Well it is official Val’s little vacation is over, so it is back to work and back to dealing with the customers I love and the customers I love to hate so so much.
A general rule is that the crazies always appear within the first hour of my shift, because they have a secret sixth sense that knows their craziness is going to ruin the other seven hours of my shift if they appear in the first. (this is of course what seems to happen most often, crazies appear at any time but the ones that come within an hour of me being at work seem to stick in my head for a long long time.)
Said crazy man lets call him H (for hispanic, because he was hispanic and told me I am racist to his people). So H came in, acting like a normal customer, the kind that does not say anything but the drink they want. No Hi or Hello when I greet H just the drink order. Whatever most customers do this so the pissed off part of my brain does not even care anymore.
H orders an iced venti extra sweet black tea lemonade. Cool. As I am making it, in the shaking container we use to well… shake the teas he yells AND MAKE SURE YOU SHAKE IT. And I let this slide… the yelling which was totally unnecessary because I was not even done making your drink. But part of me understands, a lot of starbucks’ take short cuts and do not shake their iced teas which really impacts the flavor and temperature of the drink.
Anyway I hand H his drink say thank you and have a nice day and he grabs it out of my hand and storms off.
Well this is a regular customer interaction sadly… rudeness, yelling etc etc… but what made this very interesting was when he came back.
H = Hispanic man
V = ‘racist’ valerie verona?!?!?!
And this is what went down…
H = I want another one (I hold out my hand for the cup and he puts it on the counter leaving my empty hand oh so lonely)
V = (being as I was the only one on the floor, my other barista was washing dishes, I made the drink and then I proceed to ring him up) Sir your total is $3.10.
H = what? No you are wrong THIS IS REFILL I PAY FIFTY FIVE CENTS!
V = Im sorry sir but our refill policy only covers regular iced teas not iced tea lemonades because the lemonade is expensive.
H = NO YOU ARE ONE HUNDRED PERCENT WRONG. I SEE ALL OF YOU DO THIS FOR THE WHITE PEOPLE AND YOU KNOW I AM HISPANIC AND I GET FIRED A LOT BECAUSE I AM HISPANIC AND I HAVE TO GO TO END OF LINE AND THIS IS REFILL I GO TO OTHER STARBUCKS BEFORE AND I PAY FIFTY FIVE CENTS.
V = Sir, im very sorry you feel this way, but the fifty five cent refill policy is only given when someone orders a regular plain iced tea, not with lemonade. That is the policy. If you paid fifty five cents in the past, at the other starbucks someone was doing you a favor… but 3.10 is the correct price… you gave me your cup so the only discount I can give you is .10 cents for bringing the cup back.
H = NO YOU ARE RACIST AND FINE I PAY THE MONEY THIS NOT ABOUT MONEY BUT YOU ARE ONE HUNDRED PERCENT WRONG. MY PEOPLE THEY ARE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST AND YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW WRONG YOU ARE. AND I WANT THE PHONE NUMBER FOR YOUR MANAGER.
V = (takes the 3.10 from him) ok just give me a second and I will get you my store managers card. (does that).
H = AND I WANT TO SPEAK TO WHO IS SUPERVISING YOU RIGHT NOW.
V = That would be me sir.
H = (exiting, still screaming) I WILL BE BACK.
***
Meanwhile… there is another shift in the store, the one who is handing over the store to me and another barista who were saying I just should have given him the refill price… but this is why I refuse.
I dont appreciate being SCREAMED at
When I try explaining the correct pricing, dont tell me how I am 100% wrong. I happen to know the refill policy very well, I have been working for this company for four years.
I dont appreciate being called ‘racist’
So the store phone rings and the other shift answers it. (On my store managers business card it has the store phone number), the other shift told him to come back and he would get a free drink coupon.
30 minutes elapse, other shift has left, I am pissed because I dont think he should get one but whatever. Im tired of dealing with people who think they know how pricing works and im an incompetent retail servant. A racist one as well apparently. And in walks H.
H = DID YOU GET TOLD YOU WERE WRONG?
V = No, but I will give you a free drink coupon so that your next drink will be on us. (I hate to say it but the sarcasm was clear in my voice, I had had it with this guy).
H = NO I JUST WANT MY MONEY BECAUSE YOU 100% WRONG
V = Sir I am not wrong, but I will give you back your money. Here is your 3.10
H = AND NOW YOU RING ME UP CORRECT FOR FIFTY FIVE CENTS
V = I cant do that thats not the price of the drink you ordered. So just take your money and I am going to have to ask you to leave the store because you are making me feel uncomfortable with all of this screaming.
H = YOU KNOW I SHOW YOU WHY YOU ARE WRONG (leaves)
V = ?
5 minutes later….
H = (comes back throwing whole foods sandwiches on counter) SEE I BUY WHOLE FOODS NOW BECAUSE TWO YEARS AGO I LIKE STARBUCKS SANDWICHES AND NOW I DONT.
V = Ok sir, im going to ask you one more time to stop screaming. Im sorry you are no longer satisfied with our sandwiches but that has nothing to do with me charging you 3.10 for your tea lemonade.
H = YES BECAUSE YOU GIVE THE WHITE PEOPLE IT FOR FIFTY FIVE CENTS
V = Our policy is for regular teas, no lemonade. If you want a regular black iced tea, no matter who your are, race, gender, class it does not matter you get charged the same exact price.
H = THE OTHER STARBUCKS NOT RACIST
V = sir the other starbucks was charging you incorrectly.
H = FORGET IT YOU ARE RACIST WHITE GIRL (throws 55 cents on counter and storms out…. Finally… hopefully to never return again).
***
Cute huh? Thank you “the other starbucks” for not following the correct refill policy and causing this crazy man to go off on me about how I am racist because I want him to pay the price everyone who comes into my store pays for iced tea LEMONADES.
I also had to bite my tongue so bad to not scream at this man about racism. Because my grandmother has worked her whole life as a domestic servant because of NINA (no irish need apply) sure that was decades ago, but it still effected her life up to a year ago when she retired. Also my Italian grandfather and French grandmother have told me stories about how when they came here it was difficult, people refused to help anyone who did not speak english. And while I dont mean to go on a rant about racism because it is rampant… you have no idea a persons personal history. You have no right to call someone racist unless they are blatantly being racist. My charging you is capitalism. Not racism.
(although one can argue they are intertwined but that was something I worked on last semester in school, nothing do to with a 3.10$ black tea lemonade)
Xoxo
Valerie
Showing posts with label just say yes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label just say yes. Show all posts
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
the customer is NOT always right: part deux
Ahh the DC cherry blossom festival. It's famous, tons of tourists, TONS of business (which was wonderful for our store to meet budget). Only you would think it was a full moon the night before because the customers were CRAZY.
DC Cherry Blossom Festival: Incident One.
Three customers, daughter was bilingual and was translating for her mother and grandmother. They all wanted vanilla frappuccino's (according to the little girl). and this is what went down.
LG: Little Girl
AM: Angry Mom
G: grandma
V: me!
V: sweetie did you want yours to have coffee in it or did you want it without coffee so its more like a vanilla milkshake?
LG: ohhh yeah like that I dont like coffee!
V: but your mom and grandma, they still want the coffee right?
LG: yeah they like coffee.
V: ok sweetie that is going to be x.xx
LG: (tells her mom in spanish and hands me the money with a smile)
***
this girl is a cutie! she was so sweet and well mannered. Her mother on the other hand must have been in an extremely bad mood. because she grabbed the money out of my hand and did not mutter a thank you or anything. also she grabbed her daughters wrist and YANKED her across the room to be by the hand off plane. Now i dont want to get involved in parents and their form of parenting but I think that violence was a little uncalled for, but obviously an unfortunate side effect from her mothers pissy mood
I make the drinks as my other partner is sweeping under the counters for me, my back was killing me that day (cramps haha)
***
V: oooook one vanilla bean for you sweetie! And two cafe vanilla frappuccinos for you ladies so you can get a caffeine kick! (mind you I was perky while saying this, with a smile, even though I didnt want to be nice to this lady, but I like killing people with kindness.) Thank you ladies you enjoy your day and the parade. Its wonderful weather for it this weekend!
LG: THANK YOUUUUU! (goes over to the condiment bar to add vanilla powder, sugar... you know the things kids love)
AM: WAIT A MINUTE, WHY DOESNT MINE LOOK LIKE HERS?
V: you mean your daughters ma'am?
AM: YES I MEAN MY DAUGHTERS *rolls eyes* WHY DOES MY DRINK NOT LOOK LIKE HERS
V: because yours is made with coffee... did you not want coffee in yours? your little girl said she would rather have one without coffee so hers is a vanilla bean and yours is a cafe vanilla. it still uses the same vanilla bean powder, only difference is your drink is made with a base that has coffee in it.
AM: *another eye roll and insistance on raising voice at me like i am incompetent* YES I UNDERSTAND THAT BUT WHY DOESNT MINE LOOK LIKE HERS?
V: (at this point i am confused) because yours has coffee in it so it turns brown and hers is white because it does not have coffee in it...? ma'am im not understanding what the problem is?
AM: WHAT ARE YOU STUPID? IM NOT SAYING IT HAS TO BE THE SAME COLOR I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHY MINE LOOKS DIFFERENT.
V: well what is making them look different aside from the color?
AM: YOU KNOW WHAT FORGET IT. I DONT APPRECIATE YOUR ATTITUDE *storms out of the store*
***
G the grandma is slurping up her beverage like liquid crack. so no complaints form her thank goodness!
also at this point her daughter is still jazzing up her drink by the condiment bar so I do a slide and go over to clean up the little mess she made.
V: sweetie did your mom want the same thing you wanted.
LG: no she is just in a bad mood and she doesnt like americans. sorry.
V: thank you dear. would you like a cookie?
LG: yeah!
yeah yeah i know its "illegal" to give out freebies but this 6 or 7 year old at least justified that I was not out of my mind.
***
a half hour later AM returns storming in and almost hitting an elderly couple that was on their way out. no appologies to them of course because AM is entitled to use me as a punching bag. she must think it is in my job description...
AM: WHY DOES MY WHIPPED CREAM LOOK LIKE THIS?
V: because you argued with me for 10 minutes after your drink was made and you took it outside and it is now 30-45 minutes since you have been in this store, I assume you were outside in the heat. those circumstances will make the whipped cream go "flat" as we say because it is not fresh out of the chilled canister anymore.
AM: I DONT UNDERSTAND HOW YOU CAN MAKE SO MANY MISTAKES.
V: ma'am I can give you some more whipped cream. and im going to give you more in a cup. take it outside and i assure you the same thing is going to happen.
AM: I DONT LIKE YOUR ATTITUDE.
V: well ma'am I have tried understanding your needs today and you have continued to scream and raise your voice at me which has made myself and the people I work with uncomfortable. not to even mention the people sitting in the store. I am going to give you my managers number. you can talk to her about what you think is my attitude problem, but I will also be telling her, and i have witnesses... that you called me stupid and raised your voice at me every time you talked to me. so if this is all, I am now going to ask you to leave my store.
AM: *taken aback but leaves quietly*
***
point of the story? people think retail employees are sooooo beneath them that even if they are having a bad day I can be your own personal verbal assault punching bad. I am sorry that is not in my job description. and it is in my job description to protect my store from hostile customers. the police department knows me very well (in large part because of the two threats against my life all starbucks related) so if they get a phone call from me. they respond FAST.
Lesson to learn: respet people in retail? because if you piss of the person in charge, they can have you barred from the store.
respect works both ways. I do not have to tolerate curse words, or anything derogatory said to myself or the people I work with on my shifts. And I dont care if that means loosing...
"the most loyal customer to starbucks, because without me you would not have a paycheck."
that is my favorite line, and while working that day a former barista (one who put out a hit on my life) came back with another one of my favorite lines that I have never spoken but think all the time.
X. for ex barista exclaimed: "BITCH WE GET OUR PAYCHECKS WHETHER OR NOT YOU COME IN HERE WE ARE FUCKING STARBUCKS. WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE HOWARD SHULTZ?"
This was in retaliation to another incident... which will be tomorrows topic!
DC Cherry Blossom Festival: Incident One.
Three customers, daughter was bilingual and was translating for her mother and grandmother. They all wanted vanilla frappuccino's (according to the little girl). and this is what went down.
LG: Little Girl
AM: Angry Mom
G: grandma
V: me!
V: sweetie did you want yours to have coffee in it or did you want it without coffee so its more like a vanilla milkshake?
LG: ohhh yeah like that I dont like coffee!
V: but your mom and grandma, they still want the coffee right?
LG: yeah they like coffee.
V: ok sweetie that is going to be x.xx
LG: (tells her mom in spanish and hands me the money with a smile)
***
this girl is a cutie! she was so sweet and well mannered. Her mother on the other hand must have been in an extremely bad mood. because she grabbed the money out of my hand and did not mutter a thank you or anything. also she grabbed her daughters wrist and YANKED her across the room to be by the hand off plane. Now i dont want to get involved in parents and their form of parenting but I think that violence was a little uncalled for, but obviously an unfortunate side effect from her mothers pissy mood
I make the drinks as my other partner is sweeping under the counters for me, my back was killing me that day (cramps haha)
***
V: oooook one vanilla bean for you sweetie! And two cafe vanilla frappuccinos for you ladies so you can get a caffeine kick! (mind you I was perky while saying this, with a smile, even though I didnt want to be nice to this lady, but I like killing people with kindness.) Thank you ladies you enjoy your day and the parade. Its wonderful weather for it this weekend!
LG: THANK YOUUUUU! (goes over to the condiment bar to add vanilla powder, sugar... you know the things kids love)
AM: WAIT A MINUTE, WHY DOESNT MINE LOOK LIKE HERS?
V: you mean your daughters ma'am?
AM: YES I MEAN MY DAUGHTERS *rolls eyes* WHY DOES MY DRINK NOT LOOK LIKE HERS
V: because yours is made with coffee... did you not want coffee in yours? your little girl said she would rather have one without coffee so hers is a vanilla bean and yours is a cafe vanilla. it still uses the same vanilla bean powder, only difference is your drink is made with a base that has coffee in it.
AM: *another eye roll and insistance on raising voice at me like i am incompetent* YES I UNDERSTAND THAT BUT WHY DOESNT MINE LOOK LIKE HERS?
V: (at this point i am confused) because yours has coffee in it so it turns brown and hers is white because it does not have coffee in it...? ma'am im not understanding what the problem is?
AM: WHAT ARE YOU STUPID? IM NOT SAYING IT HAS TO BE THE SAME COLOR I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHY MINE LOOKS DIFFERENT.
V: well what is making them look different aside from the color?
AM: YOU KNOW WHAT FORGET IT. I DONT APPRECIATE YOUR ATTITUDE *storms out of the store*
***
G the grandma is slurping up her beverage like liquid crack. so no complaints form her thank goodness!
also at this point her daughter is still jazzing up her drink by the condiment bar so I do a slide and go over to clean up the little mess she made.
V: sweetie did your mom want the same thing you wanted.
LG: no she is just in a bad mood and she doesnt like americans. sorry.
V: thank you dear. would you like a cookie?
LG: yeah!
yeah yeah i know its "illegal" to give out freebies but this 6 or 7 year old at least justified that I was not out of my mind.
***
a half hour later AM returns storming in and almost hitting an elderly couple that was on their way out. no appologies to them of course because AM is entitled to use me as a punching bag. she must think it is in my job description...
AM: WHY DOES MY WHIPPED CREAM LOOK LIKE THIS?
V: because you argued with me for 10 minutes after your drink was made and you took it outside and it is now 30-45 minutes since you have been in this store, I assume you were outside in the heat. those circumstances will make the whipped cream go "flat" as we say because it is not fresh out of the chilled canister anymore.
AM: I DONT UNDERSTAND HOW YOU CAN MAKE SO MANY MISTAKES.
V: ma'am I can give you some more whipped cream. and im going to give you more in a cup. take it outside and i assure you the same thing is going to happen.
AM: I DONT LIKE YOUR ATTITUDE.
V: well ma'am I have tried understanding your needs today and you have continued to scream and raise your voice at me which has made myself and the people I work with uncomfortable. not to even mention the people sitting in the store. I am going to give you my managers number. you can talk to her about what you think is my attitude problem, but I will also be telling her, and i have witnesses... that you called me stupid and raised your voice at me every time you talked to me. so if this is all, I am now going to ask you to leave my store.
AM: *taken aback but leaves quietly*
***
point of the story? people think retail employees are sooooo beneath them that even if they are having a bad day I can be your own personal verbal assault punching bad. I am sorry that is not in my job description. and it is in my job description to protect my store from hostile customers. the police department knows me very well (in large part because of the two threats against my life all starbucks related) so if they get a phone call from me. they respond FAST.
Lesson to learn: respet people in retail? because if you piss of the person in charge, they can have you barred from the store.
respect works both ways. I do not have to tolerate curse words, or anything derogatory said to myself or the people I work with on my shifts. And I dont care if that means loosing...
"the most loyal customer to starbucks, because without me you would not have a paycheck."
that is my favorite line, and while working that day a former barista (one who put out a hit on my life) came back with another one of my favorite lines that I have never spoken but think all the time.
X. for ex barista exclaimed: "BITCH WE GET OUR PAYCHECKS WHETHER OR NOT YOU COME IN HERE WE ARE FUCKING STARBUCKS. WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE HOWARD SHULTZ?"
This was in retaliation to another incident... which will be tomorrows topic!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
I believe the customer is always right, except when they are wrong.
Starbucks has been my only retail job. I have been fortunate enough to stick with this company for four years, get a promotion and have my manager turn a blind eye when I partner beverage out some coffee when I am not working (yes this is 'stealing' but I really am a poor college student and hell this company has put me through a lot!!!)
Starbucks has also made me wish I took more than one psych class (which I took in community college while I was going to highschool so I had lots of credits to transfer, so it has been a while).
As my only commenter on this site (so far? *crosses fingers*) has said I offer "a small treatise on human nature through the lens of a Starbucks Barista!" I realize I never thought of it that way but a lot of what I have learned about human nature and the way we socialize has been through this job.
It has also led me to rebel the mantra of customer service, the whole customer is always right philosophy. Well I, Valerie Verona, would like to declare that I partially believe in that, except, sometimes the customer is just plain wrong.
I think starbucks knows about these customers, partially, and the way we are told to treat them is to "just say yes," which is pretty self explanatory. But call me jaded, I have seen this policy abused. There are times when you can just say yes but times when you cant.
example number one.
we have these drinks called vivannos. They are protein nourishing blends made with our own protein (whey) and fiber (chicorry root) powder. yadda yadda yadda. One lady comes in and this is what happened.
L = lady
V = me, the DC food and safety lisence holder for the store.
L = instead of putting your own powder in it can you use this instead *attempts to hand me a canister of goLEAN protein powder or something like that*
V = I am so sorry ma'am but I cannot take that from you, I can not put our powder in and can get you a spoon so you can mix it in yourself over by the condiment bar, but to put whatever you are handing me into our blenders is a health violation.
L = well so and so at the other starbucks did this yesderday and it is protein powder i dont understand why you cant blend it in for me. it wont taste the same if i stir it in.
V = ma'am i understand your frustration but that is an unknown substance to me, I trust you that it is goLEAN but I dont know if there is anything else in there that might cause an allergen issue and I dont want to be held accountable if you get sick or anything so I would feel more comfortable following starbucks policy. I appologize for this inconvenience.
L = (did I mention she was really angry by this point?) This is rediculous I want to speak to your manager.
V = My manager wont be in until tomorrow morning, would you still like me to make your orange mango vivanno without the protein powder?
L = NO I WANT TO SPEAK TO WHO IS IN CHARGE OF YOU RIGHT NOW.
V = ma'am I am the one in charge right now.
L = *huffs* WHATEVER BUT MAKE MY DRINK IN A LARGER CUP SO ILL HAVE ROOM TO STIR IN MY POWDER I CANT BELIEVE I PAY THIS MUCH FOR A DRINK AND I STILL HAVE TO DO WORK MYSELF.
V = Ok, X will ring you up and ill have your drink up in a moment!
seriously? I am dumfounded by the way this lady expected me to break a health code for her. Yes I know it says goLEAN, but uh... it could have been crack and cyanide for all I know. Likelyhood of that happening, slim. But I still need to protect myself and my store from lawsuits, that is why there are safety standards.
I wont even go into the hand off interaction. because this lady ripped her drink out of my hand and her nail scratched the skin off my finger. It was pleasant.
***
example number two.
being in DC we have a lot of big shots coming into the store and a lot of big orders for coffee travlers and cambros (they hold a lot of coffee).
One man ordered 270$ worth of coffee for a meeting. (this is not uncommon).
and this is what went down.
$ = big bux
V = guess
$ = hi i was in here yesterday and I was charged tax on my purchase, but I am tax exempt and I need that 27$ back or my company will make me pay for it.
V = yeah I remember you I helped you carry out your order... did you tell the register partner you are tax exempt?
$ = no but I need you to refund it.
V = im sorry sir but... unless you tell us you are tax exempt you are charged tax... and thats not really something I can refund
$ = *the I am so above you attitude* well when you charge me the wrong price for something you have to fix it, and most companies will refund you when they charge the customer the wrong price.
V = sir its clear on your receipt that you were charged the correct price for your purchases. im sorry that you did not say you were tax exempt but there is nothing that I can do to give you back that money after the fact. Perhaps you can talk to someone in your department to handles the billing and they can petition the money from the government. because tax does not go to my stores profits.... it goes to the government.
$ = I KNOW WHERE TAX MONEY GOES BUT I WAS CHARGED INCORRECTLY AND I NEED THAT 27$ BACK OR I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR IT.
V= sir there is no reason to raise your voice at me. but i am unable to help you after the fact, if you did not mention it at the time there is simply nothing I can do. You were charged correctly and you forgot to mention you were tax exempt. I know you are frustrated but what you are asking me to do is give you 27$ out of my stores profits and I cant do that if you were charged correctly.
$ = but i wasnt
V = sir... you said you forgot to mention you were tax exempt. given that statement I am looking at your receipt and i see nothing I can refund you for.
$ = well this is just rediculous now this has to come out of my pocket.
V = I can understand your frustration. if i were to give you that money it would come out of my stores pocket... im sure if you talk to someone who deals with the credit card billing they can fix this for you... this happened to another person I know in... (cut off)
$ = JUST FORGET IT ILL BE SPEAKING TO YOUR MANAGER
turns out he never did speak to my manager, I guess he sucked it up and learned a 27$ lesson.
***
I know sometimes I may seem harsh. but I really am a nice person, not by choice by way of pharmacuticals (all legally prescribed). And I do try to give the best customer service, but some customers abuse this and I cant stand seeing it happen.
Just because I work in retail, I am not beneath you.
Just because I am serving you does not mean I have to tolerate disrespect.
Just because you think you can get shit for free does not mean you will.
xoxo
Valerie
UP NEXT: customer(s) who believe that without them I would not get my paycheck. all from the cherry blossom festival weekend of hell for valerie.
Starbucks has also made me wish I took more than one psych class (which I took in community college while I was going to highschool so I had lots of credits to transfer, so it has been a while).
As my only commenter on this site (so far? *crosses fingers*) has said I offer "a small treatise on human nature through the lens of a Starbucks Barista!" I realize I never thought of it that way but a lot of what I have learned about human nature and the way we socialize has been through this job.
It has also led me to rebel the mantra of customer service, the whole customer is always right philosophy. Well I, Valerie Verona, would like to declare that I partially believe in that, except, sometimes the customer is just plain wrong.
I think starbucks knows about these customers, partially, and the way we are told to treat them is to "just say yes," which is pretty self explanatory. But call me jaded, I have seen this policy abused. There are times when you can just say yes but times when you cant.
example number one.
we have these drinks called vivannos. They are protein nourishing blends made with our own protein (whey) and fiber (chicorry root) powder. yadda yadda yadda. One lady comes in and this is what happened.
L = lady
V = me, the DC food and safety lisence holder for the store.
L = instead of putting your own powder in it can you use this instead *attempts to hand me a canister of goLEAN protein powder or something like that*
V = I am so sorry ma'am but I cannot take that from you, I can not put our powder in and can get you a spoon so you can mix it in yourself over by the condiment bar, but to put whatever you are handing me into our blenders is a health violation.
L = well so and so at the other starbucks did this yesderday and it is protein powder i dont understand why you cant blend it in for me. it wont taste the same if i stir it in.
V = ma'am i understand your frustration but that is an unknown substance to me, I trust you that it is goLEAN but I dont know if there is anything else in there that might cause an allergen issue and I dont want to be held accountable if you get sick or anything so I would feel more comfortable following starbucks policy. I appologize for this inconvenience.
L = (did I mention she was really angry by this point?) This is rediculous I want to speak to your manager.
V = My manager wont be in until tomorrow morning, would you still like me to make your orange mango vivanno without the protein powder?
L = NO I WANT TO SPEAK TO WHO IS IN CHARGE OF YOU RIGHT NOW.
V = ma'am I am the one in charge right now.
L = *huffs* WHATEVER BUT MAKE MY DRINK IN A LARGER CUP SO ILL HAVE ROOM TO STIR IN MY POWDER I CANT BELIEVE I PAY THIS MUCH FOR A DRINK AND I STILL HAVE TO DO WORK MYSELF.
V = Ok, X will ring you up and ill have your drink up in a moment!
seriously? I am dumfounded by the way this lady expected me to break a health code for her. Yes I know it says goLEAN, but uh... it could have been crack and cyanide for all I know. Likelyhood of that happening, slim. But I still need to protect myself and my store from lawsuits, that is why there are safety standards.
I wont even go into the hand off interaction. because this lady ripped her drink out of my hand and her nail scratched the skin off my finger. It was pleasant.
***
example number two.
being in DC we have a lot of big shots coming into the store and a lot of big orders for coffee travlers and cambros (they hold a lot of coffee).
One man ordered 270$ worth of coffee for a meeting. (this is not uncommon).
and this is what went down.
$ = big bux
V = guess
$ = hi i was in here yesterday and I was charged tax on my purchase, but I am tax exempt and I need that 27$ back or my company will make me pay for it.
V = yeah I remember you I helped you carry out your order... did you tell the register partner you are tax exempt?
$ = no but I need you to refund it.
V = im sorry sir but... unless you tell us you are tax exempt you are charged tax... and thats not really something I can refund
$ = *the I am so above you attitude* well when you charge me the wrong price for something you have to fix it, and most companies will refund you when they charge the customer the wrong price.
V = sir its clear on your receipt that you were charged the correct price for your purchases. im sorry that you did not say you were tax exempt but there is nothing that I can do to give you back that money after the fact. Perhaps you can talk to someone in your department to handles the billing and they can petition the money from the government. because tax does not go to my stores profits.... it goes to the government.
$ = I KNOW WHERE TAX MONEY GOES BUT I WAS CHARGED INCORRECTLY AND I NEED THAT 27$ BACK OR I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR IT.
V= sir there is no reason to raise your voice at me. but i am unable to help you after the fact, if you did not mention it at the time there is simply nothing I can do. You were charged correctly and you forgot to mention you were tax exempt. I know you are frustrated but what you are asking me to do is give you 27$ out of my stores profits and I cant do that if you were charged correctly.
$ = but i wasnt
V = sir... you said you forgot to mention you were tax exempt. given that statement I am looking at your receipt and i see nothing I can refund you for.
$ = well this is just rediculous now this has to come out of my pocket.
V = I can understand your frustration. if i were to give you that money it would come out of my stores pocket... im sure if you talk to someone who deals with the credit card billing they can fix this for you... this happened to another person I know in... (cut off)
$ = JUST FORGET IT ILL BE SPEAKING TO YOUR MANAGER
turns out he never did speak to my manager, I guess he sucked it up and learned a 27$ lesson.
***
I know sometimes I may seem harsh. but I really am a nice person, not by choice by way of pharmacuticals (all legally prescribed). And I do try to give the best customer service, but some customers abuse this and I cant stand seeing it happen.
Just because I work in retail, I am not beneath you.
Just because I am serving you does not mean I have to tolerate disrespect.
Just because you think you can get shit for free does not mean you will.
xoxo
Valerie
UP NEXT: customer(s) who believe that without them I would not get my paycheck. all from the cherry blossom festival weekend of hell for valerie.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Pay for one, get two? Not if you are a bitch!
The weather is getting warm. It was absolutely beautiful in DC today! Warm with a nice cool breeze.
Business was steady/slow. I was actually having a really great day until some lady decided I was the most incompetent human on earth.
Two person deployment. Barista on register and myself on bar.
B = BITCH lady who tried to pull one over on me.
R= register partner, she is deciding on a proper alias but R it is for now.
V= me, who doesnt fall for this trick.
and this is what went down.
R= Hi ma'am how are you today?
B= Iced grande skim latte.
V= Ok ma'am Ill have your iced grande skim latte ready in just a moment.
R= your total is x.xx
B= (throws dollars on counters and exact change on counter. pennies are flying)
R= enjoy and have a nice day...
granted R was not as sincere with that last enjoy have a nice day because well who liked money thrown at them. we have hands we hold our hands out in a way that most social people know equals money is placed in hand, not under the hand on the counter, or thrown on the counter. especially pennies and coins. its such a fucking hassle to pick those up when they fly off the counter, under the cabinets.
but whatever. I gave her the benefit of the doubt. maybe her kids didnt give her a mothers day present.
V= are you enjoying the weather? (waiting the 19 seconds for the shots to pull into the drink)
B= (says nothing, looks directly at me and taps her hand impatiently on the counter).
V= ok ma'am here is your iced grande skim latte
B= no it is not, this is not my skim latte
V= yes ma'am that is your iced grande skim latte
B= NO IT IS NOT I WANT IT IN ONE OF THOSE CUPS (cavewoman point to hot cups)
V=ohhh you wanted a hot grande skim latte?
B= OF COURSE I DO
V= i apologize ma'am i thought I heard you say iced...
(at this point i am genuinely sincere i do mishear things at times, but i know this lady said iced and realized her mistake as she saw the iced drink. a lot of people do that. they apologize but this lady... this is so hard to describe...)
B= WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD I WANT IT ICED
and as she says this... i wish i had a picture to show you... but lets just imagine the face you would make if i handed you a drink with a dirty band-aid in it. that is the kind of face she made. It was like the ice might kill her, it was unsanitary... that was the look she had. and me? I was the one with three heads cause who would EVER drink iced lattes when the weather is so gorgeous?
V= ok i apologize ma'am it will take me just a few more seconds to steam some fresh skim milk for you though and you will have your hot skim latte.
B= (huge end of the world sigh and more tapping on the handoff plane.)
funny part is i notice she is starting to slowly move that "incorrect" iced grande skim latte closer and closer to her... hmm interesting.
V= (holds on to the hot drink) ma'am here is your grande skim latte, would you mind handing back that drink you didnt want to me?
B= (tries to grap hot drink out of my hand) no its ok for all this inconvenience i think i will give this one to my husband waiting outside.
V= ok that will be x.xx
B= ARE YOU KIDDING I AM NOT PAYING FOR THIS. THIS WAS NOT WHAT I WANTED.
V= which is exactly why im asking you to give me back that iced drink so i can hand you this hot drink. you paid for one drink ma'am therefore you receive one drink. would you like the hot one or the cold one?
B= (reluctantly hands over iced drink)
V= (i hand her the hot drink i was holding hostage and then i pour the iced latte down the drain, apparently she saw it and proceeded to throw a hissy fit because her husband could have drank that.)
but see the thing is... usually i will give messed up drinks away because throwing them away is more work for me and i like making my job easier. but this lady was pulling the old switcheroo trick. say one thing to the register partner and tell the bar partner one thing. Which for some people is an honest mistake, but for people like this lady.. it was deliberate. she wanted to pay for one drink and walk out with two drinks, one for her and one for her husband.
I know this trick like the back of my hand, the teenagers I used to serve every friday night in my new york starbucks did this.
sorry this shit doesnt fly with me.
its called capitalism baby, you pay for a product you receive that product.
the fucking end of story.
will she file a complaint? yes and corporate will baby her because i didnt "just say yes" and let the customer have what she wanted. but id rather waste dairy then have that woman walk out with a four dollar drink for free thinking she can pull this shit over at other stores. Im setting an example! doing something good!
PS happy mothers day readers
Business was steady/slow. I was actually having a really great day until some lady decided I was the most incompetent human on earth.
Two person deployment. Barista on register and myself on bar.
B = BITCH lady who tried to pull one over on me.
R= register partner, she is deciding on a proper alias but R it is for now.
V= me, who doesnt fall for this trick.
and this is what went down.
R= Hi ma'am how are you today?
B= Iced grande skim latte.
V= Ok ma'am Ill have your iced grande skim latte ready in just a moment.
R= your total is x.xx
B= (throws dollars on counters and exact change on counter. pennies are flying)
R= enjoy and have a nice day...
granted R was not as sincere with that last enjoy have a nice day because well who liked money thrown at them. we have hands we hold our hands out in a way that most social people know equals money is placed in hand, not under the hand on the counter, or thrown on the counter. especially pennies and coins. its such a fucking hassle to pick those up when they fly off the counter, under the cabinets.
but whatever. I gave her the benefit of the doubt. maybe her kids didnt give her a mothers day present.
V= are you enjoying the weather? (waiting the 19 seconds for the shots to pull into the drink)
B= (says nothing, looks directly at me and taps her hand impatiently on the counter).
V= ok ma'am here is your iced grande skim latte
B= no it is not, this is not my skim latte
V= yes ma'am that is your iced grande skim latte
B= NO IT IS NOT I WANT IT IN ONE OF THOSE CUPS (cavewoman point to hot cups)
V=ohhh you wanted a hot grande skim latte?
B= OF COURSE I DO
V= i apologize ma'am i thought I heard you say iced...
(at this point i am genuinely sincere i do mishear things at times, but i know this lady said iced and realized her mistake as she saw the iced drink. a lot of people do that. they apologize but this lady... this is so hard to describe...)
B= WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD I WANT IT ICED
and as she says this... i wish i had a picture to show you... but lets just imagine the face you would make if i handed you a drink with a dirty band-aid in it. that is the kind of face she made. It was like the ice might kill her, it was unsanitary... that was the look she had. and me? I was the one with three heads cause who would EVER drink iced lattes when the weather is so gorgeous?
V= ok i apologize ma'am it will take me just a few more seconds to steam some fresh skim milk for you though and you will have your hot skim latte.
B= (huge end of the world sigh and more tapping on the handoff plane.)
funny part is i notice she is starting to slowly move that "incorrect" iced grande skim latte closer and closer to her... hmm interesting.
V= (holds on to the hot drink) ma'am here is your grande skim latte, would you mind handing back that drink you didnt want to me?
B= (tries to grap hot drink out of my hand) no its ok for all this inconvenience i think i will give this one to my husband waiting outside.
V= ok that will be x.xx
B= ARE YOU KIDDING I AM NOT PAYING FOR THIS. THIS WAS NOT WHAT I WANTED.
V= which is exactly why im asking you to give me back that iced drink so i can hand you this hot drink. you paid for one drink ma'am therefore you receive one drink. would you like the hot one or the cold one?
B= (reluctantly hands over iced drink)
V= (i hand her the hot drink i was holding hostage and then i pour the iced latte down the drain, apparently she saw it and proceeded to throw a hissy fit because her husband could have drank that.)
but see the thing is... usually i will give messed up drinks away because throwing them away is more work for me and i like making my job easier. but this lady was pulling the old switcheroo trick. say one thing to the register partner and tell the bar partner one thing. Which for some people is an honest mistake, but for people like this lady.. it was deliberate. she wanted to pay for one drink and walk out with two drinks, one for her and one for her husband.
I know this trick like the back of my hand, the teenagers I used to serve every friday night in my new york starbucks did this.
sorry this shit doesnt fly with me.
its called capitalism baby, you pay for a product you receive that product.
the fucking end of story.
will she file a complaint? yes and corporate will baby her because i didnt "just say yes" and let the customer have what she wanted. but id rather waste dairy then have that woman walk out with a four dollar drink for free thinking she can pull this shit over at other stores. Im setting an example! doing something good!
***
PS happy mothers day readers
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