Any Retail Workers with Black Friday Stories?

[Disfan1]

The other side of the coin...

I have too many stories for one post so I'll start out with one.

I work at a Big Box retailer answering the phones. A lady called at 8:30PM last night and was angry we didn't have any of the $197 laptops left! "Why didn't you get enough for everybody??" I said, "Well, ma'am, there were enough for the people here at 5AM"

I'll be back with more stories later - let's hear yours!

 

[snowy76]

Didn't work on BF myself, but as I was cashing out at Old Navy yesterday around 9:30 am, the cashier told me someone had just called to ask if they were busy. Like someone had to ask?

 

[NatashaDisneyCM]

the only odd thing that happened to me was, I answered the phone, with like a million guests in line, I did it while bagging up a guest. I excused myself and answered. the guest on the phone wanted to know if we had something, and wanted me to go look! I apologized and said I would not be able to, due to I was cashier. She was ticked off, so I tiered to get someone on the floor to help!
I just wished people used common sense when it came to black friday! It is hard to CALL somewhere and expect to get white glove service, unless they have someone JUST FOR THAT! and we did not.
she should of just said, that is ok, I will get off my butt and come see for myself!

 

[Disfan1]

OK, not as many retail workers as I thought.

Anyway, I promised another story so here goes.

Yesterday a guy calls and says "Um, I bought a Playstation 3 at Wal-Mart Friday and I can't get it to work..." (Note: I do NOT work for Wal-Mart) I (very nicely) suggested that he call either Sony or the manufacturer of his TV since there wasn't a lot we could do because he didn't buy the PS3 from us. He got angry & said "I can't believe you treat your customers like this!" and hung up. Um, dude, you're not OUR customer, you're Wal-Mart's customer...

 

[mumom95]

OK, not as many retail workers as I thought.

Anyway, I promised another story so here goes.

Yesterday a guy calls and says "Um, I bought a Playstation 3 at Wal-Mart Friday and I can't get it to work..." (Note: I do NOT work for Wal-Mart) I (very nicely) suggested that he call either Sony or the manufacturer of his TV since there wasn't a lot we could do because he didn't buy the PS3 from us. He got angry & said "I can't believe you treat your customers like this!" and hung up. Um, dude, you're not OUR customer, you're Wal-Mart's customer...

 

[Callie]

I work for an upscale store, and so many people busted through the doors asking what our sale was. Um, we don't have one?
Our company sale is at the outlet.

 

[JoiseyMom]

OK, not as many retail workers as I thought.

Anyway, I promised another story so here goes.

Yesterday a guy calls and says "Um, I bought a Playstation 3 at Wal-Mart Friday and I can't get it to work..." (Note: I do NOT work for Wal-Mart) I (very nicely) suggested that he call either Sony or the manufacturer of his TV since there wasn't a lot we could do because he didn't buy the PS3 from us. He got angry & said "I can't believe you treat your customers like this!" and hung up. Um, dude, you're not OUR customer, you're Wal-Mart's customer...

I work for a company that sells Espresso machines and Grinders, we are internet based, but do have a showroom by appt only. Anyway, I answer the phones and process orders. I constantly get calls for people who want help with their machines that they didn't buy from us . The first question I ask is if they bought it from us, and they are like, why, does it make a difference. I am like yes..if you bought it from us, then I can get you some tech help, if not I can charge you 85.00/hour to talk to a tech. They don't like that response!! I haven't gotten an ebay buyer call yet..I am looking forward to that one .

 

[spacemermaid]

I no longer work in retail, but what I witnessed one year whilst working at a hardware/home improvement store was both frightening and hilarious. Well. It was about 10 years ago, when "singing" Christmas decorations were all the rage. The store I worked in had a singing Christmas tree, a singing little drummer boy, a singing Santa Claus...you get the picture. But, for some strange reason, the most popular singing Christmas decoration was...a singing yule log:

I worked at the customer service desk in the middle of the store, right next to the large shelf where displays of each singing Christmas decoration were kept. It drove me CRAZY hearing them all singing simultaneously for 8 to 12 hours a day, from right after Halloween until right before Christmas, but that's beside the point. The funniest/saddest (in the sense that "people actually behave this way over CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS?!? Really?!? REALLY?!?!?) thing I witnessed whilst working retail during the holidays involved...physical violence, with the weapon being an anthropomorphic, singing yule log.

The scenario is as follows:

Customer 1 (we'll call him Jack) puts the last boxed singing yule log in his basket, much to the dismay of Customer 2 (we'll call him Joe).

Joe: "Hey! I wanted that!"

Jack: "I'm sorry; maybe they have more of them in the back?"

*Joe walks up to the customer service desk, where he is told that Jack indeed has the very last of the boxed singing yule logs, but that Joe would be welcome to purchase the display singing yule log, at a 50% discount, rather than the 25% discount that Jack's boxed singing yule log would be purchased at. Clearly, this is not good enough for Joe*

Joe walks over to the display, unplugs the singing yule log, and hurls it at full force (Joe is a pretty big guy, and would make a great pitcher in the big league, what with his forceful throwing technique) at Jack, and says something thoroughly inappropriate regarding Jack's perceived, uh, romantic preference, and what he can supposedly do with the singing yule log.

Joe (to Jack, after inappropriate & not family-friendly tirade): "YOU take THIS ONE. THAT one is MINE!"

*cue employees & customers alike gathering round and making these type of faces: *

At which point, several guys from out in the lumberyard come and escort Joe out of the store, after telling him that if he doesn't leave, and never come back, that the police will be called. Jack is profusely apologized to by various employees and the manager, and is given the singing yule log gratis for having to deal with that.

All that trouble, over a silly, antropomorphic, musical plastic log!

 

[Disfan1]

LOL...that reminds me of a story from YEARS ago when I worked in a toystore when Cabbage Patch dolls were all the rage.

Black Friday rolls around and every little girl wants a Cabbage Patch doll. Two sweet little grandmothers go for the last Cabbage Patch doll at the same time and wind up in a vicious fistfight over it! We called the police and while the cop was talking to the two grandmothers, a third grandmother picked up the doll and bought it! The policeman said granny #3 had every right to buy it since at that point #1 and #2 were considered detained by the police.

 

[DISNEY1975]

LOL...that reminds me of a story from YEARS ago when I worked in a toystore when Cabbage Patch dolls were all the rage.

Black Friday rolls around and every little girl wants a Cabbage Patch doll. Two sweet little grandmothers go for the last Cabbage Patch doll at the same time and wind up in a vicious fistfight over it! We called the police and while the cop was talking to the two grandmothers, a third grandmother picked up the doll and bought it! The policeman said granny #3 had every right to buy it since at that point #1 and #2 were considered detained by the police.

Something like that happened to me at Walmart a few years ago on Black Friday. There were 3 people wanting an XBOX and there were only 2 in the store. An associate opened the glass cabinet and took one out and walked towards the register in electronics while 3 people were following her and verbally fighting over who was going to get it. When everyone was about 20 feet away, I looked at the cabinet and there was another one in there. I saw an associate coming from another aisle and asked if I could have the XBOX. He opened the cabinet, took out the XBOX and I walked up to the front of the store to check out (instead of in electronics). I paid in 30 seconds, brought it out to my car and went back in to continue shopping!

 

[dakcp2001]

A few years back I was working a part time at a bagel shop and a well dressed gentleman in a business suit came in yakking on his cell phone and ordered a "Medium Regular", an employee made him his coffee and off he went. About 5 minutes later the guy comes running in screaming and whips his cell phone at the girl who made his coffee. It left a bruise on her thigh! He then took the cover off his coffee and tossed it at another employee. He was screaming ranting and raving about how he didnt want cream and sugar. (Here in this region, medium "regular" means cream and sugar, not sure if that is a regional thing or not) We were thankful it had the cream, so it did not burn her. He tried to jump over the counter and was trying to grab the girl, I think he was going to hit her! Over coffee! She was like 16!!

Anyhow, some customers dragged this guy outside, we had to lock the door and call the police. In the meantime he smashed someones windshield and was smashing the barrel into the front window. He ended up getting taken down by like 3 customers (in their suits on their way to work, bless their hearts) The police arrested him, and it was like months of employee going to court etc, and customers. AWFUL!!!

 

[Micca]

A few years back I was working a part time at a bagel shop and a well dressed gentleman in a business suit came in yakking on his cell phone and ordered a "Medium Regular", an employee made him his coffee and off he went. About 5 minutes later the guy comes running in screaming and whips his cell phone at the girl who made his coffee. It left a bruise on her thigh! He then took the cover off his coffee and tossed it at another employee. He was screaming ranting and raving about how he didnt want cream and sugar. (Here in this region, medium "regular" means cream and sugar, not sure if that is a regional thing or not) We were thankful it had the cream, so it did not burn her. He tried to jump over the counter and was trying to grab the girl, I think he was going to hit her! Over coffee! She was like 16!!

Anyhow, some customers dragged this guy outside, we had to lock the door and call the police. In the meantime he smashed someones windshield and was smashing the barrel into the front window. He ended up getting taken down by like 3 customers (in their suits on their way to work, bless their hearts) The police arrested him, and it was like months of employee going to court etc, and customers. AWFUL!!!

Sounds like he didn't really need any more coffee that day.

 

[Micca]

I no longer work in retail, but what I witnessed one year whilst working at a hardware/home improvement store was both frightening and hilarious. Well. It was about 10 years ago, when "singing" Christmas decorations were all the rage. The store I worked in had a singing Christmas tree, a singing little drummer boy, a singing Santa Claus...you get the picture. But, for some strange reason, the most popular singing Christmas decoration was...a singing yule log:

I worked at the customer service desk in the middle of the store, right next to the large shelf where displays of each singing Christmas decoration were kept. It drove me CRAZY hearing them all singing simultaneously for 8 to 12 hours a day, from right after Halloween until right before Christmas, but that's beside the point. The funniest/saddest (in the sense that "people actually behave this way over CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS?!? Really?!? REALLY?!?!?) thing I witnessed whilst working retail during the holidays involved...physical violence, with the weapon being an anthropomorphic, singing yule log.

The scenario is as follows:

Customer 1 (we'll call him Jack) puts the last boxed singing yule log in his basket, much to the dismay of Customer 2 (we'll call him Joe).

Joe: "Hey! I wanted that!"

Jack: "I'm sorry; maybe they have more of them in the back?"

*Joe walks up to the customer service desk, where he is told that Jack indeed has the very last of the boxed singing yule logs, but that Joe would be welcome to purchase the display singing yule log, at a 50% discount, rather than the 25% discount that Jack's boxed singing yule log would be purchased at. Clearly, this is not good enough for Joe*

Joe walks over to the display, unplugs the singing yule log, and hurls it at full force (Joe is a pretty big guy, and would make a great pitcher in the big league, what with his forceful throwing technique) at Jack, and says something thoroughly inappropriate regarding Jack's perceived, uh, romantic preference, and what he can supposedly do with the singing yule log.

Joe (to Jack, after inappropriate & not family-friendly tirade): "YOU take THIS ONE. THAT one is MINE!"

*cue employees & customers alike gathering round and making these type of faces: *

At which point, several guys from out in the lumberyard come and escort Joe out of the store, after telling him that if he doesn't leave, and never come back, that the police will be called. Jack is profusely apologized to by various employees and the manager, and is given the singing yule log gratis for having to deal with that.

All that trouble, over a silly, antropomorphic, musical plastic log!

This is classic. PLEASE tell me the log was singing as it was being hurled through the air

 

[spacemermaid]

This is classic. PLEASE tell me the log was singing as it was being hurled through the air

Nope, it wasn't singing as it was being thrown...that's the only way the whole thing could've been more hilarious!

 

[Disfan1]

OK, one more...

The store where I work sells mostly electronic stuff. I get SEVERAL calls a day like this...

Me: Thank you for calling Big Box. This is Disfan1. How may I help you?
Customer: Yes, I need the electronics department.
Me: What type of item are you interested in?
Customer: E-LEC-TRON-ICS!!!
Me: This is an electronics STORE. How may I help you?
Customer: Oh - do you have (fill in the blank) CD in stock?


Note: Technically, CDs are not electronics. CD PLAYERS are...

 

[ChrisFL]

Sorry, I don't have any stories because I AVOID Black Friday shopping like the plague...

I did hear someone at work the Monday before saying people were camping outside of Best Buy already......thats right, on Monday!!