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$1.99, Da? Coupon? Nyet.

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  • $1.99, Da? Coupon? Nyet.

    ...Lather, rinse repeat. That was the conversation I had with a Russian gentleman and his wife at Aid of Rite today. I HATE LANGUAGE BARRIERS WITH AN EXTREME PASSION.

    He was upset because *brand name* Baby shampoo was on sale today for $2.99. The way we printed it in the ad was showing the sale price in BIG BOLD LETTERS, then -$1.00 IN BIG BOLD LETTERS and then the final price in BIG BOLD LETTERS. In tiny print next to the -$1.00 it said "Less Manufacturer's Coupon in most Sunday papers". Gentleman did not understand. He had just finished paying for his stuff and was looking at the receipt, then threw it on the counter.

    (M= Man, W =wife, Me= um. me, A = Awesome Manager)

    M: "$1.99!"
    Me: "Oh, do you have the coupon?"
    M: "(Russian)?"
    Me: "Yes, I'm sorry, you need to have the coupon for it to take it off."
    M: "(Russian)? $1.99!!!"
    Me: "I'm sorry you need the coupon from the newspaper."
    W: "(Russian) coupon? (More Russian)"
    M: "Nyet, $1.99!!!!!"
    Me: "I'm sorry, I need the coupon from the newspaper."
    M: "Coupon? (angry Russian) *he starts searching through sales flyer, thenpicks up one of the sales signs I have on my register* Coupon."
    Me: "I'm sorry, no, that's just a sign. Um. *grabbing a copy of the nearest newspaper* Newspaper?"
    M: "No! (more Russian) $1.99!!!!!!!!!!"
    Me: "Awesome Manager, can you come here please?"
    A: "Yes, what's the problem?"
    M: "(angry Russian!) Coupon (more Russian) $1.99!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
    A: "If you'd like the coupon, you'll have to buy the newspaper, sir. I'm sorry."
    M: "(ANGRY RUSSIAN) *throws purchases back on counter* No. Forget."
    Me: "*blink* You would like to return all of this?" (It's $50 worth of stuff)
    M: "Da. Return. No want. (Russian)."
    A: "ralerin, give him back the $2, he's not going to leave until you do."

    So I return the shampoo, rescan, modify the price and then give him back his $2.

    M: "(what sounds like an insult in Russian)" *stalks off*"
    Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.-Winston Churchill

  • #2
    Oh, I used to love those sale tags.
    I especially liked the ones that said "Buy On, Get One Free," 5.99 to 11.99.
    Meaning only the products that are priced between 5.99 and 11.99 were part of the sale.

    Me: You need the 5.99 product.
    Foreign guy: It is buy one get one free.
    Me: No, only the ones between this and that price are part of the sale.
    FG: Buy one, get one free!
    Me: *wonders if vodka is cheaper here or at the liquer store.

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    • #3
      Ugh. One of my neighbors-who-never-shut-up at work is Russian. When he wants to yell at his kid on the phone and doesn't want the rest of us to know what he's saying, he does it in Russian.

      His kid gets yelled at a lot.

      On the other hand, when he really gets going he at least has the courtesy to take his cell phone and go down to the window where no one will hear him at all. My other neighbor-who-never-shuts-up is not so courteous. Him I once heard actually threaten the nursing service because they sent a new person to his parents' house without informing him, and his mother doesn't do well with that. I can understand why he was upset but he basically told them "If I have to come down there you'll be calling 911" ...
      Last edited by BookstoreEscapee; 09-13-2009, 08:54 PM.
      I don't go in for ancient wisdom
      I don't believe just 'cause ideas are tenacious
      It means that they're worthy - Tim Minchin, "White Wine in the Sun"

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      • #4
        Nate: Oooh, your one sold (sells?) vodka? Mine doesn't.

        Regarding the sales signs: we try to put them for their respective products. But still...people say, "But it is BOGOF!!!! eleventy!!!" when it's for the product on the shelf BELOW. Most fun are the rebates or the "compare store brand to brand name", people constantly seem they should get that product for the advertised price and get mad when I tell them no.
        Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.-Winston Churchill

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        • #5
          You might want to check to see if Aid of Rite has a AT&T Language Line account. Many major retailers do. It's a telephone-based interpreter service that could come in handy for situations like this. They have interpreters available for 100-something languages 24x7.

          SirWired

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          • #6
            Trust me, they don't. That would make the job too easy and Rank Aid has a hard enough time convincing customers to buy their overpriced Vitaimain Water.

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