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So, until this July when I was mercifully able to quit, I worked at a store that sells pets and supplies for them and has a logo with a red dog and blue cat. It was mostly not as awful as I imagine department stores or fast food would be, but there were some real winners among our customers.
One winter evening I was working on facing the store and training a new cashier on the register. A young man, probably in his early to mid-twenties, walked into the store. I didn't have much to do, so I was watching as he went to the reptile habitat and another associate helped him hold our Red Tailed Boa, Rosie. She was a real sweetheart, so while his back was turned I quizzed the employee who had helped him about whether he was a worthy home for Rosie. She said he seemed new to reptiles but willing to learn and sounded like he would take care of her. Rosie had been waiting a while for a home due to her large anticipated size at adulthood and her high price- around $150.00. I was thrilled to know she would be going home with a generous fellow who would spare no expense in caring for her!
The young man tooled his way around the store loading up his cart with everything he would need to take great care of Rosie. He finally made his way up to the register, where our brand new cashier was waiting. She typed in the SKU off the live animal purchase card, and then called me for help.
NC: New Cashier
Me: Innocent Bystander
SC: Uh... yeah.
NC: Help! I don't think this SKU is right. The snake is ringing up as a hawkfish.
Me: Oh, I see what happened. The other girl wrote the numbers down from the top line instead of the middle line that's in bold. It's not even the SKU- at least I don't think so- I've never tried using those numbers before.
I go and get the real SKU. It still rings up as a hawkfish. We call the manager over, who was a super-cool ex-cop- so I shall abbreviate her as ECM, for ex-cop manager.
ECM: Okay, sir, I think I see the problem. The right tag with the accurate SKU must have been removed when we took a sale tag down, and for some reason this SKU was left behind. We don't even carry hawkfish, so I don't know how that could have happened, but I'll just go look up the correct SKU. One moment.
SC: Uh, okay.
ECM retreats to the back room and returns with the correct SKU for a Red Tailed Boa and enters it, apologizing for the inconvenience. ECM then returns to other duties, leaving me and NC to finish the sale.
SC: Wait a second! A moment ago it was $35.00, and now it's $150.00?
NC: My manager just corrected the wrong SKU. Now you're seeing the correct price.
SC: No, hold on, I want it for the same price. It's okay that she fixed the numbers, but that's the price it showed and that's the price I want.
Me: Excuse me, but I know that the price posted on the snake's tank was correct. It was only the SKU that was incorrect, and we've just fixed the error. The snake is still the same price that you saw when you agreed to buy her and that was written on her purchase card.
SC: No, it came up for $35.00 and I want it for that price!
Me: I'm sorry, but I can't sell a snake as a fish that we don't even carry.
SC: Yes, you can! I want to talk to your manager.
I call ECM back to talk to the customer.
ECM: What can I help you with?
SC: They're trying to make me pay $150.00 when that snake rang up for $35.00!
ECM: Yes, as I said, the SKU was incorrect on the slip. I've fixed it and now it's ringing up for the advertised price.
SC: This is false advertising! You're not going to honor your OWN price?
ECM: The $35.00 price was for a fish. This is a snake, and all we're asking is that you pay the price the tage on her cage said.
SC: Hey, as far as I know and as far as that computer knows, what I have in this box is a goddamned hawkfish, and that's what I want the receipt to say, got it? It rang up for $35.00, and that's all I'm paying!
ECM: I'm sorry, but we don't even carry hawkfish. Even if I wanted to try to deceive the computer system by re-entering the wrong SKU, Corporate would catch the error. I will not put my job here in jeopardy.
SC: What about the customer is always right? I want that snake for $35.00! I know you have the authority to change the price, just change the price! I'm a businessperson too, you can't fool me, I know you can change it!
ECM: I am authorized to offer you up to a 20% discount on an item. I will offer you 20% off the snake for the inconvenience, but the computer physically will not allow me to change the price more than 20%.
SC: That's bullshit! I know you can do it, and I'm going to call your Corporate headquarters and have you fired for not taking care of my concerns!
At this point, ECM demonstrated that the computer would not let her change the snake's price to $35.00 and that she got an error message saying that the discount was over the limit.
SC: Okay, fine, I'll take 30% off the entire transaction instead.
ECM: I'm sorry, but I'm not authorized to give discounts of more than 20%. I just showed you that.
SC: That was for changing the price! I want 30% off everything or I'm walking out. You're going to lose a $300.00 transaction over not wanting to give me a few dollars off?
ECM: I'm sorry you've been inconvenienced, but I really cannot offer you any more than 20% off the snake only. The price was advertised as $150.00 on the habitat, and I'm offering you 20% off that at my discretion. I do not have to offer you any discount.
SC: You're really going to lose a customer over this? It's just a few bucks! I own a business and I wouldn't lose a $300.00 customer over this! It was YOUR mistake and I want that snake for $35.00 or I am walking out right now and I will make sure all three of you lose your jobs for this!
ECM: You are welcome to call the hotline with any concerns you have. Here is the number (hands over card). Right now, I need to release fish that I have floating in the aquatics department, so I need you to make a decision.
SC: Hey, listen, I want that goddamn snake for the price it rang up at, or I will never shop here again!
ECM: I've told you several times. I can't give you anything besides a 20% discount on the snake. Please decide, or I will have to ask you to leave the store so that we can finish closing. It is now five minutes past closing time.
SC: Hey, this is your last chance! I will NEVER buy a single thing here ever again, and I'll go to a store that CARES about their customers, if you don't give me that snake for the price I want it for.
ECM: That's your right.
SC: I cannot afford to pay $150.00 for an item that was supposed to be $35.00! I can't afford this! I'm not a millionaire!
ECM: I'm sorry, but that was the price you were ready to pay until you saw the error, and I can't change it.
SC: FINE! I'm leaving and I will never step foot in your store again, and I will make SURE you all hear about this from the VERY TOP!
SC then stomps out. I follow him and watch him drive away in, yes, a BRAND NEW AUDI. With temp plates still on. Not a cheap Audi, either- top of the line.
....Can't afford $150?
I returned the amazing snakehawkfish to her enclosure, and about a week later she was purchased by a nice family with two children who loved snakes.
One winter evening I was working on facing the store and training a new cashier on the register. A young man, probably in his early to mid-twenties, walked into the store. I didn't have much to do, so I was watching as he went to the reptile habitat and another associate helped him hold our Red Tailed Boa, Rosie. She was a real sweetheart, so while his back was turned I quizzed the employee who had helped him about whether he was a worthy home for Rosie. She said he seemed new to reptiles but willing to learn and sounded like he would take care of her. Rosie had been waiting a while for a home due to her large anticipated size at adulthood and her high price- around $150.00. I was thrilled to know she would be going home with a generous fellow who would spare no expense in caring for her!
The young man tooled his way around the store loading up his cart with everything he would need to take great care of Rosie. He finally made his way up to the register, where our brand new cashier was waiting. She typed in the SKU off the live animal purchase card, and then called me for help.
NC: New Cashier
Me: Innocent Bystander
SC: Uh... yeah.
NC: Help! I don't think this SKU is right. The snake is ringing up as a hawkfish.
Me: Oh, I see what happened. The other girl wrote the numbers down from the top line instead of the middle line that's in bold. It's not even the SKU- at least I don't think so- I've never tried using those numbers before.
I go and get the real SKU. It still rings up as a hawkfish. We call the manager over, who was a super-cool ex-cop- so I shall abbreviate her as ECM, for ex-cop manager.
ECM: Okay, sir, I think I see the problem. The right tag with the accurate SKU must have been removed when we took a sale tag down, and for some reason this SKU was left behind. We don't even carry hawkfish, so I don't know how that could have happened, but I'll just go look up the correct SKU. One moment.
SC: Uh, okay.
ECM retreats to the back room and returns with the correct SKU for a Red Tailed Boa and enters it, apologizing for the inconvenience. ECM then returns to other duties, leaving me and NC to finish the sale.
SC: Wait a second! A moment ago it was $35.00, and now it's $150.00?
NC: My manager just corrected the wrong SKU. Now you're seeing the correct price.
SC: No, hold on, I want it for the same price. It's okay that she fixed the numbers, but that's the price it showed and that's the price I want.
Me: Excuse me, but I know that the price posted on the snake's tank was correct. It was only the SKU that was incorrect, and we've just fixed the error. The snake is still the same price that you saw when you agreed to buy her and that was written on her purchase card.
SC: No, it came up for $35.00 and I want it for that price!
Me: I'm sorry, but I can't sell a snake as a fish that we don't even carry.
SC: Yes, you can! I want to talk to your manager.
I call ECM back to talk to the customer.
ECM: What can I help you with?
SC: They're trying to make me pay $150.00 when that snake rang up for $35.00!
ECM: Yes, as I said, the SKU was incorrect on the slip. I've fixed it and now it's ringing up for the advertised price.
SC: This is false advertising! You're not going to honor your OWN price?
ECM: The $35.00 price was for a fish. This is a snake, and all we're asking is that you pay the price the tage on her cage said.
SC: Hey, as far as I know and as far as that computer knows, what I have in this box is a goddamned hawkfish, and that's what I want the receipt to say, got it? It rang up for $35.00, and that's all I'm paying!
ECM: I'm sorry, but we don't even carry hawkfish. Even if I wanted to try to deceive the computer system by re-entering the wrong SKU, Corporate would catch the error. I will not put my job here in jeopardy.
SC: What about the customer is always right? I want that snake for $35.00! I know you have the authority to change the price, just change the price! I'm a businessperson too, you can't fool me, I know you can change it!
ECM: I am authorized to offer you up to a 20% discount on an item. I will offer you 20% off the snake for the inconvenience, but the computer physically will not allow me to change the price more than 20%.
SC: That's bullshit! I know you can do it, and I'm going to call your Corporate headquarters and have you fired for not taking care of my concerns!
At this point, ECM demonstrated that the computer would not let her change the snake's price to $35.00 and that she got an error message saying that the discount was over the limit.
SC: Okay, fine, I'll take 30% off the entire transaction instead.
ECM: I'm sorry, but I'm not authorized to give discounts of more than 20%. I just showed you that.
SC: That was for changing the price! I want 30% off everything or I'm walking out. You're going to lose a $300.00 transaction over not wanting to give me a few dollars off?
ECM: I'm sorry you've been inconvenienced, but I really cannot offer you any more than 20% off the snake only. The price was advertised as $150.00 on the habitat, and I'm offering you 20% off that at my discretion. I do not have to offer you any discount.
SC: You're really going to lose a customer over this? It's just a few bucks! I own a business and I wouldn't lose a $300.00 customer over this! It was YOUR mistake and I want that snake for $35.00 or I am walking out right now and I will make sure all three of you lose your jobs for this!
ECM: You are welcome to call the hotline with any concerns you have. Here is the number (hands over card). Right now, I need to release fish that I have floating in the aquatics department, so I need you to make a decision.
SC: Hey, listen, I want that goddamn snake for the price it rang up at, or I will never shop here again!
ECM: I've told you several times. I can't give you anything besides a 20% discount on the snake. Please decide, or I will have to ask you to leave the store so that we can finish closing. It is now five minutes past closing time.
SC: Hey, this is your last chance! I will NEVER buy a single thing here ever again, and I'll go to a store that CARES about their customers, if you don't give me that snake for the price I want it for.
ECM: That's your right.
SC: I cannot afford to pay $150.00 for an item that was supposed to be $35.00! I can't afford this! I'm not a millionaire!
ECM: I'm sorry, but that was the price you were ready to pay until you saw the error, and I can't change it.
SC: FINE! I'm leaving and I will never step foot in your store again, and I will make SURE you all hear about this from the VERY TOP!
SC then stomps out. I follow him and watch him drive away in, yes, a BRAND NEW AUDI. With temp plates still on. Not a cheap Audi, either- top of the line.
....Can't afford $150?
I returned the amazing snakehawkfish to her enclosure, and about a week later she was purchased by a nice family with two children who loved snakes.
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