Can you take our picture?!

[sharkythesharkdogg]

Retail is horrible for double standards like that. So here's my story, since every one has a story.

I go to a new store that is infamous for customers stealing, complaining, scamming, and trying all those things in particular against the "new guy". Usually store theft is largely employee based, but this was one of those rare stores where it was indeed the customers who were really difficult to work with. They stole regularly in many different ways. I'm the new manager, so of course I'm getting tons of situations like this. I observe that when people have a complaint, they come to me specifically, and act very aggressive. I check our documented complaint log, and it is overwhelmingly obvious that most of the complaints come to me during my shift. The customers know better than to try stuff like this with the other employees.

90% of them I can easily prove that the person is lying, cheating, stealing, etc. So I refuse to refund them and move on with my life. The other 10% or so, I do take care of the refund.

My supervisor comes in a month or two later complaining to me that they've had a spike of customer complaints about me since I've come to the store. I remind him that they are the ones that warned me I would be targeted for this sort of thing because I'm the new manager so all the regular bad customers would be "testing the waters". Just trying to see what they can get away with.

I'm reminded that I have a certain cash limit that I can use with every customer complaint situation I experience, to help diffuse the situation. I'm told that if it's a complaint below that amount (20-25 dollars, by the way, which adds up fast) that I shouldn't attempt to prove or disprove anything. I should just refund the money. I mention that this seems like an easy way for people to learn they can take advantage of the new guy and get some easy money, but my concerns are dismissed.

So I adopt that as my new policy. If it's under that limit, unless it's incredibly obvious they are lying, I refund the money and wish them a good day. It's easier for me, and takes less time. Done and done.

Until a month or two later when the supervisor returns and complains to me that my refunded cash amount is way higher than anyone else in the store. I'm hemorrhaging money! Well duh, you smurfing moron. You just told me to basically refund everyone who has a complaint below a certain cash value with no questions asked. You also said they would be trying to test me because I'm new.

At this point I had to have a heart to heart with the guy. I said he could either accept losing cash, accept that he was going to get some customer complaints, or bring in another new manager that would have the exact same issues. Only they would be starting from scratch. He can't have no complaints and no cash loss. Customer behavior is out of our hands.

He knew the complaints were simply BS attempts to get me removed from the store so that customers could get another new guy in who wouldn't question their refunds. Surprise, surprise he chose to let me go back to checking scammers and deal with the complaints.

Basically, I was dealing with a stressful situation that they knew about and yet still decided to harass me over because my performance numbers weren't up to the expected level they have for stores in general. They knew this store had special issues, they knew what those issues were, and yet still acted surprised when my numbers reflected that.