Beech Tree News Network

On Saturday, at Walmart, a cashier thanked me for leaving the heavy things in the cart, so she could simply scan them, instead of having to move them from the moving belt to the bagging area.  She had waited on a woman previously who refused to do that, she told me.  The cashier had suggested the customer leave her several boxes of sodas in her cart, saving them both a lot of unnecessary lifting.  The woman refused, choosing instead to heave each box from her shopping cart onto the moving belt.  The cashier scanned the sodas then told the woman she could put them back into her cart.  The woman refused again.  

“I want you to move them to the bagging area,” she said.  

The cashier moved each box of soda to the bagging area, where the lady then put them into the cart.

“You’re getting paid,” the lady said to the cashier, “You need to do your job.”

The cashier handed the woman her receipt, smiled and said, “Thank you for being so helpful.”  She chose those words, she told me, just in case the customer complained to management.

I’ve been in similar situations, but I don’t always have the right words close at hand.  I do always have the wrong words close at hand, but we all know where that will get you.  I usually choose to say nothing then stew over it later.

Recently, I had a customer at work who was highly displeased with the price we charge customers who bring their own oil and filter with them.  Usually, people ask what we charge before they pull in.  I was busy in the office and wasn’t in the bay when this particular woman pulled in.  After the service was completed, I gave her a total for her bill.  The woman was livid.

“This is a damned rip off!” she said.  “I can go to any place in this town and get this done for fifteen dollars.  This place is nothing but a damned rip off!”

I took her money and gave her the receipt as she continued to mouth off at me.  I pushed the button that raised the door so she could exit the building.  I waved and said, “Bye, Bye,” as she pulled out into the parking lot.

“I will not be back!” were the last words I heard as she drove away.

It has always amazed me that people threaten businesses with those five words, since the last thing any business owner wants is a belligerent customer coming back through the doors, hurling insults at them.  Truth be told, I was silently thanking God that she would not be back, as I watched her drive away.  And, yes, I do understand the underlying threat in her words: I will not be back, and I will keep as many people from coming back as I can.  

The thing is, we have far more customers who will come back and who will recommend us to others who will come back than we do people who are disgruntled, so I usually just keep my mouth shut when a customer goes on a rant.  Later, I will say things like, “I can’t believe she said that” or “That was unbelievable” or “inconceivable” or some other “able” word.  

I don’t know why I’m still shocked when people act like the “I will not be back” lady.  I guess it’s because I was raised to talk to others with respect, even when I disagree with them.  At the risk of sounding naïve, I believe most people with small businesses like ours are just trying to make a living for their families.  They’re not out to rip off their customers, who are mostly—in small towns, anyway—friends and neighbors.  It’s okay to disagree with a price.  It’s okay to say something about it, but it can be done without personal insults.

We live in America.  It was founded on the right to make your own choices.  You don’t have to patronize my business, and if you do, you don’t have to come back.  There’s always another business on another corner.  You can even drive away in a blaze of glory, shouting, “I will not be back!”

I, for one, however, will keep working hard to make sure you do.