Unfiltered Story #191498

I’m working at the front desk at an animal clinic, that also does boarding. During the slow afternoon hours, an older man comes through the door.
Me: “Good afternoon! How can I help you today?”
Man: “I’m here for Doodle”
Me: “Okay, let me pull up your file. It seems like you have a fecal cup to check for intestinal parasites you prepaid for three months ago, if you could just…..”
Man: -interrupts and starts yelling- “You see? This is the shit that I am tired about. All you guys do is upsell upsell upsell! Take this shit cup back, I’m not paying for it! I’m tired of coming in here during my very busy day to be sold things! I just want to pick up my dog! You pull this shit all the time when I drop off my dog, I’m too busy and rushed in the morning to be discussing what he needs done! I’m going to give you guys a 1 star on yelp!”
At this point I am shaking and unsure what to do. I learned later that he has a history of abusing the front desk employee whenever he picks up his dog because he’s too “busy” to say no to the vaccine updates and examinations his dog needs when he drops him off each time, so he just says “do whatever needs to be done” and then yells at us because we did it. He will also accuse us of “up selling” if the girlfriend tells us to do anything during Doodle’s stay.
Me: “I’m sorry that you feel that way, that was never our intention. We usually go over what needs to be done when animals are dropped off for boarding.”
Him:”I know that you do that! And it’s poor business practice, to be up selling constantly, it’s disgusting!”
Me: “Sir, I am practically a minimal-wage worker and you are yelling at me. I do not have control over our business practices since I am not the business manager. We make suggestions to better the health of Doodle, not anything else”
At this point, the technician who was in the back but couldn’t hear much of the conversation, comes to the front. He spends about 10 minutes berating her for “upselling at every opportunity” and saying “I’m a very busy man”. Meanwhile, I go downstairs to get Doodle and bring him to his owner. When I come back up the stairs, it’s just him sitting in the lobby and the technician has gone back to the back of the building.
Me: “Here’s Doodle!” As I walk to the computer to collect his bill, I notice he is leaving. “Sir, are you not going to pay your bill?!”
Man: “No, I’m leaving”
At this point, the technician and I run out the building after him and he’s practically at his car. I have my hand on my cell in case I need to call 911. While they are talking, he is cutting the technician off at every opportunity.
Tech: “Sir, you can’t leave without paying your bill! Services were provided and this is theft!”
Man: “I don’t have to pay you a dime, I’m sick and tired of your business practices! You’re all disgusting!”
Tech: “If you have grievances, then I can contact the veterinarian to speak with him, but until then I cannot let you leave with your dog unless you pay, as you signed on the paper when you dropped Doodle off”
Man: “I will not speak with him, I’m a busy man! You can’t take my dog! You have to be punished for what you did! My girlfriend doesn’t know how busy I am and I have to take time out of my day to pick up Doodle. And I don’t appreciate you all jumping on me when I drop of Doodle of everything he’s due for, you should be emailing me those things because I’m rushed in the morning!”
Now, this is something we can finally work with as we can certainly email him or call him before he comes in, but all he had to do was ask nicely.
Tech: “Let’s go inside and talk about this there. But you cannot leave without paying.”
Man: “You see? You aren’t listening to me!”
Tech: “Uhhh I hear you?”
Man: “FINALLLLLY YOU’RE LISTENING TO ME!”
We convince him to come back inside and pay his bill. We write a quick note on his history that employee’s should email or call him a list of recommendations days before he comes in and if the girlfriend tells us to do anything, we should also contact him to let him know. I learned later that he once argued with the front desk employee when he last dropped of Doodle because his girlfriend had called us to groom Doodle during his stay and that we were “upselling” to him. To no ones surprise, the girlfriend was pretty upset that Doodle wasn’t groomed when she picked him up.
All in all, if you’re upset about something, say nicely what you want changed or speak with the business owner, don’t just cowardly yell at a low-level employee about it.