I work for a home improvement store with a large outdoor garden area that stocks plants, mulch, garden fencing, storage buildings… You get the idea. It also stocks stones — the type of stones you can use to make a walkway through your yard, to your house, or however you choose to spruce up your yard or garden.
I’m notified that there is a group of customers on the stone aisle that needs assistance, so I go over to help.
Each type of stone is stacked on a pallet. The signage shows a picture of the stone along with the price per stone. One pallet of stones may all be circle, another square, or another rectangle. There is one pallet where the stones have three or four different shapes to the set, and the sign shows how they fit together to form a nice walkway shape and explains it in detail. Then, it has the price next to it. And just like the rest, it says, “[Price]/each,” meaning price per stone — very easy to understand.
Me: “Hi, how can I help you?”
The customer points to a price tag for a pallet of circle-shaped stones.
Customer: “Yeah, question: what’s this price for?”
Me: “That is the price per each stone.”
He points to the next pallet of square stones.
Customer: “And this one?”
Me: “Same. Price per each stone.”
I already know where this is going. This continues down the aisle until we finally get to the pallet of stones with different shapes.
Customer: “Okay. Now, what about this one?”
Me: “Same as the rest. Price per stone.”
Customer: “That doesn’t make any sense.”
Me: “How so?”
Customer: “Every price tag has a picture of a stone on it and then the price. But this one shows a picture of four stones and the price. So, I should be able to get four for [price].”
Me: “No, sir, it clearly says on the sign that it is the price per stone, just as all the others say. And the picture is showing how the different shapes fit together as an example. The other stones only show a picture of one because they’re all the same shape.”
Customer: “So, what you’re saying is that you’re advertising four stones and you won’t honor the price you have posted?!”
Me: “That’s not what I’m saying. If you read the sign—”
Customer: “That’s clearly what the sign is saying! I want four stones for that price!”
I point to the wording on the sign that explains in clear English how it’s sold and begin to read it out loud. The customer interrupts me again.
Customer: “There’s a picture of four stones and the price! Honor your d*** sign or get me a manager!”
I call a manager to come help.
Manager: “Hello, what can I assist you with today?”
The customer then goes through the exact same process of pointing to each stack and its sign.
Manager: “Okay, let me stop you right there because I know where you’re going with this, and no, you can’t have a set of four stones for the price of one.”
Customer: “This is false f****** advertising and illegal! Now give me my—”
Manager: “I’m not dealing with stupidity today, especially over something a five-year-old could comprehend. Have a nice day.”
The manager walks off. The customer and his group all pull out their phones and pretend to take pictures of the sign. I say “pretend” because I am still there and can clearly see that they are randomly tapping their screens and nothing is happening. Then, they leave while cursing us and the store.
I go to the manager and laugh a little as I approach.
Me: “I just don’t see how they could not understand.”
Manager: “Oh, they understood. They were just hoping they could catch us in a predicament and scam us. Doesn’t mean I can’t passively insult them as I walk away.”
Me: “So, can I do that next time?”
Manager: “No.”
Good times.
