The shift that made me question if I was being punked

So I work at a big box hardware store, right? Customer service desk. Usually it's just people returning stuff they broke or asking where the plungers are. But last Tuesday was something else. This lady comes up with a receipt for a $300 grill she bought like 8 months ago. She says it doesn't work right and wants her money back. I start explaining our 90 day return policy and she just cuts me off and says "Just give me the manager then." So I call Kevin over. Kevin tries to explain it too and she starts crying. Not like fake crying, like full on tears saying she spent her whole summer budget on this grill and it's rusted out. Kevin just looks at me, sighs, and says "Fine, give her the refund." Then she asked if she could keep the grill too because it's "scrap." Kevin said no to that. But then like an hour later some guy comes in and tried to return a half used can of paint he bought in 2019. Like the paint had a 2019 date code on it. He got mad when I wouldn't take it. Same day different customer. Has anyone else had a day where you just felt like people were testing how far they could push you?

2 comments

2 Comments

morgan.joseph15d ago

Kevin taking that grill return after 90 days is wild. Thats the kind of thing that makes every customer after that think they can get away with anything. The 2019 paint guy was probably encouraged by hearing about the grill lady's refund down the grapevine.

iris_stone2815d ago

You're saying "the 2019 paint guy was probably encouraged by hearing about the grill lady's refund down the grapevine." See, I get that point, but I think you're giving customers way too much credit. People who try to return used paint after a year aren't master planners connecting the dots on some legendary refund. They just see a store return policy and decide to push it. Most of them barely remember what they bought last week, let alone some grill story from months ago. And honestly, the real issue is management letting massive returns slide, not customers gossiping about it.