Saturday, February 27, 2010

What would you do?

When I was at the check out at J.C. Penney's yesterday, there was a woman in front of me that spoke broken english. I noticed that the sales lady seemed angry and was not very nice to her when she asked how much everything was as she was scanning it. Another sales lady came over to check me out. The customer then asked the sales lady another question and the sales lady started SCREAMING "I don't understand what you're saying." The customer repeated herself several more times as the sales lady continued to yell, "I don't understand what you are saying." Finally she said she was calling the manager. I asked the customer to tell me what she wanted and I think she wanted the clothes rung up again because she didn't think the price was right. I now wish I would have told that sales lady there was no reason to be so rude but instead I told my sales lady that I worked in retail before and would NEVER treat a customer like that.(she said nothing) When the manager came I told her I thought she wanted to check out again and I heard the customer tell her the sales lady was rude to her.(manager said nothing) After I walked away I told my girlfriend I felt like saying something to the manager but at the same time didn't want to poke my nose into something that wasn't any of my business. I wouldn't want to be the cause of the sales lady being fired yet maybe she deserved to be. I wondered what more I could have done for that customer as she was treated awful.

Come to find out, that customer may have been right about thinking the total of her purchase was wrong. Twin bought a pencil skirt that was marked $4.99 only to find out this morning when looking at her receipt that she was charged $7.00. Not enough price difference to complain about as it is still a great deal, but it just goes to show that things don't always ring up right at the register.

 While this was all happening I didn't know what to do or think, it was so out of the ordinary. With the sales lady and managers attitude it probably wouldn't have made a difference anyway but I still wonder if I could have done something more.

10 comments:

Sandra said...

Hi! My name is Sandra and I recently started following your blog. I guess just knowing the fact that you are a twin, made me want to follow along. I have twin boys that are nine years old and I just think twins are so special.:)
As for this rude sales lady. I wonder if you could still call the manager and make a complaint?
Blessings,
Sandra

Audra Lynn said...

How horrible! You'd think a big store like J.C. Penney, if they were smart, would have a few employees that speak Spanish for situations like that. I mean, come on. The woman's not an idiot, she just speaks a different language!

Bonnie said...

It's always hard to think about what you would do in that exact moment. But, I would've probably of done the same thing as you. And, regretted not going back to tell the manager something!

Tootsie said...

I would still phone in a complaint...how rude!

Cynthia said...

You did just fine- you DID try and help.

I think you can still call in and say that you've thought a lot about what you witnessed and it bothers you. Let them know the day and time it happened. Talk to the store manager (not dept. manager) and express concern that no one CARED if the customer was helped- including the dept. manager.

It does sound to me like there may have been some discrimination based more on laziness than hate. A $3 difference on an item is an awful lot of money to some folks and possibly this customer.

Shannon said...

That is so sad. I probably would have said something. I don't like other people being mean to others. :) Sometimes the managers don't even care though.

Belle (from Life of a...) said...

I think you should call the store Monday morning and talk with the manager. I've started doing that on the occasion that I see something like you did...unfortunately it seems to happen. I'm never loud or rude or accusitory. I tell the manager that I'd surely want to know if someone who worked for me behaved in such a manner and hope that he/she will consider this helpful. I haven't had a manager yet who didn't thank me for calling. They might not follow up...but maybe they do!

Lori Allberry said...

Oh my goodness, girls, I can NOT stand rude people! Can not take them! I understand we all have bad days, and we don't know what was going on in that woman's life that day - but gosh darn it - when you are working with the public, you have to just buck it up sometimes! You know what I mean?? Seriously!

I would have been just like you - it would have angered me to the core, but would I have said anything? Probably not - probably not until I walked out the door!

I find they ring me up incorrectly at Penny's quite often - by the way!

xoxoxoxo
Lori

SouthernDogwoods said...

There is one thing I can not stand - rude customer service. Poor lady, I feel for her. Good for you for standing up for her.

Lou Cinda @ Tattered Hydrangeas said...

My to my children's dismay, I am one of those people who will jump into a situation like that in a heartbeat! They are mortified when I do it, but I can't help it!

My son was having car trouble a couple of weeks ago and he was on the interstate. He pulled over to check it out and got stuck in the mud from all the rain we have had the ground was a mess. A State Trooper stopped and Cameron said Thank you for stopping, I am so sorry I am stuck. The State Trooper had a wad of tobbaco in his mouth (probably my BIGGEST pet peeve) and he started cussing and carrying on about how he didn't have time for this, etc. etc.

Cameron had called a friend who came and got him out with the State Trooper cussing the whole time. So, needless to say I called his supervisor who investigated it and said, well, my trooper says he did not cuss and he did not have tobacco in his mouth. Yeah, right! I wrote a letter to the State of Alabama State Trooper Headquarters in Montgomery. Probably, nothing will happen, but I thought they should know. We try and teach our kids to be respectful of adults and especially those in law enforcement. What did Cameron learn?? Steer clear of them!!

Hugs to you!

Lou Cinda :) (The Enforcer)