no returns

I've always been happy to not be the person working at guest services. These are the folks who handle returns and exchanges as well as facilitate pick up or drive up orders.

I may not have mentioned in previous posts that ours is a "super-ultra-high" volume store, or some such designation and so the folks working guest services stay busy. Sometimes the line of people waiting for their attention backs up all the way to the door. That isn't a problem right now though because we aren't currently accepting any returns or exchanges.

I don't know if its a safety related policy (not wanting to accept potentially corona tainted items) or if its to redirect work hours to the check lanes (who have been swamped at times) or to give workers more time to take care of the pick up orders (which have been through the roof lately), but whatever the reason the policy is no exchanges, no exceptions.

As I was picking up my paycheck yesterday, the dispersal of which is yet another guest services responsibility, I had the unpleasant experience of standing their while my coworker was yelled at for not accepting an exchange on a bathing suit. I wasn't the target of this abuse but I was an unwilling observer as the woman complained, "What do you mean I can't exchange it? I only bought it yesterday!" There were of course signs around stating that policy.

I had zero interest in chiming in but I did think to myself, "So you're one of those folks who is going out for nonessential stuff during the global pandemic. And here you are again making a second outing for your non-essential item..."

The woman kept going on and on about how she really, really wanted to return this swimsuit and my coworker to her credit very politely and consistently said, "Sorry, I just can't do it."

Thankfully the manager in charge of the front end happened to walk by before long at which point my coworker was able to redirect this customer's ire. I was glad, the manager gets paid more, let her get yelled at for a spell.

Most folks have been pretty nice during all of this. There have been a few "Karens" but there have also been people thanking us for being there. Unfortunately though, I think folks being upset about returns is an always problem that has only gotten worse in the era of corona.