Customer Service Nightmares: These Awful Moments On The Job Had Us Cringing Hard
There's one unfortunate side of working in customer service that's just unavoidable: customers.
Whether you're in retail or the service industry, we all have to deal with jerks from time to time—but none have ever been worse than these actual living nightmares.
Put on your best smile and attach that flair, because we're clocking in for these totally awful moments in customer service. Guaranteed they'll make you wanna cringe.
1. I Didn’t Order A #2
I worked nights at McDonald's and was at the drive-thru. I was taking an order for a bunch of wasted girls when I overheard one of the girls say that she seriously needed to poop. Her friends apparently did not care and told her to go outside.
So, she stepped out of the car and knelt down in the bushes next to the car.
The bushes were in plain view of the security camera. Everybody inside the place saw her, and it was a full-blown mess. So, I told her through the service window that everyone could see her.
The look of sheer horror the girl made through the security feed made everyone burst in laughter including her friends. Poor kid.
2. Keep The Change
I was taking orders pretty late in the evening. It was quiet at that time so I had no customers until one dude came into the store and approached me at the till. He asked, “do you mind if I give you some coins to get a bill off of you?” Our policy is not to exchange money but I thought I'd do him a solid. I assumed it was probably just $10. Nope. I was so wrong.
He then opened his bag that had a massive bag of coins stored in bank counting bags. He stacked up $10 in 2 cent coins and then another stack, and he got about five stacks in when I had to stop him and say I couldn't do that big of an exchange.
Well, he was not happy. He took his coins. He calmly put each back one at a time and said, “You've wasted my time. You've embarrassed me terribly. You lied to me. Good for nothing. That's for your trouble."
He left a $10 stack of two-cent coins on the counter and left. We’re not allowed to accept tips, but my manager saw everything and said I could.
3. Couldn’t Be More Obvious
It couldn’t have been more obvious that a guy was trying to return stolen merchandise. He “lost” the receipt, didn’t know when it was purchased and paid with cash so we couldn’t just easily look up the transaction on a credit card.
He said he would call his friend to ask if they knew when it was purchased, and then he took out his iPhone and without pressing a button started to talk on it.
I was like...I can clearly see the home screen with no call happening. When he “got off the phone” I got a little bold and in my best retail manager voice said something to the effect of, “Oh, that’s cool!
Is that a new update where you can talk to someone without actually calling them?” He left after that.
4. Smile! You’re on Camera
Many many many years ago I worked at a retailer in the UK. A grimy looking family came in and started acting shifty, having over-exaggerated discussions on washing machines, asking ridiculous questions about our returns policy.
They bought a reasonably expensive Hotpoint washing machine from us, and wanted to take it with them that day, which we were happy to do.
They paid cash. They took their washing machine, loaded it into the back of their van, and we watched them drive over to the McDonald's on the other side of the trading park.
About an hour later they drove back and said that we'd sold them the wrong machine. They'd gotten it home, unwrapped it, and it was the wrong machine. We told them to bring it on in and we'd sort it out.
They went out to their van and brought in a CLEARLY DIFFERENT, DIRTY, OBVIOUSLY SECOND-HAND WASHING MACHINE. Oh, and they didn't want an exchange. Just a refund.
With every alarm bell ringing, my boss and I had a quick scan through the security cameras. Sure enough, they had driven to McDonald's, and come straight back. Whilst I was "running the refund through,"
my boss called law enforcement, who turned up, had a little look in the back of their van where, unsurprisingly, there was a brand new Hotpoint washer, still in its wrap.
They were carted off by law enforcement. Didn't get charged, unfortunately, but it was a definite get out moment.
If they'd only been more patient and less greedy and gone home for a few hours first, they probably would've gotten away with it, knowing how much my boss would adhere to the “customer is always right” principle.
