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Post by Dragin "Hiku" Hikari on Apr 15, 2008 0:40:50 GMT -5
Since this forum is much so dead, I figured I would throw a few things into the mix behold the horrid nature of American Midwest Consumer and ignorance of the common consumer.
Now to give you a quick run down of those usually involved:
Me: I work in the Electronics department as a General Sales Assoicate
Manager: Refers to any managers on any level. But generally refers to my Department Manager or the Assistance Manager that's responsible for our department. I won't post names for ethical purposes.
Assoicate: Refers to any assoicate in my department or any others.
CS Assoicate: Usually those in Customer Service, they get their own title because usually they are involved strictly in stupid returns.
CSM: Customer Service Manager, usually the ones that deal with the cashiers and people up front but they do coem back and end up dragged into it. But they don't really have authority that the other management does.
Customer: Obivious enough
#1 Wet behind the Keyboard:
Okay one day during Christmas I got called up front to do a package check, which simply means that when a electronic item or an item that has other things with it that the Service desk people may not know what's all ni the package so they call one of us to do it for them.
So one day I get called up to check a keyboard that was being returned by an older looking hispansic lady. Seemed simple enough. I asked her what was wrong with it and she told me it didn't work.
I start to take stuff out but when I took the keyboard out of the plastic it was dripping... the thing was soak and wet.
Me: *Looks at her* Umm... what is this?
Customer: My son got the Keyboard off and dunk it the bath tub
CS Assoicate: ...
Me: Umm...
Customer: It's not my fault that the keyboard isn't waterproof!
So not only did she bring back a product that was destroyed by her kid but she made NO effort to dry the damn keyboard before she brought it back. Then to cover her tracks she made it the STORE'S fault that the product isn't waterproof because her son, is apparantly smarter then her, to be able to unplug the keyboard and dunk it underwater when she should have been aware of it.
#2 You're Kid's Future Looks Bright
Okay this also accured over Christmas Time. I'm zoning my area of the department which that day happened to be the game case as well as the game accessories. While working there I noticed a kid trying to play our DS display we had recently installed and from I saw he was having a heck of time trying to figure it out.
Considering I'm used to seeing kids abuse the hell out our equipment. To be nice I asked him if he was having trouble with it and wanted to know how to play, so I gave him a basic rundown on the controls for one race (This was Diddy Kong Racing). After he got the hang of it I was about to go back to work, man pull the kid from the machine, apparntly his father. Without really allowing me to say anything he resorts to telling me.
Customer: Stop trying to turn my son into a fucking nerd!
Then he proceeds to storm off, okay let me get this straight... I simply was trying to be nice which is part of my job to a kid who was in the Video Game section of the store with no one there to suggest that he wasn't suppose to be there but to insist that for some reason that for some reason I was trying to influnce his son in some way that was negative. He treated the whole video game issue as if it was some kind of plague.
I feel sorry for the kid really, the guy sounds like one of those parents that will push their kids into what they feel is the 'right' way to do things.
I'll try to update a few of these when they come to mind if you guys enjoy stupid people and the chaos they bring I have many more stories that I don't feel like typing up right now.
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Post by Dragin "Hiku" Hikari on Apr 15, 2008 3:05:28 GMT -5
A few more came to me tonight
#3: Do you really think I'm that stupid?
This accured a little more recently, a teenager wanted an X-box 360 Pro. So I went ahead and got it for him, however when it rung up, the guy claimed that the labeled price was 39.94 and he wanted it for the labeled price.
I went to check the price tag and it was 39.94 however the tag was labeled 'Wii Remote'
However, that was not the worse of it, once I explained to him that I could not sell it for that price, he threw a temper fit demanding to see my manager however in his display a couple of papers fell out of his coat pocket. It was a couple of our price tags.
Long story short, he ran off, when I investigated what he had dropped it was our price tag for the Xbox 360. The guy had actually switched the price tag with the Wii Remote display that had been sitting across it.
What baffles me about the whole thing, did he really believe anyone was going to be stupid enough to fall for such a stunt? I mean seriously, if you had replaced it with something convincing maybe, but seriously how stupid do people think we are. No friggin Retail chain is going to give you an item for 20% of the actual price.
#4 Stupid Question
A customer approaches me:
Customer: Sir, I bought a game from here yesterday and it doesn't work?
Me: What game?
Customer: Call of Duty 4.
Me: For what system?
Customer: What do you mean?
Me: *Stare* What system did you get it for?
Customer: Playstation 2
Me: ...
This person had bought the friggin XBOX 360 VERISON of the game for his PS2.
#5 Ethernet-to-Dial-up
This particular one actually accured today. A customer came up to me looking for a cable to connect to the internet. He mentioned his router and I assumed he was talking about Ethernet Cable, but when I showed him the cables he said:
Customer: No no, not that cable I'm looking for that cable with those end on one and a telephone jack on the other...
Me: ...
If you guys know anything about cables. Ethernet cable and Phone line are not compatible lines because their bandwidth rate are vastly different. But the issue wasn't that he didn't know, because that's understandable however, it was the 15 minutes I spent with him trying to make him understand that this cable of his did not exist.
At one point he pointed to one of our Linksys Routers and said that's what he has and it came with that cable. It's the exact router I own:
Me: I own that same router sir and there is no cable like that.
Customer: You obiviously don't know anything about computers, if you don't have the cable just say so.
At this point I was ready to bang my head against the wall, finally I took him to the laptops and asked him to point to where he was trying to plug it in... he pointed to the Dial-up port... I pointed to the port next to it but he still wasn't convinced:
Customer: That's not it, it's the port that says internet obivious.
Me: Sir, the only reason is says that is that's all the Dial-up is used for, the ethernet port is for general networking including router connection for your internet.
Customer: ...
The customer finally left without much more, but after all that I hadn't accomplished much and the fact that the guy completely missed the proper port on his laptop was beyond me since he said he had the ethernet cord from the start, he didn't even attempt to try the other port before coming in to waste our time complete.
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Post by shadowhexblade on Apr 15, 2008 13:20:35 GMT -5
Oh I work at Wal-Mart, I feel your pain. I got some good stories too, I can share em sometime when I get the chance to sit down and type em up.
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Post by shinjoyoshida on Apr 15, 2008 21:45:22 GMT -5
Very lulzy Hiku.
Do you have a Wii?
I work at Gamestop.
Basically customer comes in asking for it 24/7. It's always the same answer. No... Finally we get some in and the person asks how much it is and then leaves. Head asplodes.
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Post by Dragin "Hiku" Hikari on Apr 16, 2008 10:49:41 GMT -5
#6 Control the Damn Brat!
One afternoon I was dusting the area around the TV Displays and I notice this little girl with one of those large plastic baby dolls in front of one of the projections TVs on the bottem shelf. All of a sudden she start smacking this doll against the damn screen... her parents were standing there looking at DVD players while this was going on.
So I went to ask them to stop her they ignored me several times before saying:
Customer: Do you mind, we're busy here...
Finally I gave up and asked the girl to stop
Customer: Don't talk to my kid that way!
Me: >>;;
Okay so apparantly it's okay now for kids to beat up on equipment... where in the hell did that get written in the parenting rulebook?
#7 Porn Radios
Okay this one was a phone call I got one evening...
Me: Electronics this is Brian how can I help you?
Woman: Yea do you have desktop stereos?
Me: Yep we do.
Woman: How much are they?
Me: Ohh... they range between usually a 100 dollars and 300 dollars usually
Woman: Which one would be best to play porn music on?
Me: ... Ex-cuse me?
Woman: Ya heard me, I'm looking for something to play porn music on.
Me: ... um... I imagine any of them can...
Woman: Do ya guys have pornos.
Me: Oo;; No madame, it's aganist our policy to carry that kind of thing.
Woman: Well isn't that bullshit...
*Click*
Assoicate came back from break as I said
Me: What the hell just happened there...
Assoicate: Oo
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Post by shadowhexblade on Apr 16, 2008 12:47:57 GMT -5
I got a phone call the one time, obviously a prank phone call. I'm not one to be easily fooled, so I either play along or simply act uncaring, much to the disappointment of whomever is messing with me. I decided to act along with this'n.
Me: Electronics.
Girl on the phone: Yeah, I have a question about a remote, do you think you could help me?
Me: Sure.
Girl: Well, it's about the batteries. What would happen if I stuck them in a condom and put them in the remote?
Me (obviously aware this is a prank): I couldn't really tell ya, you'd have to try it.
Girl: Do you think the remote'd explode? (at this point she's failing to keep her voice calm and her friend is laughing in the background)
Me: It's a possibility, you'd have to try it and find out.
Girl: Ok thanks.
After that point she proceeds to ask me a real question about some radios and the call goes fine.
Another time I had this kid who speaks little english come up to me at the register asking about the PS2 demo we have set-up (and let me say now for anyone who doesn't know, we cannot change the game in the demo).
Kid: 'scuse me.
Me: Yes?
Kid (gesturing towards the PS2 case): Play game?
Me: O..k.
I proceeded to follow the kid over to the case, thinking he either wants to get a game or wants to know how to play the game being demo'd.
At the case.
Kid: Game. (pointing at the PS2 in the case)
Me: -.-; You want a game?
Kid (shakes his head no): No, game. (getting more forceful in his little demands)
Me: ...what?
Kid (gesturing to the tv then to the games): Play game.
Me: Oh, you want me to change the game?
Kid nods.
Me: I'm sorry, but I can't change the game, only our manager can (manager referring to the Sony Rep for our store in this case).
Kid: Yu-huh, keys (points to my keys).
Me: >.> I'm sorry, I'm not allowed to change it, I can't.
Kid repeats himself, and this continues another round before I make my way away from the kid.
The worst part of it is the fact that this kid and his parents (or at least his mom) come into the store regularly, and they never watch the kid, they just let him wander back to electronics thinking he'll just play games until they're done or something. And this kid loves to make one of us open up the case to show him a game, then another, and another, til he's looked at nearly all of em, despite how many other customers needing help may be around.
To wrap up with a third story, at my Wal-Mart photo lab closes around 9pm, so the associates in the lab usually end up leaving 5-10 minutes earlier than that (depending on how long it takes them to finish up their closing chores), but those of us in electronics can still get customers their pictures since the lab is connected to electronics. Anyways, this lady was at the lab counter 3 minutes before 9 expecting to get her pictures. She hollered over at me when I was walking down the pc isle.
Woman: Excuse me, where are they? (referring to the photo lab people)
Me: Sorry, the photo lab closes at 9 on a weekday.
Woman: But it's not 9 yet, they should be here.
I didn't really have much of a response, so I just repeated that they had already closed up and left.
Woman (angrily): It's not 9 yet, they're supposed to still be here. Get me your manager.
I'm getting pissed at this lady at this point and I'm not going to get a manager out here for this, so I walk around to the door and go into the lab.
Me: Did you want to pick up some pictures? You can still pick up your pictures after 9, you just need to ask someone in Electronics.
Woman: Ok then.
Me: Was it one hour or send-out?
Woman: One hour.
Me: Name?
Woman: Shank.
So I proceeded to look through the one-hour drawer for her photos. Now earlier in the day the machine they used to print photos had some problems and they were forced to shut it down for the night, so there was an order they didn't get around to printing. Low and behold it was hers.
Me: I'm sorry, but I can't find your pictures in here. They had some issues with the machine earlier and weren't able to finish all of their orders, so they might not have been able to get to your order.
She's obviously pissed at this point as she complains about this and that and leaves in a huff. There wasn't anything I could do and I was just glad to see her leave.
Later on then, when I was coming back either from break or the back (don't remember which) there she was again at the photo lab counter bugging someone else to look for her photos again. As it turns out I had overlooked her photo envelope in the drawer, but inside the envelope was her roll of undeveloped film and a note saying that, surprise surprise, they weren't able to print her photos because the machine had had problems. The associate informed her of what the note said and I was walking by at this point and again pointed out that that was what I had told her. She bitched about the service here being horrible and demanded her film back. Once she got it, she promised never to come back to this store again and walked off in a huff. I'd be glad if she never came back, but the funny thing is the fact that the idiots that say that always end up coming back, too lazy and stupid to go out of their way to go elsewhere.
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Post by shinjoyoshida on Apr 16, 2008 16:10:09 GMT -5
Speaking of kids ruining equipment. This happened twice to me.
Parents are at the counter talking to me about something or other. Low and behold out of the corner of my eye I see their kid tearing into a Mario toy box all the while saying "I want this." Damn near pulls the thing out before I tell her to stop.
At least the parents didn't give me any bullshit, though they didn't offer to buy the Mario figures either...
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Post by Dragin "Hiku" Hikari on Apr 17, 2008 14:24:34 GMT -5
#8 I HATE Fanboys
One afternoon I was asked by a customer to explain each of the three current game systems because they were interested in getting one. Now this was a mother and two kids who both looked under the age of 10.
As usual I did my own thing of explaining the three consoles, but I recommended the Wii to her due to there being quite a number of game her kids could play and was apporiate for their age group. She seemed satified with my response...
However it went downhill for there...
This idiot who was looking in the Xbox cases at the time, probably about 15 or so suddenly jump into the convestation.
Customer: Wii sucks man. Don't sell her that kind of crap
I was rather baffled by his sudden intermission and the lady wasn't exactly please either. Unlike most parents it seems like this lady at least had a few standards
Customer 2: EXCUSE me?
Me: Excuse me sir but we're fine here.
Customer: That's typical Wal-Mart sell stupid crap no one wants. The Wii is a stupid gimmick that won't last. You should get a 360 it's alot better.
Me: The Xbox is a system that the control are more complex and the games are more oriented towards Teens and Adults, it's not even going to work out well for them.
Customer: Well maybe YOU should start selling real games instead of that crap.
That this point I was getting irriated and was the lady I was helping was also angry she didn't appericate the language or the tone in front of her two kids. At this point my customer friendly fell below Zero.
Me: Sir, please leave... if you do not I will call management to personally escort you out of the building, do you understand that?
Customer: Well **** you then...
And he walked off, of course the lady was appalled as well... I just smirked and grabbed the walkie and report the guy and one of the managers did personally escorted the idiot of the building anyway.
As for the customer I was helping, she did buy a Wii and controllers as well and thanked me for my help.
Me: 3 Fanboys: 0
#9 Stupid Question 2
Customer: Sir?
Me: Can I help you?
Customer: Where do you keep the motor oil?
NOTE: He asked this in the ELECTRONIC DEPARTMENT
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mag
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wait... wut?
Posts: 84
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Post by mag on Apr 17, 2008 22:27:00 GMT -5
dysgenics is a term describing the progressive evolutionary "weakening" or genetic deterioration of a population of organisms relative to their environment - wiki
what does this mean? the average I.Q. is dropping at a rate of 1% for each successive generation
wut? this is why the people who work at mcdonalds have pictures on the register instead of words
this epidemic of stupidity is even harder on people who are above average because they see it clearly and have difficulty communicating with lesser educated individuals.
I have a theory that this decline in intelligence is due to more and more people "acting grown up." Rather than really maturing people have begun to simple act mature, forcing themselves to do things they see "mature people" doing and simply mimicking it.
Ex. Someone goes off, gets married and has children all the time being no more mature than the kids they raise. Then rather than thinking about possible ways to raise/discipline their children, they use whatever surrogate that's available, ie tv or the internet.
This in turn causes the children to become more likely to repeat the mistakes their parents have made.
or it could just be the, "condoms are fer idjuts" thing...
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Post by shinjoyoshida on Apr 18, 2008 21:46:45 GMT -5
dysgenics is a term describing the progressive evolutionary "weakening" or genetic deterioration of a population of organisms relative to their environment - wiki what does this mean? the average I.Q. is dropping at a rate of 1% for each successive generation wut? this is why the people who work at mcdonalds have pictures on the register instead of words this epidemic of stupidity is even harder on people who are above average because they see it clearly and have difficulty communicating with lesser educated individuals. I have a theory that this decline in intelligence is due to more and more people "acting grown up." Rather than really maturing people have begun to simple act mature, forcing themselves to do things they see "mature people" doing and simply mimicking it. Ex. Someone goes off, gets married and has children all the time being no more mature than the kids they raise. Then rather than thinking about possible ways to raise/discipline their children, they use whatever surrogate that's available, ie tv or the internet. This in turn causes the children to become more likely to repeat the mistakes their parents have made. or it could just be the, "condoms are fer idjuts" thing... +karma Is reminded of Idiocracy.
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mag
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wait... wut?
Posts: 84
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Post by mag on Apr 19, 2008 0:48:29 GMT -5
Welcome to MONDAY NIGHT REHABILITATION
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Post by Dragin "Hiku" Hikari on Apr 20, 2008 23:32:46 GMT -5
#10 My Job?
This is probably more rantive then my usual story but this was a mangement conflict. Today, our closer called in and I was the ten o' clock person. So I told two managers this and made it apparant that I was off at ten and they said they would figure something out, so at 10:05 I went up to take up my keys and I informed the CSM that there wasn't anyone back there
CSM: You need to go back to your area until someone gets there.
Me: I informed two managers about it and they said they'd take care of it
CSM: Well you'd better find someone to take your place because your not leaving until you do.
So let me get this straight... my managers didn't find replacements like they were suppose to do several hours ago... so it's MY problem to find replacements. What the hell? What good is a management team if a common associate has to do that for them? That isn't my job to fix a situation like that and is hardly my problem... sad to say it took another 25 minutes to find someone else to replace me and the sad part was that as I was leaving the damn overnighter showed up so that person was there for a grand total of 5 minutes... and this coming from the managers that were making a big deal about cutting hours.
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Post by shadowhexblade on Apr 21, 2008 13:43:38 GMT -5
Thankfully I can say I've never had that problem with management. Oh sure I've had plenty of nights where the only person scheduled at night called off and no one would be in the department when I left, but that didn't stop me from leaving, and the CSM's didn't even say a word, I just hand them (or a manager) the keys and tell em no one's back there. Course, I also just go ahead and clock out, then hand em off on my way out, but eh.
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Post by Dragin "Hiku" Hikari on Apr 22, 2008 22:41:06 GMT -5
Just a short one today: #11 This is Electronics or the Deli? Customer: I need some Eaternet cable... Me: Pardon me? Customer: Eaternet Cable, you know that one cable you use to get internet. Me: Are you talking about Ethernet cable? Customer: No, I'm sure it's Eaternet, you know because it eats your e-mails and all that. Me: ... You may not believe me on this one but this REALLY DID HAPPEN
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mag
++
wait... wut?
Posts: 84
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Post by mag on Apr 23, 2008 8:40:23 GMT -5
I can only hope for the good of humanity you took this person out back and just shot them
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