Spending Is Not His Strong Suit

I work in a men’s clothing store known for huge discounts and sales. Our business took a huge hit with the work-from-home movement, so the savings now are tremendous to push through the extra inventory we are stuck with.

A guy and his wife come in on a Saturday evening to get a couple of suits as he put on some weight recently. He wants to know the price of the suits he selected.

Me: “The suits you have here are each $199.”

Customer: “No, no, no. How much are they on sale for?”

Me: “That’s the sale price. $199.”

Customer: “Well, how much can I get them for?”

Me: “Still $199.”

Customer: *Deep sigh* “Okay… When you look up my account and see how much I’ve spent here, how much will they be?”

Me: “Still $199. As the store manager, I cannot do better than that price as it has never been that low in the past year.”

Customer: “Okay… Whatever, I need them, so I guess let’s get them.”

We got up to the register and I asked for his phone number to look up his account. We tried his home, cell, and work number, and even his wife’s cell, but no account came up. Turns out it’s been about five years since he last shopped with us, so his account was automatically removed from the system. People frustrate me with throwing around how much they spend somewhere as a means of getting a better deal.