(no subject)

The UK is in full sale mode. Everything is cheap, combined with people bringing back stuff they got for Christmas and they don't like. At the point of sale, we try to point out that gift receipts are only for exchanges at value that you bought the item at. We'll do you a gift card, if you want. This is, to my mind, fairly reasonable, although to be honest I don't see the point of gift receipts at all. But, you know, they exist and we do what we can with them. We are a bloody nice company, you know. We're polite. We'll help you find stuff. It's not our fault the sale started on Boxing Day and you bought this in late November.

So, today was the day of returns from hell, but I powered through them, got it all done, never argued, was unfailingly polite and cheerful. A couple come up to the till, wanting to exhange some items they'd bought for new ones. No issue there, they had a gift receipt but we're cool with exchanges.

Then they kicked off, because we weren't giving them the exchange at the price they'd bought the item at. She shouted at me, which is apparently okay to do if you say 'I know it's not your fault but...' I got my supervisor. They shouted at her too. They then made a decision that they'd buy the new tops, keep the old ones and return the old ones with the full receipt that she hoped she had at home. "Okay," I said, painfully aware of the angry mob of customers waiting behind them. "Look, I do see why you're angry, and I hope you're able to find..."

The man glared at me. "You're arguing now. I am the customer and you are the shop assistant. Be quiet!"

I was just... stunned, really. If that had happened anywhere else, I would have asked him to leave the store. I've been really rude to customers who talk to me like that, when I worked in Homebase. (See: "thank you for showing me that I was right to quit my job, madam. Have a nice day.") But I was so shocked at the rudeness and superiority he felt he had over me that I simply completed the transaction and just about got up enough power to say "Have a lovely day!" as they left. Things were made worse by the man after me, who was very annoyed that we only had one till and that it was really our fault for not advertising our returns policy.

It was on a massive poster directly behind my head, with a specific part regarding gift receipts.

I mean... I see where they're coming from, but there was no need to be that nasty, and quite frankly we don't make policy but we have to stick by it.

I was shaking by the end of it. I have many customer grievances, sure, but that was just a very nasty incident. I'm dreading work tomorrow.