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After writing the 'Cash for Gold' fail story, I remembered this one, because it seemed we were getting multiple complaints about temporary/seasonal stores ripping-off customers, who in turn took it out on the mall and expected Security to somehow be able to fix it.
A Photography studio leased space at the mall and put a display on an open air kiosk showing the photo work they did and directing them to the mall space. The only problem was, the photographer was very rarely EVER at the studio space, and they had no 'hours of operation' listed anywhere, so you would assume they were the same 10-9 hours as the rest of the mall. There was also never anyone at the kiosk to tell you about packages, options, etc. So I don't think they got much business to begin with.
Next, you made an appointment for a session and put down a 20$ deposit. The paper DID state that the deposit was a separate fee and didn't go towards the cost of the photos. BUT, it also didn't state that it was non-refundable. A gentleman came to security upset because he had asked to reschedule his appointment (a week in advance) and they wanted him to put down another 20$ deposit. We became the referees between the man and the studio; the studio was adamant that they didn't have to give the money back. We STRONGLY ENCOURAGED them to work with the customer and use that 20 towards another appointment, because nowhere on their receipt did they have that in writing and I believe legally it has to be. He ended up canceling the appointment and getting his 20 back.
It turned-out he wasn't the only one they tried to keep deposits from. We got multiple complaints that people would come in for their appointments to find nobody in the studio and nobody answering the phone, then try to reschedule and being told they needed to put down another deposit.
The studio also was VERY SLOOOWWWW when it came to getting people their pictures. One customer complained they'd checked back for 3-months and the photos weren't in yet, and the studio wouldn't return their calls.
Then one day the studio just took its display and emptied its space and left. Never told the management or broke their lease. So all these angry customers were storming the mall office wanting their photos! Management demanded that the photography company give them all the photo packages they had completed. Management then began handing-out the packages or mailing them as the customers came in. Some of the packages were completely unmarked with no names or addresses, so there was no way of knowing who to give them to.
Sigh. All to fill a space and make a few months rent.
A Photography studio leased space at the mall and put a display on an open air kiosk showing the photo work they did and directing them to the mall space. The only problem was, the photographer was very rarely EVER at the studio space, and they had no 'hours of operation' listed anywhere, so you would assume they were the same 10-9 hours as the rest of the mall. There was also never anyone at the kiosk to tell you about packages, options, etc. So I don't think they got much business to begin with.
Next, you made an appointment for a session and put down a 20$ deposit. The paper DID state that the deposit was a separate fee and didn't go towards the cost of the photos. BUT, it also didn't state that it was non-refundable. A gentleman came to security upset because he had asked to reschedule his appointment (a week in advance) and they wanted him to put down another 20$ deposit. We became the referees between the man and the studio; the studio was adamant that they didn't have to give the money back. We STRONGLY ENCOURAGED them to work with the customer and use that 20 towards another appointment, because nowhere on their receipt did they have that in writing and I believe legally it has to be. He ended up canceling the appointment and getting his 20 back.
It turned-out he wasn't the only one they tried to keep deposits from. We got multiple complaints that people would come in for their appointments to find nobody in the studio and nobody answering the phone, then try to reschedule and being told they needed to put down another deposit.
The studio also was VERY SLOOOWWWW when it came to getting people their pictures. One customer complained they'd checked back for 3-months and the photos weren't in yet, and the studio wouldn't return their calls.
Then one day the studio just took its display and emptied its space and left. Never told the management or broke their lease. So all these angry customers were storming the mall office wanting their photos! Management demanded that the photography company give them all the photo packages they had completed. Management then began handing-out the packages or mailing them as the customers came in. Some of the packages were completely unmarked with no names or addresses, so there was no way of knowing who to give them to.
Sigh. All to fill a space and make a few months rent.
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