Rain checks

[ariekain]

My store's policy is that cashiers are not allowed to issue rain checks from their checkstand. Customers who want to get a rain check for something need to go to the customer service counter. The previous policy was that rain checks could be given out by cashiers, but it was changed several years ago. People haven't gotten used to that yet, even though it's been quite a long time.

In any case, I had a customer who was checking out, and she was pleasant enough until she said she wanted a rain check for some fresh cherries that we were out of.

RCL: Rain check lady
AK: Me

RCL: You're all out of the cherries in your ad. I need a rain check for them.
AK: I'm sorry, but you'll have to go to customer service for that. Rain checks can only be given out from customer service now. (I was apologetic because I get that it's an annoyance to make another stop on the way out, but I can't change the rules.)
RCL: Well, that's annoying. I guess I'll stop by there on the way out. I know it's not your fault, but I'm still going to complain. Hahahaha!

She actually laughed, kind of nastily too, like she thought she was going scare me or get me in trouble or something. I don't really care, but I do side-eye people who say things like that. They've acknowledged that it's not the store employee's fault, but they're still going to complain anyway?

I just don't get it.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

At the swamp, the cashiers weren't able to issue rainchecks either. Service desk handled that. They filled out the raincheck form, in duplicate, and gave one copy to the customer and kept one for the raincheck file. Also they may have had to enter some information into the computer. At any rate it would've been too much of a PITA to have that handled by the cashiers at their registers.

With the new POS system, the cashiers DO issue rainchecks--but it's only a matter of hitting a button on the register and a receipt of some form spits out, indicating the item and the sale price.

This is then given to the customer, who is told to just grab the item next time they see it and present the receipt when checking out. Or, if the customer doesn't want to keep making trips looking for their item, they call the store every day to find out if it came in or not. We used to go through the raincheck file and hold items and call customers when they finally arrived, but we don't do this any more.

[ariekain]

Wow, that's really different from how they're handled at my store. Whoever's at customer service has to fill in all the product's information (product name/brand, size/amount, etc), including the price that it is that week (it's usually on sale and sold out, which is why a rain check is needed in the first place) on the rain check slip, sign and date it, and give it to the customer.

Then they bring it back when the product is in stock, and the cashier has to calculate the difference between the price the item was when it was on sale and the price it is currently, and hit the store coupon button for that amount which requires a manager's override, depending on the amount. It's not much of a hassle, unless the customer has a large number of items they want to redeem for the rain check price.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Wow, that's really different from how they're handled at my store. Whoever's at customer service has to fill in all the product's information (product name/brand, size/amount, etc), including the price that it is that week (it's usually on sale and sold out, which is why a rain check is needed in the first place) on the rain check slip, sign and date it, and give it to the customer.

Then they bring it back when the product is in stock, and the cashier has to calculate the difference between the price the item was when it was on sale and the price it is currently, and hit the store coupon button for that amount which requires a manager's override, depending on the amount. It's not much of a hassle, unless the customer has a large number of items they want to redeem for the rain check price.

At my store, it would be a Big Fucking Hassle if we had to keep paging managers to do overrides every time somebody was buying something with a raincheck.

[Slayer]

I don't think she meant she'd complain about you, just complain about the policy.

For as long as I can remember, we always had to ask for rain checks at the customer service counter o_O

the cashier has to calculate the difference between the price the item was when it was on sale and the price it is currently, and hit the store coupon button for that amount which requires a manager's override, depending on the amount

When I need to buy using a rain check, the cashier can do it no problems and does not need a manager override. They just override the price themselves. The only time they ever need to calculate is when it's a per lb item like meat (that I've seen).

The newest way is at one store where the rain check is printed on the receipt. The same store name but different location still does it with paper like all the other places.

[emax4]

My response might have been, "Haha... Well, how bad do you want the cherries for that price? Enough to wait in line?"

[BeenThereDoneThat]

RCL: Well, that's annoying. I guess I'll stop by there on the way out. I know it's not your fault, but I'm still going to complain. Hahahaha!

Knock yourself out, lady...no, really, please do us a favor and knock yourself out. What's the point of laughing rudely at your own perceived "cleverness" after going to the trouble of telling the cashier you know it's not their fault? People are just too damn stupid.

[Caractacus_Potts]

They've acknowledged that it's not the store employee's fault, but they're still going to complain anyway?

I just don't get it.

She is annoyed that she has to wait in another line to get a raincheck, she acknowledges it is not your fault for the policy, gives you no grief over it at all and is going to complain about the policy to a manager.

This is one of the good customers. Doesn't take their anger out blindly on employees that have no control over the situation. Does complain about policy to someone who may actually be able to do something about it. Sounds pretty cool to me!

[BeenThereDoneThat]

This is one of the good customers. Doesn't take their anger out blindly on employees that have no control over the situation. Does complain about policy to someone who may actually be able to do something about it. Sounds pretty cool to me!

I agree she wasn't exactly an SC to the OP, but I don't think I'd go as far to say she was good, either...since she annoyed the OP with the laugh and the attitude. It would annoy me, anyhow

[EricKei]

Ya never know - she might have complained to CustServ about the OP "refusing to give her a raincheck" >_< SC's have no limits.