I don't know who reads this, but if you've ever clicked on any of the blogs I read, I hope you've noticed notalwaysright.com. I swear that this site is as necessary to me as my morning coffee. I read the stories of customer/sales associate interaction gone awry and think, "Well, at least my day won't go like theirs did!"
Since I've been a product slut for as long as I can remember, I started working as soon as I was old enough to earn money for my Kissing Slicks and Raw Silk Designer Imposter perfumes. My early experiences in customer service involved working in a Hallmark store, then scooping gourmet ice cream. It was at the ice cream store that I first dealt with completely irrational customers.
It was tedious explaining to tourists that a milk shake in New England is just syrup and milk; you need to order a frappe if you want ice cream in your beverage. I could tolerate the 10,000 times I was asked "What's in creamcycle ice cream?" (orange sorbet and sweet cream ice cream). But to have someone throw a cone of pistachio ice cream at me because "It's not green! Pistachio ice cream is green!", well - that was just ridiculous. I threw the cone in the trash and told him, "Pistachio ice cream is only green if you put food dye in it. We don't use artificial colors and flavors in our food. If you would like GREEN pistachio ice cream, you are free to go to Brigham's next door and get it - but you might like to know that their pistachio ice cream has only walnuts in it. "
A woman who always wore gloves would come into the drugstore I worked at about once a week. She'd hold all her purchases in her arms and read the prices to you. If you touched ANYTHING, she'd put it back and get a different one. You couldn't put anything in bags for her, either. I just couldn't understand it - every single item in the store was handled by tons of different people. Why were only the cashier hands too dirty to touch her items?
The weird customers were always good for a laugh, but the rude people and the thieves were really hard to take. Women would leave their kids in our drugstore while they went to the grocery store without them. Other women would let their toddlers knock all the pantyhose eggs out of the display while they shopped leisurely on the other side of the store. I can't tell you how many times lost and crying children would come to me to find their mom, then we'd find the mom in a store ACROSS THE STREET.
At a home store job, one woman specifically told me that she was buying these fancy sheets for her 'hot date' that night. She brought the sheets back the next day in all their hair-covered, wrinkled glory and was angry that we wouldn't let her return them. Another woman tried to return a toilet seat that was broken - after she'd been using it for a whole year (according to the date on her receipt)! When I called my boss to explain the situation, he freaked out and screamed "Don't touch it and don't let it touch anything else!", ran downstairs and let the customer know in no uncertain terms that she could take her used toilet seat right back to her house.
With that, I'd like to take a minute to explain some customer do's and don'ts - at least as I see them.
Don't raise your voice, curse at the staff or threaten violence. The minute you start yelling, the staff stops hearing you and is less likely to help you.
Do politely ask for a manager or supervisor immediately if you're trying to get a refund. This will save you and the underpaid cashier from unwanted stress.
Don't poop in the fitting room. Don't pee in the fitting room. Don't leave your used feminine hygiene products in the fitting room. I know it's a small room with a door, but it is NOT a bathroom.
Do pay attention to your bodily functions and use a public restroom BEFORE you have an emergency. This especially goes for mother's with small children who are potty training. If your child is saying "I have to go potty!" twenty times in a row, drop the items you're shopping for and get that kid to a potty before he goes on my floor.
Do return faulty merchandise to the store within 10-30 days of the original purchase. If something is still under warranty and breaks after 30 days, then DO contact the manufacturer about getting a replacement. Most times, the store didn't manufacture the product that you purchased, so they are not responsible for long-term maintenance.
Do read and make sure you understand the store's return policy/the warranty rules/terms of use etc. etc. It will save everyone headaches if you know what you're responsible for.
If you are unhappy or disagree with a company's policy, don't harangue the underpaid cashier/customer service agent. Do ask for a manager or write a letter to the head of the company. As long as your request is reasonable, it will almost always work.
Do plan your time well when shopping. I promise you that you would not like it if I prevented you from leaving work for 30 minutes to an hour after you were supposed to stop working. Please have the same respect for other people's schedules.
No comments:
Post a Comment