If I didn't see it then it mus'n't exist.

[Alfie]

Backstory: I work at a bag store, we have a specific brand which we only stock, and our competitor has a couple of brands which they only stock. We shall call my store store A Bag Store, and their store We Sell Bags.

So I wandered into work today, and see a bag behind the counter waiting for us to call it's owner. She has brought it in to get repaired as the handles had broken off. We (myself and a trainee) were told that we are to call the owner of the bag back and let her know that she had not indeed purchased the bag from us, but from our competitor We Sell Bags. Apparently when she brought the bag in, she was very insistant that it was a bag that we had sold her. Not only did we sell it to her, but we sold it to her only 3 weeks ago. I think that she must have been so insistant that our second in charge just wrote down her details and kept the bag just to shut her up.

Our Second In Charge did some investigating after she finished her shift, visited our competitor We Sell Bags, and found out that they do indeed stock the brand of bag which she brought in. Not only do they stock it, infact it is their own brand.

And so comes the time to call her, and to shut her down. I allowed the trainee to do this, but I think I probably should have done this myself. And so here is a recap of the key events of the conversation:

T: Trainee (who has nearly been there for 3 months, and also kicks butt)
SC: Sucky Non Customer (as I guess you actually have to buy things from us to be our customer)

T: Hi, it's just T calling from A Bag Store, just to let you know that the brand of bag that you brought in isn't actually one that we have carried for a long time. [We have never carried the brand, and so I should have taken the phone call because my experience would have made me prove that SC was wrong.]
SC: I am sure that it is from your store, I am a pharmacist, I think that I would remember where I bought my bag from!
T: I'm sorry, but it isn't something that we stock.
SC: So you aren't going to back your own products? I am never going to shop at A ever again! *RANT RANT RANT*
T: Well I'll speak to the manager about it, and see what needs to happen.

I believe there was more ranting and raving, but these were the key parts I found out about.

I think it's fairly obvious the suckage of the "customer", but it had us fuming!

I managed to find evidence supporting my theory, and I rang her to prove to her that she didn't have a clue as to what she was yabbering on about.

Me: Hi, it's just Alfie calling from A Bag Store, I'm the person in charge tonight, and I just wanted to confirm that the bag you brought in definately wasn't sold to you by us.
SC: I've been going through the rubbish to look for the receipt, but I haven't found it yet. I buy most of my bags through A Bag Store, so I'm sure I'll find it. I'm sure I bought it from there.
Me: Unfortunately, we definately know that it isn't from our store.
SC: I'm sure I brought it from there! *RANT RANT RANT*
Me: That's fine, but you know the tag which says the country in which the bag is made? It actually says on there "Imported by We Sell Bags".
SC: Well I didn't see that!! I'll pick it up on Saturday, like I told the other girl!
Me: Okay, I'll see you on Saturday then

We are both working on Saturday, so we can't wait to see what she looks like, and what she does! Oh I'll be looking forward to it! The thing that annoyed me the most in our phonecall was that after she said "I didn't see that", I should have innocently chimed in with "But you're a pharmacist!"...If only I was witty.

[South Texan]

Me: That's fine, but you know the tag which says the country in which the bag is made? It actually says on there "Imported by We Sell Bags".
SC: Well I didn't see that!!

And you mean she didn't blame you for her not seeing it in the first place?

Want to lay odds that she will neither acknowledge her mistake nor give anything approaching an apology when she comes to pick it up?

[loveisuneven]

this is off topic
but your story... at least the part of you giving the names "a bag store" and "we sell bags"

it reminds me of one time i was going to lunch with my sister
and and she asked what i felt like eating and i said soup
and without missing a beat she says, well do you want to try the new "soups soups and more soups" or "Soups are Us"
obviously made up names, but i was laughing so hard, i almost had to pull over....

yeah.. really off topic

[workerbee222]

I used to do alterations for J Department store.

One day I received a call from Mr. Smith's secretary, asking if his suit was ready. She gave me a five digit ticket number, and I told her it was probably the F Department store, as our tickets had only a four digit number on them. She was insistant that Mr. Smith would not make that kind of mistake, and that I didn't know what I was talking about. RAther than argue with her, I told her I'd check and call her back.

So I called the F Department store and told the alts employee I was Mr. Smith's secretary, Was his suit ready? Ticket # 12345? Why, yes it was.

Then I called Secretary back and told her it was ready, and he could pick it up a the F Store.
She was not amused.

[South Texan]

She was insistant that Mr. Smith would not make that kind of mistake, and that I didn't know what I was talking about.

Then I called Secretary back and told her it was ready, and he could pick it up a the F Store.
She was not amused.

And to think that all that was needed was a simple "Oh, he must have misspoken or I misheard him. Thank you for checking for me." The mistake is acknowledged, no one is seriously blamed or made to look foolish, and everyone remains pleasant. If only people would not take themselves so seriously and believe themselves incapable of making an error.

[Cyphr]

Becasue he/she was a secretary if they suggested their boss was not perfect/god they would be fired on the spot. After all in teh business its who you know and who you blow. (kudos to whoever i heard this from on this board)

[Dips]

And you mean she didn't blame you for her not seeing it in the first place?

We had some lady blame us for the fact that she didn't see our CAR right before she turned into it.

Then I called Secretary back and told her it was ready, and he could pick it up a the F Store.
She was not amused.

That is so funny. You went above and beyond in your helpfulness and pwnd her at the same time. She can't even complain about you now without looking like an idiot. Beautiful.

[Catwoman2965]

I'm just confused as to what her being a pharamcist had to do with her bag!

I had someone call one night, and when we answer, we say thank you for calling x store of y town, how can I help you? Well, the customer wanted our store, but another location, and got quite snippy, and hung up on me before i could offer her the # of the location she wanted! she then called right back! and was snippier! i'm sorry, but its not MY fault you can't find the correct number, and have no patience while I look up the right one FOR you....

[ArcticChicken]

I'm just confused as to what her being a pharmacist had to do with her bag!

Well, she's Pharmacist, so she's obviously Smarter Than You.

[Alpha Strike]

So I called the F Department store and told the alts employee I was Mr. Smith's secretary, Was his suit ready? Ticket # 12345? Why, yes it was.

Then I called Secretary back and told her it was ready, and he could pick it up a the F Store.
She was not amused.

This is excellent - kudos on a great response. As someone else mentioned, not only did you give great service but you drove home exactly how much of an assclown this secretary was.

I'm just confused as to what her being a pharamcist had to do with her bag!

It could be that, as someone else suggested, she believes pharmacists are too smart to make that sort of mistake - although I'm not sure how connection there is between intelligence and memory.

Or maybe she's saying that pharmacists are too observant to make that sort of mistake. After all, she's dealing with various medicines all day - can't you see how filling and counting scripts translates into knowing more then you about your job?

[Dips]

Well, she's Pharmacist, so she's obviously Smarter Than You.

You know, it just occured to me. This woman is a *pharmacist* who can't wrap her mind around the idea that she might make a mistake. And, to ice the cake, she apparently is so unobservant that she missed vital information written on a tag.

That's kind of scary.