"the customer is always right"

this is a super bad photo that i took with my cell phone of a costume that i bought that was on the peg stating $14.99. the costume rung up for $24.99, when i reached the register. it was actually next to another peg that said $7.99. when i asked the cashier to change the price, she called another woman over. the manager said that she could NOT mark it down since it was already on sale with a "take your business elsewhere" attitude. it would be one thing if there was only one on the hook. i bought TWO of them and there were still TWO on the hooks. how many red velvet capes do you expect to sell in the middle of the summer? (harry potter release party)

i, of course, did what all pissed customers who've worked in retail do....asked for her district manager's number. i have NEVER done this before in my life, but it has happened to me many times. when i get that question, i just pretend that i sought approval MYSELF from a higher up and give the customer what they want and don't give them the number. unless i know that i will get fired immediately if i grant the customer's request, i ultimately begrudgingly with a super sweet smile on my face (cursing them in my mind for eternity) give the customer what they want.

in this case, it was THEIR fault...not mine. so i called the DM while i was in the store. took a photo of the peg hook if i needed it (with manager in tow). i got a call back about 5 minutes later. and in the typical retail fashion...

1. she listened to my issue
2. she asked me who was involved
3. she asked me the difference in price
4. she told me to take my receipt and get a refund the next day.

the thing that bothered me was that she called that manager, "the lowest one on the totem pole." then, she proceeded to explain that the manager must not have thought she could have made that decision.

a $10 decision to correct a store's mistake. i thought that was the saddest statement ever.

i know that the customer is not always right. believe me.

this time i was.

blogs of the future: me and mom (video), harry potter : order of the phoenix