retail customer horror stories

A common retail customer horror story is related to sizing. A customer ordered a pair of shoes in their regular size from an online retailer. When the shoes arrived, they were two sizes too small. The return process was a nightmare. The website's return instructions were confusing, and when the customer finally managed to send the shoes back, they were charged a restocking fee even though it was clearly the retailer's fault for the incorrect sizing. Another story is about a customer who was in a physical store trying to return an unopened item. The store manager made up all sorts of rules on the spot to deny the return, even though the item was within the return policy period.

A customer in a clothing store once threw a fit because she thought a dress was a different color in the store light compared to outside. She started pulling clothes off the racks and screaming. It was chaos.

Empathy is a key one. For example, in the clothing store story, the salesperson understood the customer's urgency for the dress and took action to make it right. Another element is going above and beyond, like the bookstore staff spending hours to find a rare book. Also, quick problem - solving matters, just as the grocery store employee dealt with the broken eggs situation promptly.

Sure. One time a customer came into the store looking for a 'left - handed' hammer. When I told him hammers are not left - or right - handed, he insisted that he could only use a left - handed one. Another time, a lady tried to return a pair of shoes that were clearly worn out, saying they were defective from the start, but she had actually hiked a mountain in them.

One key element is going the extra mile. Like in the bookstore example, they didn't stop at just looking in their own store. Another is taking responsibility. The clothing store manager could have blamed the customer but instead took action. And empathy is also important. The grocery store employee understood the elderly customer's need for help and provided it without hesitation.

One retail horror story is when a customer got extremely angry because the store was out of a very popular item on sale. They started yelling at the cashier, who was just following company policy. The cashier felt really bad and was on the verge of crying but had to keep calm. Another story is about a delivery mix - up. A customer ordered a new dress for an event but received men's shoes instead. It was a nightmare for the store to sort out as the customer was furious and demanded immediate compensation.

Well, I heard about a retail horror story where a store received a shipment of perishable goods, but due to a miscommunication in the supply chain, they didn't get the goods until a day later than expected. By then, most of the items had spoiled. And there was also a case where a customer was extremely rude to the sales staff just because the item they wanted was out of stock. They shouted and even threw things around.

Sure. There was a story about a clothing store. A customer came in looking for a very specific dress for an event that night. The salesperson not only found the exact dress in the store but also noticed a small tear on it. Instead of just selling it, the salesperson quickly fixed it herself while the customer waited and even offered a discount for the inconvenience. The customer was extremely happy and became a regular.

I heard of a customer who came into a bookstore and asked for a book on how to read minds. When the clerk said we didn't have such a book, the customer said that the store was useless. Also, there was a customer who mistook a display of winter scarves for a hammock and tried to lie down on it. It was quite a sight!

At a shoe store, a customer tried on a pair of shoes and then asked if they came with 'built - in feet'. I just stared at them for a second before realizing they were joking. But it was still a really strange thing to say. If it was a serious question, it would be quite dumb.