two of the many complaints i hear

[tsem2]

i've been working at this retail store for the past 3 months and i'm absolutely shocked by the kind of customers there are.
case #1:
a lady walks into the store in the morning and buys a bunch of stuff, then leaves. hours later, when we're almost closing, she comes back in with the bag of stuff she bought earlier and the receipt to ask for a refund but she'll buy all that stuff back using her SPC 10% discount. so then i explained to her that the computer will not allow me to do that. she insisted she needed her money back, so i called over my manager and she dealt with her. my manager had to call the supervisor. now, not that i don't value money, but the SPC 10% discount difference would/could only give her back $2.26. and for her to create that big of a scene, humiliate herself, the time it costs her to fight for that money, the transportation costs, and telling me she needs that money to pay her bills, $2.26 is definitely not worth it.
case #2:
two girls walk into the store with 2 pairs of flats. one girl tells me both shoes were bought not long ago - roughly 3 weeks - and they're already ruined. she showed it to me. one pair, the sole was partially separated from the shoe. the second pair, not only was the sole partially separated from the shoe but the rubber sole was ripped in half. honestly, i looked at those flats and in no way were those flats just worn for walking. so for a good 5 minutes, this girl tells me they haven't worn those shoes for long and they're already wrecked to the point they can't be worn. so i asked her for a receipt, then i explained to her, for me to do ANYTHING, i NEED a receipt. then she tells me: 1) she doesn't have a receipt and 2) she works in retail too and exchanges/store credit can be made even without a receipt - she tells my manager she works at Marshalls (this part, I'm still laughing at because she must've missed her training, Marshalls only take back merchandise if they are in resellable condition even without a receipt). she then asks to speak to my manager. my manager tells her the SAME thing, she needs a receipt. the girl continues to argue so my manager ends up calling the supervisor who tells her to just let them exchange for another pair. we give the two girls this offer, the quiet girl agrees to exchanging for another pair of shoes while the other one asks for a store credit. my manager explains to them exchange is the ONLY offer. so the two girls end up asking for the customer service number to call - not the brightest move.

it's no wonder prices of things go up, you have people who argue for their money back all the time and you have people who are shoplifting all the time.

[c_mcarthur]

ive worked in retail for 6 years and i've seen it all.
the good customer, the bad customers, the crazies , you name it.
I've had people drive 25 minutes back to our store to get their 49 cent difference because they were overcharged.
Not that I dont value money because I do.
The point i'm trying to make it that people are crazy, they will yell, scream, stomp, shout to get their way even if they are in the wrong with they are about 75% of the time.
The way I deal with it? The break room!
The break room is the best place to vent about all the crazies.
I worked in a outlet mall, you get the most interesting people in an outlet mall to say the least.
and part of the issue was, we werent an outlet store, but were in an outlet mall..
I'm sure if I worked at a different location the customers would have been better.
Where I work now, the clientele is MUCH better. and rarely get any mean, nasty, rude, crazy customers lol

[Veronique86]

I know exactly what you mean!!! I worked 5+ years in a lingery store and you see it ALL and I'll always remember this one. We had a client call in saying that she purchased a pair of underwear and they ripped after the first time she wore them :S. Firstly, our quality is good and I owned a couple of the same underwear and mine were ALL good. Second I was shocked that someone wanted to return USED underwear, that just GROSS. So I told her unfortunately for hygiene purposes we do not accept worn underwear. Did she ever go all off on the phone so we phone our Regional Sales Manager and she told us to just exchange them (of course it was going in the DEFECTS!!!!). So we called her back to say that we will exchange them. So after the exchange, after she left we were putting them in the defect, you'll never believe this.....she didn't even bother washing them FIRST!!!!! Really NASTY!!

I've worked retail for 10 years, I've seen it ALL. I totally understand your frustrations!!!!!

[krysta lynne]

I know exactly what you mean!!! I worked 5+ years in a lingery store and you see it ALL and I'll always remember this one. We had a client call in saying that she purchased a pair of underwear and they ripped after the first time she wore them :S. Firstly, our quality is good and I owned a couple of the same underwear and mine were ALL good. Second I was shocked that someone wanted to return USED underwear, that just GROSS. So I told her unfortunately for hygiene purposes we do not accept worn underwear. Did she ever go all off on the phone so we phone our Regional Sales Manager and she told us to just exchange them (of course it was going in the DEFECTS!!!!). So we called her back to say that we will exchange them. So after the exchange, after she left we were putting them in the defect, you'll never believe this.....she didn't even bother washing them FIRST!!!!! Really NASTY!!

I've worked retail for 10 years, I've seen it ALL. I totally understand your frustrations!!!!!

O_o

[lindsbeth112984]

I know exactly what you mean!!! I worked 5+ years in a lingery store and you see it ALL and I'll always remember this one. We had a client call in saying that she purchased a pair of underwear and they ripped after the first time she wore them :S. Firstly, our quality is good and I owned a couple of the same underwear and mine were ALL good. Second I was shocked that someone wanted to return USED underwear, that just GROSS. So I told her unfortunately for hygiene purposes we do not accept worn underwear. Did she ever go all off on the phone so we phone our Regional Sales Manager and she told us to just exchange them (of course it was going in the DEFECTS!!!!). So we called her back to say that we will exchange them. So after the exchange, after she left we were putting them in the defect, you'll never believe this.....she didn't even bother washing them FIRST!!!!! Really NASTY!!

I've worked retail for 10 years, I've seen it ALL. I totally understand your frustrations!!!!!

Wow..

[lessthannat]

you'll never believe this.....she didn't even bother washing them FIRST!!!!! Really NASTY!!

I've worked retail for 10 years, I've seen it ALL. I totally understand your frustrations!!!!!

that is just gross

[Chantel]

I am guilty of returning underwear ONCE, but it was packaged and unused. The style was just not the one the person I bought it for had envisioned. I also asked about returning a bra to LaSenza once because it fit oddly despite being my size. Turns out it was just a weird new style and that's how it's supposed to fit. I kept it because it was a gift. But I had receipts both times, of course.


Another scam to watch for (and this includes if you're shopping and see something shifty going on!) Is the grab-off-the-shelf-and-try-to-return scam. Some people will pick up receipts from parking lots or in the store that people have dropped, grab the item off the shelf and try to return it. They'll also just go without the receipt and ask for a refund.

[sweetnlow30]

I can totally relate. I worked at Walmart before and I also worked at a Sears warehouse in the returns department. Our entire job consisted of sorting through big bins of returned merchandise to decide if it was resalable, liquidated, or garbage. I saw used undergarments, dirty clothes, old and obviously very worn shoes and so much more. It was a disgusting job and I didn't stick with it for very long. The nerve of some people! I even know someone who bought an item from a yardale and took it back to walmart claiming she didn't have a receipt. She got a store credit for over $200 for something she bought used for $20. And we wonder why prices increase, its partly to cover losses like this.

[RebeccaRYoung]

I have returned/exchanged a pair of shoes. I purchased them at Ardene's and had literally worn them for one day. I wore them to work, which is totally inside, except for the walking to and from the parking lot. The sole of the right shoe was coming apart from the shoe at the end of the day. I did take them back with a receipt and explain the situation. They did exchange reluctantly, but because the receipt was from two days prior, there wasn't much they could say.

[Veronique86]

I am guilty of returning underwear ONCE, but it was packaged and unused. The style was just not the one the person I bought it for had envisioned. I also asked about returning a bra to LaSenza once because it fit oddly despite being my size. Turns out it was just a weird new style and that's how it's supposed to fit. I kept it because it was a gift. But I had receipts both times, of course.


Another scam to watch for (and this includes if you're shopping and see something shifty going on!) Is the grab-off-the-shelf-and-try-to-return scam. Some people will pick up receipts from parking lots or in the store that people have dropped, grab the item off the shelf and try to return it. They'll also just go without the receipt and ask for a refund.

You returning underwear in it's packaged and unused is ok, it's not like you could put them on and then decide to return them. I totally understand the bra situation, not all style fit the same and returning bra is accepted everywhere (from what I know). One thing is for sure I highly doubt you would of done what that customer did.

I've heard of that scam this is why most places now only do return on the same method of payment (harder for thieves to get money on credit or debit purchases) but there's still a lot of place that give credit notes. I find it very sad that people do that!

[Veronique86]

I can totally relate. I worked at Walmart before and I also worked at a Sears warehouse in the returns department. Our entire job consisted of sorting through big bins of returned merchandise to decide if it was resalable, liquidated, or garbage. I saw used undergarments, dirty clothes, old and obviously very worn shoes and so much more. It was a disgusting job and I didn't stick with it for very long. The nerve of some people! I even know someone who bought an item from a yardale and took it back to walmart claiming she didn't have a receipt. She got a store credit for over $200 for something she bought used for $20. And we wonder why prices increase, its partly to cover losses like this.

Never thought that anyone would buy something at a yard sale and return it. I'm shocked!

[aurora04]

I had worked in retail for many years, and I have also seen a lot! One store I worked at, we had a guy come in that was a body builder to exchange yet another pair of Pjama pants. This was at least his 6th pair. They would keep ripping at the seams because he was wearing them to work out in. Our managers finally told him that obiviously these pants were not meant to be worked out in, and didn't work for him, so after this exchange (I think they actually gave him a refund) it would be the last (that directive did come from head office). A store that I worked in was VERY strict with a policy to only accept credit cards that belonged to the cardholder. We had to check names before we swiped and then check signatures afterwards. One day I had a customer yell and scream at me because I would not accept his mother's credit card (she was not with him). I know some people like that, but I had to follow store policy. Anyway he asked for my manager so both the assistant manager and manager came out and they also would not accept the card as it was policy right from head office. He again started yelling, screaming, name calling, etc... to them and myself again. After he left our store he went to another store where they refused his mother's credit card as well (he was calm with them). When he left that store, security was waiting for him because of his behaviour in our store and they escorted him out of the mall. They told him he could come back when he learned to treat the employees in the mall with respect. LOL.

[Insane]

I worked in customer service in retail too. I hated when I would inform store policy, argueing, call supervisor then manager who would just say "do it this once". What was the point in having a policy if the manager was just going to override it time and time again?!

I too saw it all. I ended up quitting over a customer actually. The crazy lunatic lundged at me across the CS desk and grabbed the phone from me (I was paging my supervisor). I went to management and asked to have the security tapes pulled as I knew it would be an issue and management assured me it was not necessary. And don't you know they complained and I was no longer allowed at the CS desk. I was young and an vulnerable to being taken advantage of. They would have never treated the more senior employees that way. I handed in my 2 weeks notice and left. I couldn't work for a place that made me feel like such crap.

On the plus side I met hubby there!

[rngirl87]

Never worked retail but I worked at a fresh fast food joint during university. Occasionally customers would come in during the evening expecting to get a refund on their takeout (which they had already eaten in entirety... from around lunchtime!) without a reciept. Ummm... theres no proof that there was anything wrong with your meal or that you even purchased the supposed meal in the first place! It also always amazed me how people could get so angry and start screaming because you didnt read their mind and know that you should have given them a condiment or topping they did not ask for... Glad my food service days are behind me... not that healthcare is much better for complaining 'customers'!

[aurora04]

After reading the post with a fast food restaurant, it reminded me of a story that a co-worker told me. She used to work at a Tim Hortons, and this lady came in the store and started yelling and screaming how there was no egg on her breakfast sandwich. She was tearing a strip off my co-worker. She then slammed the sandwich down on the counter after she finished yelling, and my co-worker very politely told her that she was sorry for the mix up, but maybe she should take her sandwich back to McDonalds to have it fixed. The lady was super embarrassed and stormed off (no apology or anything).