Ballooning Demands, Part 2

(Our store closes at 7 pm on weeknights, so we lock our doors at 6:55. A customer bangs at the door at 6:58 with the promise that she needs just one thing. I let her in and tell her we’re closing the registers in two minutes. Two minutes pass and she’s not at the register.)

Me: “Ma’am, you told me that you only needed one thing when you came in here. It’s seven and we have to shut our registers down.”

Customer: “I know, but I forgot I also need…” *lists off a dozen items*

Me: “There’s no way you’re going to have time to get all of that. If you want, we can gather this for you and bag it, then you can pick it up in the morning and pay.”

Customer: “NO! It needs to be tonight! It’s an emergency.”

Me: *sighs and realizes she’s going to be a problem* “I’ll ask one of the registers to stay open five more minutes, and then we have to shut down.”

(Luckily, the customer is up there in three minutes with her arms full. My co-worker is checking her out when the woman says she needs to put in a balloon order for her son’s first birthday party. I hurry and grab a slip of paper to fill out with the information.)

Customer: “Do you have any specials on your balloons?”

Me: “No. We stopped doing specials on them months ago because of the helium shortage. We do offer balloons at a cheaper price if you buy 20 or more.”

Customer: “Well, I don’t really need 20. Can you do the order in multiple colors?”

Me: “We can do them in as many as you like.”

Customer: “I want them to match the theme of the party.”

(She starts naming colors, which I write down, but she can’t decide on the blue. I go grab four different blue balloon colors.)

Customer: “Give me the aqua, no powder blue. No, island is better. No, I’ll just go with aqua. Can I have just twelve balloons at the cheaper price?”

Me: “I’m afraid we can’t do that. It’s in the system at a set price and I don’t have the authority.”

Customer: “I just don’t need 20. I guess I’ll get 20, though.”

Coworker: “I’m glad we could help you with your son’s first birthday. That’ll be [high amount].”

(The customer hands over her card and it’s declined.)

Customer: “Ugh, I know there’s money on that card. It just won’t go through because my check is still pending. Can you stay open just a little longer so I can run to the ATM and withdraw some money?”

Me: “We can’t. We should have already closed over 10 minutes ago. As I suggested before, why don’t we bag this up and you can come for this in the morning when you come to get your balloons?

Customer: “I guess so. Are you sure you can’t let me run to the ATM?”

Me: “I’m positive, ma’am.”

(I help to write her name and information on one of the bags, staple it shut and put it behind the main counter.)

Customer: *as she’s walking out* “Oh, do me a favor? I don’t know if I want those balloons. Will you make sure they don’t fill them until I call?”

Me: “… Yes, ma’am.”

Coworker: *after the customer has left* “So we just wasted 15 minutes for her to walk out empty handed and she’s probably going to call and cancel that balloon order tomorrow.”

Me: “Yep.”