Unreasonable customer story

[meggers5]

The store I work in has an excellent return policy, as in, you can return almost anything. If you have a receipt you get your money back, no time limit.

A customer came in last night to return a coat (she had been in a few weeks before when I was working and put the coat on hold-I guess she bought it later). She said it didn't fit right and she wanted to return it. But she didn't have the receipt. Or the tags. Ok no problem I told her we can issue her a merchandise credit for whatever price the coat is selling for now. Nope. She wanted money back, on debit. I told her we really can't do that, since we have no proof of how it was paid and it has to be returned the same manner it was paid for.

So she goes on about how it's Christmas and it would be good to have the money, and she wouldn't have bought it is she knew she couldn't return it. Well you can return it, you just have to take a credit. She went on for about 10 mins on how that's not right, and how I'm leaving a bad taste in her mouth. I apologize again and say it is store policy and there is nothing else I can offer her. She says she' understands that it's policy, but nothing is written in stone and I could do it if I wanted to. I really can't, and it is written in our return policy that we are under no circumstances allowed to do.

After me telling her 30 times in 30 ways that I can't give her anything but credit, she leaves with the coat.

I tell me assistant manager about it as a heads up, and the customer comes back in, with her husband in tow this time. She talks the assistant and tries all the same things again, with me standing right there.

Then she asks if she can bring in her bank statement as proof of how she paid. No. No you can't. You need the damn receipt. Assistant tells her she is welcome to call head office, and if she can get permission to do it then she can come back in, Customer says she'll be back with her bank statement and she assistant to call head office to be told there's no other way to give her money back.

So that's the customer's plan, which won't work. It is not our fault that you threw out your receipt and don't want to accept credit, which is more than reasonable.

She also asked assistant if I work during the day, because she doesn't want to come in again while I'm working.

[Deleted]

That's really frustrating. Your store is being more than generous by offering store credit with no receipt or tags. I worked the returns desk at Canadian Tire for two years and I had to deal with similar complaints all the time.

[agnes]

Don't you just love those customers? ugh

[agnes]

At least she didn't yell at you, right?

[Deleted]

How much is this coat going for? Seems like a lot of hassle. Some people just like to fight. She sounds exhausting!

[Jermys]

What a weirdo. She's lucky you guys aren't Target.

[meggers5]

Dec 9, 2013 11:14:58 GMT -5 agnes said:

At least she didn't yell at you, right?

I would have preferred that to the many blank stares I got. If I was being yelled at I would have had no problem telling her that I wasn't going to be yelled at and I would have walked away.

[Deleted]

That is really frustrating. Sorry.

[meggers5]

Dec 9, 2013 11:16:11 GMT -5 oceanspray said:

Can you please post this on notalwaysright.com?

Well there goes my afternoon productivity lol.

[Deleted]

This does not make me miss retail management AT ALL. Especially around the holidays. Eff that.

[goaskalice]

Customers who try to game the system infuriated me when I worked retail. And the whole time they're being a complete bitch to you you're supposed to smile and be pleasant. Fuck that!

Once a customer tried to return outlet merch to our regular store. The outlet receipt couldn't be more clear that isn't an option, plus she was past the return window. But she complained enough and ended up getting to keep the merch and got a $50 gc for her "trouble" My GM at the time was also a huge bitch though. My last GM would have stood by my decision to say no.

[Deleted]

Sounds like you were very reasonable and polite with someone who was being quite the opposite. I hope your head office backs you and your assistant manager up and doesn't just cave to this lady.

[iammalcolmx]

Goodness this sounds like the stuff people would pull when I managed a department at Nordstrom.

[tacocat]

We used to have people come in all the time wanting to use their bank statements for returns. They would be mad and surprised that we wouldn't take it.

Hopefully all the staff are on the same page, and she doesn't fool anyone else when she comes back.

[Deleted]

Do we need to do a "Horror Stories of Working Retail" thread?

[julez]

People suck.

[laceylaplante]

I still have nightmares from managing retail. Shit like this happens all the damn time. I once had a lady knock over 3 towers because of $1.50.

I'm laughing really hard that she brought her husband in too, like somehow he could magically change the policy.

[meggers5]

The assistant called my manager to tell her, and I called a couple other stores warning about her.

There is no way head office will allow this. But I do think I'll get a complaint against me if she does call, because she was none to happy about it. I juts don't care. I did what I was supposed to.

Oh and she also saying that since I remember her being in looking at the coat it shouldn't be a problem, and can't I look it up on system.

You need your receipt!

[Kit]

She sounds so lovely!

[meggers5]

Dec 9, 2013 11:28:01 GMT -5 nursecramer said:

If she knows what day it was purchased, could you reprint the receipt? I've had stores do that for me before. (But I asked nicely. And I wasn't trying to return shit, I just needed the receipt to be reimbursed at work.)

We would have no way to id her purchase, so we wouldn't be able to.

[goonfest]

Dec 9, 2013 11:20:21 GMT -5 oceanspray said:

Dec 9, 2013 11:17:55 GMT -5 meggers5 said:

Well there goes my afternoon productivity lol.

Oh you've never heard of this site?

It. Is. Awesome.  LOL.

This website is fantastic. 

[birdistheword]

I love retail stories. Why are people so insane? How do they function in normal life?

[Deleted]

Hey, meggers I have this pair of shoes that I bought somewhere that I've already worn and I don't have a box or the receipt. Can you credit my card $257 since I saw them for sale for that amount online 6 weeks ago? K? Thanks.


Lol

[Deleted]

I worked at Eddie Bauer when they had the same kind of policy. We had someone bring in a sleeping bag from the 1960's, and they 'just weren't satisfied' with it. They actually got a $10 store credit (and used it to buy the most godawfulfugly plaid shirt). No wonder they've ended the 'satisfaction guaranteed, anytime' policy for returns.

[lilafowler]

I have a friend whose mom will buy LL bean stuff at goodwill in good condition and then turn it around and return it to LL bean. She always gets something for her troubles.

Once she gave my friend a coat she found at GW for $10 and LL Bean gave her a $50 credit.

[mushmouse]

Dec 9, 2013 11:30:23 GMT -5 @themommymonster said:

One year DP has some guy come in 3 weeks after Christmas looking for rechargeable batteries made for a toy truck. DP told the guy that she was sorry but the item had been put on clearance and was sold out. The man started yelling and screaming at her and told her that she "ruined Christmas for his kid."

Uh, no. Christmas was 3 weeks ago. You ruined your own kids Christmas by not having the correct items to operate the toy.

We also had a lady who would by soy milk, drink half of it, fill the rest with water and return it for a "funny taste". Every other day. And we had to accept food returns.

People suck.

I worked in a supermarket and people returned juice once - they had filled the carton with mud.  Why?  Why would anyone do this?  Go ahead and scam us for the return but why fill it with mud.  It was a long time ago and I'm still disturbed by this.

[runforrest]

She sounds like one of those people that buys something, wears it once for an event/party, and then tries to return it.

[tulip]

Dec 9, 2013 11:25:58 GMT -5 laceylaplante said:

I still have nightmares from managing retail. Shit like this happens all the damn time. I once had a lady knock over 3 towers because of $1.50.

I'm laughing really hard that she brought her husband in too, like somehow he could magically change the policy.

I had a client bring her husband into so he could 'scare' me into refunding her 1000+ purchase of worn swimsuits. It didn't work. People are crazy and this time of year brings out the BSC in most.

[birdistheword]

When I worked at Bath and Body Works we had a 100% return policy as long as you had a receipt. Even if you didn't, you could usually get at least store credit or current price since it is pretty obvious if it came from B&BW or not. We would regularly have people bring in almost empty product saying they didn't like it, and we'd have to give them a brand new one. I hated that, because it was clear they were abusing the system.

[tulip]

Dec 9, 2013 13:03:13 GMT -5 runforrest said:

She sounds like one of those people that buys something, wears it once for an event/party, and then tries to return it.

Ha! On New Years Day a few years ago this woman came into the store with a beautiful gown from Niemans, she demanded our tagger so she could retag the price back onto it. We refused and she cussed me and my part timer out. We laughed so hard at her, she was so pissed because why did we care? We weren't Niemans!! I told her I wasn't going to help her 'borrow' a dress. My employee told her to go to Office Depot and buy a tagger, she finally left. It was totally bizarre.