A customer and her daughter come into our store and buy some misshapen biscuits. My coworker serves them and they leave. About five minutes later, they return and come up to me as I can handle returns.

Customer: “Would you look at this biscuit?”

Me: “What’s the problem?”

Customer: “This biscuit is battered.”

Me: “They are misshapen biscuits; it says so on the package.”

Customer: “But it’s ruined; can I have another?”

Me: “Sorry, no they are misshapen, so they are not meant to be perfect.”

Customer: “Can I have a bag? They are making a mess.”

I give her a bag and go to talk to my manager in case she puts in a complaint. The manager has seen the whole thing, including her leaving, opening the pack, and coming back. I explain what happened. While I put them in the bag, I heard her mutter that if she was in another shop they’d give her a new pack.

Manager: “So she wanted perfect, misshapen biscuits?!”

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I work in a well-known toy store. When a toy is rung up as one cent at the checkout, this indicates that it is dangerous and must be removed from sale.

Me: “Hello! You found what you were looking for?”

Customer: “It’s been one hour. I’m here to find a baby shower gift, but I finally found it!”

She throws a card, a gift bag, and a baby toy on the counter. I ring the items but the baby toy is coming up as one cent.

Me: “Oh, sorry to tell you this, but I cannot sell you this toy.”

Customer: “What? And why not?”

Me: “It indicates that it should not be sold for several reasons.”

Customer: “I do not care what your reasons are! I’ve been here for one hour; I want this toy!”

Me: “I’m sorry, madam, I cannot sell it to you—”

Customer: “I want to see a manager immediately!”

I call the manager and explain the situation. He comes right away.

Manager: “Hello, madam, what’s the problem?”

Customer: “I have been here for an hour and I want this toy! Sell it to me!”

Manager: “Sorry, ma’am, but it is the policy of the company. This toy could be dangerous for the child.”

Customer: “I DON’T CARE FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS! I want this toy NOW!”

Manager: “If I understand, ma’am, you tell me that you really want this toy at the expense of the health of a child?”

She didn’t say anything else and left the shop without buying anything.

While on vacation in a resort town, my mom decides we’re going to go hit a few antique stores. One such store has some interesting items for sale, but everything is just stacked haphazardly all over, with some valuable items even piled outside in the rain and getting ruined. An employee — who looks to be the only one aside from the owner — comes up to us while we’re browsing.

Employee: “Can I help you find anything?”

Mom: “Oh, no, we’re just browsing. Things are kind of piled up everywhere, aren’t they?”

Employee: “Yeah, we used to be in the much bigger building next door. But business has been so bad that we couldn’t afford the rent for it, so we moved here. They’re putting in a mattress store over there; can you believe it? There’s no love or appreciation for small businesses anymore.”

Mom: “I’m sorry. Is that why there are things piled up outside?”

Employee: “Yeah, we had to move in a hurry. Hopefully, we’ll do better here and be able to afford a bigger place.”

Mom finally finds something she wants to purchase and goes to the register where the owner is waiting. But a local has just come into the store, and instead of helping my mom, the owner opts to make small talk with the local.

Mom: “I’m ready to pay.”

Owner: “Just a minute, honey.”

She resumed talking to the local.

We stood there for ten minutes, and the owner showed no inclination to end her conversation — which was in no way related to her business. Mom finally gave up, put her purchase back, and we left. Maybe people would appreciate your business more and enable you to afford your rent if you actually paid attention to paying customers.

I work as a supervisor in the e-commerce department of a large non-profit agency. We sell many things on an online site and jewelry is one of them. We have all our jewelry tested and appraised at a local jeweler before listing it to make sure we give customers all the information needed to make an informed purchase.

Me: “[Store], this is [My Name]. What can I do for you?”

Customer: “This order came today. I have a Presidium Gem Tester and the ring contains glass, not a white sapphire. This is just plain fraud. I have no problem reporting this to the better business bureau and the media. I’m sure they’d be interested in hearing that you’re saying you’re selling gemstones when it’s just glass. That is wrong! Now I’m wondering what else I’ve purchased that was falsely depicted. I have spent over ten thousand dollars on this auction website and am starting to run into more misrepresented items and receiving damaged items. This is not appreciated. I expect the entire purchase price, plus shipping, to be refunded immediately.”

Me: “I can definitely understand how upset you are if that stone is just glass. All of our items are tested by a local jeweler and we go by what he informs us each piece is; therefore, if one is not as described, I will be perfectly happy to email you a return address label so that the ring may be returned. A full refund will be issued immediately when it arrives and has been verified against the listing photos. In any auction from our location, we have no issues at all paying for the item to be returned and issuing a full refund with shipping costs when items are listed incorrectly or inaccurately. I cannot speak for any other sellers on [Site], but I believe most will be happy to work with you if an item is misrepresented.”

Customer: “That is not acceptable. I don’t see why I need to return this obviously fake ring to you. I expect my refund now.”

Me: “Ma’am, I am happy to refund you the full amount you paid; however, I have to get the item sent back first. I need it so that I can verify the item was incorrectly identified and bring the issue up with our jeweler so that it does not happen in the future.”

Customer: “Well, it’s fake so I’m going to throw it out! I still expect my full refund!”

Me: “If you do that, I cannot give you the refund.”

Customer: “I demand to speak to your manager!”

Me: “Please hold.”

I go and get my director and explain to him what is happening.

Director: “Hello, this is [My Name].”

Customer: “Your store sold me a fake ring and I want my money back!”

Director: “I understand. I will have the shipping clerk send you a return label so that you can get your refund.”

Customer: “No, I will not return the ring. Why do I have to return it?”

Director: “When you buy something in a store and it doesn’t work or isn’t what you thought it was, do they give you a refund?”

Customer: “Yes.”

Director: “And do they let you also keep whatever it is you got the refund for?”

Customer: “No, but those are real stores, not online. I don’t see why I have to return anything to get my refund!”

Director: “We will send you the return label. If you want a refund, go ahead and use it and send us back the ring. If you want to keep the ring, then you will not get your payment for the ring back. It is an auction site and you chose how much you wanted to pay. You have the choice now if you want your refund or not. Goodbye.”

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I work at an international company which is slowly going bankrupt, but as we are one of the best stores in our district and one of the better ones in the country, our store is not closing any time in the foreseeable future.

Customer: “When are you closing?”

Me: “Ten pm.”

Customer: “No, when are you closing?“

Me: “The store closes at ten pm.”

Customer: “No, when are you closing for good?”

Me: “We’re not?”

Customer: “No, no. When are you closing?”

Me: “Ma’am, we’re not closing permanently.”

Customer: “Yes, you are! When are you closing?”

Manager: “We’re not closing.”

Customer: “You’re wrong!“

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