July 29, 2007

• Common Courtesy? Sense? Nah….

  Sigh….

       I had the most awful customers last night. Our coupons clearly state that you can use one per customer per valid period. They wanted to use four, so the husband, wife, and their little kids (maybe 9 and 7) were all making separate purchases but using the same rewards card and the same credit card. It was really quite disgusting. When I told them they could only use one, they said I was discriminating against the children. Actually I feel bad for the kids since not only did their parents make a scene, but that’s a heck of a way to use your kids to save a buck. That’s the kind of attitude that continues to beleaguer our welfare system.

  See now, I technically don’t mind people trying to save money.  I am a very frugal person myself. But there is a right and wrong way to do it, and technically that family was stealing. So it’s a few bucks; it’s also against policy, and I am sick of people breaking rules and no one being able to say anything because it’s not good customer service to tell a customer that they’re an a$$. What I really wanted to say to those people is that they were setting such a wonderful example for their kids (insert sarcasm). But what I did was say, “Fine, but you can’t use your rewards card since that tracks your coupon use.” This was one of those rare coupons that didn’t require the Rewards card to validate it.” So they didn’t get credit for the sale(s), and it won’t contribute to their “Borders Bucks.”

  So who’s the winner? I don’t know. I’m just tired of people breaking rules. Bending is okay with me. For instance, if you shopped in the store the previous week, chances are the register spat out a coupon for the next week. If you belong to the Rewards program, you’ll likely receive a similar coupon via email. See you can use both in the store because they have different coupon numbers. We’re okay with that. Those really are two different coupons. But this printing multiple copies of the same coupon is just wrong. We’ve told people again and again that we won’t do it, but they don’t care. It’s their god-given right to gouge the store.

  It’s just not right. How about a little respect for the sales person here? We treat you nicely, common courtesy demands you respond accordingly. There’s no common courtesy any more, and no common sense. Most of my coworkers will work with people to save money. We’ll tell you about sales that include the book you’re interested in or the same book in the bargain area, we’ll tell you about upcoming sales, we’ll try to accommodate reasonable coupon use. But it’s people like that family that ruin it for everyone. They’re the kind of people who cause the end of discount programs and cause lesser businesses to close up shop. They’re selfish. I hate selfishness as much as I hate ignorance, so when people combine the two and then add mulish determination, they make me sick, especially when they drag their innocent kids into it.

  Bet they voted for GW too….

  I just wish I could tell the bad customers that they’re bad. If I ever get to open my own bookstore, I am not going to let people walk all over me like I am commanded to do now. If a bad customer comes into the store, that’s the last time they’ll do it, because I’ll tell them point blank that I am not going to tolerate abuse of myself or my employees. They can apologize, or they can leave and not return. Behavior like this continues and increases because we are not allowed to sanction it when it happens. At least the customer after them was understanding and disapproving of the parents as well. That’s always nice. I just wish customers that agreed with the salesperson about bad behavior would stand up to the bully customers causing the problem. I can’t say anything in my subservient position, but another person on the same societal rung is more likely to get through to them. At the very least, the bully will be embarrassed enough to reign themselves in in the future. You just don’t treat people like this. This is why I think everyone fresh out of school should be required to do at least six months community service in a service industry…. just so they know what it’s like. People are so inconsiderate these days.

  I work in a bookstore because I love books. I’m sure I could make more money elsewhere, but it wouldn’t be doing something I like. So I take less pay in order to work in a field I enjoy. That doesn’t mean I should have to stand there and be abused by ignorant, selfish warts on the face of society. It’s time they were removed by a cauterizing dose of peer pressure.

  • 12:08 pm
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