Okay, so there is a customer that comes into Starbucks in the mornings. She may no longer be a customer after what happened Monday morning, but knowing her she will be back within a week. Many of you know her as "Sweeter than Chocolate" lady. But for those of you who don't, she is so not sweeter than chocolate. Not to be mean, but in all honesty she is not a very happy human being. She has tried to get free coffee from us several times. Finding something to complain about and when you ask her how she's doing that morning this is a typical response, "Well, I'm dying, but ya know..." How do you respond to that? Of course everyones body is decaying, but come on, it's just inevitable that we are all going to face death. But I am getting away from the story of Monday morning.
Marty answers the phone and hands it over to me. I heard him say we don't have a manager here, but we have a supervisor.
Me: "Hi, this is Alexa, I'm a shift supervisor. How are you?"
Sweeter than Chocolate: "Well, I've got a dentist appointment, but other than that..."
Me: "Ah, what can I help you with?"
StC: "I came in this morning and got coffee and this has never happened before, but the coffee leaked all over my hands and on my pants. I only have one pair of pants and I don't know if the coffee is going to stain them and I don't get paid til the 3rd/4th of September. I can't just go out and buy a new pair of pants"
Me: "Oh no, are you okay? It didn't burn you did it?"
StC: "I am more concerned about my pants."
Me: "Um, well next time you come in we could give you free coffee. I am not sure what all I can do for you at the moment..."
StC: "I have coffee on my pants and you're telling me you are going to give me free coffee?"
I admit that doesn't make much sense, but it's all I could think of at the moment.
Me: "I can tell you that from working here, I get coffee on my clothes quite frequently and I use spray and wash and it comes out." (By this point, Nick and Marty are giving me odd looks as this is the only thing going on at 6:30 in the morning).
StC: "I have them soaking right now and at this point I don't know if it's going to come out."
Me: "I am not sure what I can do for you right now, I mean I can talk to our store manager and she can get back to you...I just don't have the authority to make a decision right now..."
StC: "Well, I want to know what you are going to do to stand behind your product." (hesitating) "Can you give me a corporate number?"
Me: "Yeah..." I don't know what number to give her so I grab a comment card and find 1-800-23-Latte (which I deciphered for her before I read it to her).
StC: "I'll just call corporate and tell them you can't make any decisions right now..."
Me: "M'am, I can talk to our store manager and get back to you. I just can't say I can give you a pair of pants without talking to her...I'm just being honest with you"
StC: "And I'm being honest with you, I'm going to call corporate and tell them that you can't make any decisions right now."
Me: " *sigh* Alright, fine."
StC: "Thank You."
Let me note, that thank you was not pleasant, but very smug. So this lady wants me to say I can give her a pair of pants (which prompted Nick to say the very line I used in my title for this blog). She was so impatient she couldn't wait for me to talk with Abby before taking it to corporate. Oy, I was just like whatever. So later at the store meeting, Abby said she did call customer service who talked to Rick (a big man!), who talked to Catherine our DM, who emailed Abby about the situation. So next time if this happens I am to fill out an incident report form and get ahold of Damage Control or something of the like and they will take care of it. I thought I wouldn't have to hear about it anymore until the next time she showed her face in our store...which I am sure will happen soon. I get a call this morning and I recognize her voice right away. She's all like, "Yeah, I got a fax number from corporate, but I lost it, can you give me the number again?" So I am kind of busy with customers at the front register, but I do not want her in a huff again, so I go get the comment card again so I can read the number. I tell her it is 1-800-23-Latte, L-a-t-t-e. And I mentioned that I can't get to the other phone to give her the corresponding numbers for the letters like I did the first time and she replies that that is not the number she was given (I know it's the number because I am the one who told her in the first place). To which I replied that it is the same number I just cannot get to the other phone to give her the corresponding numbers. To which Sweeter Than Chocolate says, "Well, then you're going to have to say it again", all matter-of-factly. Which I did. And she was like, that isn't the number I had and I just clicked end. I had a long line of customers in the front and Ginger and Maria were busy on DT and bar. I just cannot stand that she won't give up on trying to get handouts and now a pair of pants. I know she doesn't have a lot of money and probably cannot go buy a new pair of pants, that's not the issue, it's that she is an old cantankerous woman who is miserable and wants to make sure everyone else knows it and spreads it and wants ppl to feel sorry for her. I am sorry, but I am not going to feel sorry for you. And it's not that I didn't want to help her, but I can't help someone who is very impatient and won't give me a proper chance to see what I can do before they take it to corporate. Come on. Oy!
I just needed to vent. I feel bad about the situation and I hope she comes out of it with a new pair of pants, but I have a feeling that she will mention it everytime she comes in, etc. I know I am not supposed to assume things just because it happens a previous time, but I don't think I am going out on a limb here to make the presumptions that I have.
Off to check out of the library with "Pour Your Heart Into It" and "Me Talk Pretty One Day" and I have the rest of the day off and tomorrow and it's pay day and I get to pay bills and tuition and if I am lucky, use the rest for gas and groceries! Sweet! I hope my vacation hours are on this check!
Much Love!
p.s. if you have any suggestions for what I can do for Sweeter Than Chocolate let me know. I am not sure what the proper reparations are if she does or does not get a new pair of pants.
p.p.s. Abby or Christina let me know if I need to keep this blog to myself...I dunno if Starbucks has ppl on the outlook for blogs containing information about customer/partner interactions!
2 comments:
sorry I can't really help you w/either of your P.S.'s my brain is to tired right now to think of anything that could help. As far as posting all that...I dont know, I avoid saying much about work or where I work b/c that is one of the big things they reccommend you don't talk about in blogs/journals. People have been fired for what they've said before. I'm sure they've said some pretty big things to get fired though. If it was me I'd probably remove it
I can honestly say that Lee's response is definately my favorite. I really didn't know she called back a second time. Sweet. Definately one of those times you just wish someone else was in charge. :) I'm sure there are probably people out watching for Buck's info, but since the manager is aware of the situation and isnt' planning on firing you anytime soon with a review like you just had, I'd say youre in the clear. :) Hang in there kiddo!
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