The Thing About Sales Is That They End

(It is Christmas Eve. We had a high price item on sale with a good discount. A customer comes in at the beginning of the sale period demanding to see the item.)

Me: “The display is just over there. I’ll be with you as soon as I finish with this customer.”

(The customer stomps off and doesn’t even head to the display. Instead, she leaves the store. The next week she is back.)

Customer: “I demand to see [item] and I better not be refused service like the last time I was in here.”

Coworker: *remembers her* “Sorry if you thought you were refused service, but last time that you were in, my coworker was serving a customer just as I am now. I’ll be with you in a minute.”

(I am available and able to attend the customer, who doesn’t stop ranting over being refused service and how ridiculous it is that she had to wait seeing as she was going to spend a lot of money with us. I show her the item and she demands a demonstration. We don’t have a model for demonstration in the store as it is a very expensive item but we have one booked in for a week’s time with the manufacturer.)

Customer: “So if I book in I’ll be assured to still get the $400 discount?”

Me: “Yes, the sale doesn’t finish until Christmas Eve. If you leave your name and number we’ll ring you after we confirm the date and time for the demonstration.”

Customer: “This is really bad service; I can’t see why you can’t do the demonstration now.”

Me: “We don’t have access to a demonstration model.”

Customer: “Can’t you just open one?”

Me: “No, because once they are used, we can’t sell it as a new item. Please just leave your details with the cashier.”

Customer: “I’ll come back and do it.”

(She leaves without leaving any details. When the rep checks the attendee list she cancels the demonstration as there are no names on the list. The next week the woman comes back demanding to know why she hasn’t received a call. She won’t take “you didn’t leave your details” as an answer, and is reminded of the last date of the sale. She storms out of the store again. She comes back two months later.)

Customer: “Where is [item]?”

Me: “It’s just over here.” *I walk over with her*

Customer: “WHY IS IT $800? IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE $400!”

Me: “That sale finished on Christmas Eve. It’s now February and it’s gone back to full price.”

Customer: “OH, FIGURES, WITH THE SERVICE AROUND HERE! I DIDN’T HAVE THE MONEY IN DECEMBER AND NOW I DO. I DEMAND YOU GIVE ME THE SALE PRICE! THIS IS F****** RIDICULOUS!”

Me: “I am sorry, but I have no authority to do that. You did have ample opportunity to purchase it in December and you were told several times when the sale was going to finish.”

Customer: “I. DIDN’T. HAVE. THE. MONEY. THEN. Get me someone who does have the authority.”

Me: “Only Corporate has that. They are closed over the weekend and won’t be in until Monday. I’m sorry but there’s nothing I can do today.”

Customer: *ranting* “I don’t see what is the difference between it being on sale and not. If they can do it at that price in December they can do it at that price now.” *storms out of store*

(The difference was that the manufacturer had the item on sale in December. If we gave her the discounted price in February we would be losing money. And there was no way I was losing my job giving such a huge discount.)