Over twenty years ago, I worked as a sales associate in the kids’ department for a higher-end department store. My store manager was super cool to work for; however, my department sales manager was awful to work for.
[Regular] was one of my favorite customers. The first time I ever encountered her was when I was pregnant with my youngest child. [Regular] really took a liking to me, and I became her favorite salesperson. She always came to me for help.
Every Christmas, she would get several names off of the Angel Tree for the low-income kids, and she would purchase the items that were written on there that the kids needed, and she would also often buy clothing for different charity drives like coat drives.
[Regular] was an awesome lady, and she was such a delight to wait on. She would often ask about my kids and whether they needed anything
One day, [Regular] comes in right before Christmas, and she has the names of the Angel Tree kids she is shopping for. I spend about an hour helping her pick everything out. She’s gotten quite a few items for the kids on her list, and then she decides she wants to buy her four grandkids Christmas presents.
When she is finished, she has racked up quite a bit of merchandise. I start checking her out.
Regular: “I believe I’ve had too much coffee this morning; I need to go to the ladies’ room. Would it be okay if I just go ahead and run my credit card, and if you just print out the receipt, I sign it when I come back? And if you don’t mind, can you separate the merchandise by each child, so I don’t get them mixed up? I want to have them gift-wrapped while I’m in the store.”
Me: “Yes, that would be fine.”
She walks off to the restroom, which is on the other end of the store. I start separating the clothes out by the names on the Angel Tree cards, and another customer approaches me angrily.
Customer: “Did that lady just buy all that?”
Me: “Yes, she did.”
Customer: “Well, that’s wrong. She should not be allowed to buy that much stuff.”
Me: “I am sorry, ma’am, but our store doesn’t have limits on how much customers can purchase. Is there something I can help you find?”
Customer: “No! I want to purchase what that lady just purchased. I see some outfits that will fit my kids.”
Me: “I am sorry, but she has purchased all those items. I’m afraid that I cannot sell them to you. I can, however, help you look for something.”
Customer: “No! I want to look through the items that she just purchased. It is ridiculous that she was allowed to buy so many clothes.”
Me: “I am sorry, ma’am, but I cannot do that. She has already paid for it.”
Customer: “I’d like to speak to a manager.”
I call for a manager and I get [Sales Manager]. [Sales Manager] comes over and asks what the problem is. The customer tells him that the other customer bought too much stuff, that it’s not fair to her and her kids, and that now she wants to go through my other customer’s purchases.
I try to tell [Sales Manager] whose purchases they are, but he cuts me off.
Me: “[Sales Manager], that’s Mrs.—”
Sales Manager: “I don’t care whose purchases those are. And where is the customer, anyway? If she wanted her purchases, she would’ve taken them with her. Therefore, it’s still our property and I can sell it.”
Me: “[Sales Manager], you don’t understand who bought all that.”
Sales Manager: “Not another word from you. I will just let this customer pick out the items that she wants, and I will just refund whatever your customer bought onto a gift card and fix it later.”
As [Sales Manager] is going through all of [Regular]’s purchases and showing the other customer the clothing, I see [Regular] and [Store Manager] walking over to my register.
Regular: “What is going on here?”
[Sales Manager] turns white.
Sales Manager: “Oh, hi, Miss [Regular], how are you? Um, um, are… are these your purchases?”
Regular: “Yes, they are. Why are you showing another customer what I bought?”
[Sales Manager] laughs nervously.
Sales Manager: *Stammering* “Oh, well, um, this customer was interested in purchasing some of the items you bought, and I was just showing them to her.”
Regular: “Why would you do that? Are you trying to sell the items I already paid for?”
[Sales Manager] stands there and doesn’t speak.
Store Manager: *To [Customer]* “Are you trying to purchase these items? They have already been paid for by another customer, so therefore, I am unable to sell them to you.”
Customer: “Well, yes, I was. It’s not fair that she bought so much stuff.”
Store Manager: “Customers can buy as much as they want. Is there something we can help you find? I cannot sell these items to you as they have already been purchased.”
[Customer] got upset and just walked away.
[Store Manager] asked for [Sales Manager] and me to go to his office after I finished bagging [Regular]’s purchase.
I explained to [Store Manager] what had happened and how [Sales Manager] had tried to resell merchandise that had already been paid for to another customer. I also let him know that I’d tried to tell [Sales Manager] that it was [Customer]’s merchandise and he hadn’t wanted to hear it.
When it came time for [Sales Manager] to talk, he became nervous again and just tried to say that since [Regular] didn’t take the merchandise with her, that meant it was still the property of our store, which [Store Manager] shot down and told him that was not true.
[Sales Manager] was already on thin ice with management. Several customers had complained about his rudeness and unwillingness to help them. He also refused valid returns just because it would hurt his sales numbers, and he mistreated his employees. [Sales Manager] had been told to either shape up or ship out.
[Store Manager] told me I could go, but he wanted to talk to [Sales Manager] separately.
About fifteen minutes later, I saw [Sales Manager] being escorted out of the store; he had been fired for his mishap.
