Who were some of your worst, rudest, and/or most ignorant customers?

There's a lot of douche in this thread.

Originally Posted by bananananana

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So because he asked a short simple question are they on sale, he's a stupid moron? And no, just because you're unpacking them from boxes doesn't automatically mean they're not on sale. **** even Barneys has new items on sale at times.

Yeah, it's not uncommon for stores to have periodical sales on all items, old or new. Banana Republic, for example, hands out 15-20% off coupons all the time. The guy asked a simple question. Just tell him "No, they're not on sale, sir." No need to berate him like he's a marsupial.

Originally Posted by Bounder

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Not really. It's a cultural observation -- nothing to do with race. There is a strong tradition of price-negotation in much of the middle-east. I've even seen them doing it in Harrods!

Al Fayed has left now...

Originally Posted by A-Mart

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Why wouldn't you just give him your name if you did nothing wrong? And he's actually right. If the for sale signs are up, you have to honor the sale. for instance, if a $100 pair of jeans is on a rack that has a 'all items $19.99' sign on it, but the jeans still contain a $100 price tag, the store must honor the price advertised on top of the rack.


1) I wouldn't give him my name because he was an @ss, and I wanted to annoy him without saying anything that would be offensive.

2) The example that you used is COMPLETELY different. You're writing about a sign that states "all items on this rack are $19.99." The event that I described involved a price tag that had start and end dates for the sale on it. It wasn't false advertisement because when that date came, the store DID have the sale. If anything, it was a mistake by the employee who put the tags up and an inconvenience for the customer.

On another note, most stores wouldn't honor the $19.99 price for a $100 pair of jeans IF the pants didn't belong on the rack. If it were that simple, customers would just take whatever they wanted over to the rack and demand that they get it for $19.99. I've seen customers scratch price stickers off of items and put them onto more expensive items with the hopes of getting a deal....It didn't work.

Originally Posted by JayJay

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I trust your friend has since learned a lesson from this.

Yes. He's learned that doctors are cheap ass MOFOs.

Originally Posted by blackbowtie

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No racist tone here?

None. A lot of of people of Middle Eastern extraction always tend to ask for discounts and/or think they can bargain for a lower price. That's how they do things back home and they think they can do that here, too.

Originally Posted by Bounder

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Not really. It's a cultural observation -- nothing to do with race. There is a strong tradition of price-negotation in much of the middle-east. I've even seen them doing it in Harrods!

Thanks, dude!

Originally Posted by brandom

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A lot of stores do that, though. They give the sales people a certain amount of discretion, like 5 or 10% on full markup items. Now I don't ask for these discounts because in general I'm not buying it at full retail, and if I am then I don't care because I have some other need for it, but there are some stores that do. Neiman Marcus, for one, regularly discounts stuff for my friends.

And to answer your earlier question, that's why it wouldn't involve your integrity. If the store gives the SAs that flexibility, then it's more salesmanship. In your case, though, it would involve integrity because it sounds like you'd have to do something underhanded to make this happen.

And to add to the stories:

Years ago, a family friend moved to a new hospital as the assistant administrator. His manager, who was in his late 60s, promised him that he was about to retire and would hand over the reins soon, so long as he had someone of my friend's qualifications waiting in the wings.

At a review shortly after moving to the hospital, he found out that his manager was 'written up' for complaints on how poorly he dressed, given his station. My friend found out about a "going out of business" sale at a local men's store, and on the last day of the sale they made it there. My friend knew that his boss was cheap, and thought he would appreciate getting some nice men's shoes for 80+% off.

They found a pair of nice leather shoes for about 90% off. The shoes were originally over $100 (this was in the 70s), and now they were around $12. They fit perfectly. My friend watched this exchange in horror:

"Hey you...sales guy...can you give me a bigger discount on these shoes?"

"No, that's as low as I can go. They're already 90% off."

"Can I speak to the manager?"

"I am the owner of the store."

"So is this your absolute, bottom price? I'd sure hate to come in next week and see these for $8."

"Sir, we're going out of business. I laid everyone off earlier in the week, so it's just me left. In 2 hours, I'm going to be evicted from the premises. I'm going to load up all of the remaining stuff and take it to Goodwill so that I get a tax credit back. Those shoes will give me about $12 in credit, so that's why they're listed at $12."

"What Goodwill are you going to take them to?"

The owner gave him a

look, then just walked away. After a few minutes, the manager bought the shoes. And to finish the story off, he was still wearing them (resoled a few times) nearly 25 years later, when he was finally forced to retire due to a brain tumor that killed him a couple of months later.


Just because a person works in a hospital as a manager of administration does not mean that person is not a douche.

I wonder if he asked his cobbler for a discount on the re-soling of his $12 shoes.

Originally Posted by NukeMeSlowly

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I love this thread but the whigger references are detracting from my enjoyment. Ugly racial slurs ruin the smooth flow of idiocy and oddity that is being chronicled.

Whiggers are stupid morons.

Originally Posted by bananananana

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So because he asked a short simple question are they on sale, he's a stupid moron? And no, just because you're unpacking them from boxes doesn't automatically mean they're not on sale. **** even Barneys has new items on sale at times.

Yes, he was a stupid moron.

Originally Posted by EdenResident

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Yeah, it's not uncommon for stores to have periodical sales on all items, old or new. Banana Republic, for example, hands out 15-20% off coupons all the time. The guy asked a simple question. Just tell him "No, they're not on sale, sir." No need to berate him like he's a marsupial.


He was a marsupial that I simply had to berate.

Originally Posted by bboysdontcryy

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On a side note. I was wondering. Do the sales people size up a customer by the clothes he's wearing? What comes to your mind when they are wearing the brand of the product you're selling?

You can some times - its great to see people wearing your clothes - to be able to see someone wearing your product is great. It is free advertising, and shows they are happy with what they bought, to a point that they are coming back for me - perhaps to buy more. Of course I am going to spend more time with someone in our product, trying to sell him some more of it. He has already shown me that he is willing to purchase it....

A lot of people in my area simply don't get dressed up to go shopping, or are on vacation/holiday/winter home. You'd miss out on a lot of sales if you didn't greet everyone or offer to assist them.

I don't negotiate in that element of customer service. Everyone gets a greeting, acknowledgment, some sort of offer of assistance. Doesn't matter how you are dressed. I work for a luxury department store and it drives me crazy when I go to similar stores and they don't say hello or offer to help. You can find people at a Gap or comparable store who are at least outgoing and friendly.

Everyone in retail has a story about how I never thought this guy/girl was going to buy because they dressed poorly and then suddenly dropped their black amex for 10k. We all have stories of going to lunch at the wrong time and someone walks up and goes on a shopping spree. It really isn't the norm, but we all have the stories.

I just like to think of it as, the more people I help, the more I can sell, and the greater chance for repeat business, which is great.

Originally Posted by SuitMyself

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Yes. He's learned that doctors are cheap ass MOFOs.

Note: My father is a doctor, and my livelihood as of right now is living off my parents. It's a long term loan. I plan one day on also being a physician, and practicing not only medicine, but also sartorial excellence (we can hope, right?).

I have a couple acquaintances who are going to medical school in a year who are exactly the same as the doctor your friend had the displeasure of dealing with. The ones that are frugal I get along with well, as frugality is a good attribute to have; however, some of these characters will try to find something to make them feel like they got a "good price" on something, even if it's already heavily discounted.

I have the misfortune of having to live with one such character (let's call him "R") this coming year, and it will be hell. Here's a couple examples of his cheapness (because all it is is him being cheap): Whenever we go out to a club or any venue that requires a cover charge, "R" feels it necessary to cause damage worth at least the amount that he paid at the door. We went to a club for a roommate's birthday, where another of my roommates was DJing for the night. $5 cover, like most clubs around here. After we get a couple bottles of champagne on the house for the birthday, "R" proceeds to shatter his glass on the ground, and in doing so, inadvertently imbeds a piece of glass in the foot of a lady friend of ours nearby.

Another story, though this one may not seem so bad. "R" has a friend "M", who are both stingy in the same manner. A couple buddies of mine & I routinely frequent a cigar bar, and I know the owner and all the employees well. So "R" & "M" want to come along one day, and, being a kind-hearted soul, I acquiesced. As my buddies and I were picking out cigars to smoke, R & M proceed to look at each cigar, and find the biggest one that is the cheapest, with the most possibly gaudy band possible. I alerted them to the cheap bundle cigars in the back humidor, but everyone knows that those are cheap, so R & M are revolted by them, naturally. Instead, they choose a cigar the same size as the one I showed them, which was double the price, and proceeded to "share" this cigar between the two. This involved both of them acting like they had their own cigar, and the head of this monstrosity was swamped with the cumulative saliva of the two. It was sickening, and I honestly felt embarrassed that I would be associated with these two, who were flaunting their fake Louis Vuitton wallets and Gucci sunglasses, all the while sharing a $5 cigar that was a bad smoke to begin with.

And both of them will one day be the type of doctor that your friend had to deal with. Unfortunately, there are enough of the bad ones to make us all look bad. Not all doctors (and future doctors) are stingy or lack any shred of human decency. I strive to ever be courteous to any SAs that assist me in any travails of mine, distancing myself from those who seek only to shelter their miserable, unguided souls in unsavory manners.

Originally Posted by Krish the Fish

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Whenever we go out to a club or any venue that requires a cover charge, "R" feels it necessary to cause damage worth at least the amount that he paid at the door. We went to a club for a roommate's birthday, where another of my roommates was DJing for the night. $5 cover, like most clubs around here. After we get a couple bottles of champagne on the house for the birthday, "R" proceeds to shatter his glass on the ground, and in doing so, inadvertently imbeds a piece of glass in the foot of a lady friend of ours nearby.

To be perfectly honest, "R" just sounds like a ******* cock.

I am not sure there's a correlation between this kind of behavior and being a doctor, specifically. I am pretty sure this brand of cheapness doesn't discriminate. I think you see this generally when someone is cheap and also has a sense of entitlement.

Originally Posted by viator

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I am not sure there's a correlation between this kind of behavior and being a doctor, specifically. I am pretty sure this brand of cheapness doesn't discriminate. I think you see this generally when someone is cheap and also has a sense of entitlement.

^^^^ This. ^^^^

The Hospital Administrator for my story was so cheap that, when he would go on trips, he would take the lightbulbs that had burned out at his house along with him. That's right, he would wrap up blown bulbs and pack them in his suitcase. When he got to a hotel room, he would replace the lamp bulb with the blown bulb, call down to the front desk & have maintenance come replace it. Then he would replace the new bulb with the original hotel bulb, and pack the new bulb back in his suitcase for use at home. That's not as dick-ish as the "I need to break something" guy, but it's appalingly cheap.

The sense of entitlement was amazing as well. He was the only person at the hospital that wouldn't let his secretary have his travel "benefits". Back then their secretaries were basically like travel agents as well, and would get things like a free trip for booking a conference, etc. This guy's secretary wasn't allowed to keep that stuff, but had to negotiate for him and his wife to get the best trips possible. The doctors and other admins always made sure to give her a trip every year to make it up for it, but it's ridiculous that other people had to step up to cover this jackass.

When I was in high school a LONG time ago I worked at a bakery. I can still remember a man who ordered a box full of assorted doughnuts and pastries. As per custom, I first put a wax paper liner on the bottom of the box. He screamed at me "What's the matter with you? That will make the doughnuts taste like wax paper!!!"




While waiting tables working my way through college a semi-LONG time ago, it was the custom to bring votive candles to each table at sunset. As I delivered the candle to a table that (thankfully) was not mine, an older woman sitting there got angry and said, "NO! Don't put a candle there! It will make my water get warm!"



As an adult, I was in a suburban grocery store in New Jersey in the Express lane. It was quite busy and the cashier ran out of register tape and was quickly replacing it. A guy in line screamed at her, "This is the Express lane! We shouldn't have to wait for you to fix it!"

Originally Posted by brandom

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^^^^ This. ^^^^

The Hospital Administrator for my story was so cheap that, when he would go on trips, he would take the lightbulbs that had burned out at his house along with him. That's right, he would wrap up blown bulbs and pack them in his suitcase. When he got to a hotel room, he would replace the lamp bulb with the blown bulb, call down to the front desk & have maintenance come replace it. Then he would replace the new bulb with the original hotel bulb, and pack the new bulb back in his suitcase for use at home. That's not as dick-ish as the "I need to break something" guy, but it's appalingly cheap.


That is not "cheap." That is mental illness.

Originally Posted by sassyfras

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Exactly -- that's why there is resistance to his stories on this thread. People who deep down believe they are stupid can't stand to hear stupidity exposed (i.e. ridiculed by definition) as it reminds them of their own failings. So they are trying to insult him and morally manipulate the conversation in order to silence him, and all reminders of their own failings.

This story always makes me laugh:

A customer walks into the store EARLY in the day. We'd only had the doors unlocked for about 30 minutes, so it's about 8:30am. He walks in with a disinterested look on his face, but I greet him anyway. He mumbles "Hi" and continues to walk without slowing down. I give him a minute to settle and then approach him. He's in the back of the store, near the "hardcore sports" products.

Me: So, what brings you in today?
Him: (mumbling) Uh, just looking.
Me: Alright. Take your time. Let me know if you have any questions. (I walk away).

There are lots of customers who don't feel like chatting, but I was a little suspicious of this one. I stepped into the back room, where the other employee was and asked him to stay there and keep an eye on the customer on the security monitors. I walked back to the front of the store.

A few minutes pass, then I hear a *bang*. The other employee flies out of the back-room and says, "Hey, man! What are you doing?" At this time, I make my way to the back of the store and see that one of the locked display cases has its door broken open, and the customer is walking towards the exit.

Other Emp (O.E): Hey...What did you just do?
Customer: (no response. still walking with hands in pockets)
O.E: (stepping in front of the customer) What do you have in your pocket
Customer: Out of my way (trying to step around employee)
OE: (blocking his path) Show me what you've got in your pockets

At this point the customer charges into O.E and they start to tussle. 2 bottles of a popular testosterone booster fall out of the customer's pocket and break. I jump into the tussle because the guy is practically man-handling my co-worker

It's now 2 against 1 and the guy is wearing both of us down as we try to get him to the ground. As we're grappling with him, he accidentally jabs my co-worker in the eye.

O.E: Aaaah! He stuck me in the eye
Customer: STOP WHINING!

We finally get him to the ground. I've got a knee on his back and my co-worker has a foot on one of his hands.

Co-worker: Yeah....We've got you now
Customer: APPLY MORE PRESSURE!
Co-worker: (obliges him by pressing down harder on the hand)

My co-worker grabs the phone and calls the police, then quickly locks the front door (so that no more customers can enter) and hurries back to help me hold the guy down. Eventually the police arrived and arrested him. My co-worker and I gave statements in the court-case. It turned out that he had been released from jail a few days before the incident. He was ordered not to come within a certain distance of the store for 90 days.....

Originally Posted by Sanguis Mortuum

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To be perfectly honest, "R" just sounds like a ******* cock.

True story. The sad part is, the lady friend was an ex of his (who was good friends with his current gf, and with whom he got along well), and he didn't seem to give a rat's ass, even laughing when it was brought to attention that it was his doing that got her toe gashed.

Just think, one day he'll be someone's doctor...