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Customer Service Horror Stories/ Happy Stories

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This is a thread I decided might be, uh, fun. If you don''t want to particapate that is ok too!


One of my many personal stories:

I worked in a store that would sometimes deal with customers that were throwing a wedding/ big party. A co-worker of mine took an order for one of the products we sell, and put it down for the wrong date (the night before the event). The product was made up and waited all friday for the customer. When the customer didn''t show, co-worker took the order and threw everything in the trash.
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I had no idea this even happened.

Saturday morning rolls around and I''m at work before the store opens, alone. I arrived early to eat my breakfast and hear this rapid pounding on the door like someone is getting murdered outside! Eek. I go to the door and there is this woman and her elderly mother there wanting their order. I let them in (huge-no-no before the store opens) and look for this order that I know I didn''t take or make. I then find it in the trash, obviously ruined. The women absolutely flipped out. It was less than an hour before their event, less than an hour now before we opened and I was in the store alone. I didn''t know what to do, so I just started making the order. The women were hootin'' and hollering (throwing F bombs my way) for me to go faster, but even with one person the job was going to take a bit. That''s when the customers, a woman in her 40''s and her mother.. 80''s ish??? Grabbed part of the order and started doing it themselves. Ohmigawd they made a mess. They didn''t know what they were doing, but I wasn''t going fast enough and they wanted to help. They actually created more work for me as they mostly ruined everything they did touch. I worked my tush off! I don''t know how I managed it, but we got it done and they were able to make it to their event. Their item was pre-paid..... which brings me to..

The next day my manager gets a call about the store and how she wants a 100% refund on everything, she''s NEVER doing business with us again, we are a horrible corporation, she had to help me
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and just going off about every single little thing. She of course got the whole refund, we all had to apologize, and the co-worker that created the mess actually was laughing about the whole deal. We lost so much money on this order- the money for the first ruined order, the 2nd order, and then the 100% refund. No matter what I did that customer was not happy.

They did come back though and strangely enough I never heard anymore F bombs from them. And we did not serve food. Anyone want to guess what the order was? It''s quite silly when you think about it.

I have one more better story, but I''ll post this for now.
 
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wow stupid people... BTW! what a great thread that you just started!
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haha

i dont have time to post one of mine but i shall soon!
 
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u know its so stupid because you tried sooo hard BY YOURSELF to make those people happy! and you had to apologize! what did they eat? im dense haha i cant guess
 

junebug17

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Oh Swedish Bean, I work in a store so I can totally relate! It wasn't your fault and yet you had to take the brunt of their anger. You certainly did all you could to rectify the situation. It's awful that the employee who made the mistake laughed, that is so disgusting.

All through your story I was trying to figure out what the order was! Some kind of centerpiece? Gift bags?

I work in a small paint-your-own-pottery studio that my friend owns. I'm really tired and can't think of anything just now, but I'm sure I'll come up with something.

eta: was the order some kind of food? I'm confused!
 
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Balloons!

They were dropping F bombs over B A L L O O N S.

Yes, people actually had us create centerpieces with balloons.

Another story I have I still laugh about to this day.



Our store was being sold to a larger store and our location was being shut down. We had those sign walkers brought to our store to advertise our deep discounts. Well, the company that was hired to be our sign walkers hired their employees from a local homeless shelter. Which, the idea seems pretty cool right? They got paid cash to basically stand there with a sign on them.

About two hours into the day a women comes into the store with her child and is crying. Apparently one of the sign walkers followed her from her car to our store begging her for money and then was standing guard at the door waiting for her to leave!
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She did her shopping then asked one of my male co-worker to escort her to her car. When other customers heard this, they too, asked for personal escorts to their car. We tried called the company that was hired for the sign walkers and no one answered. They simply refused to answer the phone for over 6 hours. Meanwhile, the sign walkers are getting hungry, and paranoid because they left their belongings in the guys van that dropped them off. That''s when things went worse.

One of the men comes into the store, walks up to my register and DEMANDS his pay for the day. I swear I thought he was going to hold me up! He says he deserves his pay, the gig is over (it actually wasn''t but he wanted to leave) and he wanted his money. I told him that we don''t pay them, that the company that hired them pays them. He says he doesn''t care, open the damn register and give him money. Customers start leaving the store because of the yelling and I don''t blame them! We tell the guy that we are still trying to call the company that hired him/them and to please just be patient. He goes outside and grabs some minions to come in and also demand cash from our registers.
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We ended up calling our manager, the district manager, the corporate manager and everyone was trying to get ahold of this guy that dropped off the sign walkers. Finally someone gets ahold of HIS boss and his boss shows up to take care of the nearly rabid crowd that is in our store demanding CASH and scaring away customers. An hour later, the guy that dropped them off, shows up and clearly has not a single idea what went on. He was fired on the spot, in front of our entire store, all of the sign walkers and our customers. I thought the day would never end!!

It makes for a good story now though... I was just like, "oh thank gosh I am outta here in a few weeks!!"

Also, since our store closing was all over the news, customers would come in and several asked, "SO how do you feel knowing you will be jobless in a few weeks? What are your plans?" Ummm.. I am trilled.
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junebug17

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Swedish Bean, your second story (well, your first one too) is a very tough act to follow! My gosh, it sounds like a nightmare! You must have been exhausted after that fiasco!
 
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Haha I have good stories too!!! I promise.

Thankfully, I've never been robbed which I think can top all of it. Two of my co-workers at that store were robbed at gunpoint, tied up with aprons, a customer had her wedding ring taken right off her hand- all while the thieves stole money and boxes of hershey bars... candy bars? really? lol .


I really love these CS stories because I can look back now and find them hilarious (well, not the robbed one). I seriously have a book long full of stories :razz:
 
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Date: 12/18/2009 6:40:42 PM
Author: swedish bean
Balloons!

They were dropping F bombs over B A L L O O N S.

Yes, people actually had us create centerpieces with balloons.

Another story I have I still laugh about to this day.



Our store was being sold to a larger store and our location was being shut down. We had those sign walkers brought to our store to advertise our deep discounts. Well, the company that was hired to be our sign walkers hired their employees from a local homeless shelter. Which, the idea seems pretty cool right? They got paid cash to basically stand there with a sign on them.

About two hours into the day a women comes into the store with her child and is crying. Apparently one of the sign walkers followed her from her car to our store begging her for money and then was standing guard at the door waiting for her to leave!
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She did her shopping then asked one of my male co-worker to escort her to her car. When other customers heard this, they too, asked for personal escorts to their car. We tried called the company that was hired for the sign walkers and no one answered. They simply refused to answer the phone for over 6 hours. Meanwhile, the sign walkers are getting hungry, and paranoid because they left their belongings in the guys van that dropped them off. That''s when things went worse.

One of the men comes into the store, walks up to my register and DEMANDS his pay for the day. I swear I thought he was going to hold me up! He says he deserves his pay, the gig is over (it actually wasn''t but he wanted to leave) and he wanted his money. I told him that we don''t pay them, that the company that hired them pays them. He says he doesn''t care, open the damn register and give him money. Customers start leaving the store because of the yelling and I don''t blame them! We tell the guy that we are still trying to call the company that hired him/them and to please just be patient. He goes outside and grabs some minions to come in and also demand cash from our registers.
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We ended up calling our manager, the district manager, the corporate manager and everyone was trying to get ahold of this guy that dropped off the sign walkers. Finally someone gets ahold of HIS boss and his boss shows up to take care of the nearly rabid crowd that is in our store demanding CASH and scaring away customers. An hour later, the guy that dropped them off, shows up and clearly has not a single idea what went on. He was fired on the spot, in front of our entire store, all of the sign walkers and our customers. I thought the day would never end!!

It makes for a good story now though... I was just like, ''oh thank gosh I am outta here in a few weeks!!''

Also, since our store closing was all over the news, customers would come in and several asked, ''SO how do you feel knowing you will be jobless in a few weeks? What are your plans?'' Ummm.. I am trilled.
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oh woops! i misread your post and thought you DID serve food haha
 

y2kitty

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In the summer of 2006 my friend and I went to a local phoenix fast casual chain called Wildflower about 10 minutes before closing. They had an enormous display of cupcakes. Now, cupcakes are my Achilles heal. I really wanted one and I tried to buy one but the cashier kept saying "Wildflower cupcakes start tomorrow". So the next day I stop there after work. I wait in line for 10 minutes and try to order a cupcake. The cashier says "Oh the lady in front of you just bought the last one". I go home, so cranky, and start complaining to my sister about it. Then I go to the wildflower website and get a customer service address and write them an email that''s all dramatic like "I played your game, I came back for a cupcake and when I did you didn''t have adequate supplies of delicious desserts for me". So whatever, I go to bed and try to forget about it. The next morning I get an email back from the company! The woman said she was sorry, and that she''d like to hand deliver me a cupcake at work. And she did!!! She brought me a chocolate and vanilla around lunch time. It was awesome!
 

redfaerythinker

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I worked for Coach during Christmas last year and the story that immediately comes to mind is when this guy came in with his daughters to buy some perfume. So he smells it, sprays it on his daughter''s wrist to smell it some more, then walks over to my manager and sprays it on her NECK! Then he sniffed her! She wanted to vomit the rest of the day because it was a big squirt and she just couldn''t get away from the smell. We of course couldn''t stop laughing.
 

jewelerman

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there have been sooo many stories that its hard to pick!
one favorite is about the guy who was trying to use a visa card that was declined and i was told in a message on the register screen to call the card company.I called and was told that the card was to be cut up in front of the customer...So i told the customer as i got a pair of sissors that the card was supposed to be cut up...when i started cutting the customer went crazy and literally jumped over the jewelry counter at me....The card,sissors,jewelry displays and polishing clothes all went flying in the air as he tried to grab me and as i tried to get away from him(he was twice my size and crazed...where was store security when you need them?)the only reason i survived that crazy customer is that the department manager literally dived in front of me and kept him from grabbing me...the customer was threatened with the police and he left...I was shaken,wrinkled and wide eyed but okay and later recieved a $50.00 reward from the credit card company for my trouble!
 

jewelerman

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Another one....the lady who came into the jewelry store I was managing in 1992 and asked if i would clean some jewelry for her.No problem...I was used to cleaning dozens of pieces in a day...She then pulled a plaslic bag from her purse and put it on the counter...It was a sealed crime scene evidence bag containing several pieces of diamond jewelry covered in dried blood.The ladies sister was murdered by her husband the year before and her jewelry was part of the evidence in the trial.When he was found guilty the sister claimed the jewelry.She expected me to put the jewelry in my ultra sonic cleaner and clean the pieces for her!
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I told her that I could not do that because of the company policy dealing with the heath threat of blood and bodily fliuds!
 
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Date: 12/19/2009 1:24:04 AM
Author: jewelerman
Another one....the lady who came into the jewelry store I was managing in 1992 and asked if i would clean some jewelry for her.No problem...I was used to cleaning dozens of pieces in a day...She then pulled a plaslic bag from her purse and put it on the counter...It was a sealed crime scene evidence bag containing several pieces of diamond jewelry covered in dried blood.The ladies sister was murdered by her husband the year before and her jewelry was part of the evidence in the trial.When he was found guilty the sister claimed the jewelry.She expected me to put the jewelry in my ultra sonic cleaner and clean the pieces for her!
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I told her that I could not do that because of the company policy dealing with the heath threat of blood and bodily fliuds!
oh my god.... i cant believe she would do that..that is so not sanitary!
 
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Ok, I had to laugh at that one. Ugg that is pretty gross!

Another small story:

A woman came into my store dressed up in a full length fur coat, all kinds of jewels and bought several 90% off items. She then asked me if she could get a discount on her .14 cent items for the trouble of having to drive to our store. I thought she was joking so I giggled. She cocked her head and said she was serious. .................... I never forgot her! She would come into the store when our sales switched over for the month and no matter the item bought out our 90% off items. I just would never go into a store and ask for a discount! hehe
 
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There was a lady that often came into the restaurant i work at. She broke up with her current boyfriend and starting brining her new boyfriend which we all hated. Whenever we saw them walk thru the door we grimaced and prayed that they were the other servers table. The boyfriend was this perverted a-hole that always had a snide inappropriate comment ready. anyway, so this day I end up being their server and they order a spicy dish. We are known for being a very spicy restaurant in our area and we even have warning on all the menus and all over the walls. They got mild, which our mild is, well mild. It only gets spicy from med and up. Anyway, they are almost done eating and he grabs me while I am passing by with a tray full of cups with water which makes the water splash all over the tray, luckily I didnt end up spilling it. He tells me that the food was wayyyyyy too spicy from the moment he took his first bite. And im thinking why didnt he tell me in the beginning. I would have been able to change his order. And I had already checked on them twice and asked them how everything was and he had said good both times. Also, the lady, which is, actually the to be mother in law of my friend/coworker, has had the mild many many times and knows it is not spicy. He is getting loud and demanding his money back and (lets call her M) I kindly ask M you''ve had it before, it wasnt spicy was it? And she wont look at me and she is like well... i dunno... so I am going back and forth from the kitchen and the floor trying to make him happy. I ask if he wants another meal for free with no spice but has to pay for the one he had because he ATE THE WHOLE THING. he says NO. He wants a new free meal PLUS he is not going to pay for his meal and his gfs meal. Or else he is Never coming back again and he is going to go and tell ALLLL of his friends never to come here again and have his freind tell their friends the same. My parents are not giving in and tell me that if he is going to be like that even after we offered a free meal that he never has to come back. BUt I felt bad so I went and told him that I will pay for his food and that we are extremely sorry. and that his happiness is important to us and we hope he comes back. He says whatever, doesn''t leave me a tip and leaves. I wasnt mad at this time.....

I got mad when my friend who is the to be daughter in law of M, calls the next day to tell me that the guy went to the health department and told them that he found a HUGE cockroach in his food and that I just picked it out with my hand and gave the food back to him!!!!!! I was like WHAT!!!! I paid for his food, I apologized and he goes and tells a LIE to the health department??? THis is going beyond!!! REporting a restaurant to the health department is a serious thing and he told a ridiculous lie.

I told my friend that yes i said they could come back but after his tantrum with the health department, he is never ever allowed back. cockroach...seriously... and i picked it out with my hand and just handed him his food back? sheesh
 

radiantquest

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I worked at a convenient store after school when I was 16 and 17. We had a car wash there. One you put dollars into that was an automatic and there was another that you put quarters into to DIY. Now the DIY carwash cost $1.50 to start. There are too many times to count that people would come inside and hand me 2 dollar bills and ask for $1.50 in quarters. Um, well what would you like the other 25 cents in? Nickels?

One day I was in a particularly bad mood and this had happened one too many times so when he asked for his $1.50 in quarters out of his 2 dollar bills I have him 6 quarters and a roll of pennies and walked away. Probably not the best customer service, but that is what happened.
 

LGK

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Good thread! God there are some crazy people out there. Typically in our antique store, we get really good customers- not like other retail work. They usually actually *want* to be there, and area having a good time. So, 99% of the time, it''s great even though it is customer service. This time of year, however, is... not my favorite for retail work.

The most crazed thing I had happen, was this guy bought a pewter teapot from, like, 1860 or so. Then he took it home. Put it on his stove burner- just plopped it right on there. Funny thing, it melted. Huh. So he decides it''s our fault, the teapot was clearly defective. Takes it in, explains to me what happened (stove, burner, melting) and that he wants his money back. I politely explain no, not gonna happen (sales are generally final unless something''s misrepresented anyway). So he gets angrier, and angrier, and angrier, screaming and swearing a blue streak, and eventually hucks the teapot at my head. Luckily he missed!

One woman got incredibly angry once that I wouldn''t sell her my engagement ring- off my finger. That was just... weird.

There''s also this guy that has been coming in for... well, at least a decade, that the entire staff has nicknamed Bozo. Bozo is deeply creepy- he stares at all the female staff in such a way that you''re pretty sure he''s got a collection of dead bodies in his basement, and he''s wondering if you''ll go nicely with them. He is always peering down shirts, cornering you in showcases and getting waaaayyyyy too close, and generally being icky. This summer, when the building was hot, he offered to pour his water bottle down my shirt and actually made a grab for my cleavage, which kind of made me gag. I was so stunned I didn''t even say a thing back I don''t think- just stared at him in shock.
 

MonkeyPie

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Date: 12/19/2009 11:27:26 AM
Author: radiantquest
I worked at a convenient store after school when I was 16 and 17. We had a car wash there. One you put dollars into that was an automatic and there was another that you put quarters into to DIY. Now the DIY carwash cost $1.50 to start. There are too many times to count that people would come inside and hand me 2 dollar bills and ask for $1.50 in quarters. Um, well what would you like the other 25 cents in? Nickels?

Don''t you mean 50 cents? Lol that always irritated me when people asked for change aaaaaall day - this thread makes me glad my stint in retail was really short!
 

gardengloves

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Swedish Bean.

What great stories. You are such a great writer. If you ever write short stories or a novel, I''ll be your first customer.
 
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YayTacori- Now that is just appalling. He is trying to abuse his power as a customer. Did anythign ever come from his complaint? I can''t imagine they would take him seriously if he had several complaints (maybe he is a regular at trying to get free food) and pulling a cockroach by hand? I think the health department would probably see his complaints from a mile away and ignore him.

radiantquest- That''s too funny! We would always tell people we couldn''t open the register without a purchase ...
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(I mean, sometimes in extreme cases we did, but what were we.. a bank?)

LittleGreyKitten-
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That is reallllly gross and creepy. And selling your engagement ring? !!!

MonkeyPie- I am also glad I am done with retail- but it would be nice if some people had to work in retail just to see what it is like. Call it "Your Passport To Living"
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gardengloves-
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I once started a blog on my CS stories but after the first post I got bored. hehe
 
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Date: 12/19/2009 7:17:07 PM
Author: swedish bean
YayTacori- Now that is just appalling. He is trying to abuse his power as a customer. Did anythign ever come from his complaint? I can''t imagine they would take him seriously if he had several complaints (maybe he is a regular at trying to get free food) and pulling a cockroach by hand? I think the health department would probably see his complaints from a mile away and ignore him.

radiantquest- That''s too funny! We would always tell people we couldn''t open the register without a purchase ...
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(I mean, sometimes in extreme cases we did, but what were we.. a bank?)

LittleGreyKitten-
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That is reallllly gross and creepy. And selling your engagement ring? !!!

MonkeyPie- I am also glad I am done with retail- but it would be nice if some people had to work in retail just to see what it is like. Call it ''Your Passport To Living''
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gardengloves-
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I once started a blog on my CS stories but after the first post I got bored. hehe
The health department comes to our restaurant every 6 months and has never had a complaint about the cleanliness or the food so I think they knew that this guy was crazy. If you''re gonna lie about something, make it believeable please? haha
 
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