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"But the sign doesn't say that...."
Hi, I've been a lurker for a while and thought the time had come to share a story of my own. I work in a store in the UK where every product costs the same, and you wouldn't believe the confusion this actually causes sometimes 
Bit of background then: The product in question was some washing-up liquid, and we sell 2 different-sized bottles of it. The smaller bottles are on a 3-for-2 offer, and the big ones have 50% extra free, so there isn't an offer on those. There's a sign underneath the smaller bottles saying they are 3-for-2 (with the volume of the bottle written on it), and no sign under the big bottles. We've been told by management to check that people know that certain things aren't on offer in order to avoid confusion. And so it begins....
Me - poor woman doing her boss a favour by working on my day off
SW - Stupid woman
SWM - Stupid woman's mother
(Bracketed text) - My thoughts
The woman and her mother come to my till with 3 big bottles of the washing-up liquid, so I tell them these aren't the bottles on 3-4-2, it's the smaller bottles. Naively, I thought they might say "oh ok" and leave it at that, or say they knew and that they still wanted all 3. Nope, these are typical SCs after all!
Me: You are aware that these bottles aren't 3-4-2, aren't you? It's the smaller bottles.
SW: The sign doesn't say that!
Me: (It does, you just haven't read it) It does, it states that the -insert volume here- bottles are 3-4-2, because they are smaller.
SW: The sign doesn't say that!
Me: (GAHHHHH) I can assure you that it does. Whereabouts did you see the sign (and I know JUST what you're going to say woman!)
SW: Well, under the small bottles....
Me: (Bingo!) Which means that the sign only applies to that product. There is no sign under the large bottles, because as you can see, they are 50% bigger so you are getting more for your money.
SW: But the sign doesn't say that!
Me:
(Jesus, Mary and Joseph) The reason the bottles are not on 3-4-2 is because they are bigger than the small bottles, I cannot change the prices, it isn't down to me, it's down to company policy.
SW: Well, look this bottle says 50% extra free, so that's why they're 3-4-2, because of the extra free bit! (WHATTTT!!!!! IT'S FREE FOR GOD'S SAKE WHY WOULD THERE BE AN OFFER ON IT?!)
Me: Madam, these bottles are not on 3-4-2, because they are BIGGER, therefore it would make no sense to put the smaller bottles on the same deal as the big bottles.
SW: But the sign doesn't say that!
Me: (Finally lost all patience with her) Look, I am sorry, but I can't change the prices, so do you want any of these bottles, and if so, how many do you want?
SW: Just 1 then.
Me: (Halle-bleeding-lujah) Right.
I rang up the rest of the transaction, her and her mother still muttering all the time, then her mother came out with this little gem:
SWM: They're charging you for the free bit! It's basically theft!
Me:
Have a nice day!
The customer who had had to wait in line while these women spouted off couldn't believe it either. I could understand if the sign had been misleading, but it wasn't, and logic wasn't an option for these two apparently. I heard them muttering all the way to the door
And can I just say, I admire each and every one of you for putting up with SCs day in and day out
Bit of background then: The product in question was some washing-up liquid, and we sell 2 different-sized bottles of it. The smaller bottles are on a 3-for-2 offer, and the big ones have 50% extra free, so there isn't an offer on those. There's a sign underneath the smaller bottles saying they are 3-for-2 (with the volume of the bottle written on it), and no sign under the big bottles. We've been told by management to check that people know that certain things aren't on offer in order to avoid confusion. And so it begins....
Me - poor woman doing her boss a favour by working on my day off
SW - Stupid woman
SWM - Stupid woman's mother
(Bracketed text) - My thoughts
The woman and her mother come to my till with 3 big bottles of the washing-up liquid, so I tell them these aren't the bottles on 3-4-2, it's the smaller bottles. Naively, I thought they might say "oh ok" and leave it at that, or say they knew and that they still wanted all 3. Nope, these are typical SCs after all!
Me: You are aware that these bottles aren't 3-4-2, aren't you? It's the smaller bottles.
SW: The sign doesn't say that!
Me: (It does, you just haven't read it) It does, it states that the -insert volume here- bottles are 3-4-2, because they are smaller.
SW: The sign doesn't say that!
Me: (GAHHHHH) I can assure you that it does. Whereabouts did you see the sign (and I know JUST what you're going to say woman!)
SW: Well, under the small bottles....
Me: (Bingo!) Which means that the sign only applies to that product. There is no sign under the large bottles, because as you can see, they are 50% bigger so you are getting more for your money.
SW: But the sign doesn't say that!
Me:
(Jesus, Mary and Joseph) The reason the bottles are not on 3-4-2 is because they are bigger than the small bottles, I cannot change the prices, it isn't down to me, it's down to company policy.SW: Well, look this bottle says 50% extra free, so that's why they're 3-4-2, because of the extra free bit! (WHATTTT!!!!! IT'S FREE FOR GOD'S SAKE WHY WOULD THERE BE AN OFFER ON IT?!)
Me: Madam, these bottles are not on 3-4-2, because they are BIGGER, therefore it would make no sense to put the smaller bottles on the same deal as the big bottles.
SW: But the sign doesn't say that!
Me: (Finally lost all patience with her) Look, I am sorry, but I can't change the prices, so do you want any of these bottles, and if so, how many do you want?
SW: Just 1 then.
Me: (Halle-bleeding-lujah) Right.
I rang up the rest of the transaction, her and her mother still muttering all the time, then her mother came out with this little gem:
SWM: They're charging you for the free bit! It's basically theft!
Me:
Have a nice day!The customer who had had to wait in line while these women spouted off couldn't believe it either. I could understand if the sign had been misleading, but it wasn't, and logic wasn't an option for these two apparently. I heard them muttering all the way to the door
And can I just say, I admire each and every one of you for putting up with SCs day in and day out
Crazy old bat...
!
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