Their Expectations Are Cut From A Different Cloth

(I work in a craft store, and having been there a long time, they often move me around the store wherever they need me. I am cutting fabric for this woman, who insists she needs 7½ inches.)

Me: “We cut by the inch, ma’am, so you will have to purchase eight inches. It’s only five cents extra.”

Customer: *throws a fit* “I only need seven and a half!”

(I cut seven and a half and charge her for eight.)

Customer: “Can I return it?”

Me: “We will not take returns for anything under half a yard.”

Customer: “Can I use my 30% off coupon?”

Me: “The fabric is already 50% off, so we cannot take a coupon.”

Customer: “Well, they let me before; we will see what they say up front!”

(We are talking a sixty-three cent piece of fabric, which has now taken me about twelve minutes with her, and there’s a huge line. I try again and explain that we don’t take back clearance fabric and we don’t take back less than half a yard. She looks at me like I am from outer space, grabs the piece of fabric, and storms off. My manager calls me to the registers and I am just lucky enough to be her cashier. Not surprisingly…)

Customer: “Is this returnable? Also, I want use my coupon.”

Me: “As I already explained, ma’am, it isn’t returnable and you can’t use your coupon as it is already heavily discounted.”

Customer: “THEY TOLD ME AT THE CUT TABLE I COULD USE MY COUPON AND RETURN IT!

Me: *looking at her calmly in the eyes* “No, I did not.”

(She didn’t realize I helped her both times and started yelling again about poor customer service. I waited. She slammed down a dollar and I handed her the change. About ten minutes later the phone was ringing and I happened to be the one to pick it up. Before I could even state the name of the store and my name, she started ranting about being in the store and how she was told she could return her fabric and use her coupon and “Your cashier and cutter are the dumbest people in the world and I want you to get them both fired.” She called me… to complain about me.. and me. She came in two days later to return the fabric and again the story was “when I bought it they said I could.” I didn’t return it, and neither did any of the other cashiers.)