'Lady' tries to return well-worn slippers, is unsuccessful, gets angry

[Evannah]

I work in a clothing/home decor concession shop set within a very large store.

My supervisor was dealing with a woman who had bought back a pair of 'faulty' slippers. I had just finished serving another customer when the lady came up, so I heard it all. She'd bought the slippers from another store back in April and claimed that she'd never worn them until a couple of weeks ago and noticed that the sole on one of them had come away from the top of the shoe.

LOL. Never been worn until two weeks ago. Yeah. Right. The slippers had obviously been worn every day, since April. They were covered in grime, the bottom of the shoes had worn smooth and were dirty, the material in places was SHINY and dark grey and they were all mishapen. And she wanted to exhange them for a brand new pair. NO. My supervisor was polite all the way through but the woman got right up into her face and kept saying how she was a loyal customer and that she never got this angry but now she was furious, that ANY other store would exchange the slippers (she kept going on about Shoe Zone. I know for a fact that Shoe Zone wouldn't do it either!) because other shops know how to treat their customers. It was bad service this, bad service that. And then she said that because she'd only been wearing them since April, that slippers should NOT wear down this much. Um... I thought you said you'd only started wearing them a couple of weeks ago?

My supervisor was squeezing apologies out left right and centre but the customer wasn't having any of it. She wanted to complain, so my supervisor got a complaint form out of the office. And this is the bit that knocked me for six.

She started yelling at me about the slippers, so I just apologised to her and smiled. She then said this to me:

"You're just a number. The people at head office are better than you, make more money than you and if they want you gone they just click their fingers. You're disposable."

I told her to please not talk to me like that and she repeated it, saying I was a number who didn't matter. She kept going on and on and on about how those above me were more important than I was.

WHY would you say that?! I tried to be nice. I apologised to you. And you talk to me like that! I ended up walking away and she shouted after me "Don't walk away from me!"

I learned later from my other co-worker who was standing around that she went up to her and told her I was rude for walking away. Yeah, because walking away from an abusive customer is rude. Also, look in the bloody mirror and then decide who's rude. And then my co-worker told me that she said that SHE was also a number, even though she wasn't involved AT ALL.

She got her complaint form in the end. Sadly, she wanted my name and my other co-worker who wasn't involved, as well as my supervisor's, so I've got a complaint coming. We have all agreed to back each other up though. Because at the end of the day, she was in the wrong, and I believe she got personal because she KNEW she was in the wrong.

Who in their right mind decides to get an exchange for a pair of slippers that have been worn for six months?! We had EVERY reason to not allow her the exchange.

[eltf177]

And now watch corporate cave in completely, giving the bitch not only new shoes but gift cards. And of course a reaming for all the staff for "not understanding the customer."

[Evannah]

And now watch corporate cave in completely, giving the bitch not only new shoes but gift cards. And of course a reaming for all the staff for "not understanding the customer."

Yeah, we're bracing ourselves for it. I'm also expecting her to come back to spend the gift vouchers, but when/if she does I'm going to say to her, "Sorry, can't serve you, I'm just a number."

[Captain Trips]

Can't your manager call corporate to warn them about the incoming flak?

[Evannah]

Can't your manager call corporate to warn them about the incoming flak?

Unfortunately, it was her day off. I guess my supervisor could have, but she didn't.

[workerbee222]

On the fourth of January one year, a woman came in with a wrinkled, filthy dress that smelled like cigarette smoke. She had "intended to wear it for New Year's Eve" and never would have purchased it if she'd noticed the horrible condition it was in. She purchased it in a larger store in a larger city 90 minutes away. I'm guessing she knew they wouldn't take it back, but figured the staff in our podunk little city wouldn't be clever enough to get it.

[notalwaysright]

Urg. I have when people just flat out lie like that, then have the nerve to be bitchy about it. I had a less intense version of this today, but she did get what she wanted. People will lie about everything, curse their black hearts. I hope her craziness shows in the complaint, and she doesn't get you in trouble.

[ozcatbug]

At my last job I was night team leader of the clothing department in a very large supermarket in the UK (very little helps for those playing at home).

One of the evening managers came to ask me about a customer return. Seems a woman had bought a pair of shoes about a month earlier and had worn them for the first time the previous weekend where upon they fell apart. I took one look at the shoes and told the manager the customer was lying. He asked how could I be sure? I pointed out the way that the brand had been mostly worn away from inside the shoe, the tread was almost gone, there was no way a person could get that much old dirt and grime to set in just a few days, the colour had faded, plus the big reason that I had been working clothing for 6 months, had done 2 shoe section re-merchandising and had never seen that particular style before.

My well known memory of an elephant meant the manager declined the return.

[Seshat]

I would simply refuse service to that woman, next time she comes in.

[Food Lady]

"Yes, I will walk away from you. I have free will, and you have no control over my actions, period." I've said stuff like this to sucktomers, but I'm a spitfire. NO person is "just a number," and I'd inform her of that fact.

[evilhomer]

I've learned from dealing with my daughter that the best response to this kind of person is just to remain calm and ask them what they think they're accomplishing. "What are you hoping to gain by talking down to me and calling me names?" "Yes I'm aware that head office workers make more money, that is the economic system we live in, why do you feel the need to point out this obvious fact to me?"

Don't show any emotion or anything, just calmly and politely ask questions pointing out how stupid she's being. She's just being a bitch to gain more attention and for her own sadistic pleasure of dishing out misery, so don't give her the satisfaction of gettting it.

[otakuneko]

That woman needs a banhammer. She should've been ejected from the store.

On an actual ejector seat.

[XCashier]

That woman needs a banhammer. She should've been ejected from the store.

On an actual ejector seat.

Aimed so the trajectory lands her right into the city dump.

Why do they return things that have obviously been used for a long time? Because they can. Because the spineless system believes that "the customer is always right" means that the customer can do anything they damn well please, including blatantly stealing from the company, and nobody shall lift a finger to stop them. I look forward to the day when Corporate America wakes up to this fact and puts a stop to the abuse, but I'm not holding my breath.

[wolfie]

She definitely needs the Big Beef McAfree Treatment [/Callahan]

[kmariem]

The original post reminds me of a customer I had to deal with when I worked at the Bullseye store. Guy came in to guest services, all polite, said he wanted to exchange a pair of sneakers. He left the box with the current sneakers with me and went to go get the "new" pair. I opened the box and just stared, dumbfounded. The sneakers looked like they'd been on a trek thru Hell, twice! I consulted the other girl I was working GS with, and we both immediately called over the team lead. She was of the same opinion: oh hell no. Guy comes back. When our team lead told him that we couldn't take the sneakers back, he went ballistic. After some back and forth, the Front End Exec was called over. SC proceeded to yell at FEE. When we showed FEE the sneakers, he immediately agreed with us. After more screaming, with FEE magically maintaining a calm attitude, SC stormed off, saying that he'd write a letter to the editor of our local paper. FEE said "Go ahead. Name is Mike [something or other]. Make sure you spell it right!"

I enjoyed that job, actually. Worked with good people, including the execs. If it wasn't for those stupid sucky customers...