Worst Retail Stories

[Charliere]

I didn't know if this was a current thread or not, or if I posted in the wrong place. Feel free to redirect me!

I really like to hear about stories about terrible customers and bad customer service (mostly just to convince myself that the people I deal with on a regular basis aren't that bad).

Throw me your stories!

 

I haven't had anything too bad happen today, but someone asked if we had... "some aspirin without aspirin."

[Octa]

Last year at my old job, I had just finished the last check of the shelves before the store closed (we were trying to get out early that night so we pretty much had everything done) when an older couple comes down the isle I had just been on, opens a bad of sugar, spills it on the floor, kicks it, then comes and finds me and starts yelling at me that he slipped in it and to call an ambulance and that he was going to sue us. Well, I took a look, noticed he had no sugar on his pant legs or anything, and that the pile didn't look like he had called in it, so I said "ok, I'll tell my manager to take a look at the camera feed to see who spilled the suger, you stay here."

 

I went and got my manager, and when we got back they were gone. The funny part is that we didn't have cameras in the isles. But I mean really. Some people

[delirium]

/r/talesfromretail

[Charliere]

Oh yeah, I got people all the time who try that kind of stuff. I've been yelled at because apparel the wet floor sign wasn't apparent enough even though it was right. in. front. of. them.

Normally it isn't too terrible, but the area I'm in is just full of mean spirited people lol

The most common thing I get is being yelled at for giving someone the wrong grade of gas even though 90% of the time, they just throw money at me and walk away.

I don't go on Reddit very often otherwise I would post my stories on there haha

[All Ts]

Went to Walmart once and one of the special snowflake greeters was literally fucking drooling like a St.Bernard.

[Rye]

Here's a good one. One I've told a couple people here, rather a scary situation than a dumb one.

 

So I work at a bowling alley, and my job is there to work the counter, check people in for games collect money, and distribute bowling shoes and stuff, the whole ordeal. This specific night, my manager wasn't there, and it was just me, the cook, and bartender during a league on a Friday night.

 

We had about 4 lanes available for anyone public use because the league filled up the rest. So this group of about 13 people came in to bowl, and I gave them two lanes. But the catch is that they only paid for 10 bowlers, and I told one of them; "You have more than 10 people, and you only paid for 10, so if you put more than 10 names up there, it's gonna turn off early" he responded with okay and walked to his lanes. Some time passed, and about 1/4 way in to their second game it turned off on them because they had 3 more names up there then what they paid for, so they came over and told me, (here's where it gets interesting)

 

I told them I can't turn them back on because the system had an auto turn off for what they paid for, and that they put too many names on the scoring screen. They told me I was full of shit and that they did pay for everyone (which they didn't and it's right there on my computer screen) and they got pissed off. I told them if they wanted to finish the game they had to pay for the 3 other bowlers. Them being the cunts they were said I was wrong, and started screaming at me. There's about 10 of them standing at this counter screaming at me in front of the league.

 

They began cussing and screaming and threatening to hurt me over a mere 20 dollars they had to pay. I tried to talk to them but I eventually just gave up and let them yell because it wasn't getting anywhere. They were asking things like "When do you get off work?" and saying things like "I'm gonna beat your ass" and "I'm gonna fucking kill you" and I just stood still drinking the lemonade I had in my hand.

 

After about a minute or two my coworkers finally came over and tried to defuse the situation with no luck, we ended up turning their lane back on just to get them to go away, only for the first ball to be thrown was entirely reckless so we turned them off and they stormed out.

 

About 5 or so minutes later police arrived because a league bowler had called them it was that bad. Probably one of the scariest moments in my life having 10 adults threatening to hurt me or kill me over 20 dollars.

 

Bonus: Was able to find a review of our bowling alley that same night, and yes they were black and I am white, but no I'm not being racist I was just doing my job.

 

[Charliere]

@Rye That's really rough. Honestly, props to you for keeping it together. It was probably even more annoying because they did exactly what you told them not to do. I probably would have broke down.

I think my absolute worst experience was a customer claiming that he gave me fifty dollars and I believe he only gave me 35. This dude was screaming at my from the top of his lungs at me, smashed his rolex on the counter and blamed me for it, and demanded that I give him his money back. It got so bad that one of the regular customers called the police. Afterwards, I bawled my eyes out and was practically done for the day, lol.

[ExRev]

O. M. G.

 

Where do I fucking start.

[Octa]

O. M. G.

 

Where do I fucking start.

 

Usually at the beginning, unless you wanna make it super theatrical or confusing.

 

Duh

[ExRev]

Well, let's see....

 

one of the most recent isn't even about a customer. But instead about a coworker. So we have a coworker, he's a keyholder (manager), but can only work weekends because he works a second job 40 hours a week, 2nd shifts, Monday through Friday. Well, before, this KINDA worked with us. Kinda. Like, I wasn't able to take any vacation time because he can't help out during the week at all, and my store manager couldn't take any vacation time because of the same reason.

 

Well now, my store doesn't have a store manager. He found another job and left. And then his replacement left only 2 weeks after being placed in our store. So I have a nearby store's manager helping us out a couple times a week, but I'm basically running the show now (without even being promoted, which in and of itself is another fucked up frustrating moment). It's nearly April and I STILL haven't been able to take a single moment of vacation even though there are full time managers in our district that are currently taking their second weeks vacation recently/soon. Hell, our district manager is currently on like his 3rd fucking vacation of the year!

 

Anyways, this keyholder put in his two weeks notice and is getting pissy with everyone because we're working on replacing him. He's pissed (and I get that) that we're replacing him instead of working something out, but it's fucking frustrating that he doesn't listen. Like, to the point that we got into a shouting match about all this shit the other day. And his logic blows my mind. I told him I get that he works 40 hours a week at his other job, and I get he needs that other job to support his wife and himself. I get that, I used to do something like that. But trying to make him understand that his ONLY being available to help us on Saturday or Sunday, his unwillingness to bend/shift his schedule around to help out if something happens (I got sick the day the Nintendo Switch launched and he refused to help out at all), and then his mind blowing "I want to take this Saturday and Sunday off. Well, I need a day off." logic just is insane. Like, dude, you only work 2 days a week for us, we're understaffed so I NEED you to be here those two days no questions, you can't fucking just tell me you can't work the ONLY days you give us.

 

But his logic, like I said, just blows my mind. As we were yelling back and forth Sunday, he brought up that I get my two days off a week, he works 40 at his other job, then works 2 days with us. To which, I pointed out calmly, that TECHNICALLY in the eyes of our company, we give him 5 days off a week. TECHNICALLY what he does with those 5 days is on him. And yet, nope, he states that his working a second job, 40 hours a week, with apparently NO room to switch shifts or anything, is all on us. Like what the actual fuck??

 

At least Sunday was the last day I had to work with him, and his last day is this Saturday and I have the day off then.