Sold A Hamster By A Dirty Rat

England, Pet Store, UK | Working | January 4, 2016

(My daughter’s hamster has died of old age. My daughter is still young, so we decide this time to tell her that her hamster is being looked after by the shop. The day before I see and reserve a hamster of the same colour. That morning we bring her to the shop to pick the new hamster up. Whilst my wife and daughter look at the pet toys I quickly pull a sales guy aside.)

Me: “Hey, we are here to pick up a hamster.”

Sales Guy: “Okay, sure, let me get a travel box for you.”

Me: “Just a sec. Look, my daughter’s hamster died. She is really upset about it and thinks this is her one. Can you please either play along? Her old hamster was called Ruby.”

Sales Guy: “Uh huh.”

(He disappears returning moments later with a box. My wife and daughter join us to pick up the new hamster.)

Sales Guy: “So, this is a Russian hamster, it needs [type] food and plenty of space. His name is Alan and he’s three months old.”

Daughter: *to me* “Why did the man call Ruby, Alan?”

Me: “Oh, I’m sure he is just mistaken. The hamster is called Ruby.” *glaring at the sales staff* “We know that, don’t we?”

Sales Guy: “Oh, yeah, sure.”

(We walk over to the till. The sales guy finishes the transaction.)

Sales Guy: *loudly to my daughter* “Look after Alan for us!”

(The whole way home our daughter starts to wonder why her hamster is being called Alan and why it looks different from the last time she saw her. She gets quite upset and confused. With no idea what to do, I return to the store after dropping them off. Luckily I see a staff member in a suit talking to the same sales guy.)

Me: “Excuse me? Are you a manager here?”

Manager: “Yes, I am; what seems to be the problem?”

(I explain the issue.)

Me: “It’s left my daughter very upset.”

Manager: *to the sales guy* “You come with me! And sir, could you join us, please?”

Me: “I– yeah, sure.”

(He led both of us to a back room, where he verbally laid into the sales guy. The manager was calm, fair but brutally honest. It turned out the sales worker’s attitude had been an on-going issue and he was now on his last warning. We visited the store to pick up some food later in the week. The manager recognised us and spent a while asking my daughter how Ruby was and how they looked after her for us.)

This story is part of our Hamsters Roundup!