Shoe Store Hell: "What Do You Mean You Can't Return This!?"

 

Shoe hell 1From Recusant1TalesFromRetail

I work in the Footwear department for a pretty famous retailer and returns are not uncommon at all. I'm not sure if its the same for other retailers but for us you need at least one of three things to return an item: the receipt, be a member, or use a credit card; within 30 days of the date of the original purchase. Names have been changed. Now here's the story

It was just an average Monday; slow, not too many customers around. I was behind the cash wrap cleaning up when this guy comes in with his shoes. When I see a customer that's holding a shoe box I already know its a return so I get the register ready for a return and wait for him to talk.

C - "I need to return this"

Me - "OK, do you have a receipt?"

C- "No, it was a gift, I don't know who bought it"

Me - "...ok, well I can use a phone number or email that you think it might have been bought under"

C - Proceeds to give a number.

Me - "Ok is Eddie someone you know?"

C - "I don't know who that is. That's his number though." Visibly starting to get mad

Me - "Well that person might have been the previous owner of the number, it happens. Do you know any other numbers or emails that they might have used?"

C - "No"

Me - "Um well unfortunately since I don't have any of the three things we need, I cant' do the return for you."

C - The Title

Me - Explaining the return policy to him again, slower this time

Returnhell3C - "I want a manager!"

Me - "OK" with a smile

C - "We are getting to the bottom of this!"

So I go on the PA and request the manager on duty to my department. She calls me to say shes busy and it'll be a few minutes. I say simply say ok and let the guy know it will be a couple of minutes. He's not happy but agrees to wait. The funny thing is that I do a purchase and a return that both took less than 5 minuets collectively in front of him with no hitches. After the return I did for the other customer he wanted me to call the manager again. I just smile and call again. She shows up and I take a step back.

Asm - "Whats the issue?

C - "He's telling me that he can't return my shoe!"

Asm - "Ok well do you have the receipt"

C - "No! The shoe was a gift! I didn't buy it!"

Asm - "ok well so you know their phone number or email?"

C - "He already checked that! Its coming up with the wrong person!"

Carolanne axeAsm - "... ok... let me go on the computer to see if they used that phone number to make the purchase" checks "Doesn't look like it was bought under that one, lets try yours just to double check. checks "Unfortunately it didn't come up with that one either."

C - "OK, so what?"

Asm - "We can't do the return since we are missing the needed information."

C - "That is ridiculous! I want to talk to the store manager!"

Asm - "Well that's me today so..."

C - "Well if you're the manager then you can just give me my money back!"

Asm - "Unfortunately that's not how it works, return policy explained for the 3rd or 4th time, we need one of those three things."

C - Proceeds to take out his store credit card "Ok well when I get home I'm going to shred up this card that I've had since 1963! And I'll never shop here again!"

Asm - "That has been the policy for more than 2 years now and I unfortunately cannot do the return for you..."

C - "Every other store I shop at can do the return without the receipt! Why can't you!? You're the manager!"

Asm - EXPLAINS

C - I'm going to tear up my card and never coming back!" *Takes his shoe box from the counter with anger and proceeds to get both of our names before storming off

The manager and I just look at each other in disbelief and laugh. When she was looking up his purchase history she found out that that last time he bought anything from our stores was more than a year ago and less than $100. Her last words to me "Some customer we're losing." Another laugh followed.

--Recusant1

 


Shoe Store Hell: Can You Go Lower?

 

SHOESTORE2

 

From Thief-of-Hope, Tales From Retail:

I work at a store that sells lots of sports gear and sports-related merchandise. One of our big sellers is shoes. We are closing my location, so right now everything in the store is 50%. And these are nice brands, stuff that never gets discounted otherwise. So, as you can imagine, it’s been hell.

The store was packed all day today with people trying to haggle even lower. My patience ran put about 2 days ago. Also important to note that tomorrow is my last day working there, so I give zero shits about policy or politeness. On to the story.

A man, who will be “S,” came up to my register with two pairs of shoes. One in a box, and one of another brand outside of the box. I will be “Me.”

Me: All set?

S: Yeah, how much are these?

He gestures to the shoes outside of the box. They were some sort of women’s sneaker that I know I saw a few pairs of in the back of the store, but we were busy so I didn’t want to go check the price.

Me: I’ll give them to you for $50

S: And then half off of $50?

Me: No, I believe they are a hundred dollar shoe, so I’ll give them to you half off for $50.

S: Can you go lower?

Me: (annoyed) No, I can’t.

S: Come on, they don’t have a box.

Me: They’re $50.

S: They don’t have a box though!

Me: (Smiling) Then let me grab a box for you.

So I walk to the other side of the store a pick up a box of the same brand and style sneakers in a different size, in their box. I walk back up to the register and scan them.

Me: Oh, my mistake. These are $130! So $65 after the discount, not $50.

He instantly pales.

S: (starts taking out money) I’ll take them for $50, you said $50!

Me: Nope, they are $65.

S: Here! $50, you said $50, they don’t have a box!

Me: I’ll give you this box.

S: (Deflating) I don’t want the box.

Me: Okay, so I’ll just take both pairs then.

I grabbed both the boxed and unboxes pairs of the really nice sneakers, and he left with a pair of lower quality sneakers only $8 cheaper then the $50 he would have had the good ones for if he hadn’t tried to argue with me.

TL;DR: Never argue with an employee who’s got nothing to lose.

--Thief-of-Hope

 

 

 


Shoe Store Hell: Ignored For Another Customer

 

Shoe hell 4From dog_hair_dinnerTalesFromRetail

I was shopping at a running shoe store. I was at the counter having my items being rung up.

A woman walks out of the change room and puts the clothes she doesn't want on top of my stuff. (They sell some exercise clothes too) then she starts talking to the lady checking me out and asking for help finding something that fits better.

The lady checking me out just leaves to help the other lady.

....

.....

So I'm standing there with my stuff at the counter like... What just happened? Am I invisible?

I went to get another salesperson and told them what happened. I heard the other sales-lady get chewed out by her co-worker when I was leaving.

--dog_hair_dinner

 


Shoe Store Hell: "You're trying to make me feel stupid"

 

SHOESTORE2

From  breakfastburritotime, Tales From Retail:

Wednesday was my lucky day. I had the worst customer to date.

Every once in awhile, I get customers who like to pretend they are being ignored, I'm guessing so they can complain to management and get discounts. Within about a minute of my coworker greeting a customer, she plopped down in a seat and said, "Is anybody going to help me?"

I grabbed two sneakers for the customer and she asked the difference between them. I constantly get customers who mistakenly think two shoes are the same style in different colors, or that a shoe that comes in multiple colors aren't actually the same style. So I told her, "Yep, one is 'NikeA' and one is 'NikeB.'" She flew off the handle screaming about how I'm not answering her question and I'm trying to make her feel stupid. My three other coworkers didn't know what to do because she wouldn't stop screaming at the top of her lungs. Eventually she stormed off to a different department to report me.

The next morning, I'm doing the daily audit of our display shoes and I notice one of the shoes is missing--one of the styles the customer tried on. It's not uncommon for displays to accidentally be put away in the stock room, so I checked the box it came from. The shoe wasn't there...and it wasn't on the mismates shelf...or the clearance racks...or the go-back table...or anywhere else in our department. I even checked the rest of the registers on our floor. Nothing. Yep, looks like this lady shoplifted just a left shoe 3.5 sizes too small for her to try to "get back" at me.

Edit: we had our annual store inventory Saturday. All go-backs and returns were returned to their departments. The shoe was not found. RIP Nike shoe.

--  breakfastburritotime

 

 

 


Shoe Store Hell: "Sir, Turn Around"

 

Shoe hell 3From FullSizedAorticPumpTalesFromRetail

So I work in your generic sporting goods/shoe shop. Today is one of the last few days before school starts so it is incredibly busy on footwear with the people coming in to buy school shoes. Shoes I get from the back are not security tagged so I can't leave the customers alone with any shoe boxes, as per store policy. So today I was serving about 3 customers at the same time, so I can't leave to help any one else.

Rude man can be RM and I shall be me.

Me: Hello are you alright there?

RM: Where are your plimsolls?

Me: Ah they are just behind you on that stand.

RM: Aren't you going to guide me to them? You can't just point; this store is massive I will never find them!

Me: Sorry sir I am busy serving other customers and I can't leave the boxes.

RM: Wow well you have got the best service ever! You totally need to work on that, you're going to get the sack if you keep it up.

Me: Sir, turn around.

Here RM clearly sees the stand of plimsolls he is ignoring and blushes a deep red colour.

RM: Oh.

It was incredibly satisfying to see his reaction. Just for reference my manager loves me and is incredibly sad I am leaving to do a master's degree.

--FullSizedAorticPump