I work in a hardware store well known for “excellent customer service”. With that title come the most entitled customers.
I am typically a floor associate for my place of work but was hired as a cashier and have a lot of knowledge of the registers. I was working a cashier shift when the absurd incident in question happened.
For context, we can replace and repair window and door screens, and we can sell either premade retail packs we get in from a company, or we can sell some of our raw materials unpackaged under a general SKU. The premade packs come in shrink wrap with a slip inside with the product information, logos, and a barcode to scan.
Me: “Hello, how are you?”
Customer: “I have this to return, and this to buy.”
He gestures vaguely at the counter. I look down and see a premade package of screen repair material and a pile of loose supplies.
Me: “Okay, sir, let me go ahead and take your receipt.”
I scan the premade package, and then the receipt to prompt the return. I get a message telling me that it isn’t working and isn’t found on the receipt. I call a manager over, and the only one available to help me just so happens to be the assistant store manager.
I show her what’s happening, and she tells me that I can override it if I need to. This whole time the customer is watching but remaining silent.
She leaves before I turn and ask him how much of each raw material he got, so I can ring it up.
Customer: “I’m buying that one. This right here is my return.”
I stare at the counter.
Me: “Oh, I see what happened. Sorry, I misunderstood. In that case, could I have the packaging to return it with?”
Customer: “I don’t have the packaging. That’s what the receipt is for.”
Me: “I need the packaging for any item to be returned, so we can confirm it was the item on the receipt, sir.”
Customer: “The plastic? I threw that s*** away. I have the receipt.”
Me: “It should have had a slip with the barcode on it, not attached to the plastic.”
Customer: “I have the receipt.”
In this time, he had crossed his arms and was staring me down. In any situation, I’m a very small woman who is a bit made of fire and fuelled by wrath. In unrelated news, I am also Italian and Scottish. I realized that he was going to continue to be unreasonable and attempt to intimidate me unsuccessfully into doing the return regardless. I called the assistant store manager back again.
She came over and I explained the situation to her, and she reiterated what I had already told him. He began to get heated and said again, he had the receipt. And it was our fault for not having signs telling him he needed to have packaging to return the item. Me and my manager just kind of looked at each other.
Manager: “I’m sorry, sir, but that’s our policy. This time I’ll go ahead and refund y—”
Customer: *Raising his voice.* “—It’s not my fault you guys aren’t clear about your return policy!”
Manager: “Do not raise your voice at me. I was in the process of telling you that I was going to do it anyway. Do not talk to me like that.”
They proceeded to go back and forth before she told me to just return it and mark it as a defect. I asked her what on earth to put for the defect reason.
Manager: “Unruly customer.”
Proud to admit that I didn’t laugh at that in front of the guy. After she left, he tried to argue with me about the cost. It was an even exchange, and I told him a bit more than firmly that that was that. He then asked for my store manager’s number.
Me: *Fully knowing that my store manager is worse than I am and would actually probably start laughing at him on the phone.* “Call the store number and ask to speak to [Store Manager’s Name].”
Customer: *Angry and triumphant.* “Okay!”
