I had to talk two people out of quitting tonight

[jmowreader]

I'm standing there at the service desk with two of my favorite coworkers trying to figure out an order for a garage when a customer approached us all in a huff.

"I want my fifteen percent off!"

Excuse me?

"I had a kitchen installed in October. My sister in Florida just had a kitchen installed and she got fifteen percent off. I want my fifteen percent off."

So we pulled up the woman's order, got the sister's name and called the store in Florida. Turns out that the sister in Florida took advantage of a couple of deals that kicked in around the middle of January--one for a nicer countertop than our customer got, one for a better grade of cabinet and one for buying at least two appliances. Her sister spent about twice what she did even with the fifteen percent off. And promotions aren't retroactive anyway--especially not back that far.

We proceeded to explain the deal. "So when are you going to give me my fifteen percent off?" Well, we're not.

"So why don't you just go kill some more kids in your store?"

I am not bullshitting. She actually said this.

One of the two ladies I'm working with is 22 years old and a little shy. The other is a grandmother. And all three of our jaws have dropped to the floor. I took a piece of paper and wrote the national Customer Care phone number on it. I handed it to her and informed her that she would have to call that number because we would no longer be able to help her with getting this discount.

Then I called Customer Care and explained to them the call they were about to receive. Their response: "She said WHAT?" She will receive no discount from Customer Care either.

Then I called the store manager and told him what happened. He said it would have been okay with him if I'd have taken her behind the building and bounced her off the wall a couple of times. (And then I explained that she really said that..."Oh. My. God. I thought you were kidding!" How in hell can someone even think of telling you to go out on the floor and kill kids?)

And then I had to spend thirty minutes convincing my two co-workers not to leave the company; they were exceptionally upset as you'd expect them to be.

I'm still a bit shocked.

[AlienGirl]

1. Customers suck

http://www.customerssuck.com

'Nuff said.

Tucker

[LeftCoast]

8. I remember you had a bitchtroll customer once

a few years back. I wanted to smack her for you. :)

[Ellen Forradalom]

2. Was that nasty remark in reference to something?

Or was it just completely off the wall?

[jmowreader]

10. Well, there have been occasional child deaths in our stores

We've never had one, thank (insert deity here), but other stores have. IIRC the last death nationwide was in Texas a couple of years ago, and from the investigation results the store was screwing up bigtime.

I think she was just trying to say the most vicious thing she could because she wasn't getting her way. It was pretty damn vicious, but she won't be getting her way now.

[DemBones DemBones]

3. Wow! You see weird stuff when you work

with the public, don't you? That woman sounds seriously disturbed.

[Maddy McCall]

4. Where did she get the "kill some more kids" comment?

How many kids have been killed in your store? I'm lost...but this story is super-interesting.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. Sounds like Home Depot

There have been shoppers hit by merchandise falling off the top shelves in that store. I hadn't heard they were kids or that they died though.

On edit - a 3 year old died
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2003/02/24/story2.html

[lavenderdiva]

5. Customers will never fail to surprise me by what they say...

I was in Customer Service for 15years, the last 5 years actually spent training over 40 people for a national customer call center. Quit because I was sooo burned out by them (and upper management). Sounds like you work at Home Depot?

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. I worked Customer Service for KMart

and every August right before school started, we were deluged with people returning shoes their kids had worn all summer, claiming they were almost new and had fallen apart. We called it the back to school shoe giveaway.

And yes, company policy was to give them a new pair. No questions asked. So I certainly wasn't surprised when KMart went into bankruptcy.

[jmowreader]

11. Yeah, lumber, building materials and millwork for three years

[enigmatic]

9. Jesus...

I've been in the hospitality industry most of my life, so no, this doesn't shock me. How sad is that?

[skygazer]

12. It's amazing the things people will say

Here in the Bay Area, a firefighter recently died when he stepped on a live power line at a very nasty fire. His was the first death in that particular department ever and his fellow firefighters were naturally very upset about it.

Now these guys shop in my grocery store all the time. They were in a few days after the accident and the checker was commiserating with them. As they left, she said, "Have a safe day" and the moran in line behind them giggled and called out, "Yeah, don't step on any live wires!" :wtf:

I wonder how a person can possibly be so callous. One of the guys just turned around, got right in her face and told her, "You are the lowest form of human life" then turned and left. She asked the checker, "Gee, what's the matter with him?"

[xmas74]

13. We had an officer

that had his throat slashed by a drunk a few years ago(he was trying to call him a cab. Thank goodness he is alive and well). A few days later, a man at church said, "Stay away from beer bottles" and started laughing.
There are some sick people in this world.