I can't help but make today another double-post day. A noteworthy enough occurrence happened, but since it was after my lunch break, I didn't have the time to type it out and send it via text message. So before I have the chance to go to sleep tonight and forget any details, here be what happened:
~~~
~Two gentlemen approached my counter with five items to return and they had the receipt. They seemed slightly high, so I'll go ahead and refer to them as Dude1 and Dude2. This particular encounter was so special, I'm going to explain what happened with each piece of merchandise separately.
Item #1. A surge protector.
~This item had none of it's original packaging. In situations like these, we have no way of either party proving that the UPC code on the receipt is for that particular item unless the customer gets an identical, packaged one off the shelf and brings it too me. Since our hardware section is in the far back of the store, Dude1 wasn't interested enough in returning the device to run back and grab a duplicate of it for me. So we moved on to the next object...
Item #2. A four-pack of electrical outlets.
~To be frank, I really didn't care that the box had multiple, overlapping, horizontal layers of scotch tape over the closing flap. Customers use their own tape to re-package stuff all the time. When I did begin to care is after I lifted the box to scan it. The outlets inside rattled more than I expected and the box was lighter than I would have figured, too. So, I took the liberty of opening it up. I can't help but point out the fact that I must have pressed my thumbnail against the most ideal location in the tape. It split in a perfect line across the box's edge allowing me to pull open the flap in an easy, fluid motion which gave me a momentary flash of nerdy joy.*
Peering inside, I found that there were only two items in the container, not four. To add icing to this pitiful attempt at a return, both of the outlets were old and badly damaged. Each had been used well past their capacity and had melted marks around the socket holes. The worst of the two even bore small burns from the electrical heat it had been forced to endure. While I explained how the damage and missing parts prevented me from being able to approve the return, Dude1 simply followed along with an even-toned, calm compilation of, "Yeah," "Uh-huh," and "Ok," replies. This guy had to be 'feeling good'. So we moved on to the next objects...
Items #3 and 4. Two medium-sized, metal space heaters.
~With the surge protector and outlets both having fallen short of being in optimal return condition, I wet ahead and made sure to take an extra moment to inspect the heaters...
-Both were the same model and the boxes looked brand new. Check.
-Both were on the guys' receipt with matching UPC numbers. Check.
So far so good!
Neither were still taped shut, so I grabbed the one closest to me and pulled it out of it's box. Now, given what time of year it is, I've gotten very familiar with some of the heaters we carry. People have been returning and exchanging them constantly for weeks now. Due to that fact, I was already well aware that this particular model has a handle that does not come already attached to the unit. I slid the heater back in it's box and mentioned that there wasn't a handle anywhere in sight. Upon hearing this, Dude1 looked in the second box (which was closer to him,) pulled out its handle, and handed it to me... instead of just handing me the box while it had all of it's contents still packed neatly in it. This guy had to be stoned.
At least they had a 1/4 success rate at this point. I taped the accepted heater shut and scanned it into my computer. The other, he planned on taking home to find the missing handle. So we moved on to the last object...
4. An open DVD.
~When these guys first walked up, the DVD was the first item I noticed because the cellophane was no longer on it. Dude2 stated that it wouldn't play all the way through and wanted to just get the money back for it. Following store policy, I informed him that because the movie had already been opened, but found to be defective, I would be able to exchange it out for another exact copy. I also made sure to emphasize that when these particular exchanges are made, the new copy must be opened before it leaves the building since theirs was open when it entered the building. He seemed slightly displeased that this was the only option I was able to provide him, but made his way into the store to grab another, anyhow.
Dude2 had returned well before I had finished with the other four items, and now it was the movie's turn. Dude1 wasn't as accepting of the store policy and mentioned a couple more times that his companion just wanted his money back. It was as if he wasn't hearing me each time I repeated that all I was able to do was swap it out for another, same, exact copy. After I completed their transaction, put the new (opened) DVD in a bag, and handed Dude1 the money for the one heater that was returned he stated, yet again, that they still just wanted to return the DVD. I surprised myself at how slowly and calmly I was able to reiterate our policy on opened software for the fourth or fifth time. That guy had to be baked.
*Yes! Nerdy JOY!
With all the annoying situations and pissed-off people that I get to deal with on a daily basis, its nice when something actually goes well, no matter how large or infinity small it is. Shut up! Don't judge me!
Item #1. A surge protector.
~This item had none of it's original packaging. In situations like these, we have no way of either party proving that the UPC code on the receipt is for that particular item unless the customer gets an identical, packaged one off the shelf and brings it too me. Since our hardware section is in the far back of the store, Dude1 wasn't interested enough in returning the device to run back and grab a duplicate of it for me. So we moved on to the next object...
Item #2. A four-pack of electrical outlets.
~To be frank, I really didn't care that the box had multiple, overlapping, horizontal layers of scotch tape over the closing flap. Customers use their own tape to re-package stuff all the time. When I did begin to care is after I lifted the box to scan it. The outlets inside rattled more than I expected and the box was lighter than I would have figured, too. So, I took the liberty of opening it up. I can't help but point out the fact that I must have pressed my thumbnail against the most ideal location in the tape. It split in a perfect line across the box's edge allowing me to pull open the flap in an easy, fluid motion which gave me a momentary flash of nerdy joy.*
Peering inside, I found that there were only two items in the container, not four. To add icing to this pitiful attempt at a return, both of the outlets were old and badly damaged. Each had been used well past their capacity and had melted marks around the socket holes. The worst of the two even bore small burns from the electrical heat it had been forced to endure. While I explained how the damage and missing parts prevented me from being able to approve the return, Dude1 simply followed along with an even-toned, calm compilation of, "Yeah," "Uh-huh," and "Ok," replies. This guy had to be 'feeling good'. So we moved on to the next objects...
Items #3 and 4. Two medium-sized, metal space heaters.
~With the surge protector and outlets both having fallen short of being in optimal return condition, I wet ahead and made sure to take an extra moment to inspect the heaters...
-Both were the same model and the boxes looked brand new. Check.
-Both were on the guys' receipt with matching UPC numbers. Check.
So far so good!
Neither were still taped shut, so I grabbed the one closest to me and pulled it out of it's box. Now, given what time of year it is, I've gotten very familiar with some of the heaters we carry. People have been returning and exchanging them constantly for weeks now. Due to that fact, I was already well aware that this particular model has a handle that does not come already attached to the unit. I slid the heater back in it's box and mentioned that there wasn't a handle anywhere in sight. Upon hearing this, Dude1 looked in the second box (which was closer to him,) pulled out its handle, and handed it to me... instead of just handing me the box while it had all of it's contents still packed neatly in it. This guy had to be stoned.
At least they had a 1/4 success rate at this point. I taped the accepted heater shut and scanned it into my computer. The other, he planned on taking home to find the missing handle. So we moved on to the last object...
4. An open DVD.
~When these guys first walked up, the DVD was the first item I noticed because the cellophane was no longer on it. Dude2 stated that it wouldn't play all the way through and wanted to just get the money back for it. Following store policy, I informed him that because the movie had already been opened, but found to be defective, I would be able to exchange it out for another exact copy. I also made sure to emphasize that when these particular exchanges are made, the new copy must be opened before it leaves the building since theirs was open when it entered the building. He seemed slightly displeased that this was the only option I was able to provide him, but made his way into the store to grab another, anyhow.
Dude2 had returned well before I had finished with the other four items, and now it was the movie's turn. Dude1 wasn't as accepting of the store policy and mentioned a couple more times that his companion just wanted his money back. It was as if he wasn't hearing me each time I repeated that all I was able to do was swap it out for another, same, exact copy. After I completed their transaction, put the new (opened) DVD in a bag, and handed Dude1 the money for the one heater that was returned he stated, yet again, that they still just wanted to return the DVD. I surprised myself at how slowly and calmly I was able to reiterate our policy on opened software for the fourth or fifth time. That guy had to be baked.
*Yes! Nerdy JOY!
With all the annoying situations and pissed-off people that I get to deal with on a daily basis, its nice when something actually goes well, no matter how large or infinity small it is. Shut up! Don't judge me!
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