Literally every single time!
I’ve worked in retail for a very long time and any time it goes out so many customers ask this.
Then you get the ones that complain that they are in a rush and you need to fix it!
Like lady, do you think I work for the power company? Obviously not I’m wearing a retail store name badge.
I work in a store that has a bakery and a hot meal section that is self serve, like chicken and potatoes.
The employee that was working the kitchen to make the foods in the hot section had all the food offerings in the hot self serve counter and left to take their 15 minute break. I was on the floor stocking the shelves in the same department and keeping an eye on the service counter. As customers always have questions about the hot food or want extra utensils etc.
A customer asked me where a specific product was and asked me to take them because they never been in our store before. This person is elderly with a walker so I do tend to go more out of my way to assist them. I offered to go grab it and come back while they wait. Some seniors come out daily to the store to get themselves moving so most rather come with, but I still like to offer. This lady was thankful and said she’d been walking around trying to find the item and would take the time to sit in her walker. I looked over at the hot service counter and no one was there so I left to get their item.
I was gone about 3-4 minutes and as I made my way back I spotted a man standing by the service counter in front of the hot chickens talking to my coworker from bakery. I give the item to elderly lady she thanked me and we parted ways. Same time the baker makes eye contact with me, a look that I read as, this guy is complaining.
I make my way over and the baker tells me the customer wants a discount on the hot rotisserie chicken. I say hello to him and asked about the discount. He starts by going off on me and yelling that he has been standing there for over 30 minutes waiting for service. I said really? Sorry to hear that, not sure how I missed you while I had been working here during that time. So what is it that you needed that had you waiting? He angrily said I wanted a chicken and you made me wait because you were not behind the counter to serve me!!!
I look away from him and look at the self serve section of chicken that we are standing infront of and slowly reach out and pick up a chicken from its handle and lift it up saying, you mean one of these? He sneers and said yes! You have to give me a discount for making me wait!!!
I said, sir there has been hot chicken available in this self serve counter for you to take any time you wanted, whether or not some is behind the counter. I’m not sure how anyone made you wait.
He completely ignored what I said and just yelled, so you’re not going to give me a discount?!?!? I informed him I wasn’t going to.
He was even more angry than started to ask what time would we be marking some chicken down. At this store we mark down the hot food after a certain time frame so food is fresh and stays compliant with food safety. I read the time stamp on the chicken in my hand and informed him in 1 hour.
He then demanded I should just mark it down for him now cuz he wants to buy it. I said no sorry we will be following proper protocol and if it’s still available in 1 hour we will mark it down then. He yells and says it will be gone by then!!!! I said yes most likely, but if by chance it’s still there in an hour it will be reduced at that time.
He thinks he is so smart and smile’s evil at me and says, well I’ll just put it in my cart and come back in an hour and you’ll have to mark it down! Crossing his arms across his chest for emphasis. I said, no that won’t work. It will be out of temperature by then and if you bring it back we will temp it, if it is below the safe temperature for hot food we have to discard it as we are not allowed to sell it below the safe temperature zone.
This obviously made him even more angry and he was freaking out and demanded why I can’t just give him a discount because he wanted one!
I am still completely cool and talking to him like he was a nice customer. Kill them with kindness I say, plus these types will complain that you were rude to them to try to get what they want. I informed him I am just following the protocols that are set in place and I’m not going to get in trouble for marking items down that don’t qualify for it. If he’d like he can try a manager and I’d gladly call for one if he’d like.
Of course he wanted to and of course he was nice and sweet for the manager. He stayed with his story of how no one was there for over 30 minutes and how I am refusing to give him a discount.
Thankfully the manager had been close by and had witnessed some of his interactions with me. The manager looked at one of time stamps on the last food item that was made before the person cooking went for their 15, which of course meant their was someone in the kitchen when he was supposedly waiting 30 minutes. The manager mentioned these things and refused the random discount for just because they want to buy it.
This happened many years ago when online and digital shopping wasn’t very big yet and electronics was always busy.
I have worked in retail a very long time and the managers move me to different departments all the time, due to sick calls or bad coverage. At times I get placed into departments that I have zero to minimal knowledge of.
On this day I was asked to help in the electronics section because there was only 1 staff member in and he couldn’t keep up with running the till and providing customer help, as it was a busy day.
Essentially he would field the questions, provide information and unlock products customers wanted and give them to me to ring up. I would have a set of keys for the game cabinets so I could retrieve them, as most customers would know what game they wanted.
I was cashing a customer out when an older couple came up and stood there waiting while I finished with my current customer.
I greeted them and asked what can I help them with, they said they needed help and had questions about the laptops. I let them know I didn’t know much about them but I would get my coworker who is knowledgeable to help them.
I walk away from the till and walk around to the next aisle (there is a tall shelf blocking my view of the department from where the cash register is so I have to go around it to find my coworker.) The couple follow me. I see coworker, who happened to be close to the laptops, I head towards him and as I approach I get his attention and let him know this couple has questions about laptops. He looks over to them says hi.
The husband looks at me and says angrily, we asked you to help us not him. I re-explained that he was the most knowledgeable person I know in regard to anything electronics and is better qualified to assist them. The husband raised his voice and pointing his finger at me asked why was I even here?!You’re here to help us!!!! Again using his finger like a wild man and repeatedly pointing to himself and his wife.
Again I explained my lack of knowledge on laptops that this area was not my normal work station but was asked to assist with cashing customers out so my fellow coworker could help customers more one on one and answer questions.
The wife says while pointing at my coworker, we saw him and we have seen him working here in the past. We do not want to deal with him because he is … well you know….
She let it kinda trail off not specifying what she meant but making her eyes go super wide and slowly nodding at me like I was suppose to be receiving some telepathic messages from her.
My coworker is standing there and can clearly hear them speak and act like this. I said no, I don’t “know” what you are talking about. He is a very smart person and is extremely knowledgeable with anything in this department.
They both just gave me a face and remained silent while just staring at me.
The coworker is a super friendly guy who would do anything to help anyone and is truly really smart with electronics and gadgets. His speech is off, kinda like if your tongue was too big for your mouth. So it seemed the customers felt a certain way about this and decided my coworker wasn’t smart enough to help them.
After standing there for what felt like an eternity, I broke the silent stare down and asked if they still wanted help or what? The husband said yes but only from you!
So I asked them what is your question? The husband asked about some specs. I said ya I don’t know the answer, hang on let me ask him. So I looked to my coworker and repeated the question he gave the answer. We both look at the customers, they were angry with their red faces and squinting eyes. I asked if there was anything else you’d like to know that I can ask him for you? They took a moment longer to stare at me while I just stared back smiling my fake smile, they ended up just walking away.
When they left I told my coworker not to let people like that get him down, they are a bunch of ah*l*s. If they come back and give him a hard time come get me.