Installation Defamation

(A customer purchases an item, leaves, and returns to ask if we can install the item for her. It’s not something we typically do, but the employee does as requested; he’s only been working here for five days. He installs the item perfectly within seconds only to find that the item has a sticky residue on it. He tries to remove it for about three minutes and upon realizing it isn’t happening, he asks me what to do now. I feel that the right thing to do is to refund the money for the product, deeming it defective, and then offer solutions where to get another and with him a good night.)

Customer: “So, how are you going to compensate me for my time?”

Me: “Did you ask him to install the product, or did he offer to do it for you?”

Customer: “I asked him.”

Me: “I can’t compensate you for your time; we, unfortunately, don’t do that. Also, we stood by the product by refunding your money, and he was doing you a favour.”

Customer: *very passive-aggressive* “You are a business and you should try to keep your customers! You are awful, your staff is awful, and you should train them better! And you shouldn’t get defensive!”

Me: “I’m not defending myself; I’m defending my staff. We are a business, which is why I can’t give things away for free. And also, this counter here doesn’t mean that you can stand there, berating me and my staff, and treat us like garbage.”

(I admit, probably not the best thing to say.)

Customer: *slightly stunned*

(The customer received my supervisor contact information from me. Since when has it become appropriate for a customer to demand a stipend for their time? And when has it become socially acceptable for a person to demand compensation for generosity? I suppose it’s true that no good deed goes unpunished.)