Probably the most common phrase heard by a retail worker is, “I want to speak to a manager.”

It seldom gets them what they want and in this case it actually has consequences.

See how satisfying this story is.

Sure, hold for a manager, it’ll only be about 10 days…

I received a call from a customer requesting a refund of a non-refundable deposit (scheduled installation of an alarm).

I informed them it’s non-refundable, but I can transfer to another item/job, issue store credit, etc.

They demand to speak to a manager, of course.

The caller’s demeanor is verging on demonic.

So I begin to explain that the manager is on vacation overseas for 10 days, but she cuts me off every time, getting increasingly angry/belligerent.

“The manager is…” I began.

“I don’t !@#!#! care!” she replied. “Put the !@## manager on the phone! NOW!”

Soon, she’s cutting me off with screaming profanity before I can get a word out.

She caught the idea that “the manager isn’t available at the moment” and demanded to hold until they are.

Yes ma’am. Hold away, I have paying customers to assist.

And the game of hot potato begins!

Our phone beeps every 5 minutes so you don’t forget someone is on hold. My associate picked it up, thanked her for holding, and asked if he can help.

She asked if he’s the manager, he said no, and she started over again. Soon, all staff knew a crazy lady was holding for the manager and not to pick up the hold line.

An hour later, she finally hangs up and calls back, furious.

Again, cuts me off as soon as I speak and demands to talk to a manager. She’s shrieking like a demon at this point, barely intelligible, like a female Don Vito. Again, demands to hold for the manager.

Again, I put her on hold. Another half hour, and she hangs up.

Soon after, she’s in our store, screaming that she missed work and went over her cell minutes because she was on hold.

She adds that we now owe her the entire deposit and her lost wages, and need to reimburse her cell phone charges, or she’s going to sue us. Demands to talk to the manager.

Now she gets what she had coming to her.

“Ma’am, as my associate and I tried to tell you multiple times,” she says, “The manager is on vacation overseas for 10 days.”

“Then why did you put me on hold!? Why did you waste my time!?”

So I tell her, “You screamed profanity and demanded to be put on hold for the manager and refused to talk to anyone else. Multiple times.”

Screaming stopped. Demands stopped. Profanity stopped.

She asked what day the manager would be back (in her normal person voice), nodded her head, and walked out without another word.

Never came back, never called, missed her appointment, didn’t answer reminder calls, and now the deposit has turned to store credit.

Here is what folks are saying.

Victory champagne for everyone!

I agree and I’ve never even worked in retail!

Good thing you left.

Wise words.

That would be aggravating.

Fingers crossed she chilled out with other calls, too.

If you liked that post, check out this post about a woman who tracked down a contractor who tried to vanish without a trace.