I've been working retail for the last 7 months (from July - Feb) so I have tons of stories. (Ask my family, they make me share stories every time we get together now) I work a a cashier and in customer service, mostly doing returns. But here's some of my favorites:
1. This one just happened today. The store I work for has tons of coupons. Some are for the people that use our store credit card, some are good no matter how you pay, some are for dollars off if you spend a certain amount in a certain department. We just ended a major coupon sale - we had all of those types of coupons going - the sale started about Feb. 9 and ended yesterday (Feb. 19). Each coupon is clearly marked as to the dates - the print is big enough that I don't need my glasses to read it.
Well, I spent most of my day today telling people that the coupons all expired yesterday. Most people took the news well, but I had one come back after I had rung up all her items, looked up her store card and bagged it all. She handed me one of the "spend $50, get $10 off in home" coupons and said, "I forgot to give this to you." I told her it expired yesterday (I didn't mention she didn't even spend $50) and she went off on me - "I spend so much money in the store. I can't believe that this store is treating me like s---." and on and on. I ignored her.
2. Those coupons aren't good on everything in the store - certain manufacturers don't allow us to use them on their products, we don't give it on candy or food gifts, some makeup and team merchandise is also excluded. These are mentioned either on the coupon or in the circular that the coupon is printed on, and the signage in the store says it as well. I've had people throw the stuff on the counter after I tell them this, people ask me to call a manager, and I had one person make me scan the coupon because she didn't believe me. One day when I was in customer service, a guy stood in the long line because he didn't get 30% off one of those items. I told him it doesn't come off, and he stood there and debated it with me, even after I read it to him.
3. Another customer tried to get me to use coupons on items it didn't apply to. She just kept handing me different copies of the same coupon and I kept giving it back to her. Then when it finally got through, I rang up the two items that she had and handed her the receipt. She looked at it and asked me why she got changed tax on $30 since the item was on sale for half price. I said, "Ma'am, you bought two at $15, so they got taxed on $30."
4. Then there are the customers who want the store credit card discounts, but they don't have the card. I had one the other day who insisted a person working on the floor told her she could get the 30% but I know the person told her she needed the store card to get it. The customer wanted me to call a manager, but I showed her what the coupon said and she finally realized she wasn't getting it.
5. Things are slow now, so we only have a minimum of cashiers each shift. So if one of them calls out, it screws everything up. People may have to wait on a short line. The other day, we didn't have a line, so the other cashier went to put some merchandise back. (a customer had decided they didn't want something, and it becomes the cashier's job to put those things back) I was helping a customer, there was a gentleman waiting and then a lady got on the line. I watched her get behind the one customer and she screams out, "Call a manager!" I ask what they needed, and she answers, "There should be more cashiers!" I told her someone was on his way back, but we were short handed. I just went back to helping the customer and she rolled her eyes at me. My customer said, "she must be a treat at holiday time!"
I can't count how many people think that they're going to get their way by demanding to see a manager. I don't like to use the word 'bully" too much, but a lot of these people certainly come close to being one. It's really horrible how these people treat others. I don't get my jollies out of refusing to use coupons. I want them to get every discount they should. I treat others with respect, and it's too bad that some of these people don't do the same.
Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!
