Framing A Christmas Disaster
(I work in custom framing. People bring their art to us and we help them design a frame, order it, and assemble it. Sometimes they will already have a frame they want to use and just need a mat to border the picture so it fits the frame. If we order it from the warehouse, it looks nicer but takes about a week and a half to come in without adding expedited shipping costs. For a limited selection of mats, we can cut it ourselves within a couple of days, but it’s not as nice. A few days before Christmas, this lady comes in.)
Me: “Hi! How can I help you?”
Customer: “I just need a mat for this. I mixed up the art pieces, so the mats are the wrong size. I don’t need anything fancy. You cut them here, right?”
Me: “Yes, we do! Now, did you need it by a certain time? Because these orders usually take a couple of days.”
Customer: “Well, you see, I’m putting together a frame for an elderly lady who lives in an assisted living home and her niece is coming to visit today so I’d need it as quick as possible. Also, I’m going to a Christmas program at three.”
(It’s almost two at this point.)
Me: “Hmm, well, as I said, it usually takes us a day or two, but let me go ask.”
(The frame shop manager is there, so I ask her about it. She tells me we’re not taking same-day orders because it’s the busiest time of the year and we have a lot of work to do before Christmas. I go back to the lady and tell her we can’t.)
Customer: “You mean you won’t just cut it? It takes, what, five minutes?”
Me: “It takes a lot more than that since it’s fairly technical. I won’t even attempt them because I’m still pretty new.”
Customer: “So, you can’t just take ten minutes and cut it?”
Me: *apologizes and repeats that we can’t take same-day orders*
Customer: *starts crying and says in an accusatory manner* “I guess she just won’t get anything for Christmas!” *leaves*
(Why do they wait until the day of to do this?)
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Have you ever served a bad customer who got what they deserved?
