Archived Problem Guest when covering GSA lunch

[NoTasking]

I was covering a GSA lunch today when a guest using self-checkout waved me over and told me the price on a space heater was wrong—ringing up at 39.99 (right price) when it “should have been 6.99 because that’s what the sign said”


I told him that 39.99 is the correct price and it must have just been misplaced and offered to take the price down to 29.99 for the inconvenience. He declined because he wanted it for 6.99.


I had a hardlines team member at the front who walked back there with him to “confirm” the 6.99 price. She walkied me from the floor and verified the 39.99 price and she sent the guy back up. When he got back to the lanes he informed me that he heard everything she said to me over the walkie (which was fine to say over the walkie...just not in earshot of the guest) which made me feel like I really had to overcompensate. I let the dude vent for a minute because he was clearly frustrated and offered him 29.99 again. He kept referencing the 6.99 price and I felt bad because of what the Hardlines TM said over the walkie so I told him I could do half off, which he accepted.


Obviously $20 isn’t the end of the world, but I feel like I could have handled the situation better. What would you have done? What’s best practice?

 

[Bethy]

I think best practice would be to walkie a hardlines member and have them check the price over the walkie. What did the HL member say over the walkie that offended the guest??

 

[pellinore]

Overall, I think that you handled this pretty well. The fact that the price was clearly not $6.99 you could have mentioned that the item was in the wrong place in the first place. When the guest and the TM walked back to check the price the TM should have read the tag (39.99) and compared it to the item that the guest had......and when the guest took the TM to the sign that he had seen ($6.99), then that sign should have been read and compared to the item that the guest had. Reading through the signs should have cleared the issue up. The guest was wrong, but it doesn't look like the TM who was helping you and the guest did their job correctly. So, you look pretty bad.....however, offering the $29.99 price was reasonable on your part and you should have stayed firm at that price. If the guest wasn't happy then you should have removed the space heater and apologized.

 

[SilentCrow]

You handled it well but didn't have to buckle and make it half off. Once verified that it was indeed $39.99 and you offered $29.99, we reached the take or leave it price.

The key to situations is to politely display authority. If you show signs that you're a little unsure or scared guest will take advantage. I've been doing it for years and I cover LOD situations when they can't handle the guest. Over time you get better at handling these things.

 

[Fluttervale]

The dude didn’t think the price was $6.99. He isn’t stupid. He just wanted to use a bad situation to get a deal.

 

[2Spooky4U]

Have you ever been so stingy, you threw an adult temper tantrum for $20?

 

[buliSBI]

In the past, I asked the guest if this was the only item in the spot to make the guest think. But yes...you did good. No heater is going to be 6.99.

 

[Leo47]

The type of people that argue prices like this (huge difference not just a couple dollars) IMO are amateurs testing our limits. They probably heard someone say “oh I thought this was $x” (like 2 dollar difference) and saw the cashier just change it for them, so they’re just trying to see what they can get away with. No one in their right mind would think the $6.99 price is the correct price and the item just wasn’t in the wrong spot.

 

[IWishIKnew]

Agreed that the guest was being an asshole and you were generous to offer $10 off. Not sure what the HL TM said, but I would have just read the sign at the location and asked the guy where he saw $6.99 or sent him back up. I wouldn't have said anything over walkie that guests couldn't hear (because walkie chatter is audible through the store most of the time), but did the TM say anything inappropriate or was it just not what the guest wanted to hear?

 

[Greenie]

I'd love to know what the other TM said over the walkie.