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I've had a few interesting ones recently.
We're Closed. GET OUT.
Working the grocery overnight shift, more than 2 hours after closing, I hear a man and woman laughing. I walk over to the café eating area, and I see a couple sitting there, chatting away. The area is a bit blocked off from the main part of the store, and they were somehow overlooked when the store closed.
Me: Excuse me. We're closed. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave.
man: Oh, that's OK. We're fine.
Me: Sorry. They should have had you leave when the store closed.
man: OK. We'll just be a few more minutes. (they continue chatting)
Me: I'm going to turn the door alarms off, so I can let you out. I'll be back in a couple minutes.
...when I get back....they're still sitting and chatting.
Me: Excuse me.
man: Well, we're not in your way or anything. We'll be ready to leave in about 15 minutes.
Me: (speechless...they continue chatting and using their smartphones while I stand there)
Me: Look, I can't have you in here. I can't just let you stay in here. We're closed. You have to go.
man: Why?
Me: (Screaming in my head - WE'RE CLOSED! I DON'T NEED ANY OTHER REASON!!)
Me: Seriously, I need you to go.
man: just a few more minutes, OK?
Me: Look. We're closed. It's a security and safety issue. I can get into trouble if I just let you stay.
man: (lets out a sigh and rolls his eyes as he starts to get up) Alright. Geez.
Seriously, it's 2 bleeping hours after closing, and their acting like I'm inconveniencing them!
Easter Lilies Aren't For Easter
The day after Easter, I'm in the checkout, and I become aware of someone just standing, staring at me. It's an older lady, and I can tell by her body language I'm about to be dealt a complaint.
Lady: Excuse me. Last week I bought an Easter Lily, and today I come in here and I see that they are all marked half-price. I'm kinda upset. I'd like to get half my money back, since they are so much cheaper now. Do I need to go back home and get my receipt?
Me: Well, they're marked down because the holiday is over.
Lady: ..... So?
Me: They're considered a holiday item, just like the Easter candy. They get marked half off after the holiday.
Lady: (stares, looks very unhappy)
Me: Kind of like the day after Christmas, all the Christmas decorations get marked down. (At this point, I thought she'd understand my point.)
Lady: (yelling) Easter lilies aren't for Easter! I just want my money back. It's not fair I paid full price, and now they're half off!
Me: (though she is raising her voice, I still think she just doesn't understand, so I try a little more friendly explaining) See, it's considered a holiday item. And you got to use it for the intended holiday. After the holiday, they get marked down. This is like if you came in the day after Christmas and asked for half the money back on all the Christmas decorations you bought and used. It doesn't work like that.
Lady: (looking very angry)
Me: (I have customers lining up, and the refund amount is small enough that I do not need supervisor approval) Look, I'm sorry if you don't understand, let me just go ahead and give you the partial refund.
Lady: Just don't understand! No, you just don't understand. It's just not fair!
Me: (handing her the refund) Ma'am, I apologize. Here's your refund, exactly as you requested.
Lady: This isn't right! I shouldn't have to argue for my refund! You didn't handle this right.
Me: Ma'am, I've refunded you your money, even though I didn't have to....and, I gave it to you even though you didn't have your receipt and you do not have the product with you. I've done all I can for you. I'm sorry if you are not happy. (I'm getting upset now, because I've given in to her just to get rid of her. I hate it when other clerks do that, and I hate being put in the position where I end up doing it! And she's still in my face!)
Lady: This wasn't right. (leaves)
......sigh......I wonder if I'll see her the day after Halloween -"Excuse Me! But I bought some halloween candy at regular price, and today it's all half off!! Gimme a refund!"
Customer Accuses Me of Lying
It's not unusual for customers to ask for rolls of coins (quarters, dimes, etc), or bundles of cash - (50) $1's, (10) $10's, (20) $5's ..etc.
Recently, some local businesses have started to abuse our willingness to hand out change. They come in and request things like five rolls of quarters and five rolls of dimes and five rolls of pennies and (100) $1's. If it's just the shop next door looking for some change to get it through the day until they can make a bank run, we're fine with that. Unfortunately, some started making a habit of it. Management recently clamped down on this and told us to restrict handing out rolled change.
So this customer asks for a roll of quarters. No problem. It's not an excessive request. She might be going to the laundromat or something.
Me: Roll of quarters. No problem. Just to let you know, after today I won't be able to do this for you. Management is clamping down on handing out rolled change. So next time, there's a chance you might be denied. Management is unhappy about some people who come in a lot and get lots of rolled change. Here you go, one roll of quarters.
C: Well, that seems wrong. Why can't you hand out rolls of change.
Me: Management says it's because it costs us money.
C: How can it cost you money?
Me: The bank charges us for the money they supply us with.
C: Oh come on! They do not do that!
Me: Yes. There is a charge for each roll of coins and bundle of cash. We don't just give the bank $100 cash, and they give us $100 in rolled quarters. They charge a fee for each item. And they charge for the armored car pickup/delivery.
C: Bull! You expect me to believe that you have to pay the bank for cash!
Me: They don't provide the service for free.
C: That's a lie. Stop it!! If you didn't want to give me the roll of quarters, just say so.
She grabbed her stuff and left in a huff.
We're Closed. GET OUT.
Working the grocery overnight shift, more than 2 hours after closing, I hear a man and woman laughing. I walk over to the café eating area, and I see a couple sitting there, chatting away. The area is a bit blocked off from the main part of the store, and they were somehow overlooked when the store closed.
Me: Excuse me. We're closed. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave.
man: Oh, that's OK. We're fine.
Me: Sorry. They should have had you leave when the store closed.
man: OK. We'll just be a few more minutes. (they continue chatting)
Me: I'm going to turn the door alarms off, so I can let you out. I'll be back in a couple minutes.
...when I get back....they're still sitting and chatting.
Me: Excuse me.
man: Well, we're not in your way or anything. We'll be ready to leave in about 15 minutes.
Me: (speechless...they continue chatting and using their smartphones while I stand there)
Me: Look, I can't have you in here. I can't just let you stay in here. We're closed. You have to go.
man: Why?
Me: (Screaming in my head - WE'RE CLOSED! I DON'T NEED ANY OTHER REASON!!)
Me: Seriously, I need you to go.
man: just a few more minutes, OK?
Me: Look. We're closed. It's a security and safety issue. I can get into trouble if I just let you stay.
man: (lets out a sigh and rolls his eyes as he starts to get up) Alright. Geez.
Seriously, it's 2 bleeping hours after closing, and their acting like I'm inconveniencing them!
Easter Lilies Aren't For Easter
The day after Easter, I'm in the checkout, and I become aware of someone just standing, staring at me. It's an older lady, and I can tell by her body language I'm about to be dealt a complaint.
Lady: Excuse me. Last week I bought an Easter Lily, and today I come in here and I see that they are all marked half-price. I'm kinda upset. I'd like to get half my money back, since they are so much cheaper now. Do I need to go back home and get my receipt?
Me: Well, they're marked down because the holiday is over.
Lady: ..... So?
Me: They're considered a holiday item, just like the Easter candy. They get marked half off after the holiday.
Lady: (stares, looks very unhappy)
Me: Kind of like the day after Christmas, all the Christmas decorations get marked down. (At this point, I thought she'd understand my point.)
Lady: (yelling) Easter lilies aren't for Easter! I just want my money back. It's not fair I paid full price, and now they're half off!
Me: (though she is raising her voice, I still think she just doesn't understand, so I try a little more friendly explaining) See, it's considered a holiday item. And you got to use it for the intended holiday. After the holiday, they get marked down. This is like if you came in the day after Christmas and asked for half the money back on all the Christmas decorations you bought and used. It doesn't work like that.
Lady: (looking very angry)
Me: (I have customers lining up, and the refund amount is small enough that I do not need supervisor approval) Look, I'm sorry if you don't understand, let me just go ahead and give you the partial refund.
Lady: Just don't understand! No, you just don't understand. It's just not fair!
Me: (handing her the refund) Ma'am, I apologize. Here's your refund, exactly as you requested.
Lady: This isn't right! I shouldn't have to argue for my refund! You didn't handle this right.
Me: Ma'am, I've refunded you your money, even though I didn't have to....and, I gave it to you even though you didn't have your receipt and you do not have the product with you. I've done all I can for you. I'm sorry if you are not happy. (I'm getting upset now, because I've given in to her just to get rid of her. I hate it when other clerks do that, and I hate being put in the position where I end up doing it! And she's still in my face!)
Lady: This wasn't right. (leaves)
......sigh......I wonder if I'll see her the day after Halloween -"Excuse Me! But I bought some halloween candy at regular price, and today it's all half off!! Gimme a refund!"
Customer Accuses Me of Lying
It's not unusual for customers to ask for rolls of coins (quarters, dimes, etc), or bundles of cash - (50) $1's, (10) $10's, (20) $5's ..etc.
Recently, some local businesses have started to abuse our willingness to hand out change. They come in and request things like five rolls of quarters and five rolls of dimes and five rolls of pennies and (100) $1's. If it's just the shop next door looking for some change to get it through the day until they can make a bank run, we're fine with that. Unfortunately, some started making a habit of it. Management recently clamped down on this and told us to restrict handing out rolled change.
So this customer asks for a roll of quarters. No problem. It's not an excessive request. She might be going to the laundromat or something.
Me: Roll of quarters. No problem. Just to let you know, after today I won't be able to do this for you. Management is clamping down on handing out rolled change. So next time, there's a chance you might be denied. Management is unhappy about some people who come in a lot and get lots of rolled change. Here you go, one roll of quarters.
C: Well, that seems wrong. Why can't you hand out rolls of change.
Me: Management says it's because it costs us money.
C: How can it cost you money?
Me: The bank charges us for the money they supply us with.
C: Oh come on! They do not do that!
Me: Yes. There is a charge for each roll of coins and bundle of cash. We don't just give the bank $100 cash, and they give us $100 in rolled quarters. They charge a fee for each item. And they charge for the armored car pickup/delivery.
C: Bull! You expect me to believe that you have to pay the bank for cash!
Me: They don't provide the service for free.
C: That's a lie. Stop it!! If you didn't want to give me the roll of quarters, just say so.
She grabbed her stuff and left in a huff.
Yeah, I'd probably enjoy telling people that THEY need to take their own special selves to the bank and get change. I mean geez.
That sounds like one of those "because we feel like it"/bullshit fees x.x Never heard of that before (at least, not for bank customers), tho I would not put it past them. Kinda like how so many banks charge you fees for talking to an actual human being (to get you to use the ATM), and slightly lower fees for using said ATM... >_> Yer screwed either way.
And how could they not notice that the store was COMPLETELY EMPTY of anyone other than them?
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