Why are customers such c'nts when there's more than 4 people in line?

[TheBottomLine]

I mean, what the hell?

Tonight was the busiest night I have EVER seen, and I've worked plenty (try 95% since getting hired) of Saturday nights.

This one woman had a charge on her account for Sweet Home Alabama. She said she returned it, so I went to the shelf to take a look. It wasn't there, so as I was wading my way through the insufferable mass of customers, I asked her to maybe just have another look around at home to see if she had it. My intention was to get her out of the store faster, I wasn't going to make her pay for it right then.

Back me up on this one -- 90+% of the time they do still have it, right?

Anyway, she got really bitchy (and loud) all of a sudden, claiming that she had "more integrity" than that and that she had returned it. As it turns out, she was right, we had it. It was in our member-owned cabinet, mislabeled. We took it off of her account and credited the 1.25 off too, but she insisted on getting an apology since, for some reason, she felt I had insulted her honor.

What a c'nt. I told her I was sorry she felt that way, and I didn't mean what I said to be construed the way she took it -- not that I was sorry, mind you.

She stormed out afterwards. The customers behind her were like, "WTF was her problem?" I hope she signs up for Netflix.

[Antithesys]

I bet next time you'll actually check every possible location before telling the customer it's their fault.

[TheBottomLine]

You'll bet wrong. This was the first time we had it. I've had customers seek out my managers to compliment me on several occasions for my stellar customer service. I didn't say anything different to this woman than I would have any other, nor was my voice inflection insinuating in any way. She over-reacted, pure and simple. My ASM was right there the whole time, and she agreed with me.

[Antithesys]

Play the odds then, there's nothing wrong with that. But on the occasions you lose, like tonight, expect the customer to throw a fit. She didn't HAVE to be a bitch, but she had reason to be. If that's the worst thing you came away with on a busy Saturday you had a good night.

[DavidNewlySL]

Play the odds then, there's nothing wrong with that. But on the occasions you lose, like tonight, expect the customer to throw a fit. She didn't HAVE to be a bitch, but she had reason to be. If that's the worst thing you came away with on a busy Saturday you had a good night.

Actually..she could have turned it in after the 30 days u know..i hope u checked the dates on the reciept...and u said it was mislabeled...hmmm..she might have pulled a fast one there sir.

[TheBottomLine]

Yeah, I'm not arguing that. You're right.

Still, she went from zero to bitch in a split second, before I even went back to see if it was on the shelf.

It actually was still not a bad night despite the fact we were short-handed and so busy.

Actually..she could have turned it in after the 30 days u know..i hope u checked the dates on the reciept...and u said it was mislabeled...hmmm..she might have pulled a fast one there sir.

Wouldn't surprise me in the least.

[AbandonedDreams]

Play the odds then, there's nothing wrong with that. But on the occasions you lose, like tonight, expect the customer to throw a fit. She didn't HAVE to be a bitch, but she had reason to be. If that's the worst thing you came away with on a busy Saturday you had a good night.

Usually it works better if you say "would you mind checking around at home again? Sometimes people find things in the weirdest locations (under carmats/kids rooms/behind the refrigorator/in the doghouse) that they haven't thought to look. I'm not saying it will turn up, but just in case. And I will double check and/or have another manager look everywhere around here too. We'll call you if we find it". 99% of the time it comes back before anyone else can double check. And the customer doesn't think you're blaming them.

[Antithesys]

I'm pretty sure he did that and got the fangs anyway. I say that, but I say it after I check the shelf and the mismatches and the autosales and the wrongstores and the defectives and the validates and the hidden space in the drop box chute and the bathrooms and the Nestle's tower first. Chances are we don't have it, but it helps to make a show of it. You can skip all that to save time, but if it turns up there later you have to accept the customer's going to be put out.

[TheBottomLine]

Usually it works better if you say "would you mind checking around at home again? Sometimes people find things in the weirdest locations (under carmats/kids rooms/behind the refrigorator/in the doghouse) that they haven't thought to look. I'm not saying it will turn up, but just in case. And I will double check and/or have another manager look everywhere around here too. We'll call you if we find it". 99% of the time it comes back before anyone else can double check. And the customer doesn't think you're blaming them.

Yeah, and most of the time, I probably would have taken more time to say something similar, but we were just so busy and I didn't think about it. Either way, it really just doesn't matter to me. I never saw her before, and probably won't see her again. I'm close to finding a job to put my degree to use anyway.

[brantheman]

Meh.....:cool:

[OzMan]

My question:

If you were as busy as you say you were, why did you even check the mis-match drawer anyway, whilst she was still in the store??

You tell her someone will look for it, and get her out of the store. IF you find it when things slow down, you can take care of it then.... and even call and let her know, if you feel like it. (Otherwise, leave a note for the SM to handle it)

[MissHailstorm]

I just go for a compromise. Tell her I'll have another look everywhere if she does the same. Never accuse them of lying unless you are absolutely certain, and that should be a rarity...

When customers are complaining about something, nearly all of them believe they are right.

[Adornedatom]

Why is it that EVERY CSr that encounters a problem on here tells us how most customers like to compliment the SMs on their amazing customer service skills? Where the hell do you find these customers? None of my customers have ever complimented me, or any of my colleagues on their customer service skills, and I work with a couple of damn fine CSRs. Nope, they always fail to notice good service and complain about the bad.

Really though, after being with this company for nearly 4 years I can safely say that the larger portion of complaints come about because I could have handled a situation better. Yes, the customer is not always right, but as Mish said, they always BELIEVE they're right and you have to tread very carefully about correcting the situation. There's no shame in making a mistake occasionally, particularly on a stressful Saturday night shift, so why is it that we all try to hide that mistake behind the old "I couldn't make a mistake. I would NEVER do such a thing as offer bad service!!!"

Perhaps we're not being much better than the customers we complain about afterall.;)

[bitemyskull]

Why is it that EVERY CSr that encounters a problem on here tells us how most customers like to compliment the SMs on their amazing customer service skills? Where the hell do you find these customers? None of my customers have ever complimented me, or any of my colleagues on their customer service skills, and I work with a couple of damn fine CSRs. Nope, they always fail to notice good service and complain about the bad.

In my last job, I worked Customer Service at a grocery store. I always had people track down my managers to compliment me. At BBI? Never. It all has to do with the level of service you receive at different businesses. At the grocery store, people were used to being served by 16-year-old kids who didn't care about them. I was a little bit older, and I actually tried to give them the best service possible, so they were impressed. At Blockbuster, though, people expect us to bend over backward, and kiss their feet while we're down there. "Oh, I can't find this movie, go get it for me! I want this, but you don't have it- give it to me free!" When grocery shopping, people have a place to deposit their children (in the cart), but at BBI, they feel the need to let them run free around the store. People get into different frame of mind at different locations, and with Blockbuster, that frame of mind rarely settles on having received superior service.

Really though, after being with this company for nearly 4 years I can safely say that the larger portion of complaints come about because I could have handled a situation better. Yes, the customer is not always right, but as Mish said, they always BELIEVE they're right and you have to tread very carefully about correcting the situation. There's no shame in making a mistake occasionally, particularly on a stressful Saturday night shift, so why is it that we all try to hide that mistake behind the old "I couldn't make a mistake. I would NEVER do such a thing as offer bad service!!!"

Perhaps we're not being much better than the customers we complain about afterall.;)

I'll be the first to say that I've offered bad service a few times at BBI. I try to treat all customers with respect and dignity, but the way we get treated sometimes, I don't think everyone deserves it all the time. I do think we're better than the customers we complain about, just like the customers who complain about us think they're better, but only for one reason- we're on this side of the complaint.

[Tyler77]

Right on, Adornedatom, like a similar line that was said in "Office Space", if we're doing our job, not being a problem, we hear nothing, but as soon as the slightest thing goes wrong, we have to hear from 4 different people. Our store has possible the most irresponsible, dumbest, and laziest CSR's you'd ever want to encounter, and our spineless SM tolerates it. He goes through an exhaustive and painstaking interview with all his new hires, and you'd think he made the right choice if he chooses to hire someone. A new hire that hasn't even started has already requested days off. Hell, if you look at the perimeter of the Compass computer screen, it's littered with Post-Its requesting days off--all from employees that started well after I did. I know this post is off topic, but it reminded me that the good CSR's are in a lose-lose situation. I've resorted to not answering my phone on my days off because a certain CSR had one of her many panic attacks while on duty and had to leave, or another CSR had his umpteenth no call no show but did manage to make it in to rent his pre-streets, or the CSR who's baby daddy threatened her again, or the CSR who got PMS for the third time in two weeks and couldn't make it into work.

[johnlow71]

I bet next time you'll actually check every possible location before telling the customer it's their fault.

uhh yea but it was, member owned area soooo yea it was the dumb bitches fault.

[HardcoreKeith]

Why is it that EVERY CSr that encounters a problem on here tells us how most customers like to compliment the SMs on their amazing customer service skills? Where the hell do you find these customers? None of my customers have ever complimented me, or any of my colleagues on their customer service skills, and I work with a couple of damn fine CSRs. Nope, they always fail to notice good service and complain about the bad.

That's fo' damn sho'. I've probably gotten less than a dozen in 3 years.

...probably only about that many complaints, too, though.

[CarnorJax27069]

Customers are just sometimes vile little creatures. This past Saturday was a day from HELL... It was a rainy, cold day that just naturally brought people in. I of course was working till 4pm alone. Tried to find help... But that is like searching for a needle in a hay stack. Of course I keep the line moving, but then someone brings 15 PVDs up for our Bundle Sale. We keep the DVDs in Binders, so I have to literally get them out. Now the line has built half way across the store. Why do people always decide to check out at the same time? I of course get it gone through quick... One thing I always tell CSRs is to remember you are only one person, you can only go at one speed. The speed that makes you get it acomplished without making 100 mistakes. Ok, now through the course of this a CSR calls wanting to know if theres anyone who can work for him tonight. I have a strict policy that unless it is an emergency... You find your own replacement. I didn't have time for him... The line is coming back. OMG it is 4pm and my relief is here. They show up and I get out of that store quick. I am home at last... Yippie! At 7pm my other store calls me... Hey, the CSR just left! What? He just up and left leaving his line standing there. So off I go to fill in for him. Love working till midnight... Yippie! I call him on my way to the store and he says he just doesn't have the proper training to be working a busy night like that! WTF??? You have been here 2 months! Ok, I know he is a little slower becuase this is his first real retail job... But come on! You get it or you don't, I guess he didn't. I mean you guys that have worked here awhile remember when BBI was literally KING! I mean the weekends were so slammed it was unreal. These kids have no understanding of what real busy is. So in a nutshell... I will gladly take on a customer over the grief employees give us any day. Everyone knows this game, you gotta go through 3 or 4 before you find a great worker. Customers are easy... They are not always right, but with the proper respect and sincerity I have never in my many years here had anyone really mad at me.

[MissHailstorm]

Why is it that EVERY CSr that encounters a problem on here tells us how most customers like to compliment the SMs on their amazing customer service skills? Where the hell do you find these customers? None of my customers have ever complimented me, or any of my colleagues on their customer service skills, and I work with a couple of damn fine CSRs. Nope, they always fail to notice good service and complain about the bad.

Really though, after being with this company for nearly 4 years I can safely say that the larger portion of complaints come about because I could have handled a situation better. Yes, the customer is not always right, but as Mish said, they always BELIEVE they're right and you have to tread very carefully about correcting the situation. There's no shame in making a mistake occasionally, particularly on a stressful Saturday night shift, so why is it that we all try to hide that mistake behind the old "I couldn't make a mistake. I would NEVER do such a thing as offer bad service!!!"

Perhaps we're not being much better than the customers we complain about afterall.;)
No, it's true, no-one notices my delicate grace or genius-like qualities round our way... :p

Realising and admitting your mistakes is a good way to learn and be better at your job.

[BBVcasualposter]

The customer is always right, unless it invovles cash back, lol

[zooworker]

No, it's true, no-one notices my delicate grace or genius-like qualities round our way... :p

Realising and admitting your mistakes is a good way to learn and be better at your job.
Miss H you have to be one of the best , with all the stories you tell, some of us would have been in jail by now dealing with that. ;)

[MissHailstorm]

Miss H you have to be one of the best , with all the stories you tell, some of us would have been in jail by now dealing with that. ;)

I once read an online review of my town, and it was described as being something along the lines of "the remote hole of chavs". :D

[DavidNewlySL]

The customer is always right, unless it invovles cash back, lol

The customer always being right is a flawed theory that most businesses are structured off of. Blockbuster gives out credits like candy sometimes and gives in too easily. I rented 4 movies in 5 years..but i shouldn't owe 90 bucks because I am such an awesome customer..I accidentally left my movies in the back of my truck for 60 days..

Just in 2002, when I started..VHS days...When we just started doing dvds really and we had to run tapes and dvd's, lines would be back to the employee doors for hours and hours. It would take 3 hours to completely clean a store properly, because vhs cover boxes were everywhere. The backer card idea saves so much time when cleaning. The truck comes mostly prepped, before we used to have to shrink wrap it all ourselves..gah! The work load is all the same really..with the model store and all, and the cleaning is just as bad, especially in the game section. The only thing that makes Blockbuster different now..is less customers and higher sell demand. Before, we could make 10 grand easily in one night..now my store caps maybe 20 grand on a good week. Our average is about 17,000 every week and 50 activations, we are consistent, but what happens when we run out? Or when we have more exchanges that we can deal with?

The old blockbuster was more work, and labor, the new blockbuster is more selling.

[OzMan]

Why is it that EVERY CSr that encounters a problem on here tells us how most customers like to compliment the SMs on their amazing customer service skills?

They also work at the busiest store in the busiest district in the busiest state in the country;)

[BBVcasualposter]

They also work at the busiest store in the busiest district in the busiest state in the country;)


:D My first laugh of the day

[theblock]

The above situation has probably happened to me....ONE HUNDRED TIMES!! And yes, 90% of the people go home and find the product. And yes, people become stupid and obnoxious when there's a huge line. And yes, I'm happy I don't work for BBV anymore.

[AbandonedDreams]

The above situation has probably happened to me....ONE HUNDRED TIMES!! And yes, 90% of the people go home and find the product. And yes, people become stupid and obnoxious when there's a huge line. And yes, I'm happy I don't work for BBV anymore.


Thread's a month old. Who are you talking to? The OP? The person right above you (that sure as hell doesn't make sense). QUOTE, please. :)

[Loopy Lokre]

I have to say 90% of the time at my store the movie is on our shelves not checked in...lol.

[igniteice]

I mean, what the hell?

I have no idea. You haven't told me anything yet.

Tonight was the busiest night I have EVER seen, and I've worked plenty (try 95% since getting hired) of Saturday nights.

I worked 99% of weekends (friday/saturday night closing combo, plus the occasional sunday night, or even open) for the 2 years that I worked. Basically, 104 weekends, and there were only 2 that I didn't work both friday and saturday night (though I know one of those I did work the sunday.) Your "let me try to impress you" approach just got shot to hell.

This one woman had a charge on her account for Sweet Home Alabama. She said she returned it, so I went to the shelf to take a look. It wasn't there

You looked through mis-match drawer? Perhaps it was returned missing a disc, or perhaps it's in bad-film drawer? Perhaps it was returned without a label to scan in? Your vague attempt at making it seem like you actually 'looked' is falling on deaf ears.

so as I was wading my way through the insufferable mass of customers, I asked her to maybe just have another look around at home to see if she had it. My intention was to get her out of the store faster, I wasn't going to make her pay for it right then.

Wow, so let me get this straight. You're some kind of super-employee, and an asshole? Congratulations.

Back me up on this one -- 90+% of the time they do still have it, right?

No. Please die.

Anyway, she got really bitchy (and loud) all of a sudden, claiming that she had "more integrity" than that and that she had returned it. As it turns out, she was right, we had it. It was in our member-owned cabinet, mislabeled.

Holy fuck. I just called this a few paragraphs up. You lose all future points, you damn idiot. Worst employee ever.

We took it off of her account and credited the 1.25 off too, but she insisted on getting an apology since, for some reason, she felt I had insulted her honor.

I hope she drives her car through the front of your store and pins you against the counter, severing your upper and lower body in half.

What a c'nt. I told her I was sorry she felt that way, and I didn't mean what I said to be construed the way she took it -- not that I was sorry, mind you.

Haha... oh my gosh, you're still insulting her? She was the one telling the truth and you were the one being the dumbest fucking employee of the year.

She stormed out afterwards. The customers behind her were like, "WTF was her problem?" I hope she signs up for Netflix.

You're a fucking lost cause. Go kill yourself asshole.

I have to say 90% of the time at my store the movie is on our shelves not checked in...lol.

Oh, and you're a fucking idiot too for bumping this thread. But at least it gave me another idiot to flame. Forum was running out of them lately.

[Loopy Lokre]

Haha... oh my gosh, you're still insulting her? She was the one telling the truth and you were the one being the dumbest fucking employee of the year.



You're a fucking lost cause. Go kill yourself asshole.

thats not very nice.

[igniteice]

thats not very nice.

Who the hell are you?

[Loopy Lokre]

Who the hell are you?

HI, Im Loopy. :D

[igniteice]

I think you're a fucking ghost nick.

[Loopy Lokre]

I think you're a fucking ghost nick.

wtf is that?

[igniteice]

Yep, you are.

[Loopy Lokre]

whatever man.

[zooworker]

HI, Im Loopy. :D

I think you're a fucking ghost nick.

wtf is that?
Thought you were forum savy loopy, and you don't know what that is?
whatever man.
Heard some other n00b use this same phrase not to long ago.:confused:

[brantheman]

I'm thinking of creating my own ghostnic soon. Sounds like fun!!

[sar94pga]

I'm thinking of creating my own ghostnic soon. Sounds like fun!!

LOL! haha. i can imagine it now......

[OzMan]

LOL! haha. i can imagine it now......

Bob Fosse is rolling in his grave right now, imagining the production Bran would make out of it ;)

[Aphrodite]

I'm thinking of creating my own ghostnic soon. Sounds like fun!!

They are :D


If you do, pm me who it is and Ill help with some wind ups ;)

[VespaGirl]

I've had worse customers than that, as I'm sure we've all had. I had one customer that I just plain didn't know what to do. Now, I've been in customer service for years, so I'd like to think I know how to handle every situation that comes up.

This lady comes up at the peak of a saturday night. She's complaining to me that I haven't seen a movie that she had. I applogized, and said that it's hard for me to see everything that comes out, but that I've heard lots of good things about it. I can't remember what it was, I think it was directed by Robert Rodriguez. She screamed at me and told me I had no right having my job, and said that a woman my age should be at home. Then she starts asking me personal questions, like am I married, do I have kids, blah blah blah, not in a conversational way, like a prying kind of way. I pull up her account, and she has over $150 in charges. I ask her if she had just returned any movies. She says "No, but I have a few at home, I'm not done watching them, you'll get them back when I'm done, now check me out and let's be done here." Well, obviously I have a problem with giving a customer a movie when they have six out that have autosold to her. I tell her that she either has to square up the difference, or bring the movies back. One of the other employees hands me the phone, and as I'm talking the woman takes a stack of the $1 Jimmy Fund donation cards, and starts scratching them off. I tell her that they're $1 each and she flips out. She tells me I have no right to demand money from her, and that she wants to talk to the former store manager. I pretty much asked her to leave, and added each of the cards to the balance she owed. But she said before she left "I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of this! You're making it look like I've done something wrong!"

[sar94pga]

oh i hate threads that come back from the dead.

at least this one is only a few months back....

[Woodstock]

I've had worse customers than that, as I'm sure we've all had. I had one customer that I just plain didn't know what to do. Now, I've been in customer service for years, so I'd like to think I know how to handle every situation that comes up.

This lady comes up at the peak of a saturday night. She's complaining to me that I haven't seen a movie that she had. I applogized, and said that it's hard for me to see everything that comes out, but that I've heard lots of good things about it. I can't remember what it was, I think it was directed by Robert Rodriguez. She screamed at me and told me I had no right having my job, and said that a woman my age should be at home. Then she starts asking me personal questions, like am I married, do I have kids, blah blah blah, not in a conversational way, like a prying kind of way. I pull up her account, and she has over $150 in charges. I ask her if she had just returned any movies. She says "No, but I have a few at home, I'm not done watching them, you'll get them back when I'm done, now check me out and let's be done here." Well, obviously I have a problem with giving a customer a movie when they have six out that have autosold to her. I tell her that she either has to square up the difference, or bring the movies back. One of the other employees hands me the phone, and as I'm talking the woman takes a stack of the $1 Jimmy Fund donation cards, and starts scratching them off. I tell her that they're $1 each and she flips out. She tells me I have no right to demand money from her, and that she wants to talk to the former store manager. I pretty much asked her to leave, and added each of the cards to the balance she owed. But she said before she left "I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of this! You're making it look like I've done something wrong!"




This should be in the "Customers say the darnest things" thread, not this one.

[CarnorJax27069]

True, customers in line can get impatient. However, I always try to teach my staff to just serve one person at a time, crack a joke so everyone can hear to lighten the tension in the air. I mean we are only one peson, as such, we can only wait on one person at a time. Trust me, when employees freak out they make 10 million mistakes and that always takes way longer to fix than if they had just remained cool, calm and composed.