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Here's a few quicky SC's that I've had in the last few months. Being a manager, I get them referred to me from the other staff - so sometimes it seems I do nothing but serve SC's. These are ones where the score was Store 1, SC 0. Unfortunately most SC's do get their own way, because it is quicker, easier and cheaper than the harm they might do if they badmouth us. Sometimes though, you just have to take a stand.
Misleading Guy
There's an elderly guy who comes in every couple of weeks, and finds one of our instore signs to complain about. One week it will be that the T's &C's on our interest free signage is too small, another week it will that our cashback signs are worded poorly (no-one else complains, go figure). He never buys anything, just complains.
His most recent one was trying to get a box of 5 reams of paper, at the price for one. We have a huge bulkstack of A4 printer paper, which I might add is the cheapest in town by about 20%. Some of it is opened into individual reams, some is still in the 5 pack boxes, although these are underneath the loose reams, so in theory customers should only pick up the loose reams. The bulkstack has a number of A3 sized signs on it with the price, and underneath the words "price per ream". The individual reams have our standard price sticker which includes price and product description, which says "A4 Paper - price per ream (500 sheets)". The cartons have one of these stickers, with "X5" written about the same size as the price. He tries to claim the sticker is misleading. No, all the signs have "price per ream" and this carton has "X5" on it - pretty clear to me. "So sir, this is the cheapest paper in town, do you want to buy 1 ream or a carton?"
3 Year printer lady
Lady comes in demanding a refund on her printer, because when she bought it she thought the screen displayed the photo you were printing, but it was only an information screen. She bought it 3 YEARS ago. Sorry, can't return it after that time. "But I only opened it last week". Then she tried "the salesman told me it showed the pictures". Sorry lady, but 3 years is far too long to return something.
Double Charge Lady
Woman claims that the purchase she made the day before was double charged to her Visa card. She had been on net banking and claimed it showed her $267 purchase from **** twice, but she wouldn't show me anything to prove that, just expected me to refund her $267 based on her word. I told her we had definitely not double charged her, it was probably a glitch with netbanking, and that if she had concerns about it, to contact her bank. I went through various things with her - I closed the registers, they balanced etc. She is still insisting a refund, and I know she is trying something on. Then I had the brainwave, "Well we haven't received the money, so there is obviously some other fraud happening. I can't do anything on a Saturday, but if you give me your full name, address, phone number, and the card number, I can launch an investigation with the bank and police on monday to determine who has put the fraudulent charge on your card." She just says "don't bother trying to help me then" and turns and walks out. Yup, I think I know who was trying the fraud.
Price Match Man
We have a price match policy at our store - all below cost matches must be approved by a manager though. This bloke comes in with a printout from a competitors website that has a top-of-the-line GPS at roughly half our cost price, so the salesman brought it to me. I get suspicious, and check the competitor's website - their price is actually higher than our normal price, and is in a different font to what is on this printout. A closer look at the printout, and you can see that it has been photoshopped. So I go out to see him.
Me: "That's a very good price on that printout"
SC: "Yeah, so will you match it, or do I take my business elsewhere?"
Me: "Well that's where we have a problem, I've just looked at ***'s website, and the price on there is $***, so I'm wondering where this came from."
SC: "I printed it out this morning from their website. Are you going to do that price or not"
Me: "Well, let me put it this way, this printout has obviously been modified from what is on the website. Modifying a document to get financial gain is fraud, so right about now you have 2 options - you can purchase the GPS at the competitor's real price, or I can call the police."
SC stood silent for a moment while he considered his options.
SC: "I only have $xxx, can I buy one of the cheaper ones instead"
Me "Ok, but you pay retail price, not our sale price. **** here will help you choose one", and handed him back to the original salesperson.
Then SC asked for one last thing "Don't suppose you could shred that printout could you?". He paid retail, and he told the salesperson to thank me for my help. Wonderful.
Misleading Guy
There's an elderly guy who comes in every couple of weeks, and finds one of our instore signs to complain about. One week it will be that the T's &C's on our interest free signage is too small, another week it will that our cashback signs are worded poorly (no-one else complains, go figure). He never buys anything, just complains.
His most recent one was trying to get a box of 5 reams of paper, at the price for one. We have a huge bulkstack of A4 printer paper, which I might add is the cheapest in town by about 20%. Some of it is opened into individual reams, some is still in the 5 pack boxes, although these are underneath the loose reams, so in theory customers should only pick up the loose reams. The bulkstack has a number of A3 sized signs on it with the price, and underneath the words "price per ream". The individual reams have our standard price sticker which includes price and product description, which says "A4 Paper - price per ream (500 sheets)". The cartons have one of these stickers, with "X5" written about the same size as the price. He tries to claim the sticker is misleading. No, all the signs have "price per ream" and this carton has "X5" on it - pretty clear to me. "So sir, this is the cheapest paper in town, do you want to buy 1 ream or a carton?"
3 Year printer lady
Lady comes in demanding a refund on her printer, because when she bought it she thought the screen displayed the photo you were printing, but it was only an information screen. She bought it 3 YEARS ago. Sorry, can't return it after that time. "But I only opened it last week". Then she tried "the salesman told me it showed the pictures". Sorry lady, but 3 years is far too long to return something.
Double Charge Lady
Woman claims that the purchase she made the day before was double charged to her Visa card. She had been on net banking and claimed it showed her $267 purchase from **** twice, but she wouldn't show me anything to prove that, just expected me to refund her $267 based on her word. I told her we had definitely not double charged her, it was probably a glitch with netbanking, and that if she had concerns about it, to contact her bank. I went through various things with her - I closed the registers, they balanced etc. She is still insisting a refund, and I know she is trying something on. Then I had the brainwave, "Well we haven't received the money, so there is obviously some other fraud happening. I can't do anything on a Saturday, but if you give me your full name, address, phone number, and the card number, I can launch an investigation with the bank and police on monday to determine who has put the fraudulent charge on your card." She just says "don't bother trying to help me then" and turns and walks out. Yup, I think I know who was trying the fraud.
Price Match Man
We have a price match policy at our store - all below cost matches must be approved by a manager though. This bloke comes in with a printout from a competitors website that has a top-of-the-line GPS at roughly half our cost price, so the salesman brought it to me. I get suspicious, and check the competitor's website - their price is actually higher than our normal price, and is in a different font to what is on this printout. A closer look at the printout, and you can see that it has been photoshopped. So I go out to see him.
Me: "That's a very good price on that printout"
SC: "Yeah, so will you match it, or do I take my business elsewhere?"
Me: "Well that's where we have a problem, I've just looked at ***'s website, and the price on there is $***, so I'm wondering where this came from."
SC: "I printed it out this morning from their website. Are you going to do that price or not"
Me: "Well, let me put it this way, this printout has obviously been modified from what is on the website. Modifying a document to get financial gain is fraud, so right about now you have 2 options - you can purchase the GPS at the competitor's real price, or I can call the police."
SC stood silent for a moment while he considered his options.
SC: "I only have $xxx, can I buy one of the cheaper ones instead"
Me "Ok, but you pay retail price, not our sale price. **** here will help you choose one", and handed him back to the original salesperson.
Then SC asked for one last thing "Don't suppose you could shred that printout could you?". He paid retail, and he told the salesperson to thank me for my help. Wonderful.
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