(A customer approaches me on the shop floor.)

Customer: “Excuse me. Do you stock [Brand of mineral water]?”

Me: “No, I’m sorry; we don’t carry that one.”

Customer: “That’s a shame. I’m on a diet and I heard it has fewer calories than the others.”

We have recently had a new range of digital TV recorders in store so the older models are being sold at a discount. Last year’s 1TB version (which is a very different physical design to this year’s) is being sold for the same price as this year’s 500GB version. I work in this department and happened to over-hear the beginning of this incident at the front desk so intervened.

Cashier: That will be £219 please.

Customer: I don’t think so!

Cashier: Sorry?

Customer: It’s supposed to be £189!

(Cashier looks at me for help)

Me: Sorry, it’s the 500GB version that’s £189. You’ve got the 1TB version there. (Points to label on box)

Customer: No! It said 1TB on the label!

Me: Okay, can you show me where you picked it up from, please? It’s possible you picked up the wrong one.

Customer (indignantly): We DID get the right one!

Me (Still smiling but starting to lose patience): Well in that case the label is wrong and I need to change it. Either way, I need you to show me where you got it from.

We walk down to the display area with the customer still huffing and puffing. I see the pile of the recorders on the shelf with two very clear labels showing the different prices. I point this out to the customer.

Me: See? The 500GB one is £189 and the 1TB one is £219.

Customer (Smugly): What about HERE?! It says 1TB £189!

She points at a different part of the display entirely, far from where she picked up the box, where the older model is still on display for the discounted price.

Me: That’s last year’s model. See? (I hold up the box to show her they are different units. The one on display wouldn’t even fit in the box she had picked up.) They do the same job but the new one is smaller and doesn’t have a display screen.

Customer’s husband (Who has been silent up to now): Why would they take away the display on the newer and supposedly better one? Don’t they think people want to see the information?

Me: It comes up on the screen of the TV. It seems they decided people would prefer a more compact box.

Customer: Oh… So, can we have one of those please?

Me: We’re down to our last one as it’s an old model but you’re welcome to take the display unit. It’s not been used, just sat on the shelf.

Customer: Pft! Sat on the shelf gathering dust!

Me: Well if you prefer, you can have a brand new boxed one for £30 more? (This is the option most customers go for)

Customer: No… We’ll take that one. Do we get a discount as it’s the shelf model?

Me: No. It’s marked down on clearance already. We won’t be doing any further discount.

Customer: Oh… Thanks for your help.

I box up the display model and process the transaction. Thing is, I COULD have given her a small discount and probably would have done for anyone else but she was so obnoxious and self-righteous I decided she wasn’t anything!

Customer:

I was flying with my husband for our first anniversary to Paris and I’d never flown before. Unfortunately, we got separated due to a ticket mixup; he sat at the front of the plane, while I was at the back next to this very nice German lady. As the plane began to make its way down to the runway, I began to panic, telling myself I could do this, but as soon as it sped up and began taking off, I broke down crying, my hands clutching the armrests for dear life. The German woman held my hand, rubbing my back until we were settled in the air, telling me I would be all right. 

I don’t know who she was and I know I’ll never see her again, but I want to say a massive thank-you to the woman who helped a complete stranger cope with her very first flight, while said stranger was covered in tears.

Customer: “I’d like to return this DVD drive, as it’s broken. And I also want to use this coupon I got for a laptop bag.”

Me: “Of course, that’s no problem. Would you like me to get you a replacement DVD drive?”

Customer: “No, I bought another one a few weeks ago here.”

(I check her receipt; it’s a month old, and she bought the drive and a laptop bag on it.)

Customer: “That’s the bag; I want my 20% off on there. I forgot to use the coupon when I bought it.”

(Technically, we aren’t supposed to retrospectively add coupons to purchases, but as she’s already returning an item, it would be easy for me to do so. She hands me the coupon. It expired two weeks ago.)

Me: “I’ll be unable to use this coupon for you as it’s now out of date.”

Customer: “What? But it was in date when I bought the bag. I had it with me.”

Me: “But you didn’t use it?”

Customer: “No, I was busy buying things, and I left it in my bag and I forgot. And then, when I bought the other DVD drive, I brought it with me again. But I forgot to use it then.”

Me: “I’m sorry you’ve not used it, but it has now expired, so even if I try to use it, the till will reject it.”

Customer: “No one reminded me! I came in here twice and no one said, ‘Do you have any coupons you need to use?’”

Me: “We don’t ask that; it’s the customer’s responsibility to remember to use them.”

Customer: “So, you won’t give me my 20% off?”

Me: “We’re unable to do that.”

Customer: “That’s awful service. And for only £5, as well.”

(She takes her refund on the DVD drive and storms out. My manager comes over, having heard the conversation.)

Manager: “That was… interesting. Why don’t you go and do some merchandising for a bit?”

Me: “Okay, but if I forget what I’m doing, it’s your fault!”

(Backstory: i’m covering for someone on the floor. This interaction takes place towards the end of my shift)

*Sees customer come up to the till*

Me: “Hi, how are you?”
Customer: “I’m in a bit of a rush. I’ve got kids to pick up. I saw this dress online and i couldn’t order it. Do you have it in?”
Me: *We’re a small store so i already knew we didn’t have it, but protocol says i still need to check for it* “So we dont have it in our store. Would you like me to check to see if [bigger store nearby] has it?
Customer: “Yes”
*[bigger store nearby] didn’t have it*
Me: “So it looks like [bigger store nearby] doesn’t have it either. Would you like me to see if i can order it in for you?”
Customer: “Yes, but i’m in a rush”
Me: *I cant order it in because the item is from a previous season collection and we’ve change our stock already. I try to explain this to the customer*
Customer: “So…could i give you my number and you ring me when it’s it?”
Me: “Sorry, but thats not possible. I could give you our stores number and you can call us to see if we have it back in stock.”
Customer: “That wont do. I have to go now. I’m in a rush. Thanks”

*I’m not always on the floor and if i am it’s to do something important. I also cant check items from off the floor. So this woman wanted me to drop everything, to go and check if a dress, that i already knew wasn’t available anymore, was in, and call her when it was. And she also came in “quickly” when she knew she had to pick up kids. This isn’t the worst interaction i’ve had with customers, but it was one of the stupidest*