As a Salesclerk what's the Worst Retail Experience You Had?

Question

As a Salesclerk what's the Worst Retail Experience You Had?

Answer 1

I worked at a speciality clothing store that had a very strict 15 day exchange policy.   I had this one lady bring back clothing that had clearing been worn and washed several times, with the tags reattached in the wrong spots 60 days after purchase wanting a full refund.  She threw a fit in the store, with language so bad that causes a person with young children to leave.  And, to make my anger worse, called the home office about it.  The regional manager, not district, regional, met with the lady, took the clothes back and gave her the full refund.

I get that the customer is always right, but whats the point in having an exchange policy if I am going to get in trouble for upholding it?

Answer 2

I worked a summer job at a big name linigerie chain and I had this hillbilly-like elderly couple come in right when the store opened. They didn't ask any questions in complete sentences, just said "Stockins'" or "garters". That was rude and odd enough in itself. But after I showed them the only garter belt we had in the store at the time (attached to a pair of panties), the old man came up to me and said in a loud voice "How the h**l are yeh s'posed to have intercourse in these?!" and was genuinely awaiting an explanation. Everyone in the store stared. My jaw dropped and I said "I have no idea, sir" and went in the back room until I could stop laughing.

Answer 3

My manager told me to watch 2 customers closely because they looked"sneaky". Both of the ladies kept switching position to get in the dead zones between the mirrors so I had to straighten clothing racks all over the place to see them. My manager went out to lunch and the clerk with me made it clear that she didn't like the fact that I was hired. One of the 2 ladies started screaming at me calling me a cracker and saying that I was watching her because of her color then threatened to smash me into the carpet. The whites and one hispanic ran out of the store. The other clerk would not try t calm her down or call the police. She even said, "I know." Agreeing with the lady. Some of the black customers were asking her to chill but a few were shaking their heads and agreeing with her. The lady pushed down a rounder and started making her way towards me and she was a big, tall woman, much bigger than me.

Thank God, my manager only went to a drive through and came right back. I ran to the door to meet her, telling her as she came in. She threw out the lady for threatening me and told her that she will have her arrested if she came back in and then told all the customers and the other clerk that I had only done what she told me to do so to get over their "its just a black thing bu--sh-t!" ( my manager was black too.Then she took the other clerk in the back and everybody could hear her telling her that she better back up whoever works with her and that she could have stooped the whole ruckus.

I liked the job and got used to being the only white working there but that day was an eyeopener. If my boss hadn't of come back I'd have probably got hurt for doing my job.

Answer 4

I worked at a very familiar store (way before Sam Walton died).  I had been hired to help out during the Christmas holidays, Thanksgiving through New Years Day.  As seasonal help, I was basically a flunky and supported several departments including the seasonal aisle and worked as cashier.  After Thanksgiving was a nightmare and most of my time was on the register.  I remember hardly looking up, back in the day before scanners when we had to actually punch in the prices along with the department codes, it was a tedious process.  My shifts were one long procession of "Did you find everything you needed?" to "Thank you for shopping at ***-****".  One day, I said the usual "Did you find everything you needed?" and this elderly and extremely obese woman proceeded to chew me out for everything that was wrong with the world.  It took me by surprise, usually everyone simply grunted and grabbed their bags.  I stood there and listened, tried to sympathize and diffuse her anger -- but to no avail.  All the other cashiers were staring, all the customers were staring -- this woman had an audience and she was performing as if she were competing for an oscar.  I finally just started ringing up her items, which weren't much, handed her the merchandise and said the usual "Thank you for shopping at ***-****."  She ripped the bags out of my hands and told me she had just wasted an hour of her life looking for what she couldn't find.  At the end of my shift, the seasonal aisle was a complete disaster -- all the other departments expected me to straighten their stuff, and the store certainly didn't pay for overtime.  I clocked out and went back to take care of business.  That was a very long day.

I'm sure there are other salesclerks with worse experiences, but that was 30 years ago, and I still remember it.  What a really bad day.