# Why your retail service sucks- my first retail employee rant **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 1, 2002, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-retail-service-sucks-my-first-retail-employee-rant/101172 "2002-04-01T06:49:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Fingolfin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eada6e/32.png) [@Fingolfin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fingolfin)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-retail-service-sucks-my-first-retail-employee-rant/101172/21 "2002-04-04T18:16:52Z")
This is why I never try to find a parking space up close. I _always_ park on the back end of the parking lot, away from the mess that takes place up front. Quick, easy, painless, and it’s nice to get a little excercise from that extra 50-60 yard walk. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![apollo9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@apollo9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/apollo9)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-retail-service-sucks-my-first-retail-employee-rant/101172/22 "2002-04-04T19:39:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cmosdes \* > \*\*apollo9: > > I don’t get it. Why would a company that has such a liberal return policy make your job harder? Seems like it would make a return job a whole heck of a lot easier. No hassles about purchase dates, when damaged or even if you sell the stupid thing! Just accept and smile. Wow! Sounds ideal. If people are taking advantage of the store, so what? You aren’t out anything. \*\* You’re right, on that note, it makes my job easier. No hassles whatsoever. I used that example however, to show how absurd the rule of “the customer is always right,” is, and what such a rule can lead to. My problem with it was exclusively with the ethics involved: such a return policy DOES reward lying, deceity, and hypocrasy. I know such things don’t bother some people these days, but those breaches of trust still offend me. That’s it. ---
**Author:** ![Merlot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3e96dc/32.png) [@Merlot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merlot)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-retail-service-sucks-my-first-retail-employee-rant/101172/23 "2002-04-04T19:51:08Z")
pssst…B&N has a no prosecution policy when handling shoplifters. How’s that for the customer **always** being right. ---
**Author:** ![cheezit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@cheezit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheezit)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-retail-service-sucks-my-first-retail-employee-rant/101172/24 "2002-04-04T21:15:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zette \* > \*\* > Shopper is a regular buyer and spends some amount (say $150) a week on groceries. That’s $7,800 a year, not counting holidays. That’s just 1 person. You piss them off? You’re outta there, no matter if they are the creepiest, most idiotic, jerkiest customer out there. The customers represent $$ coming in and you represent $$ coming out- the company can easily replace you, but not the customers. What if disgruntled customer tells another regular customer and they stop shopping there? (And so on) > \*\* I was the manager of a grocery store many years ago and I found that this isn’t always the case. I remember this one time. (No, not at band camp 😃 ). This guy, a regular customer, came in and, as usual, bought a large amount of groceries. A couple of days later, he was back with his receipt and he wanted to talk to the meat department manager. He told the meat dept. manager that the meat he had bought was spoiled. The manager asked him where it was. The guy says that they _ate it anyway_.:rolleyes: The meat manager said he would not refund the money without the “bad” meat. So this guy goes off on a tirade, claiming that he would never shop there again and he would tell all of his friends (he had a lot of friends) not to shop there to, etc. etc. Then he tells the meat manager that he was going to report him to the consumer frauds devision of the BBB. The meat dept. manager looked him right in the eye and said straight to his face “Would you like their phone number?” 😛 The guy was so flustered at that comment that he turned around and walked out. The very next week, he was right back there filling up his cart again, happy as could be. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-retail-service-sucks-my-first-retail-employee-rant/101172/25 "2002-04-04T21:30:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cmosdes \* > \*\*If people are taking advantage of the store, so what? You aren’t out anything. \*\* I think an argument could be made that every fraudulent return is a loss for the company. Those losses are real money that could’ve been paid to good, loyal employees (who don’t question this ridiculous policy and process returns of merchandise bought – or stolen – elsewhere without question) by means of higher salaries. In that respect, yes, she is out something. I’d also argue that just as confrontational closed-door dressing down “meetings” take a toll on employees’ mental well-being, there’s an equal loss when they are forced to shut down their brains and abbrogate their common sense and connection to basic morality in order to preserve an excessive “customer is always right” policy. Good workers should not have to turn off their brains in order to do their jobs. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-retail-service-sucks-my-first-retail-employee-rant/101172/26 "2002-04-04T23:20:33Z")
In my job at The Shack, the manager basically told us (he was a great manager) if it’s under $25, just do whatever the customer wants. His point being, don’t waste your valuable time arguing with a customer about why you won’t take a return on some $10 piece of junk. This was especially important around Christmas, he wanted us on the sales floor selling instead of behind the counter arguing. The $10 you saved with the argument could have been a $50 sale if you hadn’t wasted your time. Since it’s a small store, chances are that someone isn’t going to come back 10 times returning junk, because we’ll notice and just tell him to go pound sand. ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-retail-service-sucks-my-first-retail-employee-rant/101172/27 "2002-04-04T23:32:32Z")
I just want to second **black455** ’s library suggestion. I worked at the local library last year for about nine months, and it was great. If someone threatened to “never come here again,” it was no skin off our ass. They paid our salaries anyway, and if they weren’t there checking out books, that made things easier for us. We were never _rude_ to patrons, but we also never took the attitude that “the patron is always right.” In fact, in Circulation, where I worked, it was more along the lines of “the patron is guilty until proven innocent.” The only problem with working in circ at the library, though, is that people tend to recognize you when you’re not at work. Once, I went to one of my friend’s house. I’d never been there before, but I’d known that friend for over four years. His mom immediately asked if I still worked at the library. Thus, it is possible that patrons will complain to the supervisor about things that one does outside of work. Never happened to me, though :D. ---
**Author:** ![Merlot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3e96dc/32.png) [@Merlot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merlot)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-retail-service-sucks-my-first-retail-employee-rant/101172/28 "2002-04-04T23:38:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Angel of the Lord \* > \*\* “the patron is guilty until proven innocent.” \*\* That’s the circulation librarian motto! ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2002, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-retail-service-sucks-my-first-retail-employee-rant/101172/29 "2002-04-05T01:27:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by betenoir \* > \*\* > 😃 😃 😃 😃 Seems like a good idea to me. > Thanks, shelbo. > > And thanks, everybody for your comments. A lot to be said for getting some perspectives on you personal traumas. Pit rants work! > > i’d say more but it’s three am. > > but thanks \*\* Just to let you know: [www.customerssuck.com](http://www.customerssuck.com) Serving your Anti-Customer Needs since 1999! 😃 -end of shameless self-promotion [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-retail-service-sucks-my-first-retail-employee-rant/101172.md?page=1)