This Round He Lost (In Translation), Part 3

(Our mall is a big tourist destination. They don’t often speak English, and occasionally have translators. They are also notorious for wanting ‘new’ items ‘from the back’, even if the item is brand new.)

Me: “Hello, sir, what can I help you find?”

(The customer looks at me confused, then to his translator, who tells him what I said. The translator responds to me.)

Translator: “He would like this dress shirt in his size.”

(I measure the man, and get his dress shirt size from the wall. He removes the tissue paper, cardboard, and plastic clips that all new shirts come with. After looking at it, he drops it on to the ground.)

Translator: “He says he likes it. Can you get him one?”

Me: “So, he doesn’t want that one?”

Translator: “It’s for a gift; he wants a folded one. This one is dirty.”

(I notice an assistant manager is behind me, waiting to see if I need them to step in.)

Me: “I didn’t see anything on it when I pulled it out, but if it’s damaged, I can have a manager approve a discount for you?”

Translator: “No. He only wants a new one. He says it’s ‘ruined’ now.”

Me: “Alright, let me go see what I can do.”

(I take the shirt for reference and go to the back. I refold his shirt, exactly as they are packaged, and take it back.)

Me: “How about this one?”

(The customer looks very happily at me, and says thank you several times before wandering off to the register.)

Manager: “Was that the same shirt?”

Me: “Yep.”

Manager: “Did you clean it with a lint roller or something?”

Me: “Nope, but two can play at the bull-s*** game.”