Have you ever been the SC?

[Maevis]

*raises hand*

I'll be the first to admit that the reality-politeness filter of my brain occasionaly short-circuits which leads to incidents like this:

I went to the convenience store to buy a pack of cigarrettes.
It was a store that I went to nearly every day.
And every time I bought smokes, I was carded...without fail.
And yet, the one day I didn't have my wallet and I got carded *zzzttt* System Failure! I don't recall what I said to the cashier but it was very long winded and rude.

I left and sat in my car for about 10 minutes and had a stern talking to myself, and then marched myself back into the store to apologize to the clerk and explain that I knew she was just doing her job, and No ID meant No smokes. She avoided ringing me up for several weeks before deciding that I was only half a nut-job.


On another note have you ever had an SC apologies to you? (I'm sure one of them has...I think...maybe...)

[Jester]

Why yes. Yes I have.

[Retail Associate]

Have you ever been the SC?

Unfortunately, yes I have. But it was before I ever worked in retail and I swear I would never do it again.


The incident took place in the store I am working at now. I had bought the movie "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" on tape (this was before DVD's) for my son for Christmas. He was thrilled to have the movie and decided he wanted to watch it right away. He popped it into the VCR and the damn thing hopped, skipped and jumped all the way through it.

I went back to the store a few days later to get a replacement. They, of course, had no more "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" in the store so, they offered me "Pinnochio." Well, I didn't want "Pinnochio" because I knew my son wouldn't want "Pinnochio." I pointed that out to the clerk and she stated their policy regarding opened tapes - exchanges only, no refunds.

After explaining to her that when I purchase a new, unopened tape I expect it to be in good condition. And after explaining to her that it wasn't my fault this store sells junk, nor was it my fault they were out of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," I told her I wasn't leaving until I got a refund. I stood there for 15 minutes. I didn't yell or get nasty, just stood there, off to the side, staring at the clerk. Finally, they realized I wasn't going to leave and sent the hardlines manager over to refund my money.

At this time the store had only been open for about a year. Their products were even cheaper than they are now. I can't even remember all the junk I had to return because it was damaged or didn't work at all. Two things that come to mind are a motion detector light and a ceiling fan.

This store had/has a reputation for putting damaged/used/broken/worn items back on the floor for sale. I had put marks on both boxes to see if they were put back out on the shelves and they were.

[Canarr]

I suppose, yes. Though I'd say the employee involved was also sucky.

A few weeks ago, I went to BK for a cholesterol fix (a certain Burger and a small soda), and upon unwrapping it, discovered the girl at the counter had given me the wrong burger. I hadn't taken a bite yet, and went to the front to exchange it.

Me - well...
CCC - Clueless Counter Chick, not entirely fluent in German

Me: Excuse me...
CCC: Yes?
Me: Sorry to interrupt, but you gave me the wrong burger. I ordered a Grill Pepper, you gave me this Grill Steak.
CCC: You ordered Grill Steak.
*This is where I lost my polite tone, I'm afraid.*
Me: No, I ordered a Grill Pepper, and that is what I would like.
CCC: What is problem? You order Grill Steak, you didn't get Grill Steak?
Me: No, I *ordered* a Grill Pepper, and I *want* a Grill Pepper. I *got* a Grill Steak, but I don't *want* it.

By then, she'd finally gotten a clue, and exchanged my burger. I wasn't overly happy, and have avoided that particular CC since then.

[Lehk]

Quoth Retail Associate

...He popped it into the VCR and the damn thing hopped, skipped and jumped all the way through it.

... They, of course, had no more "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" ... when I purchase a new, unopened tape I expect it to be in good condition. And after explaining to her that it wasn't my fault this store sells junk, nor was it my fault they were out of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," I told her I wasn't leaving until I got a refund. I stood there for 15 minutes. I didn't yell or get nasty, just stood there, off to the side, staring at the clerk.

you were definitely not an SC. the clerk should have paged a supervisor/manager immediately when there were no units available to replace and policy forbade giving a refund.

the whole point of having managers interact with customers is that they are allowed to use common sense and reason when dealing with company policy, while many places will discipline or even fire a clerk who bends the rules for the sake of fairness or reason.

[Tufty]

Once, in my youth, I was hanging out with friends, but I only had enough money for a video to rent, or a pack of smokes.

I rented the film, watched it, then took it back saying it didnt work, and bought some smokes with the change.


Im so ashamed...

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

There are times where I still am an SC. The only difference is after joining this site I keep it for special occasions where the retail-drone is being truely unreasonable.

I'm more tolerant of slow service as long as I can understand the reason for it (short handed, crowded diner...that sort of stuff). But as soon as the drone starts telling me that I can't do something that I know they can then I start reaching down and finding my inner bastard.

Case in point: I'm trying to return a copy of Neverwinter Nights (PC game) because the disk is unreadable by any and all CD-Roms I put it into. You can even see a discoloration in the CD that looks like the metal foil bit in the middle that the data is embedded into was folded slightly before it was encased in the plastic.

I take the package and I ask for an exchange.

Nope said the drone, it is against company policy to accept any returns for any reason. I point out the sign that states the policy against returns and shows him the bit that says that exchange for the same title for defective goods is acceptable.

Nope, he won't hear any of that. We go back and forth with me getting madder and madder until I finally snap and verbably lash this brain-dead twit within an inch of his life attracting the attention of the manager (whom he refused to call in spite of my requests that he do so).

The manager comes over and I slip back into my calm mode and explain that I have a non-working copy of NWN and that I want to exchange it for a working one and that this guy wouldn't allow me to do that even though I showed him that your posted policy stated that it was permissable.

Sometimes you have to open up the can of verbal whoop-ass to get through the Sucky Retail Drones in the world.