A Retail Employees’ Worst Nightmare
At this point, everyone knows working a retail job can be a struggle. Retail employees deserve more credit, too. Between long hours, hectic sales, and monotonous tasks, retail work is loathsome. The worst part of the job, you may ask?
The Karens.
Anyone who has worked in retail will know exactly what I am talking about.
“Karen,” is a person who comes into a store with a rude, demanding, and entitled attitude. Need another example of a Karen? Well, nobody knows Karens better than our friend, “Sam.”
Sam worked as a retail employee at a high-end clothing store, and she was more than familiar with unpleasant customers. However, one woman, “Sharon,” took the cake for being the worst customer ever.
“Worst customer ever,” seems pretty harsh, right? Not with this Karen! Let me explain.
One night, Sam was working a shift at the clothing store. It was almost nine in the evening, and the store was closing in only seven minutes. As Sam completed her closing tasks, Sharon and her screaming child walked into the store. Typical! While Sam thought Sharon would shop quickly and be courteous of store hours, she couldn’t have been more wrong.
Sharon took her sweet time shopping, and she threw a major hissy fit when confronted by the store employees. Yikes! Leave these poor employees alone!
Luckily, Sam and her co-workers taught Sharon an unforgettable lesson about customer service she would never forget.
~
Snobby Sharon’s Arrival
A couple of years ago, Sam worked part-time at a high-end clothing store. The apparel sold in the store was expensive, and the store catered exclusively to Karens. Sam was miserable working at the store, but a paycheck was a paycheck.
I feel you, girl!
One night, Sam was working a Saturday night shift in the hectic mall the clothing store was located. On this particular day, she was working a double to cover for a coworker who called out. As a newly promoted shift lead, Sam was the manager on duty for the day. As shift lead, she handled complaints from customers, helped co-workers, and ensured the store ran smoothly.
At the end of the night, Sam and her co-workers were exhausted. As they tidied up the store and took care of closing tasks, Sam heard the store door open. At this point, it was almost nine in the evening. There were only seven minutes left until the store closed. Who could have been at the door?
In waltzed snobby Sharon and her bratty child at the last possible moment.
Initially, Sam didn’t think Sharon would spend too much time browsing in the store. Typically when customers came into the store late, they wanted to grab a gift card or knew the exact item they wanted. Customers were sure to shop quickly when they realized they were holding up the employees from closing.
The first thing noticed Sam about Sharon is that her child wailed, screamed, and cried upon arriving in the store. Great! The tired child just wanted to go home.
Over the ear-piercing sound of the child’s screams, Sam walked up to Sharon and asked, “Can I help you find anything today?”
Sharon’s response was the worst scenario possible, and Sam knew she’d be in for a long night.
~
Totally Entitled And Completely Oblivious
Sharon replied, “No thanks, I’m just browsing.”
This meant Sharon would be in the store for a long time. Read the room, Sharon! The store is about to close!
Sam nodded and responded, “Okay, just let me know if you need help with anything. Just a heads up, we are going to be closing the dressing rooms soon.”
“I’ll definitely be needing a dressing room,” Sharon snottily replied, “I need you to go ahead and open one for me. Now.”
“Sure thing!” Sam yelled over the sounds of Sharon’s child screaming.
Sharon rolled her eyes and half-heartedly said, “Sorry for my kid, he had a long day.”
Haven’t we all, Sharon?
As Sam began to walk away to open a dressing room, she noticed Sharon had a trash bag full of clothes underneath her stroller. Sam raised an eyebrow, as she thought it was extremely odd. Was it a Goodwill donation, or something else?
“Whatever,” Sam thought, “Hopefully she is just gone soon. I just want to go home.”
For the next hour and a half, Sharon tried on nearly every article of clothing in the store. Ugh, Sharon! Indecisive, much?
Per corporate policy, Sam couldn’t rush guests as they shopped, so long as they arrived before the store closed. She tried every sneaky tactic she could to push Sharon out of the store. Sam turned off the music, swept the floors, and closed every register except for one.
Anyone else would have realized these tasks were indicative of the store closing soon, but Sharon didn’t get the memo. She stayed in the store, nonchalantly shopping as her child continued to scream and cry.
Sam is nicer than I would be, I would have kicked Sharon out!
Unfortunately, this wouldn’t be the end of Sharon’s lengthy visit.
~
Closing Time Troubles
Nearly an hour and a half after the store closed, Sharon was finally ready to check out. Sam had her co-worker, “Mikayla,” begin to ring her out. Sam figured if Mikayla handled Sharon, she could start closing up the back room and get her co-workers out of the store sooner.
As Sam was tidying up the back room, she heard a blood-curdling scream coming from the front of the store. Can you guess who it was?
Sam quickly sprinted out of the back room, only to find Sharon loudly screaming at Mikayla for no reason! At this point, Mikayla was terrified and began crying. Sam knew she needed to step in and defend her co-worker.
“What seems to be the problem here?” Sam asked.
“Yes, there is a problem,” Sharon yelled, “Your idiot employee is treating me like garbage! She needs to be fired immediately! I don’t think corporate would be happy to hear how employees are treating their paying customers!”
Mikayla glanced over at Sam with tear-filled eyes. Sam knew Sharon had fabricated her entire story.
Sam turned to Mikayla and whispered, “Can you go to the back and finish up some tasks for me? I can take care of this,” as she directed an annoyed glare at Sharon.
Mikayla dutifully walked to the back room, and Sam turned to Sharon and asked, “Okay ma’am, what can I help you with tonight?”
Sharon cried, “Well, I need to return these clothes so I can use the credit towards my purchase tonight.”
“Clothes? What is she talking about?” Sam thought.
Suddenly, Sharon took the full garbage bag of clothes and dumped it on the checkout counter.
Sam was in complete shock, and she knew that she needed to act fast to get Sharon out of the store.
~
Return Policy Regrets
As Sam looked through the clothing Sharon dumped on the checkout counter, she knew they were from her store. However, all of the clothes were nearly one year old, well-worn, and didn’t have tags. Who do you think you’re fooling, Sharon?
Sam warily told Sharon, “Ma’am, I am so sorry, but you cannot return these.”
“What? Why not?” Sharon screamed.
“Well, none of these items have tags,” Sam explained, “And you don’t have a receipt. Plus, these clothes have clearly been worn and washed already. Returns are typically for recent purchases that don’t quite fit.”
Red and shaking, Sharon asserted, “Well, these clothes don’t fit me anymore, so I need to return them!”
“I understand,” Sam replied, “But our return policy is thirty days with a receipt. The clothes cannot be washed, and they still need a tag.”
Sam was fed-up and totally exhausted. It felt like no matter what she told Sharon, she couldn’t help her understand that returning the clothes wasn’t allowed.
“Can’t you give me a store credit?” Sharon yelled.
“No ma’am, I can’t give you a store credit,” Sam explained, “You can try to resell the clothes at a resale shop, but we aren’t a thrift store. These pieces aren’t in production anymore, therefore, I can’t take them.”
“I’m not an idiot!” Sharon screamed, “I know I bought these clothes last year because I am the person who bought them! They don’t fit me anymore because I was busy creating human life. Now, I need new clothes!”
Seriously, Sharon? You don’t understand returning the clothes isn’t allowed? Leave Sam alone!
As Sharon loudly explained her reasoning, she gestured to her poor, tired child. At this point, the child woke up and began crying again. I would cry too, kid!
Would Sam get to leave the store any time soon, or would she have to deal with salty Sharon all night?
~
Sharon’s Shoplifting Solution?
Sam replied, “Ma’am, no matter what you say, I cannot accept these as returns. Can I help you purchase the clothes you picked out today?”
“No, you absolutely cannot help me,” Sharon replied, “I need to speak to your manager!”
“I’m the manager on the floor tonight,” Sam said with satisfaction.
Sharon condescendingly said, “Good luck! I’m calling corporate and reporting you!”
Sam gave Sharon corporate’s phone number, and her mouth dropped. Sam didn’t care about getting reported, and it made Sharon even angrier.
Sharon was quiet for a moment as she began putting her clothes back into the garbage bag. Sam was shocked at the abrupt mood change, and she began helping her put the clothes away. The quicker the process went, the faster Sam could go home.
As Sam helped with the clothes, Sharon suddenly reached over the counter, grabbed the clothes she was going to purchase, and sprinted towards the door.
Sam just stood at the counter watching Sharon’s antics unfold. She couldn’t stop her from shoplifting, and the doors were already locked anyway. Good luck leaving, Sharon!
Sam watched as Sharon furiously yanked the door handle back and forth trying to escape. She couldn’t help but let out a laugh as she calmly approached Sharon.
“Let me out now! You’re trapping me!” Sharon angrily cried.
“Sure thing,” Sam replied, as she patiently held her hands out for the clothes.
Sharon glared at Sam, rolled her eyes, and shoved the clothes back into her arms.
Good choice, Sharon. Catching a case over clothes would be ridiculous!
Sam unlocked the doors, and Sharon whispered obscenities as she pushed her child’s stroller out of the store.
Days later, Sharon called the store and reported Sam for her “bad behavior,” even after she attempted shoplifting.
Some Karens truly never learn.
~
