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  • Discounts and charity shops

    Okay, this story is the reason I decided to stop lurking and start posting again. It's actually taken me 2 days to calm down from what happened and not go out hunting for the people involved in this story. So let me continue...

    In my spare time I volunteer in a charity shop. It's not bad, everyone who works there is my age and we all get on. Besides second hand items, we also sell brand new goods that are donated by several high street chain stores. Nothing is barcoded in our store (despite us having a nice scanner but that's management for you) so prices have to be manually typed into the till. Anyway, new goods have a tag that clearly states the price but also has a 4 digit code that we type in. Obviously it's a stock control thing and head office can see what's selling well and what's not.

    Anyway, it's a Saturday afternoon and I have about 45 minutes left until I can go home, put my feet up and zone out. In comes Idiot Woman. She selects a beautiful tea set made by Whittards. Everything is priced individually - cups were about £2.99 eac, the teapot £4.99... you get the idea. So she piles it all on to the counter and I start typing in the 4 digit codes. I finish and hit the total button - £21.

    IW: Awwwww, I've only got £15. Can you do a discount?
    Me: Excuse me?
    IW: Can you do a discount. I know you do it for other people.
    Me: I can only give a discount on second hand items if they're slightly damaged. These are new items.
    IW: I know but I've only got £15 and I reeeeaaaaallllllyyyyyy want them.
    Me*sigh* Okay, I'll see what you can get for £15.

    I find my trusty calculator and it turns out she can have 4 cups, the teapot and the cake stand (there were also 2 more cups and a sugar bowl in the set).

    IW: But I want it alllllll.

    Then, she calls her husband (now known as Idiot Husband) in, a big mean looking bruiser of a man.

    IH: Can't you do a discount?
    Me: I'm sorry but I've explained it to your wife that I cant give a discount on new goods.
    IH: We shop here all the time. The manager knows us.
    Me: *think it don't say it, think it don't say it...* Not on my shifts you don't and I've been in solidly for the last 4 weeks.
    Me: I can't give a discount I'm sorry.

    The kicker? The husband then reaches into his pocket and pulls of a MASSIVE WAD of £10 and £20 notes. He pays, I duly wrap everything (with IW standing there with her jaw on the floor, looking moronic) and they leave. I go out to the office where the manager is howling with laughter. Turns out she heard his comment about "knowing the manager". He does know her but not in a good way. She used to work in one of the department stores in the city and he used to pester her for discount on sale items then. Turns out my suspicions were right, they'd never stepped into the shop before that day. And just for the record, the couple were also dressed in designer clothes and dripping in gold jewellery.

    Out of curiosity, I had a nose around eBay for that particular tea set. The tea pot alone was going for upwards of £25 so they got a bargain.

    Right, I'm off to go and calm down again.
    Idiot-proofing myself since 1997

  • #2
    When it's cheap, customers get cheaper.

    Rapscallion

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    • #3
      I love charity shops in London, in the best postcodes you can find perfect designer clothes.

      I would never dream of asking for a discount though! How rude and uncharitable.
      No longer a flight atttendant!

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      • #4
        And I bet that an identical set at a regular store would have cost 3X=4X that.

        Cheap @$$holes.
        Quote Dalesys:
        ... as in "Ifn thet dawg comes at me, Ima gonna shutz ma panz!"

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        • #5
          Quoth draggar View Post
          And I bet that an identical set at a regular store would have cost 3X=4X that.

          Cheap @$$holes.
          Yep. I hunted around a few online shops as it's been discontinued and the full set is changing hands for £60+. Crazy, crazy people.
          Idiot-proofing myself since 1997

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          • #6
            Heh. At, "Can you give me a discount?" I usually get fired because I actually laugh at people. Well done to you, and to all my fellow retail employees who can keep a straight face to that line. XD Kudos.

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            • #7
              "Sure, I'll give you a discount! Why the heck not? I always risk my job and my store's financial future by shaving off the price for a random stranger who wouldn't piss on me if I were on fire! Because you exist and you asked, you more than earned it, you lucky so and so!"

              [/Homer]In case you can't tell, I'm being sarcastic.[Homer/]
              "I used to be Snow White... but I drifted."~Mae West

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              • #8
                LMAO I think I might get that printed on a t-shirt. It's shocking how many people come into a charity shop and actually ask for a discount. Come on people! That book you wanted that only came out 3 months ago and is sitting on our shelves is only £1 here! *shakes head*
                Idiot-proofing myself since 1997

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                • #9
                  Hmm - how about making up a T-shirt reading, "I ask for discounts at charity shops!" and offer it to people who ask for one?

                  At a discount, of course...

                  Rapscallion

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                  • #10
                    Quoth Rapscallion View Post
                    Hmm - how about making up a T-shirt reading, "I ask for discounts at charity shops!" and offer it to people who ask for one?

                    At a discount, of course...

                    Rapscallion
                    ROFLMAO I'm in this morning so I may just suggest that... (area manager is in too so we'll see what she says about it!)
                    Idiot-proofing myself since 1997

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                    • #11
                      I would soooo push that item. I doubt it would sell to anyone without an insanely wonderful sense of humor but it's great!
                      Confirmed altoholic.

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                      • #12
                        Spoke to manager about said t-shirt and she nearly wet herself with laughter! In between giggles she mentioned something about calling head office about it.

                        On a side note - I had yet another of the "Discounters" in today. We have some collectable ornaments for sale at around £1.50 each (these are 2nd hand). There must have been 3 or 4 and some woman said she'd give me £1 for all of them. What kind of maths is that?! I have a feeling that they're the ones that used to be given away when you opened a bank account - can anyone remember the bank? I want to find out how much they're really worth.
                        Idiot-proofing myself since 1997

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