Not Blue Now.

[repsac]

This is a story I wrote over on Retail-Sucks, and think it'd be a good one to bring over here. It's an actual account from when I worked in returns.


It was getting close to closing, my vacation coming up the next day, when I saw this woman coming in with a cart. She was heading right my way and looked to have a box in the cart. From what I could tell, the box hadn't been opened; so I thought it'd be a rather easy return. I was wrong.

As the lady came into the doors, I had to ask perhaps the stupidest question. "Ma'am, is something wrong?" corporate had us do that, but hey, I still thought it was stupid. Customers seemed to as well. With as much venom as this little woman can muster she spits at me "It's blue." I must have given her something of a look because she repeats in the same tone. "It's blue."

Taking a moment, I realise that she's got a microwave there and it's...blue? Looking to the woman I blinked some asked her to repeat to be sure I undestood her correctly. "It's blue." she says again, adding with a smirk. "I don't want a blue microwave. I want something else." Looking at her I say honestly (and perplexed) "I didn't know they made blue microwaves."

Reaching into the cart I drag the thing out, and start to open the box. Now I have to give this lady credit. She had gotten the thing out of the box, looked at it and then managed to get it BACK into the packing material and into the box. That is a feat in itself, one that deserves an applause. Watching me as I did this she says testily. "What, you don't trust me?" to which I shook my head and answered. "No, it's not that. I just have never seen a blue microwave." Which, is true.

Opening the box, I slipped off the first bit of packing material, looked at the thing and had to fight back laughter. Eyes streaming with tears I look up at her and choke out. "Ma'am. It's not blue." This was not what she wanted to hear. "Yes it is." she says, with that oprah audience member head bob going. "See, dat's blue. That's not what I wanted. I wanted stainless steel. That's blue and you're going to give my money back."

You see, what made me laugh, was this cute little bright red sticker. One that read quote "Blue plastic film must be removed prior to use." Looking at the woman, again I was fighting back laughter. (my SM had caught wind of this, happened to see what I was holding and he to was biting his knuckles to keep from laughing.) Looking at the woman, I composed myself as best I could and said. "Ma'am, it's not blue that's just..." but never finished the words. By then the woman had gone into this rant. A real triade about how I was an idiot, moron, my parents may not have been married, and a whole host of things. Furthermore, I was going to be fired, she was going to sue and you can see where this is going.

As I stood there listening to this, I idly picked at the film before getting a corner of it up. When she had finished her little rant, she asked with that same head bob. "So, do you have anything to say now?" Pulling hard at the film, I ripped a whole sheet of it off revealing the stainless underneath. Holding out the film I said with a smile. "It's not blue now."

Lady gave me a look, asked what I just did. To which I directed her attention to the little red sticker. My did she talk bad about everything after that. But, she at least took the microwave back.

After that, I often had associates look at me and say laughing. "Not Blue Now." I've got a copy of the LP tape of that day as well, given to me by the district LP officer. She was laughing fit to be tied after watching it and thought she'd "share" the fun.

I often wonder if that tape has been circulated elsewhere.

[One-Fang]

Undoubtedly.

I suppose the old cow didn't even have the decency to apologise for her tirade or even look at all like she realised she had been an idiot.

[Pagan]

Oh, my! This is what happens when you "head-bob" too much. Connections in the brain start breaking!

[Dark Psion]

I had one like that once, they had bought a pack of Solar Lights and brought them back because they didn't work and were complaining at the front counter.

As I walked by taking a customer to the paint dept;

I picked up the Solar Light,
Opened it,
Pulled the little tag with the big red "Pull this tag" written on it,
Put it back together,
Covered the solar pannel to see it light,
and handed it back to the guy

... without losing step and continued on to paint with my other customer (who was about to have a giggle-fit).

[Jet]

That little blue tape is a real problem causer. I would have people come up to my counter when I worked in the cellphone area, toss the phone on the counter and say "Doesn't work." So I pick it up, ask whats wrong. "It sounds like crap and I can't hear anyone and they can't understand me." I peel the little blue tape off the speaker and mic and hand it back. Try now. What do you know, it works fine.

[Banrion]

That little blue tape is a real problem causer. I would have people come up to my counter when I worked in the cellphone area, toss the phone on the counter and say "Doesn't work." So I pick it up, ask whats wrong. "It sounds like crap and I can't hear anyone and they can't understand me." I peel the little blue tape off the speaker and mic and hand it back. Try now. What do you know, it works fine.

I pull the tape off the speaker and mic, but I leave the clear plastic stickers on my screens. Keeps them from getting scratched for longer.

[Becks]

I've got a copy of the LP tape of that day as well, given to me by the district LP officer. She was laughing fit to be tied after watching it and thought she'd "share" the fun.

I often wonder if that tape has been circulated elsewhere.

While the rest of the post was hilarious , I just really had to comment on this part. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay you for getting a copy of the tape.

Maybe you can check around on places like YouTube.com to see if it's on there anywhere, because I'd LOVE to see it, too!!!!!!

[Bliss]

I pull the tape off the speaker and mic, but I leave the clear plastic stickers on my screens. Keeps them from getting scratched for longer.

I remove everything, including the plastic protections, yes they'll last a little less in perfect condition, but I like the original material, not the sticking out plastic, and it's also part of the ritual that says "this it mine now"

[Rapscallion]

Many moons ago, I worked for a plastic windows company. We used the blue plastic stuff to keep the window frames good in transit, and the managers once pranked an employee. They got to a job and looked in the back before telling him that instead of the white windows, they'd been given blue ones. Could he go to the customer and explain and see if she would accept blue ones?

He was halfway through explaining when they came over and made a confession in front of a very relieved customer.

Rapscallion

[Jester]

Hi there. I am an idiot.

I say this because I fit part of this profile, or at least did once.

When I got my new cell phone last year, I had it for about a month before realizing why I had so much problems seeing the screen clearly.

Yes, there was film over it. No, I did not realize it.

Yes, I felt like an idiot. Yes, I realized my error and that the problem was not in the phone itself, but one of those PEBCAK type things. I.e., me. Yes, I fixed the problem myself and pulled the damn film off.

No, I did not rant, rave, bitch, moan, complain, whine, or act all suckish to any rep of the company at all. Hell, I was too embarrassed to even admit the situation, let alone actually complain about it!

[repsac]

We had another, similar one which I'll post on in another thread. And I'm looking for that video to upload. It's about 15 min long, but I have a director's account with youtube, so there's no limit to what I can upload. I have to cut it from tape to disc first.

[Ree]

Now that I've been reminded of this thread, did you ever find that video for YouTube?

It sounds like it would be funny.

I wish we had that kind of LP coverage.
Our cameras are awesome, and we can practically see a blemish on a customer's face, but there's no sound.

When we opened, apparently, people weren't used to our new doors, and they kept walking into the glass beside them.
I guess the people reviewing the tapes laughed their ass off at all the images of that happening.

We said it was too bad we couldn't just edit them all into a montage with music.

[Arcade Man D]

When we opened, apparently, people weren't used to our new doors, and they kept walking into the glass beside them.
I guess the people reviewing the tapes laughed their ass off at all the images of that happening.

We said it was too bad we couldn't just edit them all into a montage with music.

*Starts whistling the music from Benny Hill*

[repsac]

found a whole host of tapes, some of them from my highschool days (Gods, did I ever have hair?) But never could drag up that stupid video. It's likely deep in storage; though with my recent problems it's also likely to have been drowned by the stinking sprinkler system.

[GayleShy]

Wow... just wow. I've had something like that happen before, but after I pulled of the tape or whatever it was that was making the thing not work, the woman returned it anyway and got mad at me for embarrassing her.

I'm glad that woman took the microwave back. Although the images that my mind is giving me right now are priceless. She could be returning microwaves for a LOOONG time if she kept that up.