The Gift Card That Keeps On Giving, Part 4

(I work for a traveling portrait studio and we’re set up by the customer service desk at a popular retail store. A customer comes up to the service desk and this conversation ensues.)

Customer: “I’d like to return this, please. My son bought it for me, but he got the wrong one and I don’t want it.” *sets a potted plant on the counter*

Employee #1: “Okay, no problem. Do you have a receipt?”

Customer: “No. Why would I have a receipt? My son bought it for me. I NEVER SHOP HERE! WHY WOULD I HAVE A RECEIPT?”

Employee #2: “Ma’am, he could have sent it to you or given you a gift receipt.”

Employee #1: “Without a receipt, I can’t give you cash, but I can give you a gift card.”

Customer: “I DON’T WANT A GIFT CARD; I WANT MY MONEY BACK! I CAN’T USE THIS! IT’S THE WRONG ONE!” *she starts slamming her fists on the counter by this time and huffing and puffing*

Employee #1: “Ma’am, I’m sorry, but without a receipt, I can only give you a gift card.”

Customer: “I DON’T WANT A GIFT CARD!”

(At this point, the employee said okay and turned to the next customer on the other side of the desk. The woman started yelling again.)

Customer: “Well, hang on, why are you helping her? Aren’t you going to finish helping me?”

Employee #1: “You said you didn’t want a gift card. What do you want me to do?”

Customer: “Yes, I DO! Dang store! I never shop here, and I never will. You don’t even refund anything, EVER!”

Employee #2: “We do refunds, provided you have a receipt. Otherwise, it has to be a gift card.”

Customer: “That’s just stupid. They don’t do that anywhere else. I’ll NEVER come here again!”

(The woman is issued her gift card and, much to my disbelief, she continues with this line of questions.)

Customer: “So now what do I do?”

Employee #1: “Now you can use that like cash at this store. You can buy anything you want with it. There’s $20 on there.”

Customer: “What if what I buy isn’t $20? What if it’s only $10?”

Employee #1: “Then you can use it later and buy something else.”

Customer: *stunned look* “You mean I can’t just cash it out at the register?”

Employee #1: “No, it’s a gift card. You have to use it here.”

Customer: *screams in frustration* “I HATE THIS STORE!”

(She finally left the desk with her gift card and huffed away with $20 in cat food.)