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There is nothing like working the returns counter for getting your daily dose of sucky customers. The following all happened when working the returns counter at Hardly Normal Computers. HNC gets a tech to check the item being return to make sure it is faulty. A had list of items that I could authorise for exchange without a manager. These were faulty items inside of the Dead on Arrival period, some cheap accessory items and certain brands of inkjet printers. I could also give authorisation on goods still sealed in the box except software. Anyway on to the tales.
SC: 1, Me: 0
It had been a bad day at the returns/tech bay area before the SC joined the queue. Our tech had made a lot of promises to people on New Year's Eve but had to leave town for a funeral. So on the day after New Year's Day I was dealing with people demanding to see the tech and refusing to believe me when I said he was away on family business. They would keep pushing until I told them that a close relative had died and they fault stupid. Then they would take it out on me.
SC women joined the queue with a printer that I could not authorise for return. It was not faulty but had been used. Once she had said the dreaded No she would not let me talk. Every time I tried to tell her that I needed a manager she would start talking over the top of me. I didn't want to be rude and just walk off but she pushed me until I turned to leave. Unfortunately I utter the phrase "I am not paid enough to put up with this shit!" load enough for her to hear it (and probably half the store). The look of glee on her face told me that she had scored the point. For whole purpose was to be a bitch until I gave her the return or made a mistake.
I got into trouble with the manager for swearing at the customer but didn't get a written warning. What got me is that local radio station the next day was talking about shit and they didn't get into trouble for swearing on air.
I learnt my lesson from this SC and afterwards also told people at the returns that I was not authorised to return the item. They would then stop harassing me and ask for a manager.
What part of No don't you understand?
A customer brings a cordless phone that is out of warranty and wants a refund.
Co-worker R: "No, it is out of warranty and we can't return it"
SC: "I want your manager"
R goes and gets tech bay manager
TBM: "No, it is out of warranty and we can't return it"
SC: "I want your manager"
TBM goes and gets the duty manager
DM: "No, it is out of warranty and we can't return it"
SC: "I want your manager"
Everyone goes and sees the store owner. SO listens to the customer and all the staff.
SO: "So let me get it straight. He said no", pointing at R, "then he said no", point at TBM, "and then he said no" point at the DM.
SO: "What part of no don't you understand. Why should I lose money for you?"
So the SC left with the threat of getting Consumer Affairs on to the store. I believe that they said no as well.
(Consumer Affairs has legal powers over stores to ensure they are following all the warranty laws etc).
Wrong Keyboard
What happens when you tell Windows that your laptop, made for the Australian market, has a UK keyboard? Well it results in faulty laptop that needs to be replace according to the customer. Luckily I was able to convince them that we use a US keyboard in Australia because we have dollars and not pounds for money. It is also a very quick fix but it happens a lot.
Oxygen Man
Oxygen man is old, on oxygen and uses a walking frame. We could always tell when he was coming to pay us a visit as he was loud enough to hear as soon as he entered the building (in the furniture store). About 10 minutes later he would make it to the returns/tech bay desk. He would only deal with the Tech, R or me. Tech didn't like dealing with him and would run away to a toilet break if he could. Oxygen Man also couldn't tell the difference between R and me, even though there is about a ten year age difference. Oxygen man was sucky because he would swear loudly and bring in trivial/stupid problems like getting help finding his desktop shortcuts after allowing the shortcut wizard to move them all.
One day he brought in an inkjet printer were belt for the print head had jumped of the cogs and wanted it fixed under warranty. These things don't just fall off and it looked like someone had manually moved the print head. When I told him that and it may not be covered under warranty he blamed his sister in law. What was funny was that she was standing behind him shaking her head and pointing at him. Luckily I didn't laugh but I was surprised when the warranty agent fixed it without charge.
SC: 0, Me: 1
Had a phone customer pull the talk over me stunt. This was after the first tale, so I was no aware of this tactic. So I would start to talk and she would talk over me. After about a minute of this I just went quiet but stayed on the line. After about 30 seconds of silence she asks "Are you still there?" but starts to talk over me again as soon as I reply. So I go silent again and wait. This didn't bother me as I was doing paperwork at the time and had no other customers. After about a minuter of silence I again get "Are you still there?" I answered with "Are you going to let me talk?" By this stage she had calmed down and was willing to let me help her solve the problem.
The cashier had observed the whole phone call and stunned that I got the customer turned around. He would have give up after the customer started talking over the top of him.
Don't upset the tech!
This happened towards the end of my stint at Hardley Normal were I was responsible for processing the returns. I wander down to the returns/tech bay desk to pick up more items for processing. On the phone is a customer to the HP support/returns line trying to get a return authorisation for a printer that has a replacement warranty (no authorisation required to return). The tech has been helping the customer and obviously put her onto the phone to call HP support. Customer is beginning to get upset with the HP support line.
Later I asked the tech why he put the customer onto the HP support line. Apparently she was a big enough bitch to make the very laid back tech get revenge by calling the HP support line. Even HP staff hate the HP support line and their line either sounded like your were talking down a tube or they had turned on the impossible to understand accent filter.
SC: 1, Me: 0
It had been a bad day at the returns/tech bay area before the SC joined the queue. Our tech had made a lot of promises to people on New Year's Eve but had to leave town for a funeral. So on the day after New Year's Day I was dealing with people demanding to see the tech and refusing to believe me when I said he was away on family business. They would keep pushing until I told them that a close relative had died and they fault stupid. Then they would take it out on me.
SC women joined the queue with a printer that I could not authorise for return. It was not faulty but had been used. Once she had said the dreaded No she would not let me talk. Every time I tried to tell her that I needed a manager she would start talking over the top of me. I didn't want to be rude and just walk off but she pushed me until I turned to leave. Unfortunately I utter the phrase "I am not paid enough to put up with this shit!" load enough for her to hear it (and probably half the store). The look of glee on her face told me that she had scored the point. For whole purpose was to be a bitch until I gave her the return or made a mistake.
I got into trouble with the manager for swearing at the customer but didn't get a written warning. What got me is that local radio station the next day was talking about shit and they didn't get into trouble for swearing on air.
I learnt my lesson from this SC and afterwards also told people at the returns that I was not authorised to return the item. They would then stop harassing me and ask for a manager.
What part of No don't you understand?
A customer brings a cordless phone that is out of warranty and wants a refund.
Co-worker R: "No, it is out of warranty and we can't return it"
SC: "I want your manager"
R goes and gets tech bay manager
TBM: "No, it is out of warranty and we can't return it"
SC: "I want your manager"
TBM goes and gets the duty manager
DM: "No, it is out of warranty and we can't return it"
SC: "I want your manager"
Everyone goes and sees the store owner. SO listens to the customer and all the staff.
SO: "So let me get it straight. He said no", pointing at R, "then he said no", point at TBM, "and then he said no" point at the DM.
SO: "What part of no don't you understand. Why should I lose money for you?"
So the SC left with the threat of getting Consumer Affairs on to the store. I believe that they said no as well.
(Consumer Affairs has legal powers over stores to ensure they are following all the warranty laws etc).
Wrong Keyboard
What happens when you tell Windows that your laptop, made for the Australian market, has a UK keyboard? Well it results in faulty laptop that needs to be replace according to the customer. Luckily I was able to convince them that we use a US keyboard in Australia because we have dollars and not pounds for money. It is also a very quick fix but it happens a lot.
Oxygen Man
Oxygen man is old, on oxygen and uses a walking frame. We could always tell when he was coming to pay us a visit as he was loud enough to hear as soon as he entered the building (in the furniture store). About 10 minutes later he would make it to the returns/tech bay desk. He would only deal with the Tech, R or me. Tech didn't like dealing with him and would run away to a toilet break if he could. Oxygen Man also couldn't tell the difference between R and me, even though there is about a ten year age difference. Oxygen man was sucky because he would swear loudly and bring in trivial/stupid problems like getting help finding his desktop shortcuts after allowing the shortcut wizard to move them all.
One day he brought in an inkjet printer were belt for the print head had jumped of the cogs and wanted it fixed under warranty. These things don't just fall off and it looked like someone had manually moved the print head. When I told him that and it may not be covered under warranty he blamed his sister in law. What was funny was that she was standing behind him shaking her head and pointing at him. Luckily I didn't laugh but I was surprised when the warranty agent fixed it without charge.
SC: 0, Me: 1
Had a phone customer pull the talk over me stunt. This was after the first tale, so I was no aware of this tactic. So I would start to talk and she would talk over me. After about a minute of this I just went quiet but stayed on the line. After about 30 seconds of silence she asks "Are you still there?" but starts to talk over me again as soon as I reply. So I go silent again and wait. This didn't bother me as I was doing paperwork at the time and had no other customers. After about a minuter of silence I again get "Are you still there?" I answered with "Are you going to let me talk?" By this stage she had calmed down and was willing to let me help her solve the problem.
The cashier had observed the whole phone call and stunned that I got the customer turned around. He would have give up after the customer started talking over the top of him.
Don't upset the tech!
This happened towards the end of my stint at Hardley Normal were I was responsible for processing the returns. I wander down to the returns/tech bay desk to pick up more items for processing. On the phone is a customer to the HP support/returns line trying to get a return authorisation for a printer that has a replacement warranty (no authorisation required to return). The tech has been helping the customer and obviously put her onto the phone to call HP support. Customer is beginning to get upset with the HP support line.
Later I asked the tech why he put the customer onto the HP support line. Apparently she was a big enough bitch to make the very laid back tech get revenge by calling the HP support line. Even HP staff hate the HP support line and their line either sounded like your were talking down a tube or they had turned on the impossible to understand accent filter.
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