Mental Issues

We have one regular customer with severe mental issues. I'm not just using that as an expression for someone I intensely dislike; she is really messed up.

On numerous occasions she's bought up to $300 worth of merchandise at a time. A few weeks/months later her husband returns it all, most opened, some partially used, but almost all of it a total loss. We can't resell it, but have to take it back anyway.

I had heard about the customer numerous times and recorded her returns as losses numerous times, but only met her recently. Not that you actually meet her, because she won't talk to anyone. She wears gloves (to protect her hands from germs??) yet still gingerly picks up items, holding them far away from her body. She always spends at least an hour in the store. She doesn't just shop or look around, she scrutinizes everything. Her husband stands nearby, saying nothing, only watching.

As I was cleaning up that evening, I came to a secluded area where she had spent a lot of time. There were several neat stacks of merchandise on the floor. She had pulled ALL of the items of that type off the shelf/peg where they were sitting/hanging to choose which one she wanted (when they're all the same anyway). The last thing I wanted to do when getting ready to close was put ALL of the items back on the shelf.

So the lady has a problem. That's too bad. But why doesn't she stay at home/get help for the problem? Why does she come into my store, make a mess, then return merchandise that we can't do anything with? It makes extra work for us and makes higher prices for other customers. I have to deal with enough "the customer is always right" types to have to deal with people with genuine psychological disorders, too. I feel bad for her husband, I really do. But how is letting her shop/buy a lot of stuff that he later has to return helping either of them? I just don't get it.

LEAVE

It was a SLOW day. Did we make enough money to even pay our employees?? The last 45 minutes we didn't have a single customer. Then at 3 minutes 'til close a couple came in and spent TWENTY minutes in the store. We were extremely attentive, but they were "just looking." We turned off half the lights, but they continued to look. We asked what they were paying with, and they acted like we weren't doing our jobs right. Whatever. We're closed. NOW LEAVE. Earlier in the evening I thought that I'd get to go home early. Guess not.

No More Babysitting!

I've got this new employee. Not like that by itself is an unusual thing, but anyway. She was very enthusiastic and talkative in the interview so I hired her despite her youth and lack of experience. Usually the high school students, once we've trained them, work out fairly well because they don't mind the low pay and we offer flexible hours. They learn quickly, show appropriate respect to the older customers, and don't mind working weekends.

However, this employee acts like she's TWELVE. She's careless on register, is very flighty, and I have to tell her multiple times to do something. She has NO SENSE of time management. There's a list of closing tasks that must be started EARLY in order for us to leave at a decent hour. I should not have to continually remind her about these duties! And non-routine tasks, too: you've got to be constantly on her back for her to finish. She'll start something but then get distracted and never go back to the original task. (She reminds me of this former employee.)

On top of all that, when she's working the sales floor she can't do anything on her own. She must "assist" someone else. Talking, flirting, doing anything but working. It's driving everyone (managers and employees alike) crazy. We'll give her a little time to get her act together; otherwise she's out the door. I have a business to run. I don't have time for babysitting.

The Power of a Compliment

The day started out fairly badly. I had a lot to do but I kept getting interrupted. There were a couple of difficult customers, employees had questions and issues, unexpected shipments arrived, I was very behind for the day. I had just gotten a good start on what I needed to do when I was called to do a return. Great.

I must have looked like I was having a bad day, or perhaps the older lady just likes being nice, but she really made my day. As I processed the return, she made small talk and then the shocker, "You have an AWESOME store!" Why thank you! Perhaps all of my hard work produces something!

After that my mood changed. I suddenly wasn't as tired, had more patience with stupid people, and didn't hate being at work. That woman probably has no idea how she improved my day.

Phone Calls

{These are examples, I don't want to reveal the specialty area of my store.}

First phone caller: "Do you carry {computer viruses}?"

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Just because we're a {computer} store we're going to carry {computer viruses}?!

Second caller: "Do you have {computers}?

......... Yes.

Directionally impaired caller: "Where are you located?" (They think phrasing it like that makes them sound so intelligent.)

Our address is {123 Any Street}, which is just east of the intersection of {Major Highway A} and {Major Highway B}.

"Where's {Major Highway A}?

Where are you coming from?

{City 20+ miles away.}

Oh. (Why are you coming all the way to my store? I know we have a good reputation, but that's a long way to drive!) Well, how do you usually get to {my city}, because I have no idea where {your city} is. Any map of the area has {Highway A} on it.