Bad Customers Follow You From Store To Store

(The company I work for goes out of business. Fortunately, I am able to get a position in a department store in the same mall, then eventually am promoted to store manager. There is a lot of overlap in the customers. I’m walking the floor one afternoon, when a customer sees me and flags me over.)

Customer: “Hey, don’t you work at [Old Store]?”

Me: “Good eye! They closed about three years ago, and I’ve been working here ever since.”

Customer: “Oh, it’s such a shame they closed down; they had the nicest things.”

Me: “Yeah, I had some good times there, but I’m happy at [Department Store].”

Customer: “Oh, I had a pair of slacks from there I’ve been meaning to return.”

Me: “That’s a shame. The entire company closed about three years ago.”

Customer: “Well, where should I go to make a return?”

Me: “I’m afraid you can’t. Their whole company folded, so there’s nowhere to return them to.”

Customer: “Can’t I return them here?”

Me: “No, I’m afraid not.”

Customer: *getting upset* “But you used to work for [Old Store]; you should be able to do the return!”

Me: “Now I work for [Department Store], and we can’t take returns of merchandise from anywhere else.”

Customer: “But you used to work for [Old Store]!”

Me: “There’s really nothing I can do for you. If you’ll excuse me…”

(A few days later I get buzzed by a cashier.)

Cashier: “Hey, I have a woman here with a return, but it’s pants from [Old Store]? She said you said it was okay, and–“

Me: “No. I said no. Refuse the return.”

Cashier: “Okay, but didn’t you use to work for [Old Store]?”

Me: “Do not do a return for merchandise that is not ours. Do you understand?”

Cashier: “Okay… Jeez.”