Bad Customers Emerging

(I work in a well-known office supply store. Recently, we were supposed to have a big merger happen between us and our competitor, but it got shut down. All the workers knew it, but the customers didn’t exactly get the memo. At least, so I thought. A woman and her son walk up to the register with their items.)

Me: “Hi! How ya doin’? Get everything you need?”

Customer: “Yes, I did. If you don’t mind, I’d like to use these coupons.”

Me: “Sure! That shouldn’t be a problem!”

(I look down at the coupons and see that they’re from our competitors, the ones where the merger got rejected.)

Me: “Ma’am, you do realize that this is [Company], not [Competitor]?”

Customer: “Whatever happened to that merger?”

Me: “It got rejected.”

Customer: “That’s not the way I heard it; I read on the Internet it was a success! Now, if you don’t mind, I’d really appreciate it if you’d use the coupons. I’m too tight on money to pay full price.”

Me: “Ma’am, I can’t use these coupons here. If you have a lower price to show me on, let’s say, your smartphone, then I’ll be happy to price match it.”

Customer: “I don’t have time for that; just use the coupons!”

Me: “Ma’am, as I said before, I cannot use these. The merger didn’t happen, and we are both still separate companies.”

Customer: “Haven’t you ever heard of ‘good customer service’?”

Me: “Yes, I have, and I’ve also heard about the art of ripping companies off. I’ll say it one last time: you can pay full price for the items, or leave now and use those coupons at [Competitor], since you’re so set on using them.”

(The customer reluctantly paid full price for the items and left the store with her son. The last thing I heard her say to him while walking out was something about not coming back to an establishment that gave her “poor service” as I did. All I have to say is, policy is policy. Take it or leave it.)