Specimens from the retail jungle.

[markojp]

I do think everyone...everyone should work retail or as a server at least once in their lives to learn how to respect others.
As far as the customer always being right? No way. The amount on stories I could tell..I am sure I have forgotten more than I can remember. Being able to fire a customer should be a right of any seasoned salesperson, manager or business owner.

I had a 3 week stint as a server. Brutal... I really couldn't deal with was the internal workings of the management team. To this day, it's the only job I've ever walked out of... this is like 1986, so it's been a long while past, but a hard esson learned. When you see poor management in the first five minutes of the job, you know, the kind that clearly is there to light the flaming hoops and smack you up side the head three stooges style with a 2x4 ("Hey Curly!"), then walk away quickly.

 

[markojp]

His reply amounted to "I spent so much money I though I deserved something extra". I do remember him saying over and over how he didn't think this was a big deal & that he'd gladly pay for everything. The owner thought otherwise. To this day I can't believe what an awful role model that father was to his kids that day. Just tragic.

Anyway, this happened in the late 70s (or early 80s). Back then, our store was an early adopter of this particular kind of anti-theft tech. We'd installed the tag & detector system just a few weeks before the guy tried to shoplift.

It was a bittersweet outcome: a jackass customer got what he deserved but I lost a huge sale. :^/

So you sold gear to The Donald? Cool!

(Delete if you need to, Phil... )

 

[Philpug]

So you sold gear to The Donald? Cool!

(Delete if you need to, Phil... )

Nah, would rather let you suffer the wrath of the community for such a comment. Then we will get back to the subject at hand.

 

[crgildart]

I think everyone should be required work retail one Black Friday weekend (starting at 6am Friday or earlier, not Thursday) before being allowed to shop on Blask Friday weekend. I've only been out once on Black Friday since retiring from retail, and that wasn't until well after noon to get ONE thing mrs crgildart HAD to have hahahaha..

 

[Philpug]

Points were made, then deleted. Thank you for putting MarkoJP in his place. Now, back to our regularly scheduled thread.

 

[markojp]

Points were made, then deleted. Thank you for putting MarkoJP in his place. Now, back to our regularly scheduled thread.

Guess I missed it.

 

[crgildart]

Guess I missed it.

You would have been OK with it.. Big spill (of truth) on aisle 3. Cleaned up because it was off topic for the entire forum hahahaha!

Back to the retail jungle..

Once had a customer that I had to kick out because he was smoking in the store more than a year after smoking in the mall was banned, mean old man..

Once had a customer that wrote a check and when I asked to see his ID he whipped out his wallet opened to the window with his DL and the other page displayed was a photo of him displaying his enormous "junk". I whispered to the other manger that the TeleChek just gave a code that I didn't understand and asked HER to double check the gentleman's ID number for me..

 

[skibob]

Someone came into the ski shop last week(end of July) and asked if we had a Nordica Enforcer 177 in our summer sale blowout.

One of the hottest skis, in one of the most common sizes in the village at one of the largest resorts in the area.

SLIM his/her chances NONE.

But hey, it never hurts to ask . . .

 

[crgildart]

So Saturday something made a LOUD BANG at a crowded local mall. Couple CCL Cowboys pulled out their guns ready to be heroes... MASS PANIC ENSUED when people saw them with guns. About a dozen people were injured in the stampedes towards all exits. Mall locked down. People weren't able to get their cars from the parking deck or items left behind in the panic until Monday morning. Official word is no shots fired, no bullet holes. Probably a balloon popping or something heavy falling to slap on the floor making a boom sound.

Watching more news reminded me of an incident that happened about 92. Was working at the store and heard a loud THUD from out in the mall. Big crowd of people saying someone fell from the 2nd level down to the first level. Bystanders were crowded around the person tending best they could until EMS arrived. I noticed some twine tied to the upper level railing. Guy tried to hang himself with twine and the rope broke DOH! Turns out his ex fiance' worked as a custodian in the mall. I guess he wanted her to clean up his mess. Mall DID NOT CLOSE. They toted him away, put up some tape around the place where he jumped and more around where he landed. Business as usual!!!