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Sometimes, when a customer is not getting things to go their way against a cashier or manager, they will leave and then return with a handful of family members or friends to then surround their victim. Intimidation, maybe? I'm guessing so. If you do this, be aware that we are NOT intimidated and you only piss us off.
Background (I haven't been here in awhile, it's a refresher): Photo lab, nights.
A middle-aged lady finishes putting in her order at one of our self-serve kiosks. I'm running a little behind because somebody had just dropped off an order of ten rolls of film before her and wanted them in an hour.
One big problem with our kiosks is that it does not work with my work queue. Basically, the kiosks don't know how busy I am or how many orders are stacked up and will still offer the pending order to be done right away. It's around 7pm, these cameras (which I'm just starting to process) will take up to about when I promised, 8pm.
The lady is done placing her kiosk order and walks up to the counter to ask if I'll be able to actually have them SOONER than what she selected. I walk over to the work queue and see that my trustworthy kiosk told her I would be able to have this order of 147 prints done in twenty five minutes. Well, I'm in the middle of running film and I wasn't going to stop now.
I explain nicely that the promise time she chose was unfortunately tentative and I would need a little more time than that.
She did a half ass frown and said that it was ok. She leaves and I think that's the last of it. So, I go back and continue to run film.
A few minutes later, she comes back and behind her are five male family members, I'm guessing three sons, the husband, and her father given the age and appearance of them. The husband walks up to my counter and speaks in that 'between the regular voice and a yell' tone.
"Hey!"
Me: "Hey. What's up?"
Him: "She (pointing to wife) told me that this is gonna take longer than the time on here." (he was holding the claim slip the kiosk printed)
Me: "Oh, yeah, I just took in a bunch of cameras and they are due right away, but her order will be started after this and it won't take much longer."
The woman sighs.
Him: "Well, exactly how long IS it going to take."
At this point, all of them are in the pose that I absolutely hate. Their arms are crossed and they're staring me down. Such the tough guy, he needs 5 other people to back him when talking to a guy who's half his age. The old guy (her father) is shaking his head after everything I say and the rat little bastard kids are staring at me as if I had a huge zit on my nose.
Me: "Since I only have two more cameras to go, it'll be able another twenty minutes.
Him: "Are you sure? You already weren't sure once."
Me: "The kiosk wasn't sure, sir. I am sure that it will take about twenty minutes."
So, I walk back to finish the rolls and process the kiosk order. The entire time, the family stared at me with their arms crossed. I wasn't intimidated, I went to the restroom once and went into the office to grab my Gatorade that I was drinking throughout the day. No matter where I went, their eyes followed and their heads turned. I thought about running circles to see if they would perform an Exorcist kind of thing.
Now, the order is done, and I'm thinking that I'll ring them up and they'll be out of here.
Woman: "Do we get a discount?"
Me: "For what?"
Woman: "Well, you made us wait a bit longer."
If I AM late on an order that I had ample time to finish, I almost always call a manager and talk about giving them a cut. However, times like these, where the kiosk screws me? No dice. Management told me specifically as well, yet they can't call our techs to give us the almighty password to change the promise time setting.
After I say no and explain why, the husband scoffs and shakes his head at me. The other four are heading towards the door.
Something about how the woman grabbed the receipt, said nothing to me afterward and stomped out the front door told me that they weren't coming back.
Good.
Background (I haven't been here in awhile, it's a refresher): Photo lab, nights.
A middle-aged lady finishes putting in her order at one of our self-serve kiosks. I'm running a little behind because somebody had just dropped off an order of ten rolls of film before her and wanted them in an hour.
One big problem with our kiosks is that it does not work with my work queue. Basically, the kiosks don't know how busy I am or how many orders are stacked up and will still offer the pending order to be done right away. It's around 7pm, these cameras (which I'm just starting to process) will take up to about when I promised, 8pm.
The lady is done placing her kiosk order and walks up to the counter to ask if I'll be able to actually have them SOONER than what she selected. I walk over to the work queue and see that my trustworthy kiosk told her I would be able to have this order of 147 prints done in twenty five minutes. Well, I'm in the middle of running film and I wasn't going to stop now.
I explain nicely that the promise time she chose was unfortunately tentative and I would need a little more time than that.
She did a half ass frown and said that it was ok. She leaves and I think that's the last of it. So, I go back and continue to run film.
A few minutes later, she comes back and behind her are five male family members, I'm guessing three sons, the husband, and her father given the age and appearance of them. The husband walks up to my counter and speaks in that 'between the regular voice and a yell' tone.
"Hey!"
Me: "Hey. What's up?"
Him: "She (pointing to wife) told me that this is gonna take longer than the time on here." (he was holding the claim slip the kiosk printed)
Me: "Oh, yeah, I just took in a bunch of cameras and they are due right away, but her order will be started after this and it won't take much longer."
The woman sighs.
Him: "Well, exactly how long IS it going to take."
At this point, all of them are in the pose that I absolutely hate. Their arms are crossed and they're staring me down. Such the tough guy, he needs 5 other people to back him when talking to a guy who's half his age. The old guy (her father) is shaking his head after everything I say and the rat little bastard kids are staring at me as if I had a huge zit on my nose.
Me: "Since I only have two more cameras to go, it'll be able another twenty minutes.
Him: "Are you sure? You already weren't sure once."
Me: "The kiosk wasn't sure, sir. I am sure that it will take about twenty minutes."
So, I walk back to finish the rolls and process the kiosk order. The entire time, the family stared at me with their arms crossed. I wasn't intimidated, I went to the restroom once and went into the office to grab my Gatorade that I was drinking throughout the day. No matter where I went, their eyes followed and their heads turned. I thought about running circles to see if they would perform an Exorcist kind of thing.
Now, the order is done, and I'm thinking that I'll ring them up and they'll be out of here.
Woman: "Do we get a discount?"
Me: "For what?"
Woman: "Well, you made us wait a bit longer."
If I AM late on an order that I had ample time to finish, I almost always call a manager and talk about giving them a cut. However, times like these, where the kiosk screws me? No dice. Management told me specifically as well, yet they can't call our techs to give us the almighty password to change the promise time setting.
After I say no and explain why, the husband scoffs and shakes his head at me. The other four are heading towards the door.
Something about how the woman grabbed the receipt, said nothing to me afterward and stomped out the front door told me that they weren't coming back.
Good.
Those folks are just incredible. Did they honestly think you'd be frightened by them? Like you'd be scared that they're going to start trashing the place, or you, when there's a sizeable counter between you and them, and probably a quick way to contact the police as well. 
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