Halloween: The Return

(I am sixteen, and I work at one of those seasonal, pop-up Halloween stores. Late in October we aren’t allowed to accept any returns, due to the store closing soon.)

Customer: “Hi, I’m making a return.”

Me: “Sorry, ma’am, but we’re not allowed to do any right now.”

Customer: “Well, I need to return this, so I am.”

Me: “Again, I’m sorry, but I’m not allowed to take any returns. The store is closing soon, anyway; it’s our policy.”

Customer: “Well, I AM.”

(We go back and forth like this for several minutes, holding up the line of customers forming behind her. She counters every argument with, “Well, I AM.”)

Me: “Let me get my manager.”

(My manager then comes and tells her the same thing, that since the store is closing in two weeks we’re not allowed to take back any previous purchases unless they are from the past three days, which hers is not.)

Customer: “Well, no one told me!” *she leaves in a huff*

(Did she expect us to call every customer who’d ever made a purchase there to remind them of the giant sign we had in the window that said, “NO RETURNS PAST [DATE]”? I hope her $4 bottle of fake blood was worth all the trouble. She also came in a few days later, since her daughter wanted something. She kept her head down the whole time and wouldn’t make eye contact with me.)