Another tale from the returns desk

[Ree]

We had a guy returning an electric cable that's used to keep ice from building up on the roof.

It was just one of those things where the quality control was asleep at the wheel and allowed one to pass with an exposed wire.

OMG!!
You would think we had personally taken out our wire strippers and laid the wire bare just so we could sell it to him and set an evil trap to electrocute him.

He demanded a manager because he wanted to make sure it didn't go back on the shelf.
We keep a really close eye on defective stuff, and it gets tagged and taken to my desk immediately once it's been processed. (I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but the chances of actually reselling are pretty slim with that huge tag and everything. )

Then he started a rant about the fact that we were just very lucky he didn't have a lawyer or he would be contacting one.
He could have been badly hurt or killed, you know.

He's right. It could have happened, but it didn't, and even if it did, it would not be our fault. It would be the company who actually made the defective item. (Please - no discussions about whose liability would be involved. I'm venting about an unbearable ass who couldn't just come in and say, "Whoops, this one's a dud. Please exchange it. Thanks.")

It was such a relief when he finally left.
The silence was wonderful.

[Pixilated]

What, you mean you don't have enough staff to scrutinize each and every inch of each and every item on your shelves?

What's wrong with you people, anyway?

[Ironclad Alibi]

What's wrong with you people, anyway?

[]Someone didn't strip enough insulation off the wires.[/]

[emax4]

It's a little unorthodox, but it's a good thing he made sure the manager didn't put the same item back on the shelf for resale. I'm sure a handful of people here know how managers can be with their forgetfulness.

[Ree]

It's a little unorthodox, but it's a good thing he made sure the manager didn't put the same item back on the shelf for resale. I'm sure a handful of people here know how managers can be with their forgetfulness.

I'm not saying the guy was wrong to call a manager, but the cashier had already explained how we handle defective returns assured him that there was no way it was going back to the shelf.

This same guy returned another item a while back. I don't think there was anything wrong with it. He just wanted his money back.

He refused to sign the slip or give his name and address to the cashier.

He's an ass.

[Peppergirl]

"Me thinks thou doth protest too much"

It sounds to me like he was deliberately making a big show of it because he simply didn't want it. Instead of being a big boy and just admitting that, he felt the need for overblown theatrics. Asshole.

[tanzap82]

even if all items are checked, i can guarantee that the customer would want a new unopened item.

My mum works at a UK electrial chain and the number of times she gets customers wanting to inspect a boxed item to make sure its all there (fair enough) - and then when they buy the item, they want a new unopened boxed one!!Stupid customers

[Athaelia]

Wow! He was directing his, um, hostility at the wrong people! I feel sorry for and commend all of you that work at customer service, (and cashiers) because you certainly put up with more than your share of bull. I once was offered a promotion to customer service at the grocery store I worked at. It would have meant more hours and a raise, however, I knew my own personal limits and had to turn it down; I probably would have been fired. (My relatively short fuse would have gotten the best of me)

[Ree]

The sad fact is that the cashiers in our store are probably the lowest paid of the whole staff.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

It's a little unorthodox, but it's a good thing he made sure the manager didn't put the same item back on the shelf for resale. I'm sure a handful of people here know how managers can be with their forgetfulness.

At the swamp, we currently have a couple pre-lit Christmas trees sitting defective in the backroom. The lights didn't work or something.

So store manager got the idea we should get some snippers and cut the lights and their assorted wires off, and then re-sell the trees as-is to recoup some money instead of just writing them off.



For one thing, nobody's getting out the wire cutters and doing this, and nobody has time to, so by the time somebody actually gets to this all our Christmas stuff will be long gone.

For another thing, if the wires aren't cut off properly and the tree starts a fire or shocks somebody? We'd kind of be in deep shit.

If it were up to me, those trees would've been claimed out and sent back to the DC post haste. But it isn't, so they're not.

[EricKei]

Hrm. All of this assumes that the anti-icing wire this dude had was "messed up" before he actually purchased it...>_>

[draco664]

even if all items are checked, i can guarantee that the customer would want a new unopened item.

My mum works at a UK electrial chain and the number of times she gets customers wanting to inspect a boxed item to make sure its all there (fair enough) - and then when they buy the item, they want a new unopened boxed one!!Stupid customers

This is why the policy should be 1) buy item 2) check contents in store so that if any are missing they can be replaced. Not 2) then 1)

[wolfie]

At the swamp, we currently have a couple pre-lit Christmas trees sitting defective in the backroom. The lights didn't work or something.

So store manager got the idea we should get some snippers and cut the lights and their assorted wires off, and then re-sell the trees as-is to recoup some money instead of just writing them off.

For another thing, if the wires aren't cut off properly and the tree starts a fire or shocks somebody? We'd kind of be in deep shit.

If it were up to me, those trees would've been claimed out and sent back to the DC post haste. But it isn't, so they're not.

Couple points:

- Why not re-sell them as-is WITHOUT removing the lights?

- I believe cutting the lights and assorted wires off would include getting rid of the cord that plugs into the wall, eliminating the risk of an improperly cut wire starting a fire or shocking somebody, since there'd be no 120V power available to do that.

- Manager's suggested change would make the defective trees non-returnable to the DC, since they'd be modified.

[PepperElf]

He refused to sign the slip or give his name and address to the cashier.

Dunno about signatures but not giving the name and address = no return where I work.

we require seeing an id card. not sure if the managers ever override that one.

[sweetj82]

even if all items are checked, i can guarantee that the customer would want a new unopened item.

My mum works at a UK electrial chain and the number of times she gets customers wanting to inspect a boxed item to make sure its all there (fair enough) - and then when they buy the item, they want a new unopened boxed one!!Stupid customers

I hate that. We had a lady who opened up a laptop b/c she wanted to see it. The display wasnt good enough for her. Well after she opened it and turned it on she decided she wanted it. Guess what she wanted a unopened box. UGG