I live in an area that is home to a lot of different nationalities, so not everybody speaks the language that well. This is just a student job and we are not allowed to do everything.

A woman comes up and buys a bunch of things, including a pair of expensive earrings in black. Near closing time, she comes back with those earrings.

Me: “Hello, how may I help you?”

Customer: *In very broken Dutch* “I bought these earrings here today and I would like to exchange them for the red pair.”

Me: “Okay, do you have your receipt?”

Customer: “No, but I just want the red pair instead of the black pair.”

Me: “Yes, but I need the receipt for that.”

Customer: “But I just want the red pair instead of the black pair.”

Me: “Yes, madam, I understand, but I need the receipt for that.”

Customer: “But it’s the same pair, just another color!”

She is getting mad and there is a line forming behind her.

Me: “Yes, madam, and again, like I said, I need the receipt. I need to scan the items in again because the codes on the back are different according to color.”

Customer: “But I just want to exchange it for the red pair.”

Me: “Yes, madam, I understand, but again, I need the receipt for that.”

Customer: “But I’ve been here this morning!”

Me: “Yes, madam, I know; I helped you this morning, too. But without the receipt, I cannot exchange the items.”

Customer: “But I don’t have the receipt anymore!”

Me: “Well, madam, that is too bad, but without the receipt, I am not allowed to exchange it.”

Customer: “But it’s the same pair, just another color!”

This kept going on for around fifteen minutes. I started getting annoyed and told her to go and take the earrings to my coworker, who is a full-time employee. After serving the other customers, I heard angry voices from the back of the store. After a while, the woman walked out of the store, gave me a nasty look, and left without the earrings.

I work at a craft store. I’ve just come back from a vacation and am running the registers. A woman comes in with six glass vases with decorative bark barely hanging onto them.

Customer: “I’d like to return these, please.”

Me: “Sure! Anything wrong with them?”

Customer: “Oh, they’re in too poor condition. I didn’t realize quite how bad until I got home.”

I check her receipt, which we do before any return, to check for anything that could prevent us from returning the item and that we don’t have to manually enter the receipt info. I notice all the vases are marked with a damage discount.

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, I can’t return these as they were sold as damaged.”

Customer: “What?! No, they weren’t!”

Me: “They were, ma’am. Right under the original price, they took another 40% off.”

Customer: “They said it was a bulk discount!”

My coworker on the next register over speaks up.

Coworker: “Actually, ma’am, you tried to argue for 70% off and then settled for 40%, saying you could at least fix them.”

The customer glares at my coworker.

Customer: “Well, they’re too hard to fix! So, I want my money back!”

Me: “Ma’am, as it was sold as damaged, and you were aware of how damaged it was, I cannot refund you.”

Customer: “THAT’S ILLEGAL! YOU HAVE TO REFUND ME!”

Me: “No, it’s not. If we sold it to you at the regular price, and then you found out they were damaged, we could. But as you bought them knowing the damage, and we gave you a discount on it for the damage, you agreed to no refunds or exchanges.”

Customer: “Well… I… ILLEGAL!”

She practically threw the vases back in her cart and stormed off.

A customer comes up to the returns desk holding a shopping bag, out of which he dumps a cheap outdoor light with the bottom popped out. There’s no UPC, and the only thing on the receipt that it could be is a $15 item — way too much.

Me: “Was this by itself?”

Customer: “Naw. It was a four-pack.”

Me: “So, where are the other three?”

Customer: *Straight-faced* “On my patio.”

Me: *In disbelief* “I think you need to bring those if you want your money back. Let me get my manager.”

Customer: *Screaming* “DID YOU EXPECT ME TO UNSCREW THEM ALL?!”

Manager: *Hearing the commotion* “What’s going on?”

I explain the situation. The manager reiterates the need for the other three lights. The customer grabs the light and throws it on the floor, smashing it to pieces.

Later…

Coworker: *Examining parts* “This is from [Competitor].”

Me: “That explains so much.”

Our store has instituted a policy that all supervisors are required to either call for assistance or help the guests themselves if a “line” of two or more people starts to form anywhere in the store. While it is a great idea, this can lead to some interesting interactions.

I see a line forming in one of my areas, so I jump onto the register next to the associate and offer to help the next person in line. I have seen this particular guest in the store many times and know my associates dread her coming in but I have never actually dealt with her directly.

Me: “I can help you right here, ma’am.”

Dreaded Customer: “I want to get a price adjustment. These baby clothes are on a much better sale now than when I bought them.”

This is totally allowed by our policy, but it has to be within ten days of the original purchase for it to work. If it’s within ten days, we only need the receipt. I explain that and ask her if she has her receipt. She pulls out a stack of them from her purse, shuffles through, and hands me one, leaving the rest to the side. I check the date and see no notations about any items being returned or exchanged written on it.

Me: “Thank you, I’ll get started on that for you.”

As I start the process, the register kicks back an error message saying all the items on the original purchase have been returned. All associates are supposed to circle and date on the receipt if something like that happens and staple the old receipt to the new one. Since I find no evidence of that, I am understandably confused.

Me: “I do apologize, ma’am, but it appears all the items on this receipt have been returned so I’m not able to do an adjustment for you.”

Dreaded Customer: “I know.”

She is dripping with attitude; she might as well have said, “Obviously,” with a valley girl lilt. I try to save the situation.

Me: “Well, let’s take a look and see if it’s on another receipt.”

With no help from her, I find another receipt for the same items from the same day, just timed later. I start the adjustment process with no problem.

Me: “There we go; just needed the right one!”

Dreaded Customer: “You know, I don’t like your attitude. You should have known it was the wrong receipt right away. I’m going to tell everyone I know about you and your poor customer service. I work for the school district so I have a lot of influence. Where is your manager? I want to speak to them about you!”

Me: “I am sorry, ma’am, but there was no way for me to know that this receipt wouldn’t take.”

I show her that there are no pen marks or notes on the receipt she gave me.

Me: “I actually am the manager for this department and my supervisor is the store manager, [Boss]. I’d be happy to call her over for you if you don’t mind waiting.”

Dreaded Customer: “Oh, I know her; we go way back. I don’t have time today, but I will call her about your rudeness.”

I apologize and finish out her transaction, doing my best to make her happy, but to no end. She grabs all of her receipts and saunters off. By this time, we have no one in line and I turn to the sales associate on the register next to me who was there for this whole thing.

Me: “Did she seriously just blame me because she gave me the wrong receipt?”

Associate: “Don’t worry; she’s always been like that. And don’t worry; she doesn’t work in the district offices. She’s a crossing guard. Next time, I’ll take care of her or call someone else over so she doesn’t bother you.”

We shake our heads and continue about our day. A week later, she is back in the same area with the same sales associate and a line. It’s a very busy day, so with no one else available, I offer my services, using my best over-the-top customer service voice.

Me: “I can help you over here, miss.”

She speaks with her nose in the air, making a point not to make eye contact with me.

Dreaded Customer: “No, thank you, ma’am. I’ll wait for her to help me.”

She indicates my associate, who is in the middle of placing an order for someone.

Me: “If you’re sure. She is placing an order and may take a while. We don’t want you to have to wait.”

Dreaded Customer: “I don’t mind waiting. I’d prefer if she helps me. You can take whoever is next.”

The customer behind her is confused but puts her things on the counter and I help her, continuing to be perfectly pleasant and professional. My customer has a large purchase, so we are still going through her items when the associate finishes the order, helps the dreaded customer, and moves onto the next. My customer watches to make sure she is gone and whispers to me:

Nice Customer: “Can I ask what that was about?”

Me: “Oh, it’s nothing. She blames me because she gave me the wrong receipt one time.”

The nice customer is obviously confused, so the associate and I explain what happened.

Nice Customer: “I can’t believe this! Is there someone I can talk to? Because you both have been absolutely wonderful. This is my first time shopping here and I don’t want you to get in trouble over something so silly.”

I happened to have a company tablet and I pulled up the customer review page for her. She typed up a note about the experience she had and made sure to include our names. Since then, she has been a loyal customer and is nice to all the associates. Thankfully, I no longer work there, but I still smile about how ridiculous the whole thing was.

Related:
Refunder Blunder, Part 45
Refunder Blunder, Part 44
Refunder Blunder, Part 43
Refunder Blunder, Part 42
Refunder Blunder, Part 41

When customers pay online for their groceries, they are given an estimated total, our system adds roughly $15 to $20 extra onto that total because of items priced by weight, and the customer is charged the new amount. For example, if they’re given an estimated $100 total, they will be charged $120. Then, when we’re done shopping, we will pull from the amount charged and the difference will be refunded back to their card. If their total was $105, we will take that out of the $120 and they will get $15 back on their card. It usually takes three to five business days for the money to go back onto the card, but we will tell customers five to seven business days just to be safe.

The Friday before Memorial Day, we have a customer who paid online for her grocery order. We pull the amount we need and the process for the refund begins. On Memorial Day — Monday — she calls us.

Customer: “Where’s my money? I placed my order on Friday and the money still hasn’t shown back in my bank account!”

Me: “It usually takes five to seven business days for the money to appear in your account, depending on how fast your bank works.”

Customer: “I’ve never had it take this long before! I need that money!”

Me: “I understand, but it’s also a holiday weekend. The banks aren’t even open today.”

Customer: “I don’t care! It shouldn’t take more than three days! It’s never taken this long before!”

Me: “Business days, ma’am.”

Customer: “Huh?”

Me: “Business days: Mondays through Fridays. But again, because of the holiday, it might take a little longer than normal. If the money isn’t in your account by next Monday, I would call your bank.”

Customer: “So you haven’t even started my refund yet?”

Me: “We released the difference on our end on Friday; your bank just has to approve it. It should take five to seven business days.”

This seemed to satisfy the customer. She never called us back, so I’m assuming the money showed up in her account a few days later. Is there a better way to charge customers for online grocery orders? Probably, but I don’t know anything about IT or programming, so I don’t know how to make it better.