Call The Cop-pers!

I’ve been working at the returns counter at a large hardware store for a few months. A guy and his girlfriend come in to return a roll of copper wire.

Me: “Can I see your receipt?”

Customer: “We lost it.”

I scanned the item for the return, and it was only showing the price per foot. I couldn’t figure out how to get the SKU or the price for the whole roll. I call my manager.

Manager: *To me.* “Yeah, there’s no way these people bought a whole roll. Copper is expensive, and we get whole rolls stolen all the time. Let me talk to them.”

Manager: *To the customers.* “When did you buy this?”

Customer: “Two weeks ago.”

This is the most common response from customers who are trying to return a stolen item.

Manager: “Oh, really? Because the last time we sold an entire roll was over three months ago.”

Customer: *Pulling a customer tactic card.* “Oh, so you’re saying I stole it?!”

Manager: “Simply, yes.”

Customer: “Fine!”

The customer goes to pick up the roll.

Manager: “No, no, no. This stays.”

Customer: “You can’t do that! This is mine!”

Manager: “No, it’s not. This item matches a roll that was stolen last week.”

Customer: “I’m gonna call the cops!”

Manager: “And save me the effort? How kind of you to call them and confess.”

Customer: “Give me my f****** roll!”

Manager: “Let’s let the cops decide.”

The customer stands there weighing his options before realizing a situation with the cops would not end well for him, and he storms out.

Manager: *To me.* “This happens every couple of months or so. We still have a few rolls unaccounted for, so be alert. Also, you might get a call from the local scrap yards asking us to send the police over. Our copper has the company name stamped into it every ten feet, and we offer a reward to the scrap yards for turning in thieves.”

True to his word, this happened several more times during my tenure there before I quit retail.