My dad is at the cell phone store trying to pay in person. The account is under my name and information. Dad calls my cell phone.
Me: “Hey, what’s up?”
Dad: “What’s your phone number?”
Me: “My phone number?”
Dad: “Yes.”
Me: “Uh… Dad…”
Dad: “Oh… I got it.”
He promptly hung up on me.
I recently finished building a shelf and ended up with an extra piece of wood that had been untouched throughout the project, so I head to the store with my receipt to return it.
Me: “Good evening. I need to return this board. Turns out we had an extra piece of clear pine in the scrap wood by mistake. Here’s my receipt.”
Clerk #1: “No problem! We just need to measure the piece and then we can process the return.”
I blink for a moment in confusion.
Me: “Why would… Wait, do people actually just cut off what they need and try to return the rest? I’d never thought of that.”
A second clerk picked up the board and headed off.
Clerk #2: “Honest people never do.”
Either my genuine befuddlement was good enough proof, or I just threw the employees off their routine, because I walked out of there with my money without them ever actually checking the board length to make sure I wasn’t stealing. Whoops?
I am a relatively new hire at my current job, which I enjoy. The store in which I am working is very large and sells home decor items, wall art, garden items, and some furniture. However, the building in which it is located was previously, for many years, a very different store which sold a lot of things.
I’m getting used to being asked for things that our store doesn’t sell but which the old store did, because even after over a year, people are still not cottoning on to the fact that we are not that store.
These are all questions I have legitimately been asked.
Customer #1: “Do you sell DVDs?”
Customer #2: “Where is the appliance section?”
Customer #3: “Do y’all have switchblades?”
Customer #4: “Where are your pajamas?”
It took everything in me not to answer, “In my dresser.” And then there was this woman:
Customer: “Here’s my card.”
Me: “Ma’am, that’s a rewards card for the supermarket.”
Customer: “What? Well, where am I?”
I work at a customer service center for a big box retailer. One of our tasks is cashing paychecks for people. There is a 1% fee for the service, with the option to load it on a prepaid card for free if it is done in the same transaction. If not, the fee is $3.
Two construction workers come in together, checks in hand.
Customer #1: “Hey, chickadee. Got my paycheck. You got my money?”
Me: “If you’ve got your ID.”
I take his license and make sure everything matches.
Customer #1: “You like us coming in, don’t you?”
I smile politely, avoiding the question.
Me: “And if you’ll just enter your social security number on the PIN pad…”
Customer #2: “She does. You can see her blushing.”
Me: “Okay. You’re cashing a check for [amount], minus 1% for the service, which brings you to [new amount]. Would you like that in cash or loaded on a card?”
Customer #2: “Why?”
Me: “Well, if you load it on a card now, it’s free. If you do it in another transaction, it’s $3.”
Customer #1: “Cash, sweetheart.”
Me: “You don’t want to load it on a card?”
Customer #1: “No, I’ll take large bills.”
Me: “All right.”
I finish the transaction and count the cash back — starting over several times since they keep interrupting my counting — and wish them well.
Me: “Have a good night, gentlemen.” *Looking around them* “I can help—”
Customer #1: “Hold up! I want this on a card.”
Me: “I just asked if—”
Customer #1: “No, you didn’t. You just flopped all this cash down.”
Me: *Frustration building* “No, I asked twice. If you want it loaded on a card, it’s $3.”
Customer #2: “Bull-f******-s***! It’s $3?! You can’t charge for a f****** service! This is America!”
Customer #1: “Get me your manager, b****! You’re gonna do this and you’re gonna do it for free.”
Me: *Shrugs* “Okay.” *Over the loudspeaker* “Manager to customer service.”
A low-end manager comes to the desk and says he didn’t have the authority to waive the fee. I know that is a lie, but I don’t say anything.
Customer #2: “Then get someone who can do their g**d*** job.”
Manager: “Of course, sir.” *Over the loudspeaker* “Manager to customer service for a card fee override.”
Several people in the area look over at us, some glaring at the men.
Customer #1: *Blushes* “You can’t just call for a manager?”
Manager: *Smiling* “You have to have a certain authority to override fees. I wouldn’t want you to have to wait any longer if the wrong person came.”
The manager looks beyond the men, walking away.
Manager: “Excuse me.”
Though I was sure the other manager on duty was one who would override the fee to keep the customer happy, I was wrong. The store manager had asked via management headset what was going on, which was why the first manager left. The store manager came up himself and told the men that they would have to pay the fee. They decided not to load the card after all.
Related:
A Fee-ble Attempt At Avoiding The Fees, Part 2
A Fee-ble Attempt At Avoiding The Fees
I’m out shopping for groceries. The self-checkout area is full, so I join one of the regular lines, load up my groceries, and move on down. The lady behind me starts loading her stuff onto the belt right behind mine without putting down a divider, so I helpfully reached over and place one down. The lady glares at me, snatches up the divider, and shoves it out of the way.
Me: “Ma’am, I was—”
Customer: “Shut it! You don’t talk to me.”
She goes back to loading, and I’m not willing to get in a fight, so I just pay attention and then speak up when the cashier gets to the last of my groceries.
Me: “That’s it for me. The rest is hers.”
Cashier: “Oh, okay.”
She finished up, and then I go to pay, when the lady behind me speaks up.
Customer: “Why aren’t you scanning my stuff?”
Cashier: “I just have to finish with him first, then I’ll scan it.”
Customer: “Just scan it. He’s paying for it all.”
The cashier looks at me, obviously confused, and I shake my head.
Me: “No. I’m just paying for mine.”
Customer: “How dare you?! You promised to pay for it! You know I’ve been going through a hard time, and I need this! Now you pay for these groceries!”
The cashier has finished my total, so I just jam my card in, hit the button for credit, and then turn to look at the woman.
Me: “You might have me mistaken for someone else, but I don’t know you, I promised you nothing, and I’m not paying for your stuff.”
At that, she started screaming and crying, while the cashier, wide-eyed, printed out my receipt and handed it to me. I gathered up my stuff and hurried out of there. I saw a manager walking over, so I hope whatever was going on got resolved. I don’t know if she really did have me confused with someone else or if she was just trying to scam me into paying for her stuff via social pressure. Either way, it is just one more reason for me to stick to the self-checkouts.
Related:
My, Aren’t We Feeling Entitled Today?, Part 5
My, Aren’t We Feeling Entitled Today?, Part 4
My, Aren’t We Feeling Entitled Today?, Part 3
My, Aren’t We Feeling Entitled Today?, Part 2
My, Aren’t We Feeling Entitled Today?
