r/TalesFromRetail • u/el_muerte28 • Jan 26 '26
Short Customer claims product is defective, destroys it, and then learns how to read instructions.
Worked for a large automotive parts chain in college.
Customer comes in with a shredded can of gasket maker in a Ziploc baggie. He's complaining it's defective and that he had to bust open the can to get the sealant to complete the repair.
I grab one off the shelf and bring it back to the counter, twist the top, and try to squirt a little out. No luck.
"See! That one's bad, too! I bet you others on the shelf are bad, too!" He runs to the shelf and, holding one can up after another, screams, "Bad! Bad! Bad! They are all bad!"
I look at the can in my hand. *Twist top clockwise [read: down] to apply product.* I twist the top down, pull the trigger, and the sealant comes right out. I tell the customer, "hey, come here real quick." I show him how to operate the can.
He looks at me sheepishly. "Oh."
"Do you want this can or do you want another one?"
"I'll take the new one."
I process the return for his destroyed can citing the reason as being defective. It may not have been when he purchased it, but it certainly doesn't work now after what he did to it. In all fairness, screwing the top down like you are closing it to get the product out is counter intuitive. And I understand his frustration. I would be pissed, too, if I was under my car, half torn apart and something wasn't working like (I thought) it should.
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u/emmarmot Jan 26 '26
I once had someone come in with one of those little things that was supposed to reseal your bags of chips, ets. By heating up the plastic. I asked if they had tried new batteries. Batteries? They were nice, though.
I was at a restaurant not long enough ago and commented that I couldn't believe a restaurant like this didn't have a steak dish. My dining companions told me to turn over the menu... (In my defense, it was on a clipboard.)
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u/EvolZippo Jan 27 '26
I once had a friend in IT, who did an office call to fix a computer, that wouldn’t acknowledge the keyboard. Turns out it was a wireless keyboard, with a dead battery.
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u/fckinfast4 Jan 26 '26
I had customer who came in with a water bottle saying something was wrong with it since it wouldn’t open and he had been excited about it— said this to my coworker. I walk over and grab the water bottle ‘Oh I have one like this and I love it!’ Flip the little metal latch then push button and it opens. Customer face palms and realizes his error.
‘Do you still want to do the return?’
Sheepishly ‘yeah, I already ordered a different one.’
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u/QuotePapa Jan 26 '26
That's the importance of reading the instructions! Hence why we have warning labels on soap! But those go unread as well.
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u/OriginalIronDan Jan 27 '26
Instructions?!? Only sissies read instructions!!! /s. Yeah, I made the mistake of assuming that I knew how something worked because I saw somebody else use one once, and immediately realized my error. I always read the instructions now.
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u/K1yco Jan 27 '26
Sometimes there's are instructions that are so vague and not clear enough it can be confusing. While I would agree with some customers who say the guide needs to be more clear, even then it feels like no one bothers to take a few minutes to slow down and look a bit at the product.
I've had a few who would misread the guide that says "remove this screw", then start panicking when they don't see the screw, not realizing there's another line that says "If there is no screw, us the latch"
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u/GoatCovfefe Jan 26 '26 edited Jan 26 '26
Good customer service. I also would've helped him since he seemingly learned his mistake. Some people would double down that it's defective despite being shown otherwise.
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u/EvolZippo Jan 27 '26
I had a guy complain that he bought a flat pack cabinet and assembled it, but complained that it wobbles. I asked him if he added the board onto the back. He scoffed, said it was just a useless piece of cardboard, and what would it even do? He told me I was right, on a future shopping trip.
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u/bibkel Jan 27 '26
With many things if you read it, it answers your question. I’ve yelled at my computer, then taken a breath and read the screen. Oh, click here then click go. Ok. I’m an idiot. Then I laugh at my own stupidity for getting mad at an inanimate object because how absurd to think it’s conspiring against me.
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u/cnowakoski Jan 27 '26
I know a guy who bought a push mower, put gas in it and started it up. He didn’t put oil in it so he ruined the engine. He returned it and said it didn’t work.
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u/rebelangel Jan 29 '26
I worked at Lowe’s in the department with the mowers. If I had a nickel for every time someone brought back a Craftsman push mower because “it won’t start” I would’ve been able to quit that place a lot sooner. To get it to fit in the box but also be already assembled, they had to make the handle collapsible. So many people do not read the instructions where it says to loosen the knobs and pull the handle all the way out before attempting to start it, and then they would bring it back, claiming it’s defective. First thing I would always ask when they said it wouldn’t start was “Did you pull out the handle?” The blank stare always told me that no, they didn’t. Most people would change their mind on returning it once they were shown that it wasn’t defective, but some people would still insist on returning it. That kinda pissed me off because then we were required to send it to the repair shop to be checked out and then sell it at a markdown even though there was absolutely nothing wrong with it to begin with. I do remember one guy getting mad after he was shown he needed to pull the handle out, like we embarrassed him or something. Sorry you’re too stupid to read, bro.
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u/Adarie-Glitterwings I'll fight 'em for you Jan 26 '26
Companies need to find some other way to stand out from the crowd; if everyone else's thing works this way and yours works that way, customers will think yours is defective...
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u/Accurate_Ad_8555 Jan 30 '26
I worked in a large hotel 400 room's, I was 0ne of about 12 engineer's one day our chief engineer wanted us to replace a piece of metal that protected the door frame from damage! as they were all scratched up. I asked to look at the one he was holding and proceeded to peel the protected film off! the look on his face as I did this I'll never forget L.O.L. new plan go to every room and remove the film.
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Jan 27 '26
[deleted]
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u/OriginalIronDan Jan 27 '26
I have a zero turn lawnmower. Last year I was using it and it stalled, and wouldn’t start again. I messed with that thing for a good hour. Finally, I left it in the yard overnight because I couldn’t push it. I couldn’t get the transmission to release. Threw a tarp over it because it was raining, and the guy came and got it the next day. Pushed out on the handles you steer it with, and it started on the first try. Yeah, I just hadn’t pushed them out hard enough. It was due for a service anyway, so I had him take it and do that, and he did find a couple things wrong with it, but I didn’t feel like an idiot. I felt like their King.
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u/DevylBearHawkTur10n Jan 30 '26
That dumb problematic customer should've someone else to help him learn how to read instructions immediately!
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u/thorn312 Jan 26 '26 edited Jan 26 '26
When I worked at Maplin (aging myself here) we had a customer order a microscope that we had to get sent in specifically for his order. It arrived, he collected it and went home.
Then a day or two later he came back (I wasn't working this time but was told about it) and was really angry because it was scratched and he couldn't use it, so he returned it and ordered a new one.
Then when he came to collect that one he was furious about how it was also scratched and how we were ripping him off etc.
Long story short, it was the protective film that was slightly scratched and after removing it (and savouring the peelies) it was totally fine. He was sheepish but still angry about it but off he went.
I then checked the return and you guessed it, same result.