[quote name='Zorpheus']Okay, so CVS...
The original reason I took this job was to have a side job while I was attending college. It was decent work, but:
1) Despite having 4 days fully open to them, I would only get 1-2 five-hour days a week to work at best. I bugged them repeatedly about extending my hours, but to no avail.
2) The manager there was a nice guy but at the same time follows the hideous "customer is always right" mantra to a fault, always taking their word over an employee's. This would end up biting me in the ass.
Basically, in most cases over there, it's a "three strikes you're out" policy. I was flagged as 'discourteous/rude to the customers' three times. Here is a summation of each of the instances.
First Offense, and possibly the only one I deserved:
I was working the floor stock. Basically, they periodically got a stack of bins and employees get to run around with a cart figuring out what goes where. Basic retail stuff. While I was tracking down the shelf space for an item, a young woman approached me, complaining there was no Carmex (lip balm) in the appropriate isle. I go with her and she points out the lack of Carmex. I say in a good-natured and sympathetic tone, "Sorry, we can't have everything." The girl says nothing to this and goes about her business. A short time later, I actually find Carmex in one of the bins, and tried to seek her out, but she was no longer about. Seems she was actually complaining to the manager, claiming I was rude. Manager came out with a write up, explained what happened. While I certainly didn't intend it, or say it in a rude manner, I realized she could have perceived me as being fresh with her, so to speak. I apologized and accepted the write-up. Manager is sympathetic to me, his usual nice guy self, and says it happens. It was only the first offense, anyway, and was likely to be an isolated incident.... right? Now, note. Like most write-ups, they bring out a piece of paper explaining what happened, and they make you sign it saying this was talked about. Hence the word 'write-up'. Remember this, it's important later. Anyway, I sign it, done deal. Rest of the day was fine.
Second "Offense":
To set this one up, I need to first point out that for some reason, neither the manager or the assistant manager could come in, so they had a manager there from another store to substitute for them. This will be important later. At any rate, I was manning the photo register. Customer comes over to pick up photos and also to pay for a few other misc items, and hands me a 20. I cash it out, put the change on the counter and help bag her stuff, and she takes her stuff and leaves. She did not, on the other hand, take her change. Later on I receive a call from the customer's father stating she left the change there, and they want to come pick it up, but didn't know if they were going to be able to get there as they were about to go out of town. I tell him I'll have an envelope behind the register with his name on it, and he can come pick it up. He never ends up making it there and come closing time, the envelope is still there. It was against policy to hold cash up there indefinitely, so I took the envelope and handed it to the substitute manager, explaining what happened, and asked her to leave it in a place where the other managers could see it and grab it for the customer when they came back for it. She agreed. This is the last I hear of the matter, no details, no write-ups, no nothing, until....
The Final "Offense":
I'm stocking things again, while a co-worker did the cashiering. Lady comes up to me while I'm doing this and speaks in shaky english about wanting me to hold clearance items for her until she apparently had the money for them. I should have told her, "Sorry, clearance items are first come first serve." But this was my first real retail position, I didn't quite know store policy, and I was a bit naive. She indicated what she wanted, some painted plaster decorations, and I said I would figure out a way to hold it for her. So now I'm scouring a store for a box I could put this stuff in (there's never one when you need it), find one up front behind the registers, set it up, and bring the items to be held up to the front to be put in the box. Lady was probably grateful. I say probably because I could only understand what she was saying about half the time. When I went up there, the line to the register was kind of long, but not to the point where I'd be obligated to open another register, and the cashier did not ask for help. I go about my business for a bit, and then after a while get summoned to the back office.
Turns out one of the customers complained, a 'regular'. He claimed that I was called up to the register with "a huge line of people" by the other cashier and asked for assistance, but I ignored her and left. They say that qualified as Customer Rudeness, then tell me that this was the third offense, and I would be terminated. I defended myself, basically saying, "Hold on a moment there, first off, that didn't happen, secondly, even if it did, it's only my second offense!" THEN they choose to tell me about the second 'offense', saying the customers came for their money and it wasn't there anymore. Apparently the Substitute Manager didn't do what she was supposed to do with the money. Nevermind the fact that no one told me about this after it happened, nor did I receive an official write-up to sign. Hell, I couldn't even remember the Sub Manager's name anymore. But the customer didn't get his money, complained, and it's supposibly my fault. And now this third incident, they wouldn't even listen to my side of the story, since it was my word against a 'regular'. They twist my arm into signing my job away. I go up front, thoroughly disgruntled. Co-Worker asked me what was wrong, I tell her I was fired, she asks for what, and I said for not answering her supposed cry for help. She looks at me incredulously and says she never asked for help. She told me to wait up front and that she would go back to talk to the managers. She does. Moments later, both managers come back with the co-worker. Assistant Manager basically goes, "Why are you still here?" I look at the co-worker, and she just returns a helpless look. Out the store I walk. The word of two employees vs. a regular customer. Regular wins.
CVS and
lying 'regular' customers.
And finally...
the "Customer is always right" mantra.[/QUOTE]
The most frustrating story I've heard in a while.
There's a CVS right around the block from where I live but I always choose to drive another block to shop at Pavilion.
Most of the people who shop at that CVS just look so "dirty and cheap".
Ah well, I've moved from there, and now have a Pizza Hut within a 3 minute drive.
\
] and won't shop there ever again." Yet we always seem to make our budget without these high-rollers.
