In An Entitled State
(Our wine tasting room also has a retail store. All purses we have are well over $230. It should be noted that our wine club membership gives a 10% discount on retail. A husband and wife come in, and go straight to the retail section without tasting any wines.)
Customer #1: “Just these items, thanks.”
(I start to ring up the items. The husband and wife start talking to each other about shipping the items, a single purse and a t-shirt with our logo on it.)
Me: “Oh, where are you guys visiting from? You would like these items shipped?”
Customer #2: “Montana. We don’t pay sales tax when shipping, right? We do not have sales tax in Montana.”
Me: “Yes, unfortunately, you do pay sales tax, since we are shipping it from here in California. I’m sorry about that.”
Customer #2: “That’s ridiculous! I have never paid the sales tax when shipping items from [This Town]. I won’t pay it.”
(The customer continues to berate me about paying sales tax. My manager hears this from her office and comes out to help.)
Manager: “Yes, I’m sorry, but you do have to pay the local sales tax. Unless you had something shipped from a warehouse or something from another place, you will always pay the local sales tax from where your purchased items are being shipped.”
Customer #2: *looking extremely confused* “But why?“
Manager: “I’m sorry, but that’s just the way it is.”
Customer #2: “Well, fine. Can you just discount it so we don’t have to pay the sales tax? We’re from Montana; we don’t pay sales tax.”
Manager: “Um, no, I’m sorry. We cannot discount it.”
Customer #2: “Well, do you have some sort of club that has discounts?”
Me: “Yes, our wine club has a 10% discount on re—”
Customer #2: “NO, NO, NO YOU’RE NOT LISTENING TO ME! Do you have a club with discounts?”
Me: “Yes, our club members get discounts on retail and wine.”
(The husband continues to interrupt me and finally decides to not purchase anything. His wife looks at me with a disgusted look on her face.)
Customer #1: “Ugh, hold these until tomorrow. I will think about it.”
(She leaves without giving me her name or number or any reference to hold the items.)
Me: *to my manager* “You’re spending over $300 on two items, yet you’re mad about some tax? Or cannot pack it on the plane? “
Manager: *speechless*
Question of the Week
Have you ever served a bad customer who got what they deserved?
