Sorry, but I am not responsible of your stupidity.

[navci]

So. This is the story.
Someone bought two sets of steak knives that worth about well 100 bucks per box, average about 25 bucks per steak knives. I think they are a great deal. Anyway. On the knife handle there is a little red sticker with the company logos on it. Somehow, this old lady decided that she doesn't want those stickers, and proceeded to use nail polish remover to remove it. Of course it looked kinda weird afterwards and so she put them in the dish washer and lo and behold! The handle discoloured.

I saw the set of steak knives in question, to say the truth, they now look kinda... marble-ish and I think it is kinda cool looking. Of course, neither her nor her son agree with me and they want us to replace two new sets for them.

Our decision is no, for obvious reason, and so is the manufacturer, usually more lenient to these kinda things. They sent us a very nicely worded by clearly stern e-mail about how this problem was not caused by tge craftmanship and the material. They declined to replace those knives.

Now. Today. The son comes in, some sort of .. 30-40ish man. Yelled for half an hour about the decision. He thinks we should simply replace the knives, and say thank you for the business to them. Even if the manufactuerer won't replace them, we should just randomly lose 200 bucks because we are supposed to stand behind our products, especially when they come with lifetime warranty. He also yelled about now that we told them to contact the manufacturer, we are taking the easy way out so we don't have to say no to them and let them play the bad guys... and all sorts of things. And something about how he will never shop at little places like this because our customer service is bad... and something like that. I wasn't the one being yelled at, and I was dealing with other customers at that particular time and didn't get the entire conversation.

So. To make it easier to understand let me use this example. You buy a Porsche. Then decided you don't like the paintjob it comes with. So you pick up a can of paint and use your little paintbrush to paint over it. Then you found out the new paintjob looks kinda crappy, then you bring the car back to Porsche and demand they give you a new car.

Sorry. It ain't gonna happen.
1. There are a million ways to remove a sticker from surfaces. Nail polish remover is among one of the most aggressive thing that you can use on things. IF you buy a new jar of aggressive cleaner they tell you to try it on inconspicuous spot first before actually using it. Why don't you do the same?

2. Even if I am lazy and decided to the heck with it and try to use nail polish remover anyway. I do it on ONE knife, not EIGHT. Even if I do screw up that one knife, it is only ONE.

3. Of course, I wouldn't be doing any of the above because I would consult my common sense first. And common sense tell me using random aggressive corrosive chemical is not what I wanna do with my expensive knives. Even if I did screw up I have no one to blame but myself.

Well. Most people apparently lack common sense. They think somehow if they touch a hot stove and get burnt they should be compensated by the stover company because it is hot and it isn't said so in the instruction manual.

Point. It is not anybody's fault that you lack common sense. It isn't anybody's fault that you are, indeed, a dumbfuck.

Deal the fuck with it. Yelling is bad for your vocal folds.

[anwserman]

Navi: People are pricks. http://pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif
Anyway, next time a similar situation occurs, sit there and explain the policy and the explanation to them again. (You'll see why in a moment.)

Explain how the "lifetime guarentee" says that when the product purchased is faulty, due to error on the seller or manufacturer's part, then the guarentee is in effect. However, if the customer errs and ends up damaging the knife outside of normal, everyday use (using chemicals) then it is not the problem of the store or the manufacturer.

Basically, say that and tell them that there is nothing more that can be done. If he makes a fuss, and you're the one in charge - and he doesn't listen to you - tell him that you're serious that he cannot get his knifes exchanged, and that he's distrupting the store and that if he doesn't calm down, that you will have to ask him to leave. (e.g. if you're manager or lone employee on shift. If not, make the manager do this http://pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wink.gif) If he makes even more of a scene, or refuses to leave the store, tell him that you will call the cops to escort him off of the premises. If he doesn't, get the phone and call. (He might think he's calling a bluff.)

Yeah. People can be dickwads.

[navci]

Oh no. I know all of that. I wasn't the one being yelled at. It was my manager. Heh. And he was trying to explain, but you know those people, they yell and they don't listen..

If it was me, I would have called security.

[derBauer]

You have to tell people like that "Our answer is no."
Then, "Sir, we are asking you to leave."

[AUTO_]

You should have told them you'd refund them if they put them back into the dishwasher and they came out the way they were bought.

[hollowtip]

Well I could understand if she used a chemical that doesn't stain items, but nail polish remover would be the last thing I would use for any handy purposes other than removing nail polish.

Anybody in or past their teens knows that nail polish can stain or take the color out of items.

Like you said, lack of common sense was the culprit in this case. Rubbing alcohol does the same thing, and will not bleach or stain anything.

[BWS-1]

Couldn't you even charge that guy for ... total lack of respect for err, someone? If I'd randomly start yelling at you as you go out on the street about how I find something that might somewhat be related to you or anything more or less related, would you have to endure that? We have laws not only to punish those that thought they could avoid getting caught breaking it ... but also to make people aware of the things NOT to do. And what that guy did is definitly something I wouldn'T allow, and that I HOPE, that the law doesn't allow either. I hate to bring that exemple, but sometimes I ask myself if people that come into a store forget that the ones serving them are HUMANS TOO. It's as if (here comes the o so good exemple) you'd be to them as jews were to nazis.

[Deathscythealpha]

I think I will state; 'The Customer is never always right, normally their just loud mouthed and stupid'.

I get so many returns for lame reasons at work that im just tired with it.

'My son bought this game and it wasnt what he thought it was' when a kid bought 'Kessin'. I remember the little shit buying it and telling his Dad how he had played the game and he knew exactly what it was like.

'I bought these games a month ago and now there scratched' Ah, the magical scratching fairy must have paid a visit. We dont sell brand new games scratched, why would we want to sell a customer a scratched copy of Half Life 2? It was obvious that these guys had played the games, got tired of them and decided to bring them back.

'He bought this game and doesnt like it, he wants another game' wtf?! We are not a libary, you cant just keep coming back saying you dont like the games and getting new ones. I bought Bubsy 3D back in the day and I hated it with a passion, but I didnt take it back saying I didnt like it, I had made a very stupid decission and I had to live with it.

The Mum and Son team you got sound like utter idiots, and if he's threatening not to shop there again, good. You dont really need shitty customers like that.

[HAYABUSA-FMW-]

Blah.
My experience.

-Customer returns three meals.
Reason: "They tasted funny."

-Observation of returned items:
Well holy crap! You ate 2 out of the 3!
It must have not tasted that bad then for you to eat almost all of them.

-Result:
Full refund.

Also the order was made about 6 hours beforehand. You eat two, decide you had no use for the third, and return the meals with a shitty excuse. Therefore free food for you today, and the feeling that you were the victim!

Heh. The mother and son voided the manufacturer's LIFETIME warranty. They are not applicable for a refund.

I think this happens alot with video game hardware as well. Software returns? Yeah that sounds bad.
"This game wasn't what it was supposed to be!"

Good. Deal with it.
Game stores are not always bad. I received 10% off a SNK vs.Capcom DC game when the instruction booklet was missing.

A second time when I purchased a game missing a booklet and didn't get a discount, I got a response of: "Just go online. Game faqs.com or something has them." http://pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_no.gif

[BrokenHope]

Something I read elsewhere makes lots of sense

"The customer may always be right but that doesnt stop him being a fucking twat"

[navci]

I know it is quite common in videogame stores.

But geebus. These people are sometimes paying over 1000 dollars for their knives. Won't they actually think to take more care of their knives than that?

[geewj]

Reminds me of a customer I had at EB games...

A guy comes in with 2 madcatz wireless controllers, opened, and says they don't work. As I start the transaction he pulls out his cellphone, calls his wife and discusses with her if they want to just return them for a refund or get new ones. a few minutes later, most of which I sat thier waiting for him to finish, he gets off and says they just want a refund.

Me: "Ok, you can get store credit back"

Him: "What do you mean!? They were defective! How am I supposed to know if they work or not!"

Me: "Well I can exchange them for the exact same thing."

him: "WHat!? The back of the recipt says that if I'm not satisfied with it then I can get a full refund!"

I take his recipt and proceed to read from the back:

me: (a small paragraph that lists every type of merchandise in the store) "You may exchange these items for the same item if the original is defective."

Him: (keep in mind his 6-8 year old daughter is standing next to him) This is fucking bullshit!! How am I even supposed to know if they work or not! I have to open them to see!!."

me: "You may exchange these items for the same item if the original is defective."

Now, the store manager, having hear the guy scream and cussing from accross the room comes over. I explain what's going on, and she rolls her eveys and says just to return them.

Me: "Ok, the manager is letting you return them. (He had originaly paid with his debit card). Do you have the card you paid with?"

Him: "Oh, let me fucking guess, you're gonna want to put it back on my fucking card!"

Me: "Well, you paid with your card. (shows him the recipt) See those 12 x's followed by the 4 numbers? That's the card you paid with, and I'll put it back on that card."

Him: "DEBIT IS CASH! DEBIT IS CASH! For the love of god get with the fucking 20th century!"

Me: "You mean the 20th century where you go into stores and scream an cuss at the employees?"

Him: "Hey do you have a problem buddy?!"

Me: "No, just trying to follow the return policy instructions on the recipt."

He throws his card down on the desk, I refund it, and he leaves, screaming about now he knows never to shop at this fucking place again.

Once he leaves, all the other customers who were in line start making fun of him (all over 30 years old or so).

[Sagasu]

On 2005-01-24 02:08, navinator wrote:
I know it is quite common in videogame stores.

But geebus. These people are sometimes paying over 1000 dollars for their knives. Won't they actually think to take more care of their knives than that?



Yah,

You'd of thought humans would have thought to use common sense before going off to nuke a city as well.

Well, doesn't work that way.

[navci]

Well I have had those customer who wants refund too. The rule of thumb is, we also like to give out store credit as usual as possible. Especially when it is a 500 dollars or above purchase. But it is weird, people seem to think that we always have over 500 dollars in cash and want money back.

Or hey, 100 bucks cash back is already too much, buddy. Do you really wanna walk around with that much cash on you?

Now here is another story.
A guy walked in with an expensive flashlight (about 160 plus tax and such), wanted an refund. Doesn't have receipt or anything but managed to get an exchange. He somehow managed to get an exchange. Then, hit the next store in the chain to get refund. He did that in the same day to 5 of our stores. Each time exhchanging for something for a little more, paying maybe 40 cents difference and hoping one of the stores would actually refund him.

So, you all prolly guessed. He stole the merchandice and try to make some money out of them for refund. I'd have to say, we have a very good refunding policy. If you bought it and decided you didn't like it, provided the item is in resellable condition we will take it back and refund or exchange. So he would pester the staff into giving them refund. Making up excuses, always in a hurry, oh you know, the usual. Anyway. So right now we are not supposed to deal with him at all. See him, say hi, if he wants anything, call security, which he would react by whining and screaming how he is innocent and all.

Kinda fun. http://pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

[HAYABUSA-FMW-]

On 2005-01-24 09:35, Prof_Frink wrote:
Reminds me of a customer I had at EB games...


http://pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_eek.gif

See kids, its not all fun and games in a video game store!

Other rants and replies have been about this as well. My goodness. The people who most likely should not be in these kind of stores anyway tend to explode over petty crap like that. Go scream at the ATM or something about how "Debit = Cash. 20th century already!" http://pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_yes.gif

You don't have to buy everything to know if they work or not. You bought them, if they don't work you can get new ones that do...by exchanging!

What kind of maniac doesn't understand that?

Most stores tend to have the same return policies anyway. What is he gonna do everytime something doesn't work and he can't return it for his precious cash?