Can I Return This?

One of the biggest things you have to deal with in the customer service business, people returning things. Now for the most part we return almost ANYTHING, and when I say anything I mean it. We once refunded a woman for a turkey because it was dry after she cooked it. God forbid she thinks that she may have over cooked it....nope it was our fault, apparently.

One of the few things we don't return is stuff bought from out competitors. You'd think this would be a common sense kind of thing, but trust me there are people that just don't get it.

Case in point, This lady walks up to me with a roll of Aluminum foil and asks if she could return it. She did not have her receipt, but that usually isn't a problem, since we can return it as store credit. However when I went to scan the item, it kept coming up saying "Item not Found". This tells me that the bar code is not in our system, so not from our store. I take a look at the product, and notice a white label stuck over the bar code that is printed right on the box. Now having been a cashier before, I knew that our products do not have these stickers.

This is the conversation that followed:

Me: M'am, I don't think you bought this here. Its not scanning into the system.
Idiot Customer: No you must be mistaken, I do all of my shopping here. I wouldn't have bought it elsewhere.
Me: Well M'am, I'm 100% sure this did not come from our store, we don't put these labels on our products *points to white sticker*
Idiot Customer: Are you sure? I'm sure I bought this here!
Me: Yes M'am, I'm sure. *I've only been working here for a year, i think i know what our products look like*
Idiot Customer: Oh ok, I guess I might have bought that at *competitor name here*


Now I thought this was the end of it. But as the woman is walking away, she turns around and starts confronting me in a much angrier tone. She went from being an Idiot, to being a complete Bitch.



Bitch: Can't I just return it here, I really don't feel like driving all around town.
Me: No, we can't return it because you did not buy it here. It does not scan into the system.
Bitch: Well, why can't you just take one off the shelf and return that item.
Me:  Because you did not buy THAT item, you bought THIS item, somewhere ELSE!
Bitch: This is just unacceptable, you are supposed to be all about customer service. I want to talk to the manager!
Me: Sure thing! *thank god i'm done with her*


Manager: What seems to be the problem?
Bitch: This man here, wont let me return this item because it doesn't scan into the system!
Manager: Well if it doesn't ring into the system, then you didn't buy it here, So we cannot return it.
Bitch: I have never had problems returning items here before!
Me: *i just had to butt in* Listen, its like going to Walmart buying a DVD, and trying to return it to Best Buy with the Walmart sticker still on it, They are not going to do it!
Bitch: Well Fine! I will never be shopping here again if this is how you treat customers!
Me: Ok, Well you have a WONDERFUL day M'am :)

I just love how stupid customers can be, and how angry and bitchy they can get due to their own stupidity. Also killing them with kindness is awesome, they know your saying it to make them mad but there is NOTHING they can do about it.

--Servant of the People