also haven't had 8x10 or 5x7 sheets of photo paper for our hour machine in a bout half a year now. It's pretty much a joke, everyone knows this. So what does my Store Manager do the other day? Put a couple orders of 8x10 and 5x7 to be done in an 'hour'. Oh and since he doesn't know photo, what does he say? That a photo person will be in later, which is me and I have to deal with someone who was inconvenienced.

[Joshua_me]

This was one I just overheard today at a Home Goods Store.

A woman, maybe 30 years old was there with a person I assume was her mother. They were admiring an oil painting that was hanging up in the back room, and the daughter said, "I just love this ! I wish I had a measuring stick so I could see if it would fit just right on the dining room wall."

With that, the Mom pointed to a stack of five foot long vinyl measuring sticks they have hanging off a nail with the "Home Goods" logo printed on them. They're marked off in inches and feet and can wrap around chairs and such for just the purpose of, you know, measuring things...

With that, the daughter glanced over at them and said, "Oh, I don't think those are real, they are just there for show, they wouldn't take real measurements."

With that, they both walked away. I happened to catch the eye of a flabbergasted employee and I said to her, "NO, they're not real, they're just illusionary..."

With that, she stifled a laugh and we both walked away.

Amazing.

[roadtripboy]

This was one I just overheard today at a Home Goods Store.

A woman, maybe 30 years old was there with a person I assume was her mother. They were admiring an oil painting that was hanging up in the back room, and the daughter said, "I just love this ! I wish I had a measuring stick so I could see if it would fit just right on the dining room wall."

With that, the Mom pointed to a stack of five foot long vinyl measuring sticks they have hanging off a nail with the "Home Goods" logo printed on them. They're marked off in inches and feet and can wrap around chairs and such for just the purpose of, you know, measuring things...

With that, the daughter glanced over at them and said, "Oh, I don't think those are real, they are just there for show, they wouldn't take real measurements."

With that, they both walked away. I happened to catch the eye of a flabbergasted employee and I said to her, "NO, they're not real, they're just illusionary..."

With that, she stifled a laugh and we both walked away.

Amazing.

I love that. Now I know how to make a pop art wall hanging for house for cheap.

[jdcnow]

Well...I got called in last night. 10 minutes prior to when the other 11pm person was supposed to show...

Now, because we sell hot dogs on a hot dog roller grill, we have did have a rule that the hot dog grill was supposed to be kept going 24 hours, around the clock. Now, because we are writing off as loss more than we sell on overnight, we have a new rule effective this morning. The hot dog grill is to be cut off at 2am and cut back on at 6am. We have this one old fuddy-duddy that works for Homeland Security. Every morning, without fail, he gripes about something.

Well, he came in and noticed that the grill was empty. I told him about the new rule we *must* follow, that we cut it back on at about 6am, and the hot dogs will be ready about 6:20 or 6:30. He snaps at me, "Do you know I spend $7 average a day here? Well fine, I'll just go somewhere else!" I just stood there and looked at him as he left what he intended to buy on my counter for me to put back, as he walked out.

My store manager can't stand him, because he does treat us so badly, and because he comes across as snooty and rude. She was in the back office counting money when he came through. I knocked on the door, and told her what happened. Sher exact words, "I hate to lose *anybody's* business. But he gripes about the least little things. And he's a pain to deal with. So don't let the door hit him. "

Addios!

As for not having hot dogs on the grill, that came from higher ups. We do what we're told, how we're told, and that's how you keep a job. We don't run this show by democracy, and folks need to realize that.

[jerjerboi]

I sold ladies shoes for a really big high end mall store in the early 90's, and I swear...those were some of the customers there that a salesperson's nightmares are made of. Most especially when it came too returns..the store had a liberal return policy at the time and some of the shoes were completely worn out and had holes in the soles ....yet they would bring them back with a year old receipt, the original box and a bag from our store...just no shame at all...and that happened DAILY!!!lol I now work at a popular restaurant...a steakhouse (mates!lol)..and again just nut cases every day. This one old guy and his wife come in at least 2 times a week...and he is the meanest, short tempered man, just awful...this is his order...a 8oz filet, medium...no pink and no juices ...at ALL. Don't bother telling me that is a well done...I KNOW...we just do whatever the want, and always the great tipper...wait for our $2.00 tip.lol

[Elegant-Perverse]

I've had a week of hell(and it's not over - i work today as well, 1 to closing time).

On my first day back, tuesday, a customer tried to run over me in his escalade. I watched him as i was pulling carts proceed to keep backing up... and backing up... and backing up, picking up speed while i was RIGHT BEHIND HIM, until finally, he hits the 7 carts i'm pulling. Then and ONLY then does he look back. I shook my head and moved on, only for him to shout and me, to which i replied "excuse YOU, you hit ME, not the other way around!". Went inside, wrote out an incident report just in case.

The next day(and this one isn't a stupid customer, but i'll add it anyway), aside from an extremely snappy pregnant woman who thought she owned the world(and her chihuahua-personality friend), i found a man laying on the ground in the mens' bathroom. At first I thought he was fixing the toilet, until i got a closer look at him and he looked up at me to say he fell over and couldn't get up. Assisted in pulling him up, noticed a BIG bump on his head, shut the door again so he could have his privacy; he finished and walked out under his own power. Not more than 15 minutes later(after meeting the preggo and her psycho friend, who actually made me want to cuss her out with the way she looked at me and spoke to me), he had a stroke in the produce section at the front of the store(bathrooms are in the back).

Then we come to yesterday, and aside from more rude and entitled customers the day went well. Until i walked into the bathroom and saw that someone had more than likely took a deliberate shit on the floor(I refuse to believe they were walking out of the stall and it hit again, causing them to either go on the floor or go in their pants). What makes it so bad is, a customer stepped in it, and I walked in to this seeing him washing his VERY nice shoes off.

I just can't WAIT for tonight.

[strangepoetry]

i just read a few of these horror stories, but i'd like to recant a quick experience that was the complete opposite of this.

i purchased a 27" iMac at Best Buy in Feb '10. it's about 2 months away from warranty expiry. i don't have appleCare on it as that isn't available at second party retailers - only the apple store or online post purchase.

anyway, the screen starts to jaundice and has a fault. it's a semi known issue. i call apple's 1-800# but don't have appleCare, so my person-to-person support ended 90 days after purchase.

i explain my situation, the guy there says "that's absolutely no problem". he asks which apple store i'm closest to, makes me an appointment to go in to the genius bar, and sends an email over to the apple store so they know what's coming in.

when i get there, i'm greeted by name, and they boot up the machine. as soon as they see the screen, they scan the serial number, and even though i didn't buy it at apple, they apparently know the production date and sale date of the machine.

i tell them that i use it as part of work, so to cause me a minimum of hassle, instead of replacing the screen in the machine, they go to the back, grab a brand new one, hand it to me, and ask if i can back up from time machine (which i can). i come home, plug in the time machine and i have a brand new computer.

they never asked for a receipt, and a couple days later someone from appleCare called and asked me if the situation was resolved to my satisfaction and was there anything else they could do to help me?

talk about astonishing service. i'll never buy a non-apple piece of computer or entertainment equipment again.

I know it's a bit off thread-topic but I had the same experience with apple. I indeed had purchased the Applecare extended warranty with my Itouch but it was years later when something went wrong. I called Apple, told them, and no questions asked, they had a Fed-EX box at my home the next day. And, Hand-to-Jebbus, THREE DAYS LATER I got a brand new one in the mail. I was freaking AMAZED at how much NO-TROUBLE the folks at Apple give you.

Apple is owned and operated by aliens. Obviously.
The way that company functions is so...UnAmerican.

[strangepoetry]

Then we come to yesterday, and aside from more rude and entitled customers the day went well. Until i walked into the bathroom and saw that someone had more than likely took a deliberate shit on the floor(I refuse to believe they were walking out of the stall and it hit again, causing them to either go on the floor or go in their pants). What makes it so bad is, a customer stepped in it, and I walked in to this seeing him washing his VERY nice shoes off.

I just can't WAIT for tonight.

that's just DISGUSTING. I once worked in a store where some dude kept shitting in the urinal. We we're pretty convinced it was an employee though and aimed a camera at the outside of the door to finger the culprit. Needless to say, it immediately stopped.

[Cedric]

When I was in school, I worked the ticket counter at the university museum. Admission to the regular exhibition was free, but if there was a traveling show, the ticket prices were $6.00 unless you were a student with i.d. which got you in for free, a faculty member with i.d. which got you a $3.00 discount, or a senior citizen which got you a $3.00 discount.

There was one faculty member who came in making a ruckus because faculty weren't free, too. She tried to say that she should get in for free b/c she was both faculty and a senior, but I had to smile and say that we're sorry but we only do one discount at a time. After raising a big stink about it for several minutes, she grudgingly paid her ticket and went to the exhibition.

[jdcnow]

that's just DISGUSTING. I once worked in a store where some dude kept shitting in the urinal. We we're pretty convinced it was an employee though and aimed a camera at the outside of the door to finger the culprit. Needless to say, it immediately stopped.

OMG! Um, *manners fail!!!* And it was an employee (who *ought* to have known better)! Wow. Just wow.

[JackinSea]

Now, because we sell hot dogs on a hot dog roller grill, we have did have a rule that the hot dog grill was supposed to be kept going 24 hours, around the clock. Now, because we are writing off as loss more than we sell on overnight, we have a new rule effective this morning. The hot dog grill is to be cut off at 2am and cut back on at 6am.

How long do they stay unsold before you toss them?

Was Mr. Crankypants really there at 6AM and couldn't wait until 6:20 -- or does he come in between 2 and 6 when the machine is now off?