Society & Culture Idiotic Bosses

[CakeEater]

I have one from the weekend, Ive just come back to a retail job as Ive just gone back to uni.
Anyways A notorious shoplifter (who has nicked off with a lot of stuff over the journey) walks into the store looking to hire something out. I get asked to deal with it- so Im processing the hire till it comes to paying a deposit where the people insist that they pay a cash deposit I push back stating that its credit card only for deposit, they kick up a stink calling me racist and what have you. I offer to call the manager who has had some epic run ins with them before. She goes oh I know its usually c/card deposit for this, but as they only have cash its fine.

End Result- The product was never returned and has disappeared into the abyss/ or cash converters which ever is closer.

We all have had one, so what stupid stuff have your bosses done.

 

[Freo_4eva]

I have one from the weekend, Ive just come back to a retail job as Ive just gone back to uni.
Anyways A notorious shoplifter (who has nicked off with a lot of stuff over the journey) walks into the store looking to hire something out. I get asked to deal with it- so Im processing the hire till it comes to paying a deposit where the people insist that they pay a cash deposit I push back stating that its credit card only for deposit, they kick up a stink calling me racist and what have you. I offer to call the manager who has had some epic run ins with them before. She goes oh I know its usually c/card deposit for this, but as they only have cash its fine.

End Result- The product was never returned and has disappeared into the abyss/ or cash converters which ever is closer.

We all have had one, so what stupid stuff have your bosses done.

Yeah thats a common theme i have found in retail... you have all these so called "processes" which are put in place to deal with sales/returns/fixes etc etc.. and then when you explain these to the customer and they chuck a stink, you then have to call the manager.. who proceed to bow down to them, and cut your nuts off right there at the front of them

Just a few repressed memories of the good old Target days

 

[Doctor Feel]

The issue is, it's the managers ass if a customer sends a complaint. It's the old 'the customer is always right'. If the area managers had any idea what actually occurs, they wouldn't serve a manager for turning back a customer.

Alas, unless the manager wants a sharp word with HIS manager, then he'll continue to let this kind of thing slide. The system is ridiculous.

 

[savagelunchbox]

What's wrong with saying to the customer (either the manager or initial server) "We take credit card over cash because if you or any other customer decide to not return the gear we have the security of being able to charge the rest of the amount to the credit card to ensure we're looked after." or "If you want to pay in cash, you'll have to put a deposit that is equal to the full amount of the product, to which on return, we will return the cash deposit etc etc" ??

 

[The_Todd07]

The issue is, it's the managers ass if a customer sends a complaint. It's the old 'the customer is always right'. If the area managers had any idea what actually occurs, they wouldn't serve a manager for turning back a customer.

Alas, unless the manager wants a sharp word with HIS manager, then he'll continue to let this kind of thing slide. The system is ridiculous.

With us it's the area manager that has no backbone and will cave every single time. We follow the rules that he hands down to us but then will give a refund to anyone that complains. We are getting to the point where we just don't care and will give the refund to cut out the middle man

The thing that annoys me the most is, the customers who spout that "customer is always right" crap and always the ones that are so far in the wrong it's not funny

 

[Rohan25]

With us it's the area manager that has no backbone and will cave every single time. We follow the rules that he hands down to us but then will give a refund to anyone that complains. We are getting to the point where we just don't care and will give the refund to cut out the middle man

The thing that annoys me the most is, the customers who spout that "customer is always right" crap and always the ones that are so far in the wrong it's not funny

You're right, and whoever eventually decides to give the refund isn't really to blame. Customers who are inclined to complain will keep complaining higher until they get a satisfactory outcome. If the Sales staff refuse a refund, they will complain to the Store Manager, if the Manager refuses, then they complain to the Area manager. If they've got the energy and the spare time to go that far, then they might as well keep complaining until they get onto the directors, and so on.

Eventually the customer will get what they want and the last one to refuse the refund is the one who gets embarrassed and made to look like an idiot.

 

[Hlebalicious]

Was anyone actually ever told during training for their jobs that the customer is always right? I was never told that once when i used to work in fast food, yet the amount of customers that came in and spouted that line was amazing.

 

[boncer34]

First job was in fast food. Originally the head manager was adamant that the customer was always right. After being there 6 months the Owner came back and was more hands on. Complete attitude shift.

Backed us in to the hilt as long as we weren't at fault. If the customer WAS actually right then we'd be in strife. However 80% of the time the customer was wrong and it was always amusing watching their faces crumble when they realised they weren't going to bully their way into getting what they wanted.

Favourite moment was a guy reducing our 14 year old front counter chick to tears because she'd given him a bottle of Water when he'd clearly asked for a cup. Called her a dumb bitch and life going nowhere etc. Owner stepped in and the bloke told him unless he was given a full refund he was never coming back.

Owner replied, "Big ****ing deal, you spend $9 every what? 2 weeks? You can stick the money up your ass before I'll let you in here again. Next time you want to run your mouth off at someone grow some balls, be a man and have a crack at an adult. Dont think your a hero for abusing a kid."

Never seen someone deflate so quickly.

 

[monty1104]

Yeah, I hate that "customer is always right" crap. Let's face it, customers are rarely right. I'm lucky enough now in my job as a manager of a newsagent, if customers come in spouting crap, I can just give it straight back to them, and have the bosses support most of the time. A shift in retail isn't complete without tearing a customer's argument to shreds

But back on topic, my boss has a really bad habit of changing rules on the fly for the herald sun giveaways. Whenever customers complain we have no stock and they should get preference because they are home delivery customers, he just caves and starts saving it for them every day, but if we did it, we'd be in trouble. Every time I see HS giveaways, I know I'll be in for weeks of arguments with customers.

 

[savagelunchbox]

would be hard being a teacher in a rough area nowadays. The customers is always right here but when the customer is a kid and their parent it makes it hard for the teachers to 'fight' back. Hard because kids are notorious liars and overstaters of situations to their parents, and parents in rough areas tend to be hostile and lacking in reason.

Parents also have a very individualistic view. By that i mean they think the teacher should only worry about their kid. Only their kid matters and the fact that there might be other kids with special needs who needs additional attention, they fact is meaningless to some parents.

 

[Piss Poor]

So far all the idiotic bosses are from the retail industry- is that saying something.

An as far as the customer always being right-

What if you had a Collingwood supporter as a customer, pretty sure they would be wrong 99.9% of the time.