A customer at the hardware store in Boise tried to return a lawnmower he'd clearly run over a rock

I was working the returns desk last Saturday when a guy brings in a mower with the blade housing completely shattered. He claimed it 'just stopped working' and demanded a full refund, no receipt. When I pointed out the fresh dirt and a chunk of quartzite stuck in the deck, he got in my face and yelled, 'Are you calling me a liar?' for a solid minute. My manager caved and gave him store credit just to make him leave. Now I have to check every single power tool return for damage and soil samples, which adds like 20 minutes to each one. Has anyone else had to start doing weird extra checks because of one bad customer?

3 comments

3 Comments

thomas.tyler9d ago

My old manager at a garden center had us start checking for grass clippings in returned trimmers. One guy brought back a string trimmer caked in mud and fresh cut Bermuda grass, swore he never took it out of the box. That single liar cost the whole crew fifteen extra minutes of inspection on every single return. It's always one person ruining a simple system for everyone.

troythompson9d ago

That's rough, but the extra checks probably aren't just because of that one guy. Most stores have had a policy for checking damaged goods for a while now, especially on no-receipt returns. Your manager likely just finally made it a rule after that scene. It's a pain, but it does cut down on people trying to return things they broke themselves.

olivia_bailey9d ago

You said it's probably not just because of that one guy, but honestly, that's exactly how it happens at my store too. One big scene like that makes management panic and write a new rule for everyone. It's always a reaction, not some plan they had before.

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