Me: Hello! Did you have a return for us?

Customer: Yes, just this.

[ I start to ring up the return]

Customer: I was also told when I bought these that if a promotion came up, I could get a price adjustment on the shirt and the skirt on that receipt as well.

Me: Okay, let me take a look… I’m sorry, but in order to get a price adjustment, it has to be within 7 days of the original purchase.

Customer: Is it really that much more than 7?

Me: Well, yes, you bought these on the 1st of the month and today is the 14th.

Customer: Oh, uh…

Me: And even if it was within the 7 days, I would only be able to adjust the price on the skirt, because you got a promotion on the shirt when you bought it.

Customer: Well, that’s what they said, I could get it on the skirt. How much is the skirt today? Can I just return the skirt and rebuy it instead of a price adjustment?

Me: Today, it’s ringing up at [$$]. Do you have the skirt on you?

Customer: No.

Me: Then I’m afraid I can’t do that for you. I can’t process a return without the item.

Customer: Okay, but that doesn’t make any sense. You could just do the price adjustment.

Me: I’m sorry, our policy is no more than 7 days for a price adjustment. It’s written on your receipt.

Customer: I just think that doesn’t make any sense. It’s ridiculous. And I just don’t like things that don’t make sense. I think they’re ridiculous.

Me: I understand, and I’m sorry. That is our policy.

Customer: It’s ridiculous. You’re saying that I have to make a whole trip back out here to do this? I shouldn’t have to make another trip. It’s ridiculous and it doesn’t make any sense. Do you understand? That I’m saying that it doesn’t make any sense? Do you see how it doesn’t make sense?

Me: Yes, I do. I understand if it’s an inconvenience and I apologize.

Customer: I should not have to make an entire trip, I live far from here and it takes too long to come out here. I shouldn’t have to go all the way home and back just to do this.

Me: I understand, and I’m sorry, but that’s our policy.

[She grumbles a bit more but then leaves and even thanks me for doing the return, and it seems sincere, as she heads out the door. I start ringing up another customer only to look up a minute later and realize she has returned and has gotten back into my line.]

Customer: Yes, hi, how long is the current promotion running for?

Me: Through the weekend.

Customer: Is this something that a manager could help me with? Could I talk to a manager?

Me: Sure, let me go talk with her.

[I leave and go find my manager. I tell her the story and she agrees with everything I said/did. I go back out to help the next customers and my manager pulls the woman aside and talks with her. I can overhear bits and pieces of their conversation, and it sounds like the same conversation she had with me. She eventually leaves without us doing anything else for her. Later, I ask my manager what happened.]

Manager: She told me the same things it sounds like she told you. She kept saying, “it’s ridiculous! It makes no sense!” She said, “Now I have to go all the way home and make the long trip all the back out here just do this! It’s ridiculous!”

Me: Do you think she’ll come back tonight? I wonder if she lives too far away to make it there and back before we close. I don’t want to have to deal with her later.

Manager: She lives in [Neighboring City, that I and half of our staff live in because our mall is practically part of that city anyway.]!

Me: Oh, come on.

Manager: I hope she comes back! Just so I can personally make that return for her, once I see that the item hasn’t been washed, worn, or damaged, of course.

[My shift was up before we closed for the night, so I don’t know if she came in or not. I have a feeling she won’t.]

(The deli at our local grocery store has a number system for orders – you give them your order and they give you a number, which they call when your meat is ready. My mother is #25.)

Worker: “25?”

Mom: “That’s me.”

Worker: “26?”

Other Customer: (*points to my mother*) “You skipped #25.”

Worker: “27?”

(I work as a support agent and occasionally it’s a challenge to reach some of my customers by phone due to their field, so often I will rely on email correspondence. I have been emailing a particular customer back and forth for a few days before we finally set up a time for a phone call so that I can access her computer. I have sent her almost a dozen emails at this point trying to schedule the call. One thing to note is that I go by a nickname that is extremely common for my legal, full name. Think “Jake” for “Jacob” kind of common. I sign every single email with my nickname, using standard, but quite visible, 12pt font. My legal name is only associated with my actual email address.)

Me: “[Department], this is [Nickname]. How can I help you?”

Customer: “Yes… uhm, I’m trying to reach [Legal name]?”

Me: “And what’s your name?”

Customer: “I’m [Customer’s full name].”

Me: “Oh! Yes, I have your information already pulled up. I’m glad you’ve called so we can get this resolved.”

Customer: “But I was working with [Legal name].”

Me: “Yes, I am [Legal name].”

Customer: “But… you go by [Nickname]?”

Me: “Typically, yes. But I will respond to both names.”

Customer: “Oh. That’s weird. I thought your name was [Legal name].”

Me: “Yes, it is. I typically go by [Nickname] but [Legal name] is my given name.”

Customer: “Okay. But that’s weird. I thought it was [Legal name].”

Me: (Shaking my head.)

I’ve been asked to get a sewing machine for a couple, I carried it through our large store and am just a couple of metres from the counter when the husband stands in front of me in the middle of the only walkway to the counter. He tries to take the machine off me, but I back away. I don’t feel comfortable giving him the machine.

Me “Excuse me, you are in my way” *I notice that his wife is standing off to the side of the furthermost counter, quite close to our door My co-worker is waiting for the machine at the closest counter normally customers waiting for machines stay at the counter where the cashier is. My internal warning bells were ringing.

Man “I’m only trying to help you, it’s too heavy for you to carry. You can give it to me”

Me “No I need to take it to the counter, I can’t just give it to you”

Man “It’s too heavy for a woman to carry” Trying to grab the machine, I step back again.

Me “I’ll be putting it down in a few moments any way, if you would just let me through”.

Man “Sorry I was trying to help” *finally steps out of the way. “It’s too heavy for a woman”
I take the machine to the counter and keep a hold on it until my co-worker finalises the sale, I notice that the wife has now moved next the husband. I don’t know whether they had planned on taking it but I’ve learned in the past to always rely on my first impression.

I work at a company that sells security systems, and in my department we take calls to handle and update account information. I take a call from a lady who is sure our system isn’t working. She claims someone broke in but alarm didn’t go off. I find this suspicious since we don’t have record the alarm was tripped.
Me: “And you’re sure no one else knows the code?” (They need a 4 digit code to cancel the alarm.)
Customer: “Oh no, no one can guess it!”
Me: “Ok would you like to confirm it with me?”
Customer: “Well it’s the last 4 digits of my phone number!”
Me: “…”
Needless to say, we changed it to something a little less obvious and public…