Today we got threatened with the police, the FTC, and the BBB.

notlovinit · #1 01-22-2012, 07:27 PM

I'm not sure if I should put this here or in sightings, since it was at my work, but I didn't directly deal with it. Although the SC did try to drag me into at one point.

So first this "lady" comes in with a receipt for 20 dollars worth of food and talks to manager J. Her story changed three times. First, she paid and she didn't get ANY of her food. Then she got some of it, but not all of it. Finally, her story was that she didn't order that much food, but that we charged her for it. Also, all her food was gross, but she ate it anyway and didn't bring any back.

She screams at J for a long time about this. I don't know all of what was said. J agrees to give her a refund for part of it, as that is what the lady said she wanted. The lady says, "You don't want me boyfriend to have to come in here!" and J replies, "Ma'am, I'm doing your refund." and the lady says, "Oh." and then leaves.

The boyfriend then storms in without the lady and screams at J. I again didn't hear the whole thing, but I know he threatened to call the FTC and the BBB on us if we didn't refund the ENTIRE transaction. J says she will call the store manager and ask, because none of us are allowed to do a refund that high without approval. The store manager says ok to do the refund.

During the time that she is calling, I went up front not knowing what was going on. I didn't look at him or anything. I was just grabbing something I needed, but I heard him ask me if I was going to get off my ass and do his refund. I pretended not to hear him and walked away. Then I went to the back and watched the cameras to see what happened next.

J goes up and starts to say, "Ok, I called the store manager and -", but the guy interrupts her and says he doesn't want to hear her bullshit and to just do her job and give him a refund. J says, "Sir, I'm trying to tell you that is what I'm going to do." He again says, "I don't want to hear your bullshit!!! Do I have to call the cops?" She gives up trying to talk to him and just starts doing the refund and during this he tells her that he is going to call our 1800 number to complain regardless of whether or not we give him a refund, but he's not leaving without a refund.

I'm still not sure what he thought the cops were going to do. It was a civil matter. They won't even come out for a civil matter. The only criminal act going on was the dirorderly conduct the guy was exhibiting. We actually could have called the cops on HIM and he's the one that would have been charged, not us. But whatever. The company I work for is spineless and caves to everything.

eltf177 · #2 01-22-2012, 07:31 PM

His threatening you is a criminal manner, I would have called the cops myself!

Bright_Star · #3 01-22-2012, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Quoth eltf177

His threatening you is a criminal manner, I would have called the cops myself!

And me too!!

emax4 · #4 01-22-2012, 08:55 PM

I think after his constant interruptions I would have said, "look, if you interrupt me one more time while I'm doing what you requested, I won't do ANYTHING for you! You're not a customer, but SHE is." Put the ball in HIS court, see how he behaves. Chances are he won't, he'll get steamed some more and talk out of his butt, and then the cops would be called, most likely by a patron.

Calvin St.Hobbes · #5 01-22-2012, 09:51 PM

At the point the boyfriend came in I'd have shut down the whole program by telling them that they'd have to come back and deal with the main manager himself and they would be leaving without a goddamn thing.
The police would be involved if we had to call them to escort them out of the building...

MoonCat · #6 01-23-2012, 01:54 AM

Empty threats, mostly, except for calling corporate. The FTC and the BBB aren't going to send people to your store to make you give them a refund. Even the cops won't get involved with the refund. Wonder what the bigmouth BF would have done if your manager had picked up the phone and called the police? "Sir, I'm doing what you requested--calling the cops."

LillFilly · #7 01-23-2012, 01:58 AM

Well, we know that they'll be back for more $ now that they know they can get away with it at your store. Once they started threatening I would have refused to deal with them; say you'll have to refer them to the company's lawyers now.

Arcus · #8 01-23-2012, 02:45 AM

I wonder if people like this even know that the BBB has no real power to force a refund. It's little more than a ratings system that we have to pay to be a part of. On top of that, a business can pay for a higher membership that bumps their rating up (it's the only way to get the top rating.)

BeenThereDoneThat · #9 01-24-2012, 05:39 AM

God, I hate people like that...they won't shut up long enough to hear that you're doing what they want; either that or they still bitch at you because they still think they are entitled to abuse you some more. I'd have been inclined to encourage him to call the cops, myself...he probably wouldn't have because he'd know they would just tell him to STFU and go away, but if he did happen to call I'm sure you'd have more than enough evidence to show who was harming the community more...the store or him.

Dips · #10 01-27-2012, 11:36 AM

Some guy who wasn't even a customer (just her boyfriend) walks in and demands you hand over money or else he'll follow through with a bunch of threats? Hate to say it but that was uncomfortably close to a robbery.