Yep, another Friday of nitwits, today one in particular had the boss quite agitated. (This particular lady I didn't originally serve.)
In this case, the customer asked for a particular tree, was taken over and show what we have, then asked for the staff member to choose one for her, to which she clearly agreed with because she bought it.
Two days later, we get an email from her with the tree planted and secured with a flimsy bamboo stake. Her email included an image, to which she used to illustrate that the trunk is not straight, then complained that she paid $100 for it and what would we be doing to compensate for the slight bend in the trunk. (All trees have a some form of wiggle in the trunk)
Today, she phoned looking for an argument and expecting a full refund. "Sure, bring the tree back and we'll exchange or refund the price. But no, she wanted a discount because she lives 3 hours away. That was despite being told the stake was insufficient, that in general, trees typically straighten and strengthen over time. Again, this was not acceptable in her mind.
In the end, the boss told the customer that we are not in the business of allowing customers to dictate what price or discount they are going to get.
What p.ssed me off though was that she shown several to choose from, bought it, took it home, then went ahead planting and staked it, only then determining it wasn't straight. But no, apparently because "you chose it for me", that meant she was still entitled to a refund without returning the item. She made the decision to buy it, was given a reasonable explanation of how and why, offered our usual exchange/refund policy that EVERY other customer is entitled to. But no, she was entitled to "special" treatment. :bash:
It's funny, a recent addition to the team has previous experience at Bunning's. The stories I heard regarding the returns policy, warranty claims and stock leakage paints a vivid picture as to why customers are so entitled these days. The unrealistic expectations and entitlement are vastly different to when I started in retail 20 years ago. :nomore: