i've got nothing for you to gain.

(If you've read the entry before this, you can probably skip this first paragraph) I am 150% furious right now. Most of you actually have been following me on twitter and reading my appalling updates and all of your shock put together doesn't even compare to my own. I am in the worst state of shock I have ever been in. What a terrible turn of events.

Now, we all pretty much know that I did nothing rude to the customer. I handled it as any employee would have handled it, did I not?

This morning I went in to have that little talk with my manager due to the complaining customer from the last blog entry (if you haven't read my last entry, that might be there place to start). They sat me down around 11:15 and began to talk to me about the situation. First, they heard my story. I tried to print out the story from my last blog entry to bring in to show them, but my printer failed me. Surprise, surprise. Intead, I tried to tell them what happened in the exact order of events. I felt like my story held it's own, so I figured there was nothing to worry about.

They then told me what the customer told them. He told them that he had gotten the worst customer service he has ever gotten. He also said that he walked out without the waffle cones, which, when reviewed on the video cameras, he clearly had walked out with. THE BEST PART IS THIS. When he said: "There isn't going to be a next time. Seriously, Courtney. I'm never coming back here." he told them that I replied with "Fine. Don't come back." ARE YOU KIDDING? I know how to handle a customer and that is the LAST thing I would have said. I didn't say a word between when he said he wasn't coming back, until he stormed out. I was evermore furious at that.

Then they told me that they were the ones to make the decision, but that Brian (the store owner) had said that they could fire me if they wanted to but: "We don't want to do that." I sat there waiting for my punishment (my punishment for doing absolutely nothing wrong, mind you).

"Brian suggested that we at least give you a week off of the schedule..." I got upset at this. There is no reason I should have any sort of punishment at all. Taking me off the schedule will not help me at all. My financial troubles right now already called for me to go searching for a SECOND job, losing hours on the first job is not something I could really handle. I started to cry. For a moment, I could feel the fury surfacing and I knew that if I didn't stop and take a quick breather, that I'd simply explode.

"Sorry, but I have to leave for a second." I proceeded toward the back door and went outside to catch a breath of air. I called my mom after 30 seconds and started to calm down. She informed me that I should probably look for another job and stay with this one only until I am stable in a new job.

I hung up less than a minute later, composed myself and walked back through the door and towards the manager and assistant manager. I sat down. I told them that it wasn't up to me but I relayed what my mom had said to them. They asked me to sign a sheet of paper indicating that I'd gotten a verbal warning. I signed it. They also asked me if I wanted to write any comments on there. So I wrote a brief explanation of what happened, since the owner didn't have to guts to confront me himself.

I went home... upset but knowing that I could still go back to the job in a week. My manager logged onto AIM and started talking to me about it saying: "You know that I didn't want to do that to you." Etc. Etc. BLAH BLAH BLAH. I informed her that I was a little tired of the way Brian ran things and that I was probably going to look for a second job anyway. I also told her that I wouldn't screw her over by up-and-quitting, but that if I found a stable job outside of this one, I would put in my two weeks so that it wouldn't make it harder on her. I told her this as a friend, not a co-worker. The conversation ended for a little bit.

Around 2 PM, I got an IM from her. "I'm going to call you."
"Um. Okay?" I said.
"?" She asked.
"You never call me," I answered.
"I don't want to..." she said.

I then got a phone call. She explained to me that I was immature about the situation. Walking out to catch a breath of air is apparently an immature move. They also thought that because I was so upset, that I wouldn't take the job seriously anymore. They judged me. Both of them. They both decided that I was going to go about the job negatively. I think it's a bit sad that they had to judge me instead of seeing the way I would work after everything that just happened. A week off would certainly have been fine. The only thing that bothered me was how angry my mom was and how hard it would be to have a week off. I shouldn't have even gotten my hours cut at all because this wasn't my fault.

I feel like Brian doesn't handle anything on his own. I haven't even SEEN him in over 2 months, let alone TALK to him. The fact that I was fired by a friend was even worse.

I still feel like the customer was only looking to cause trouble and get free stuff by complaining. I hope he's happy that he got me fired.

UGH! Work sucks, I know.

I just got news that a customer complained to my manager about me and a coupon that didn't even apply to what he wanted to buy. I'm going to illustrate to you what happened and you tell me if I did anything wrong.

Two men walked into the store, smiley and cheery. Each asked for a small waffle cone of frozen yogurt. I made each of them their waffle cones and proceeded to the register.

"Would you like to start a rewards card?" I asked.
"No thank you," he said. At first he was a very nice guy and I treated him with a smile, as I would any customer.

After giving him his total, he then said:
"Oh, here!" and threw two coupons onto the counter and walked a couple feet back, stopping as if he waited for me to tell him he was okay to leave.

The coupon was a free small cup or cone (or $2 off any menu item). So yes, they got a small waffle cone. But the problem is that the coupon does not apply to the waffle cone because it costs more than just a simple cup or wafer cone.

"I can only give you $2 off of your purchase per coupon," I said, still smiling.
But then, his eyes widened in disgust: "I've NEVER had a problem with it before,"
"Sir, these coupons do not apply to the small waffle cone..."
He cut me off: "I have NEVER had a problem with this before."
"The small waffle cone is more..."
He cut me off again. "What's your name?"
"Courtney..." I hesitated.
"Is your manager in right now?"
"No, she isn't."
"When will she be in?"
"Around 3 o'clock," I said.
He put down the waffle cone. "I don't even want it then." His father was standing next to him (well, it looked like his father.) His father seemed extremely embarassed, or just speechless. I wish his son was the same way; trying to avoid conflict, that is.
"Sir, let me explain. The waffle cone costs more than a regular cone. A regular cone is what this coupon applies to." I rang up 1 regular cone and 1 waffle cone to demonstrate the difference in price. "I will give it to you this time, but next time..."
He cut me off AGAIN.
"There is not going to be a next time. Seriously, Courtney. I am NOT coming back here." He picked the waffle cone back up and stormed out.

Did I do anything wrong there? I was completely flustered through the entire conversation. I stuttered through all of my words. If he weren't so stubborn, he would have realized sooner that I was going to give him them for free this time after explaining the coupon to him.

Most customers do not get so defensive over a simple waffle cone.

Now... each waffle cone was $3.69 each before tax, making that 7.38 for both of them together. If I were to take the two dollars off for each coupon ($4 off total) he would only have had to pay $3.38. I don't understand what makes a customer feel the need to fight a coupon that just does not apply to what they want.

Nor have I ever seen these customers in here before and I have worked there for two and a half years. So, if they've never had a problem with this coupon before, it certainly was not at our store.

I do not make the rules of the coupons. I simply enforce them. It is not my fault that the coupon does not apply.

Oh, but the best part is... now I have to waste gas by driving up to the store, sitting down with my manager and "talking" about what happened. Not even the owner will listen to me but he's making the manager do it. What good will that do? The owner is the one who makes all the decisions. If my hours get cut for this, I will be furious. That customer really had no reason to complain and I can't afford to lose hours over something that I can't control.

/major rant