(I am a male, waiting for my boyfriend at a book shop, and use the time to strike up a conversation with two other patrons. At some point in the conversation, we mock Justin Bieber, and one of them calls him ‘gay.’)
Me: “You do realise I’m here waiting for my boyfriend, right?”
(They laugh nervously in embarrassment. I decide to alleviate the tension.)
Me: “And Justin Bieber is not gay! He’s dating Selena Gomez. If anything, he’s a lesbian.”
(I am helping a customer with a return. Due to past misuses of the system, our registers are set to only do returns in the original payment method, or as a store gift card.)
Me: “Alright, ma’am, this was done as debit. I can either put it on a gift card, or back onto the same card, if you have it on you.”
Customer: “What? Debit’s the same as cash! Why can’t I get cash?”
Me: “I apologize, but that’s our policy. We can only do it in the method it was originally done, or store credit.”
Customer: “Well that’s just wrong. Debit is the same as cash! Everywhere!”
Me: “I understand, and I am sorry, but these are the only options I’m allowed.”
Customer: *handing me her card* “Well fine, put it back on the card.”
Me: *as I slide the card* “It may take one or two business days to show back up. Here’s your copy of the return, and I hope you have a nice day.”
Customer: *reading her return receipt* “Hey! It says credit on here! I paid debit!”
Me: “Yes, ma’am. The system has to credit it back to your card. It looks a little weird, but the money is going back.”
Customer: “If I use credit, I’ll be fined! My card doesn’t do credit! That first receipt said debit!”
Me: “Yes, the original purchase is definitely debit. Ma’am, it’s not charging your card; it’s crediting money back. I don’t know your particular bank, but there’s never been an issue—”
Customer: “What is your name? If there’s a problem, I want to know. And give me that original receipt back. It says debit.”
Me: “I’m [Name]. Give me just a second to copy some info off this receipt onto the return, and you’ll have it right back.”
(At this point, the customer is fed up, and leaves without waiting for her original receipt. I staple it to the return, and turn to help the next customer. Several days later, the same customer approaches me.)
Customer: “Hi. I was in here a couple of days ago, and you were helping me with a return. I… just wanted to apologize for the way I treated you. I was having a bad day, and I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”
Me: “Oh! Thank you! I take it the return processed as it should?”
Customer: “Yes. But even if it hadn’t, there’s no excuse for the way I was acting.”
Me: “Well, thank you. Everyone has a bad day now and then.”
(Her making a point to return and say sorry was such a pleasant surprise; it improved the whole rest of my shift.)
Related:
To Give Credit Where Debit Is Due, Part 3
To Give Credit Where Debit Is Due, Part 2
To Give Credit Where Debit Is Due
(The bookstore I work in is in a mall, close to a grocery store. I work in the kids section, in the back. I’m working on my knees, placing some products, when I overhear a conversation between a mother and her kid.)
Mother: *to her kid* “You stay here; I’ll be back later.”
Me: “Excuse me? You can’t leave your kid here.”
Mother: “Why? I have to do my groceries.”
Me: “That doesn’t matter; kids can’t be left unattended.”
(The mother huffs and leaves with her kid directly out of the store. A few minutes later, my coworker approaches me.)
Coworker: “Why did that woman tell her kid you were a big meanie?”
(During my first year of college, I am pretty much broke, and wear whatever I can get for cheap. I’m wearing a t-shirt advertising a brand of Kosher franks. I walk up to the register to check out.)
Clerk: *eying me suspiciously* “Are you… from around here?”
Me: “I just moved here for college, but I’ve lived in—”
Clerk: “Your shirt says you’re a Hebrew national.”
Me: “Only if I’m a hot dog…”
Clerk: *blank look*
(As the manager of a large bookstore, part of my job is to call customers who have written bad checks to arrange payment. I call one such customer. I identify myself and verify that I am speaking to the check-writer.)
Me: “I’m calling in regard to a check you wrote for $534 on [date]. It has been returned for insufficient funds, so we’ll need you to come by—”
Customer: “Oh my God! I can’t believe you’re calling me about this! I gave you the books back!”
Me: “I’m sorry? You gave them back? Did you speak to anyone?”
Customer: “Of course! I gave them to the cashier and filled out paperwork!”
(On a hunch, I search the returns for her name. She did return the books, and got a cash refund.)
Me: “Okay, I see you brought them back on [date] and got a cash refund. Is that right?”
Customer: “Yes! And you should be fired for calling me at home for no reason!”
Me: “Ma’am, you still have to pay for the bounced check.”
Customer: “What? I don’t have the books! I am not paying for books I don’t have!”
Me: “You wrote a bad check for merchandise, then returned the merchandise for cash. But the check is still worthless and has to be paid.”
Customer: “What kind of idiot are you? Listen carefully: I. Do. Not. Have. Your. Books. I gave them back and that’s the end of it.”
Me: “I’m afraid it doesn’t matter whether you have the books or not. Now, instead of books, you have our money and we still have a worthless check. You really need to take care of this, or it will be a police matter. I’m sure you don’t want me to go to the magistrate.”
Customer: “Are you calling me a thief?! If you turn me into the police, I’ll have YOU arrested for false reports! I’ll have your job for this! I am a school teacher! I teach math!”
Me: “Ma’am. I need you to follow along here. You wrote a bad check for merchandise, and then returned that merchandise for cash. That is fraud, and it is in an amount that can get you in serious trouble.”
(The customer screams about how I am trying to rob her of money, then hangs up. I phone back a few days later to give her another chance. Still furious, she sticks to her guns. I try my best but she just won’t listen or try to understand. After sending her several certified demand letters, I have no choice but to file a criminal complaint. Being over $400 it is a felony fraud charge. Not long afterward I get a final phone call from her.)
Customer: “ARE YOU THE B**** WHO SENT THE POLICE TO MY SCHOOL?!”
Me: “Ma’am, I had to turn your NSF check over for prosecution because you refused to pay. I gave you many chances to avoid that.”
Customer: “I MIGHT LOSE MY JOB! I have never been so humiliated! I’m going to sue you and your company for this! You are going to jail for what you’re doing to me!”
Me: “Well, ma’am, I’ve tried everything to make you understand, so do what you think you need to do.”
(Ultimately, she was found guilty and told to pay the check and fee, plus court costs. Even when the magistrate explained it to her, she refused to believe that she owed the money.)
