The customer is always right, except when she is not.

I am generally a pleasant person to be around.  It may not come across here on the old blog, but I can usually be pretty charming.  I would not be a successful sales guy if my personality was constantly abrasive.

Yesterday was weird. I was working my gig at big retail store. A middle-aged lady of Japanese extract asked me about a particular camera. I tried to be helpful. She spied an "open box" item, a discontinued display model offered at a substantial discount. She asked the original price and I told her I would have to look it up. This irritated her to no end. She told me I should know the prices. I apologized to her that we offer over 80,000 SKUs in the store and I cannot memorize them all.

She decided to buy the camera. I asked a manager to unlock the anti-theft device and he said he would see if we had the original box. I explained to the customer that there may not be a box, nor manuals, etc. She found this notion, as she put it "ridiculous" and told me that to throw away a box was irresponsible and stupid. I explained that display models stay for months and we cannot possibly warehouse the original packaging for every camera, computer, television, video game console, and appliance that is on display. She told me she always buys "open box" and has never seen any item offered without a box. I told her we were looking for her box, but that there were lots of appliances, televisions and computers in the store sold "as is" without the original packaging.

She insisted that it was dumb to not have the box.  I again told her that we were looking for the original box. I pointed out that the camera was half price due to the fact some accessories, including the original packaging might be missing.  I guess she found this fact offensive. She replied, and I quote, "You do not have to be so rude. I do not want you to help me. Go somewhere else". 

So I did. I left her standing there. I don't need shit from a customer at a low-wage part time temporary gig.  I don't make commission. I assume the manager finished the sale after his box search. I do not doubt she complained about me to him. The boss never asked why I left the customer. In fact the whole incident was never mentioned.