He Demanded a 40% Black Friday Discount in Mid-July—Then Insisted the Store Honor “Print Ad Customer Expectations”
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Sale signs can transform otherwise pleasant customers into surprisingly determined contract attorneys.
This regular shopper spotted a 50% discount and immediately demanded that the store honor it.
Unfortunately, the tiny sticker contained more information than its largest number suggested.
Let’s read the whole thing.
If you’re going to claim a sale based on the writing…you have to accept all the writing.
I worked at a print/ship establishment. Each month we would get marketing packets with various stickers to put on display items advertising the sales for that month.
We had a regular who, while overall nice, was also very vocal and opinionated, making for interesting customer service encounters.
So one day, this difficult customer decided to pick a fight about one of the “sale” items.
While I was helping the customer in front of her in line, she noticed the sticker on our canvas print sample and expressed her excitement that they were 50% off.
Unfortunately, it was one of the many little stickers that our marketing packets are very specific in telling when and where to place them, but are not as good at telling you to take them off.
When the employee tries to explain, the customer refused to be reasoned with.
So I apologized and told her that the sale ended 3 days ago and I forgot to remove the sticker.
She insisted that she wanted a print for half price.
I, again, apologized and told her that sale ended and I couldn’t give her a print for that price.
Then she starts making threats.
She squared up and said, “Your display specifically says right here that these prints are 50% off. I’m looking right at it. If you don’t honor your own words, it’s false advertising and I’ll have to report you.”
But not before the employee managed to outwit her.
I smiled and in my best customer service voice replied, “Yes ma’am. I agree that the writing is important. That’s why you’ll also see right under the number 50 on that sticker it says the sale ended 3 days ago.”
Thankfully, that’s when her other side kicked in and she smiled, knowing I won that one.
I did tell her that we tended to repeat those sales every couple of months and called her when the next one came up, and she bought 3 prints.
Sounds like this customer had finally met her match.
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Redditors chime in with their thoughts.
It turns out, it’s actually pretty hard to report a store for “false advertising.”
This customer maybe could have gotten away with her antics had she tried them in a different country.
If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an employee who cleverly shuts down customer arguments about closing time.
Sometimes, though, it’s just easier to give the customer what they want.
The customer demanded the advertised discount until OP directed her toward the sale’s clearly printed expiration date.
She accepted the defeat gracefully, then returned later and bought three prints during the next promotion.
Her airtight false-advertising case collapsed after a devastating encounter with the bottom half of the sticker.
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